Times are tough, so make sure you take care of yourself

I didn’t know what to write about this week. After everything that’s happened since the inauguration, writing a review about whatever I’m watching or reading just didn’t feel right. But, there are enough people writing and talking about the string of new policies, about the stress and the fear, that I don’t feel the need to harp on that either.

But this is what we’ll be dealing with for the next four years. It’s scary, and it’s going to be difficult, but we’ll manage. We’ll survive.

My first piece of advice: Get outside. Seriously, take breaks from social media. It’s so easy to start doom-scrolling and only see bad news. That can be draining, mentally and emotionally. It’s difficult to engage in activism when you’re exhausted. Constantly monitoring the news can have the same effect. Take breaks and take care of yourself.

Second piece of advice: Cultivate connections. Start making connections with the people and community around you. It’s hard, I know it is. I’m honestly kinda terrible at this myself. But you never know when you’re going to need someone to lean on. While at college, join a club or two if you have the time. If not, compliment someone, ask them about one of the stickers they have or something like that. It’s important to not feel isolated and alone, and having people around you that you can rely on is a huge help.

Third piece of advice: Be kind. Talking politics can be frustrating, but getting angry and accusatory usually puts people on the defensive and they’ll be less likely to listen to what you have to say. That being said, it takes time, patience, and energy to reach out and teach someone, and if that’s not something you can do right now, that’s OK. You also have to be kind to yourself.

Fourth piece of advice: Be willing to learn. We’re not always going to be right. We don’t know everything, and that’s okay. It’s OK to admit you’re uncertain and that you need to do more research. Fact check everything, even the stuff you agree with.

Fifth piece of advice: Stay safe. None of the rest of this matters if you’re not safe.

I’m not going to lie; I’m scared about these next four years. This week has honestly felt like one bad thing after another. But there have been people all over not just the country, but the world, standing up and calling out the unacceptable. This is not hopeless, this is not over, and we are not alone.

Kai Spahr is a Hutchinson sophomore studying journalism and media production and the Opinion Page Editor. Email them at thehutchinsoncollegian@gmail.com.

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