Trauma Response: “Fight” as Meaningful Action
Artwork by Kathryn Smith
A new era has begun…
Or at least, a new four-year administration in the U.S.
Instead of starting with a transition from one leader to the next, it started with sweeping broad strokes, executive orders, egregious pardons, declarations, and promises no one is sure can be kept.
As a practicing counselor, I am not only coping with my own feelings and perceptions around these stark changes, I am also supporting people having valid fight / flight/ freeze responses (aka trauma responses) to what is happening.
As my spouse observed, “Remember, he got famous on a tv show where he fired people.” Right….and yet the shock value and dramatic effect hits differently when it comes from the White House.
So here we are… it’s impossible to predict what may come next. It will be a roller coaster ride for sure. We have no idea what the end of the ride looks like.
One thing is certain – it is urgent that we take care of ourselves and each other as best we can.
The natural instinct when we are swept up in a trauma response to our political environment is to:
Fight – find ways to push back, resist, or actively dismantle wrongdoing
Flight – avoid or escape reality by running away, hiding, or fleeing the scene (or country).
Freeze –disconnect, dissociate or shut down entirely, a “last resort” attempt by the nervous system to survive imminent danger.
If life were an actual television series with actors and crew members on set, the cue to begin the scene would be: ACTION.
For me, Inauguration Day coinciding with a Day of Remembrance for the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr is our cue for action.
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." ~MLK Jr
If you feel trapped, persecuted and isolated, remember that you are not alone. You are tied to the network of humankind and our destiny is woven together.
This is a time when it is essential to our survival that we lean toward each other.
Dr. King was a revolutionary. A visionary. A collaborator. An instigator for good. A model of peaceful protest and resistance. Most importantly, he refused to stay silent when he saw injustice in the world around him.
What are meaningful actions you can take at this time to create positive change in the world around you?
How might you uplift humanity through the values that make us whole: peace, compassion, connection, and love?
While respecting the body’s natural instinct to protect itself (through flight/flee or freeze), how can we channel that energy into meaningful action – an intentional and directed fight response?
When I become still and try to imagine the life of Dr. King and how he may have felt through his leadership and trials, I don’t think he was immune to the universal experience of trauma responses. Instead, he found a way to channel that energy into a meaningful fight response. One of action. One of thoughtful and strategic planning. He was possessed by his fight for justice.
This is a time when our voices and our actions matter to preserve, or perhaps re-establish, democracy.
Here are some strategies to work with your body’s instinctual responses to stress/fear and take meaningful action:
-Shake every day. Shaking not only gives the body an opportunity to move, physical movement supports energetic movement. Shake any way you wish: dance, wiggle, jump around, shake your legs and limbs, play invigorating music, find any way you can to move. Shake with an intention to release stuck, stagnant energy. Shake loose from the freeze response. Remind your physical body that it is safe to move and you have sovereign ownership of your body’s ability to move as it pleases. Move in a way that delights you!
-Limit your intake of the news. Set a time boundary on what news you will take in every day. Is it 10 min of national coverage from NPR? Local news only? I recommend less than 30 minutes daily – media intake greatly affects our mood, livelihood, and stress response.
-Monitor your use of social media, especially scrolling. This is an easy go-to when experiencing the stress response, but it is a trap. You feel momentarily comforted by the stimulation; however, it is exacerbating the activation of the nervous system. Set a timer or implement an app that helps you control your use of social media (e.g. ScreenZen, Atten).
-Take small actions with big meaning. Make a plan that prioritizes what you find most meaningful to cope with the challenges ahead. Is it supportive community? Lean in. Is it direct involvement? Spend 2 hours a month volunteering with an organization that is doing good work on issues you care about. Invite a friend to join you. Organize an effort toward a cause that needs attention. Deliver a meal to a neighbor or shut in. Send mail.
-Prioritize care for yourself and your loved ones. Burnout prevention is a proactive effort, not a reactive adjustment. Reorganize your life around getting 8 hours of sleep, eating nourishing meals, hydrating well, saying no instead of overextending, talking kindly to yourself. Put reminders and affirmations in your visual field at your house or office. Remind yourself of what matters most.
-Do things that make you feel strong and resilient. Lift weights. Make art. Accept a challenge. Celebrate small victories. Gather with friends and cheer each other on. Do you have a gift? Offer it with a purpose. Justice work comes in many forms.
If you’d like to experience movement with meaning, join our virtual Qoya community for an online movement class Inspired Action on Saturday Feb 1 at 10am ET. Classes are donation based, pay-what-you-can, and can provide you with support from the comfort of your own home.