Fall/Winter Survival Guide
Hi beloveds,
How are you?
I am . . . not great? I come to you with a smoke-filled brain and it's a bit of a struggle to pull this week's newsletter together. I am sort of at a loss this week. So, bear with me.
As I write this, fires ravage the West Coast, Seattle is blanketed in smoke, and I have not been outside for for over a week. So much death and destruction and loss.
(I recently learned that for centuries Native tribes practiced effective controlled – or Cultural - burning to prevent the kind of destruction that we are seeing today.)
Being cooped up inside with the sky being so dark from smoke, it already feels like winter to me.
With everything going on, many of us are about to reach peak mental and emotional "surge capacity." This excellent article by Tara Haelle describes mental and emotional surge capacity as “the collection of adaptive systems — mental and physical — that humans draw on for short-term survival in acutely stressful situations, such as natural disasters.”
Basically, this year has been a series of disasters that have been piling up before we can process and recover from them. And our addiction to social media and constantly refreshing our news feeds (no judgement - I do it too) creates cognitive overwhelm that can make use feel numb and frozen. Our brains were simply not designed for this.
But here's the thing: in my years as a psychotherapist I have had a front row seat to the incredible resilience of human beings, and I believe that we can resource ourselves to mitigate the effects of surge capacity.
A couple of weeks ago I was already hearing from some of my psychotherapy clients that they were dreading winter.
This inspired me to create a Fall/Winter Survival Plan template with prompts for folxs to create customized plans to get them through the darkest days. Of course it includes some suggestions related to digital wellbeing, but it's also about comfort, soothing, nervous system regulation and yes: joy.
Scroll down to see the questions. If you want to create your own plan, email me and I’ll send you a simple Word doc to fill out on your own.
With grief, love and hope,
Christina
Fall/Winter Survival Plan | Created by Christina Malecka, MA LMHC
In general, what makes you feel worse when you are struggling? List things to avoid:
In general, what makes you feel better when you’re down? List these as resources to get you through the winter:
What is your social media threshold? (I recommend 1 hour per day or less with occasional day-long breaks.)
What is your news consumption threshold? (I recommend once per day with day-long breaks in between asking a friend or partner to update you if anything major happens.)
How Will You Tend To:
Your Body? i.e. yoga, meditation, stretching, movement, hot baths, naps, etc.
One of the best ways to calm your body is through your 5-senses. List what’s most nurturing for all 5: taste, touch, smell, hearing, sight)
Your Mind? i.e. books, puzzles, games, learning something new, etc.
Your Emotions? i.e. journaling, meditation, self -compassion practice, reaching out to loved ones, therapy, etc. (If you need a therapy referral, contact me (christina@dmret.com) and I’ll send some links to get you started – including BIPOC, LGBTQIA and Social Justice-oriented therapists. I also have some links for low-cost and sliding scale therapy.)
Your Spiritual Life/Sense of Purpose i.e. activism, contemplative practice, prayer, meditation, daily gratitude, etc.
Relationships:
Who is in your support system? List them below.
Can you set up regular phone calls or video chats? Write letters and postcards?
Is it possible for you to safely form a COVID bubble of people you can see in person?
Crisis Plan:
What are the signs that you are heading into a mental health crisis?
What is your plan if this happens?
Find one person to be your mental health buddy to check in with on a daily or weekly basis.
If you need help getting started researching mental health resources in your area. Contact me and I'll point you in the right direction.
P.S. If you’ve read this far, thank you! I invite you to join my mailing list for occasional musings and updates on retreats and events. I won't spam you, or share your data. Let's start supporting small businesses on platforms they own!