Politics | Culture

Feeling Powerless in Politics? Here’s What I’m Doing Today

Simple, effective ways to push back against fear and frustration

Photo by on A text conversation with a fed-up friend spurred me to create a personal punch list for this week. Check out my to-do list, and share what’s on yours!

This post was inspired by a message thread, so I’m including it here. The pull quotes below are all from texts.

There’s a punch-list of easy-lift actions you can take right now at the bottom of the post.

My friend Bernadette texted me this morning:

I’m seeing a lot of people, myself included, just paralyzed by confusion, fear, and disgust — to an extent that I don’t remember seeing before. And that says a lot since this country has gone through some really, really dark times.

As a research scientist, non-partiality is a cornerstone of Bernadette’s profession. Even when funding for her research into infectious diseases is threatened, as it is now, she tries to remain admirably balanced.

Me, I’m more a sleepy volcano that’s suddenly turned into Mount St. Helens. Trying not to scare the mentally healthy, however, I respond in kind:

I keep telling myself to donate to the…