Wanna heal the world? Start with yourself. Self-care IS an act of activism. 

Healing your internal wounds triggered by current events gives you space to move out of resistance and into positive change. AND when you’re putting out a peaceful high vibe, people around you will start to match your energetic signature—creating a ripple effect.

This concept is simple in theory but not always easy to implement. I’ve created a formula to try and help myself heal and move to enthusiastic activism vs. staying stuck in fear and judgment.

When I read something particularly triggering in the news, my first reaction is usually, “this is horrible, the world is ending, or will probably end, and I need to DO something about it—or at the very least completely stress myself out about it!” 

I ALSO tend to suffer from bouts of nihilism where my thinking switches from, “I’m so pissed off and nervous,” to, “Nothing matters, we’re all dust, so I’m going to just block it ALL out. Goodnight, world.”

Neither course of action is really working for anyone. I mean, right?! Did it work to completely stress out or check out over the last several years? Did positive long-term change occur due to either of those responses? It didn’t work for me—I don’t think I fixed global warming, social injustice, political unrest, war, or Covid when I was in a horrible shutdown mood about it all. 

Ruminating is an indulgence that I hope to be done with. Anger is a signal that something is wrong—it’s not a zip code I want to buy permanent real estate in. Thank the messenger, then send it on its way. 

When I am ruminating with others, and we’re all in a low vibe, everyone starts matching everyone, and it’s just a big dumb buzz kill. I end up avoiding people I know will only despair over current events because it just brings me down. But this kind of avoidance and unconsciousness also isn’t helping. (To be fair, I’m sure I’ve done a fair share of buzz-killing myself when I’m dooming and glooming). 

When the Universe won’t stop throwing triggers at all of us, it’s not time to get more and more angry, anxious, and fearful—it’s time to get our lightworker capes on!

Here’s how I’m trying to don my lightworker cape vs. my angry it’s-your-fault shabby sweater (which, hey, I’ve definitely worn more than a few times in my life). 

Stop. When I find myself seeking out more and more information from my phone, I take a minute to stop and close my eyes for a mini healing on myself. Am I grounded? Am I present with my thoughts? How’s my body feeling? It doesn’t help anyone for me to eject my point of awareness out of my body, and into the future, or to keep ruminating about the past over and over again. Change starts by showing up to the present moment. 

Stopping may also look like deciding to stop ingesting any more news for a day or two to give my nervous system time to regroup. 

Recognize and RELEASE with an anger meditation. Yes! Anger meditations are totally a thing! I love this practice. In meditation, I will watch myself on a big movie theater-sized screen with a giant blaze of anger inside my body. I throw all kinds of flammable objects into my huge internal fire, name them, then watch them burn up and out the top of my head. Tossing in an old chair and shouting, “This one’s for you, COVID, you big dummy!” is pretty gratifying. It’s important to actually visualize yourself doing this—the visuals make the energy work stick! 

Get real with myself and do some shadow work. Now that the fun part is over (I’m a fireball at heart), it’s time to identify the aspects of myself that are similar to what is upsetting me. 

This process can take a minute. It’s hard for me to ask myself how I have similarities to whoever or whatever I’m judging. Once I can cool off and look within, I see where I commit injustices. If not to others, then myself. I see the times I’ve not treated my own body or community with respect. I see where I’m destructive or even violent with my thoughts and feelings.

If I can see it, I can heal it. I can acknowledge my shortcomings and shift my energy and actions around those parts of myself I don’t always want to be conscious of. These parts of myself are asking to be healed. The world is mirroring back to me where I am not aligned with my highest potential. 

For example, if I’m triggered about how big corporations are harming the environment, I need to look for the ways I cause pollution within myself. Do I disrespect or pollute my own ecosystem or the ecosystems around me? How do I chop down my own forest of hopes and dreams to accommodate others? How am I blind to the waste I’m producing with my actions or even my thoughts?! Can I stop and remind myself that I am safe in my body and do the healing work to continue fostering that safety.

Walk my talk and be an actual lightworker. I’m not talking about toxic positivity or just being happy and smiley all of the time—I’m talking about doing the inner work of raising my overall vibration.

When I can lift myself out of judgment and resistance and into the vibrations of acceptance, compassion, creativity, and optimism, I am now contributing psychically to the social collective.   

Vibrations rooted in enthusiasm, collaboration, and love bring new beginnings, peace, and healing—for ourselves and for the planet. AND they’re contagious. As humans, we mimic the vibrations of those around us much more than we realize. BE a high vibing role model! 

When I’m vibing high, I’m inspired to take action by community building. We need each other to thrive and make change! I love getting people together, and I’m good at it. When I’m enthusiastic and excited about the events I’m hosting—people want to join me. And with any luck, this brings me and others joy and healing.

We all have our unique calling to give and contribute in ways that we can to our communities—locally and globally. Your light is your activism. Your inner peace and optimism WILL uplift and inspire others. 

If you want to contribute to positive change, then start to vibe high, my friend (which, granted, may take some healing work to get there, but it’s worth it). You never know who’s genius you might inspire. Heck. It might even be your own.

It’s a simple formula, really:

1. Realize you’re triggered. Y’know…when you’re using phrases like “THESE PEOPLE” or “I can’t stop thinking about X,Y, or Z”

2. Take a pause and return to yourself. Put your phone down and close your eyes for a few seconds. 

3. Name your emotions and release them. Try the rage meditation. It’s fun!

4. Recognize and heal the part of you that is same-same as the big bad thing you’re in resistance to. It’s not fun to admit that we’re all guilty of violence or injustice one way or another, but we are.

5. Emanate creativity, enthusiasm, optimism, collaboration, joy, love, etc… Find ways to contribute your gifts to the collective that gives YOU joy!

6. Save the world by creating a ripple effect of said vibrations and actions. Flip cape over shoulder and order yourself a latte.

Boom. Done. 

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Blog written by Three Brodsky, staff member and student mentor for the BPI.