One of the most popular Typewriter Series poems I have ever written is just above, it was Typewriter Series #61 and has gone on to appear in my first book, Chasers of the Light, as well as sold more prints to more countries than I could ever begin to count. (Reminder, I sell prints of every single Typewriter Series poem, sign them, and ship them anywhere, just click here if you’re needing some fun 8x10 photo print arts!) I wrote it to myself, a reminder in my own words, from me to me, for all those times I felt like I was merely treading water in my life, doing everything I could to not sink beneath the churning whitewater of life, of stress, of the chaos that is staying alive.
This life we’re all living, that we’re all doing our best to keep our head above the waves no matter who we are, where we are, or what our circumstances, has gotten a lot harder over the last two decades, and I stand by that fact. What was supposed to be the promise of a more connected future, the unification of culture, of knowledge, of communication, has somehow (and I know not always) morphed into something else. It’s become a hurricane of bad news, a spiral of misinformation, and constant reminders about the worst of humanity. Whether it’s authors of beloved literary franchises shitposting about their own horrifically transphobic viewpoints (yes, I’m pointing RIGHT AT YOU JK ROWLING), or the incessant and nauseating misogynistic/racist/fascist/vile vomit from certain Presidential candidates, or the news that never seems to slow about bombs falling and ending the lives of so many innocent children and their families, we doom scroll it all, all day long.
Push notifications vibrate our devices around the clock, we know instantly when something terrible has happened and often see it in full high-definition, no longer from the slightly sterilized point-of-view from a major news outlet that has the restrictions the FCC places upon it, but from the front-lines, handheld recorded by someone that lived it, or so often tragically did not survive. In a way this is a blessing, we’re no longer handcuffed to the spin that each network will always put on the events they are covering, but in another way, we’re just bombarded with the worst of us, daily, and see the gore of intolerance instantly delivered to the little computers we carry with us everywhere.
So then what? How do we stay healthy whilst existing in a culture that we really might be powerless to change at this point? We’ve collectively created a society that is steered by technology, that is reinforced by it, that is becoming even more hyper-connected while at the same time, so much more isolated? What is self-care in this world we all share, what does it look like, or if it doesn’t, what should it look like?
I won’t pretend to have all the answers, won’t tell you that I am an expert in removing my own self from the churning whirlpool that is perpetuated by the news cycle, by social media, and by the algorithms that seem to run our lives, but I do know I have some things that work for me and might just work for you. If nothing else, we can all add to the list in the comments below and create a giant self-care tips & tricks collection we can draw from should when we need.
Mindfulness - For me, it begins here, it ends here. Being present, being mindful of your circumstance, your emotional state, your physical surroundings, is the foundation of all that comes after with self-care. Whatever you’re doing, do it and only it. By immersing ourselves into the things we give our time to, we begin to break the pattern of mass-distraction. Remember the joy of doing one thing at a time, and stop allowing the trap of results-based-enjoyment to take over. Do it to do it, worry later, or not at all, about the outcome.
Unplug to Plug in - There’s a reason the Japanese custom of Shinrin-Yoku or “Forest bathing,” has taken over like a storm globally. A walk in the woods, to put it simply, time spent in any form of nature. What started in Japan as an antidote to tech burnout, the psychology behind it is centuries old. The beauty of this tip is that it can be done anywhere, as long as there are trees or even a bit of green space. Leave your devices behind, give yourself the best chance at actually absorbing the peace of the natural environment. Bathe in the forests around you, remind the ancient center of yourself where you came from, where you should be, again.
Set Boundaries - Set them, keep them, and give them the absolute respect they deserve and demand. If this means setting Screen Time limits for the apps in your phone, creating digital free zones where phones and iPads are never allowed, and refuse to put your face into your device after a certain time of day. If you must start small, start small, but make sure you do, as it’s the tiny changes (see a pattern emerging here on this Signal Fire? It’s all about Tiny Changes) that lead to the biggest, most impactful shifts. First and foremost: Delete Twitter, sorry, X, as swiftly as you can. What a cesspool that place is.
Find Your Community - Luckily for many of you, if you’re here and reading this, you’ve already done precisely this, but nevertheless for those of you who aren’t already a paid subscriber and want to be part of the most supportive, understanding, compassionate, and creative community I’ve ever seen you can do so by clicking the little button below. Anyhow, community is one of the most important aspects of self-care, as not only do they provide support and respite when things begin to, or already feel far too overwhelming, they also help hold you to the other promises you’ve made to yourself. True community shows up when we’re broken, when we’re low, and helps reminds you that you’re never quite as alone as you may feel, and that you’re always in hands that won’t let you fall too far.
Be Gentle - With yourself, with others, with your words, your actions, your intentions. Be gentler than you’ve been, then be gentler than that. Few traits are as vital to the collective whole than tenderness, true tenderness. Stop holding yourself and others to the fire for such small things, let tiny infractions fall away, let your anger evaporate, refuse to carry the weight of such a burden. Forgiving yourself for the times you forget the mindfulness, lose sight of the boundaries you’ve created, neglect the nature right beyond your doorstop, is crucial to keeping yourself motivated enough to continue to try.
Maybe it’s there, the trying, the attempt, the effort put forth to take care of ourselves, that matters most in the end. We get so used to the incessant scrolling through a bog of eternal online stench that we forget to lift our eyes, to re-discover the intention on being healthier, being more connected—not to the sprawling digital universe at our fingertips, but the very real natural world around us.
We are plummeting towards another election in this country, and even if you’re not from the United States, you’ll no doubt be swarmed and surrounded by a maelstrom of media. You’ll be bombarded by the insults flung from party to party, and you’ll be dragged through the muck and mud that seems to surround politics these days. I just urge you all to stop, to check in on yourself, resist the urge to fall into the doom spiral, and re-visit these tips or any that I am so hopeful others will leave below.
Take care of yourselves, refuse to fall into the traps our algorithmic society has invented, and practice true self-care in a world that preaches it often, but seldom practices it.
We are here, this community a lighthouse on the dark sea, and we will always shine the way to our shores. Don’t drown in the rip-tide of all this nonsense, swim along the shoreline, and when you’re beyond the breakers of it all, come back to me.
To us.
Don’t sink in the churn,
just swim along the shoreline
and come back to me.
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