Life
A lot of ink has been spilled regarding the different means that folks who are opposed to the Trump administration are going to get through the next four years, politically: protests, calling representatives, and generally agitating. But there's another conversation that needs to be had: how are we going to survive a Trump presidency psychologically? Being opposed to the administration is tough at the best of times, let alone when said administration is issuing executive orders that raise troubling human rights issues and throw entire branches of government into chaos. So how do we cope?
The practice of self-compassion might help us out here. It's a concept most commonly applied to those who feel crushed by expectations and ideas of success, particularly in the hyper-achieving, "30-Under-30" atmosphere of the modern world. However, it can also be applied to the long and difficult onslaught of fighting political battles — because there needs to be a way to survive suffering, frustration, and disappointment without letting it harm one's motivation to keep pushing forward.
There will be many mistakes, problems, and defeats on this path, and self-compassion may be one of the ways we get through without beating ourselves up. Here's why the practice is something you, as a political being, should investigate.