Trump and the Need for Emotional Processing
Hello Plant Lovers,Have you felt a shift over the last couple of weeks?I certainly have. I’ve seen it on social media, heard it in friend’s voices, and felt it within myself. Something feels different in the world.Of course, the “election” of Trump as president to the U.S. comes to mind first, but I don’t think that fully explains it. He’s just the head on the pimple.A friend of mine said it this way while we were chatting recently…“On some level, many people have lost the sense that everything is going to be okay.”This struck such a deep chord with me as the essence of what I’ve been feeling and hearing from people.I’ve known for a while, as I’m sure you have, that the way humans are living these days is not remotely sustainable. And we’ve continued to have some hope or belief that things will get better, that things will be okay.
Then Trump won. And there was a collective pause.And in this pause you can feel the shift … oh shit! Things don’t feel like they’re going to be okay anymore.Personally, I wasn’t terribly surprised by Trump’s victory, but still I’ve been feeling some guilt about having children. I love my kids, of course, but I find myself wondering what the future holds for them now. I feel fear and worry for so many people around the world in a way that’s new to me.And from talking with clients, students, friends and seeing things on social media, I think it’s fair to say that the polling numbers for fear, anger and despair are up, way up.So, why am I talking about all this?2 reasons:
- Most importantly, I want you to know you’re not alone. A lot of us are still reeling, feeling confused and overwhelmed, and anxiously wondering/worrying about what the future holds.
- I have a suggestion to help nourish your spirit...
Panic, fear, anger and despair are challenging emotions to deal with for most people. They cloud your mind, evoke worst case scenarios and can trap you in this state. Not only do they suck to experience, but they prevent you from seeing outside of their influence.Remember, the voice of distress within you provides poor council. In order to see past the distress, to access your creativity and clarity, you need to ground yourself and clear out the fog of confusion and overwhelm.Try one or both of these suggestions to help you see outside the influence of your panic, anger or despair...Suggestion - Let it out! Talk about your feelings.
There’s a great deal of healing that can be found in slowing down and allowing yourself to be in your own experience without any resistance or judgements.It may seem counter-intuitive at first, to spend time feeling these uncomfortable feelings. Many people don’t want to get stuck in “negative” emotions and so quickly to try redirect them into something “positive.”But when you don’t take time to feel how you’re actually feeling, you end up getting stuck trying to avoid it.So, give yourself permission to have some processing space.
Find a friend or confidant that you feel comfortable being vulnerable with. Someone you trust will hold your heart with care and hear your words with compassion.Create some uninterrupted time where you can each take a turn sharing whatever’s on your heart. And I mean that, whatever is on your heart. Yes, these feelings can be uncomfortable to look at directly, but I can’t stress enough how important it is that you have space to share your honest reality.I like to take some relaxing herbs as I start. A cup of herbal tea can be soothing, but a few squirts of tincture works faster. My Chill Me Out NOW! Blend combines skullcap, motherwort and st. john’s wort, but they can all be effective on their own too. (warning: motherwort tea is very bitter.)Set a timer. That way when your turn is complete the other person doesn’t need to interrupt you. The timer will simply beep so you can finish up and then switch.As the listener, your job is to listen for what values are being expressed and, if it feels like it will contribute, to reflect those back. What is so important to this person’s heart?This is phenomenally important!! Giving yourself space to feel what you’re actually feeling is incredibly effective at loosening the grip that those feelings have over you.You’ll probably notice that one emotion leads into another, like layers of an onion.Doing this emotional support and processing work is a big part of what I do with my clients. (It’s not just about which herbs to take.) I’ve seen people unlock “stuck” emotions and even relieve physical symptoms just by listening to and expressing their inner world.
If you’re having trouble finding someone that you trust can hold some judgement-free space for you, then I may be able to help. Or you want to go deeper and work with someone who is comfortable holding space for intense or difficult emotions. You can check out my new Private Sessions page to read more about the emotional support work I help people with.In these troubling times, we need to be as grounded, creative, and compassionate as we can be. And that starts with taking the time to be present and tender with your inner emotional reality.I’d like to invite you to post an offer/request to have an “empathy buddy” either below or on the link that gets posted to Facebook on the Living Medicine Project page. You don’t have to be any kind of pro, it’s a learning process for all of us :) Listening with a silent compassion can be quite supportive.I’d also love to hear any other feedback or questions you may have.strength & wisdom.garliqPS. I also want to offer a perspective that I hope will offer some reassurance... Change doesn't come from the government, not ever. Change comes from the things that we do, you and I. It comes from the values that we live every day, the resistance to destruction that we offer, and most importantly, the birthing of a just and balance world.It is entirely possible that we are winning but just can't see it right now ;)