On Rest.
We are now two full years into a global pandemic. TWO. FULL. YEARS. Y'ALL.
Often I feel gaslit by the lack of daily acknowledgement of what we've lived through, what we are currently living through. The incalculable loss. The constant uncertainty. The loneliness. The impact of these things cannot be overstated. The rush to "get back to normal" does not honor this moment, nor our place within it.
Our country's capitalist response to this pandemic left many jobless, homeless, unfed, and generally unwell. I do not want to return to our dysfunctional "norm" with its obsession with productivity, inflexible deadlines, building individual wealth at other's expense, exploitation of folk's labor, time and energy, and engaging in traditions that demand that folk's override their emotional and mental reservations, etc. I refuse to do it for the sake of my well-being.
I am not who I once was two years ago. I am no longer capable of doing what I once did. I am not capable of giving what I once gave, nor do I have a desire to. I do not want to do more. I want to do less. I want to slow down. I want to rest. I want y'all to rest. I, we, will rest.
And Other Coping Strategies.
To cope with the stressors of this pandemic, I created a space in our apartment called the Green Room where I retreat to daily for peace of mind. It is my sanctuary space, and in it I feel safe, rested, recharged and creative.
In the Green Room, I developed a wellness routine that includes some combination of sinking my hands into the soil of my houseplants, dancing around the room to my vinyl records, reading books and essays written by Black writers of marginalized genders, writing, napping, routine therapy sessions via Zoom, and consciously consuming CBD products (and lavender supplements) to quiet my anxiety. All of these things, along with love and support from friends and family, have kept me above water.
But I say all of that with caution because I believe that "self care" is an individual responsibility that we are burdened with under capitalism.
As Emily Decker wonderfully states, "The system you're trying to find energy in was never set up for the body's well-being; it was set up for money. If you feel great, you feel great in spite of it."
The system you're trying to find energy in was never set up for the body's well-being; it was set up for money. If you feel great, you feel great in spite of it." - Emily Decker
I believe that care should be collective. And if our system prioritized the wellbeing of people over profit, there would be no need for individualized "self-care" in the first place.
So, please, join me in spirit from your sanctuary space. Click the playlist down below, hit play, and let's plot on how to collectivize care and prioritize rest, in a world that wants us to do neither.
Peace!
-Your Country Cousin With All Dem Houseplants
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