Today, I’ve been thinking about how the healing process with today’s current political process.  Healing, for me, includes quieting the nervous system through meditation and visualization, using affirmations to calm my mind and remind me that I can “do this”, and watching my diet so I’m not including those nutrients that jazz up my system.   On the other hand, I’m very interested in the politics of the day and I like to actively participate.   Today’s politics are aggressive and combative in ways they never used to be.  Today’s political news includes sexual assault on an ongoing basis.  I’m triggered.  I’m working on ways to handle the triggers of combativeness and sexual assault and still continue healing from my own history.

I have begun doing a relaxation visualization that I’ve done all of my life more often.  I find that starting my day with this visualization isn’t enough anymore.  It takes twice a day.  I begin my day feeling relaxed and wrapped in Universal Light and then go about my day.  I’ve begun writing every day whether it shows up here or not.  I find that if I write it out, my ideas are more well formed when I go to my Facebook and begin seeing the political memes.  I’ve also begun being intentional about my breathing.  I like Facebook, but I can be triggered by those memes!  I go with intentional breathing and I find my responses are much less dramatic.

I’m making sure my news channels are more objective.  I can be triggered by the drama that the far left and far right news channels bring to us.  I get my overview from an online news source that simply reads the news, the way Walter Cronkite used to read it; just the facts.  I’m finding I still get to be involved in what is going on around me but I don’t need to be triggered by the emotions of those delivering the news.

I still love Rachel Maddow and so I do include her in my news menu.  However, instead of continuing to chew on whatever it is she has to say, I turn off the television as soon as she is finished and I do my visualization.  Afterwards, I’m able to be more objective.

I’m not eating, sleeping and breathing the politics of the time anymore and I’m finding I’m not quite as anxious.  Last night, I got a full 8 hours of sleep which for me is a major accomplishment.  We’ll see if it works again tonight!