Neko

Sylvia's Studio

Ten low-energy ways to protest

This is not the post I intended to write for today, but I just can’t stay silent. The state sanctioned murder that took place in Minnesota last weekend hurts my heart. I’ve tried to write things about it, but it was so hard to find words.

Then I saw a couple of posts on Mastodon and other social media of fellow introverts being overwhelmed and not knowing what to say, just that they hated what happened and wished they could join.

This helplessness sounds familiar. I do not live in the States but I do live in a country where over 1/3 of people voted for fascist political parties (we have a lot of political parties, not just two main ones like in the US and the UK).

If I try to say what I want to say about this, I freeze, and my energy drains.

So I started to think of ways we introverts and low energy people can protest against the rise of right wing populism and fascism while others are able to march.

  1. Keep an eye on those who suffer. Empathy is the best weapon against division. See someone posting about their struggle? A few kind words can make all the difference.
  2. Don’t watch the news. The news is designed to keep you watching. Instead, look for sources of trustworthy information, and read.
  3. Read and share books from activists , biographies of people who lived through times like these, and share what you’ve learned.
  4. Journal. Write about how you feel, what you are thinking. Write it out of your system and then write something you can do.
  5. And through it all, watch your self care. You don’t help anyone if you are drowning in fear.
  6. Write a letter to politicians or, if you are braver than I, call them. Show your outrage in a way that fits with you.
  7. Write a post sharing what you would put on a sign if you were able to protest. Maybe someone who goes to a protest is struggling to find words and you can be their inspiration.
  8. Share what people in the protests are saying on their social media. Some have such deeply insightful messages.
  9. Block people and hashtags etc to protect your mental health. Reading people spewing lies does only work to raise your blood pressure, but doesn’t help the world. Let them shout in their echo chambers, your words won’t change a thing… Besides, don’t forget that trolls always post insidious stuff to incite a reaction from you that they thrive on. Don’t let them.
  10. Speak for, not against. Speak for love, for peace and for justice, not against. When you repeat what they say, you increase their reach (and your anxiety). Mourn the person they’ve killed, and don’t repeat their lies about it. Speak the truth.

In all this it’s important to soothe your fears. It is so scary to take a stance, because when you do, there will no doubt be others who stand against you. It’s hard but necessary.

Protest doesn’t have to cost you energy. My only way I can, sometimes, is to share a quote that packs a punch.

Here is the one I shared on Mastodon this morning, for instance.

The further a society drifts from truth the more it will hate those who speak it.
~ George Orwell

A good quote can give you courage to speak up. It does for me, at least. The quote above is part of the reason I wrote this post.

#inspiration #low energy