People are stressed out and experiencing a lot of fear and uncertainty right now. These days communications are going haywire more easily than usual—even for simple things it seems. People are behaving in erratic ways and doing things that don’t make much rational nor pragmatic sense… Many people’s coping mechanisms inform them to “look out for number one” (perhaps a bit too intensely) first, rather than considering the needs of community, neighbors, clients, employees, etc.
The worst parts of who we are lives in the mentality of a starvation economy.
If we’re going to make it through this pandemic with lesser stress rather than levels that go through the roof; that is, if we don’t want to make things worse for ourselves and everyone around us—we need to invest in something other than fear. Everyone is put out by the changes in our present situation, but everyone is not effected to the same degree. If you have resources, savings, a job that will pay you to work remotely or hasn’t asked you to take time off, consider your privilege and relative stability in this crisis.
We need to invest in one another literally and figuratively. Start by slowing down, by listening to the people around you, by hearing people when they speak, and by asking questions. Rather than making assumptions, being reactionary, throwing knee-jerk responses at one another, or escalating situations, we can opt to create space, deciding to keep distance from those edges—strategy toward a better end for all. In order to do so, we must be aware of whether our response to conflict intentionally or unintentionally pulls rank on others.
If power plays are an effect of the decisions we make (especially in these moments of stress and crisis), then we need to be more intentional than we’ve ever been before with the decisions we make, our processes for decision making, and how we communicate. Power plays in this climate can easily become exponentially debilitating and problematic to those with less room for survival. When dealing with people who are already afraid, already at a loss in one way or another, or those who are sitting in the unpalatable space of real concerns for their future and present selves’ functionality, it’s of utmost importance to consider the effects of the decisions we make. My Mother always taught me to ask myself, “if I do this, what will happen?”. That lesson, applied by all, will literally save lives in today’s crisis climate (not to mention untold oceans of angst).
We are not going to make it out of this mess completely unscathed, so the best we can be is good to one another and share the burden.
To my mind, best practices include checking in, asking questions instead of jumping to conclusions or making blanket decisions that effect others without proper consultation or conversation. This moment is one we can use to strengthen our muscles of compassion, and to figure out what’s going on underneath the panic of a situation. If we know what emotions and fears are driving us as individuals, we are much better armed to work problems out—creatively even. In fact, I’d say creativity is one of humanity’s best assets right now. At the very least, when we make decisions or respond to one another, we should be considerate and thoughtful about the impact our decisions and responses have on others.
I truly believe that by helping one another in the ways we are thoughtfully able to, we are better situated to help ourselves more deeply and meaningfully in the long run. I’d love it if we could get through this considerable moment of global strife with kindness and compassion as our first thought in any quandary. If we are able to, we’ll prove stronger as an entire human society when it passes.
Much love to y’all. Stay healthy, and please reach out if you’re afraid or in need of help. There are resources out there, and there are people who excel at funneling them to those in need. We’ll get done what has to be done, and we’ll complete it the only way we actually can: together.
Play On My Friends,
~ Creature
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