Sunday, April 16th

(Adapted from Jen Hofmann's Action Checklist for Americans of Conscience)

In these long days since the November election, there has been a constant reminder in the activist community to remember to take care of oneself.  As resistance blogger Jen Hofmann puts it, "It’s time to get serious about your own well-being."

She continues: "45 is not going away. The people he’s given authority are not going away. As the gaslighting, mind games, and polarizing media coverage continue, my concern grows for our resistance. If you’re weary, we lose a vital part of the flock. If you feel energized and resourceful, we can reclaim democracy and make it even better."

Self-care, we are reminded in this article from Slate, is nothing new:

"Self-care originally caught on as a medical concept. Doctors have long discussed it as a way for patients to treat themselves and exercise healthy habits, most often under the guidance of a health professional. Prior to the late 1960s and early 1970s, these patients were usually mentally ill and elderly people who required long-term care and otherwise had little autonomy. Later, academics began to look for ways for workers in more high-risk and emotionally daunting professions—trauma therapists, social workers, EMTs, and so on—to combat stress brought on by the job. The belief driving this work was that one cannot adequately take on the problems of others without taking care of oneself (by reading for pleasure or taking the occasional vacation, for instance)—a sentiment you still hear from activists today. And that applied not just to physical welfare but to mental and emotional health..."

Action for Today

Relax. Enjoy your family and friends. Take a walk with your dog. Read a book. Watch some television. Breathe deeply.  
Read about some recent good news:

• A Stanford microbiologist knits “resistor” hats for the March for Science.

• Oregon proposes a bill to cut its prison population and reduce excessive sentencing.

• A federal judge blocks 7 executions in Alabama.

• Facebook shuts down over 30,000 fake accounts in advance of the French elections.

• Rick Steves donated a $4M apartment complex to to the YWCA for women and children.

• Extra good news here at this website full of weekly celebrations.

And participate in these Acts of Gratitude - expressing gratitude makes us feel better!

• Thank Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Mike Lee (R-UT) for defending Americans’ constitutional right to free speech.
  Address: (CG) 354 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510
  Address: (ML) 361A Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510
  
  
• Thank Rep. Maxine Waters for her inspiring leadership and for speaking up for democracy.
  Address: 10124 S Broadway #1, Los Angeles, CA 90003
  
  
• Thank Senators Bob Corker (R-TN) and Chris Coons (D-DE) for supporting food assistance to Sudan and opposing Trump’s foreign aid cuts.
  Address: (BC) Dirksen Senate Office Building, SD-425, Washington, DC 20510
  Address: (CC) 127A Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510