3 Steps For Putting On Your Post-Election Oxygen Mask

"Put your oxygen mask on first before helping others."

This isn't just airplane safety protocol - it's an essential part of caring for yourself and others. I've learned this first-hand from being a caregiver and supporting burnt-out changemakers.

If you're struggling to put on your oxygen mask post-election *raises own hand* here are three simple steps you can take:

1. Acknowledge and accept what you are experiencing, and sit with it for as long as you need to.

Wherever you are at in this moment is exactly where you need to be. Maybe you fall somewhere on the Courageous Conversation compass below. Maybe you feel numb. Maybe you're exhausted and need rest. Whatever you're experiencing, give yourself compassion and permission to sit with it. We all have different starting points in times of crisis and change. There is no right way to experience stress and trauma.

2. Complete the stress cycle in your body.

As changemakers, there's so much emphasis on leading with our heads and our hearts that we often neglect our bodies. Over the past year, we've accumulated a toxic amount of stress in our bodies. And did you know that when you don't complete the stress cycle in your body, the stress chemicals build up and lead to burnout and illness? That means addressing the source of stress isn't enough - there's a separate process your body needs you to move through to flush out those stress hormones.

Here are 7 evidence-based strategies for completing your body's stress cycle:

Physical activity that increases your heart rate is the most efficient way to complete the stress cycle. Walk, run, dance, hike, bike, box!
Deep, slow breaths downregulate the nervous system like in this 1-minute mini meditation.
Positive social interactions help us recognize the world as a trustworthy, low-threat place.
Deep belly laughs produce happy hormones. Queer comedians are providing these on Netflix (StandOut Special, Wanda Sykes, Joel Kim Booster, and Hannah Gadsby to name a few).
Deeper connection with a loving presence- hugs, pet therapy, and spiritual settings.
Creativity provides a context where big emotions can be externalized and integrated.
Crying provides a physiological release of those stress hormones.