Checking in: have you paused lately?

 Checking In: Have You Paused Lately?

 There has been a whole lot of everything happening lately, and if that speaks to you, trust that you are not alone.

    I’ve been dealing with a myriad of my own personal issues, and it would be understated to say that the tumult of my life matches the tumult in our country. You would think that we’ve been living under this administration for a few years now (at the least). At the time of this writing, however, it’s been exactly 148 days…out of 1,481 in total.

    And don’t worry if you are feeling wildly overwhelmed trying to keep up with it all. That’s not only the motive of the current administration, but it is also for the profit of every single media conglomerate in existence. Clicks and confusion to keep you glued to your screen. 

    And no, no this is not your excuse to definitively check out—to not care, to keep to yourself, to sit in a pit and do nothing. Not forever. No.

    But…

    Have you paused lately?

    Touched grass? Took a deep breath? Stretched? Ate something good for you? Went on a walk? When was the last time you were able to really feel some sort of release?

    Because that stress you’re feeling isn’t just an emotional state. It’s a physical one, too. Our emotions, our mind are just a fraction of all that goes on in our body. Stress has a cruel way of lingering without release, and, especially amongst Black folks, manifests in chronic illnesses and ailments.

    Take a moment with me to remember the words of Audre Lorde:

“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence. It is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare."

    For those who care, for those who are doing the real work and toiling, take a break. Breathe the deepest breath you've taken all day. Feel and recognize where your body may ache. Put something good in your stomach. Do the thing you’ve put off. Listen to some music and stare into nothingness. 

    Just pause for now, even for just a moment. The work is never done, and best believe it will be waiting on you when you get back to it.