"How are you so calm?"

(in Times Like These)

Yvonne Denman, Maritime Pine in Tuscany (2024)

War Baby here, with some exercises.

Pretend you have moved to a different country, which feels a lot like your home country, but under an authoritarian regime. Notice how people still go about their lives, for all the fear and unease. Accept you may be here for the next forty years.

Watch this whole appearance and follow all of her advice.

Get off the internet, see your family and friends, volunteer your time.

Procure items by walking into the stores that sell them.

Procure food by walking into groceries and farmers markets and restaurants.

When there is a choice to do something online or in person, do it in person every time. Yes it’s inconvenient. What are we saving time for, more internet?

Call your dearest friends, on the phone, unannounced. Laugh at how startling it is.

Invite people over. Go over to their homes.

Be less reactive and blunt-force, more deliberate and oblique when discussing the state of things.

Stop flailing around and wringing your hands, this is a bad habit, and not useful.

Learn the difference between “scared” and “in danger.”

Make a reflexive habit of perspective and gratitude. This won’t snuff out the rage, it will define and sharpen it.

Move your body as much as you can, in whatever way you can, every day.

Manage your anxiety.

All we have—all we’ve ever had—is each other, and it’s all we will ever have. In a good way.

More soon. x