There’s no denying that many, if not all, of us are at our breaking point. We’re over two years into a pandemic, feeling the heat of the environmental crisis, and our Black and Brown communities are experiencing injustice and loss from every direction. Add in other marginalized aspects of our lives such as disabilities, including mental illness, being queer and/or trans, being a trauma survivor, and living in poverty and underserved communities, and matters can start to feel hopeless.
Many times our go-to healing method is self-care and while self-care can play a huge role in our own recovery from overwhelming injustices, self-care is oftentimes done in isolation. That solo journaling session, individual therapy, meditation, solo jog, or art session can do wonders, but there’s one overlooked component of healing and that’s healing together as a community.
We’re social creatures at our core. Being in community and sharing our experiences with each other allows us to strengthen ourselves together. Here are some suggestions for healing together:
- Reach out to a loved one to talk.
- Invite others to join you in your self-care activities.
- If you’re in need of support, check out support groups. NAMI Seattle offers virtual support groups. NAMI Seattle | Get Support
- Call a warm line or crisis line to talk to someone. Mental health crisis lines | Washington State Health Care Authority, NAMI National Warmline Directory
- If you’re in a space to provide support, reach out to loved ones especially those who are Black and Brown, in public facing jobs, and parents/guardians of school aged children.
The path toward justice isn’t one that can be accomplished alone. Healing together and standing up together can strengthen our efforts. For more information, check out the links below.
Brené Brown on Empathy vs Sympathy – YouTube
Collective Care and Activism. Everyone involved in any type of… | by Habon Abdulle | Medium