This week, Christy and I stepped away from the headlines to talk about something many of us are feeling: exhaustion.
After spending time with difficult news, troubling research, and stories that highlighted both waste and suffering, we found ourselves asking the same question many people are asking right now: How do we stay engaged without becoming overwhelmed?
In this “Political Rest Stop,” we explored the difference between giving up and taking a breath. Rest is not surrender. Pausing to care for ourselves, regulate our nervous systems, spend time in nature, connect with supportive people, or step away from information overload isn’t abandoning the work. It’s what allows us to continue the work.
We talked about choosing information sources carefully, giving ourselves permission not to consume every article or understand every detail, and focusing on the contributions that match our own gifts and strengths. Democracy is a collective effort. No one person has to carry everything.
Think about a choir. In a choir, singers don’t all stop to breathe at the same time. Each person takes a breath when needed while others continue singing, creating a seamless sound. The audience doesn’t notice, because each singer gets what they need to support the whole.
The same is true of movements for change. We don’t all have to carry the work every moment of every day. Sometimes our role is to step forward; sometimes it’s to rest and renew. The important thing is that together, the song continues.
History reminds us that difficult periods do not last forever. The people who shaped history rarely knew how their stories would end. They simply did the next thing that needed doing. Our task is the same: take care of ourselves, support one another, and continue moving toward a future where everyone belongs, everyone matters, and everyone is protected by the rule of law.
Because this is a marathon, not a sprint.
Please join us for our live conversations every Friday at 11 am Eastern.
Joni Miller, Ph.D., is a writer, researcher, spiritual coach, and speaker who uses her knowledge, education, and love of all things spiritual to help spiritual wanderers find a place they can call home, navigating by the light of Love. www.SpiritualGeography.net
