hey, squash seed.

welcome to thriving for all, blooming for the long haul: a thriveandbloom approach to humaning during high stakes times

to be clear: the stakes were high BEFORE last week’s election

and if we want to get out of this cycle of fear-fueled momentum that fizzles out when we get tuckered out (or lulled into thinking more progress has been made than actually has) —

we need to find a way to balance self-care with community care, acting + healing, tuning IN + tuning OUT

i was talking with some friends this morning about the news cycle + self-care

P used to love her morning coffee + news ritual, but it’s been stressing her out so much lately that she may shift to a morning run for the time being

R has been tracking all the new cabinet nom announcements as they come in (not NOT stressful lol)

in times like these, dominant self-care advice often conflicts with directives around making change, and the result can be an all-or-nothing approach that’s not sustainable + so not ultimately effective

plus it’s often laden with a lot of judgment that keeps folks feeling small + disconnected from their power or on the old hamster wheel of trying to prove worthiness through how much they do

and here’s the thing: there isn’t ONE way to make change. nor is there ONE way to get + stay whole

like P, maybe starting your day with the news keeps you stuck in a state of panic that’ll do neither you nor anyone else any good

so instead of that old all-or-nothing energy that might have you tune out the news full stop right now (and left with lingering guilt about it) —

you can do the thing that sets you up well in the morning and find other times + ways to stay informed + engaged that don’t leave you too wrecked to do good where you can

if you’re an R + informational vigilance starts to wear you down, you get to take a pause, put up boundaries around it, or otherwise do what will keep you whole + able to act

sometimes self-care is facing the fire so it doesn’t engulf you, others it’s fleeing it for now, for the very same reason

it’s really about broadening your ideas around self-care + community care. both examples above are reflections of self-care

let your rejuvenating practices rejuvenate you so you can act on what needs to be acted on

create space for learning, informing + engaging with what matters to you as an individual and a member of the world around you

have you been struggling to find a balance between self-care + community care or being responsible to your needs as an individual in your own world as well as a citizen of the world around you?

i’m here to help :)

xxoo, cc

you are receiving this email because you opted in through social media, directly at thriveandbloom.com, or you attended an event or purchased a product or service from crecia cipriano - thriveandbloom. thank you so much for allowing me into your inbox + life!