I took a Women’s Health in Global Perspective Anthropology class a couple of years ago, and some of the content was brutal. We read books on female genital mutilation, female infanticide as a product of son preference, how the response to the AIDS crisis often ignored women, particularly women of color… Heavy, systemic stuff. To soothe our resulting intrapersonal crises,  our professor integrated a section at the end of each class to cover a grassroots organization that worked to address the issue we were discussing.

As bad as things get, there is always someone to look to for hope and inspiration. Hope that there are people like you who are standing for the same thing you believe in, and inspiration to get off the sidelines and become a mover and shaker yourself.

It’s too easy to find media coverage of the scary people, events and systems that keep you up at night. It takes a little more intention to get enough of the good stuff. We’ve talked about a balanced media diet before, and this is another dimension of finding the right mix.

Fill your tank with inspirational stories–not just the infuriating ones. If you can find local groups to follow (and later engage with!) that’s even better. You might just watch a documentary or scan some articles, and social media gets you access to some pretty impressive people, but connecting with someone you relate with IRL is more powerful.

On that note–what are you putting out into the world? I can admit I’m more likely to use my platforms to vent rather than share the good stuff. The same intention we apply to our content consumption can have a role in what we decide to share, too.

No matter what you are feeling, you are not alone.

What kind of helpers and good news resources are you going to look for? Let me know and I’ll point you to any I’m aware of.

Feature Photo by Jon Tyson