Well, it’s been a little bit since the big day, and as we brace ourselves for January 20th, I thought I’d share a few ideas on how to keep your head together (and not in the sand!) this month and beyond.
The primary goal is to ensure that you don’t become a boiled frog and start to normalize the various horrors as they begin to appear. As John Oliver famously said during the first Trump era, always remember that “this is not normal”:
I’ve read all sorts of “how to survive”-style articles and posts since the election, but found myself nodding along the most to Nick Kristof’s Manifesto for Despairing Democrats and a short and sweet Mastodon post from Lana, both of which I’ve woven into my list below.
Put on Your Oxygen Mask First
The amount of daily bullshit that’s about to start flowing will be breathtaking. It turns out that constant, unending shock and anger isn’t super great for you, so start by getting a decent mental health plan in place.
If you’ve ever considered looking into meditation, this would be a great time to start. I’m a fan of both the Headspace and Calm apps, and subscriptions for one or both are often covered by health insurance (worth a quick check). I also did a piece several years ago with a few additional strategies.
Exercise is also a great move, be it more time at the gym or even starting mental health walks like Dan Hon.
And of course, as Lana notes: “Sleep is the free-est vacation of them all.”
Stay Loud, And Don’t Self-Censor
Once you’ve got a plan to take care of yourself, make sure you don’t get so mellow that you let these bastards roll all over you.
Kristof puts it nicely: “In particular, I will be extra vigilant about attempts to abuse the legal system to go after Trump’s critics, and I will support institutions that are the backbone of democracy, such as the legal system, journalism and the civil service.”
As the incoming regime starts trying to tear down institutions, don’t silently accept it or obey in advance. Stay aggressively in their faces and keep shining a bright light on what they’re trying very hard to keep in the shadows.
Most importantly, don’t fall victim to people pleasing when you’re confronted about your relentlessness. Lana nails it: “You can still be a good person without being a nice person. You don’t owe your oppressor kindness.”
You Can’t Do Everything, But You Can Do Something
Obviously your power is extremely limited as a single person, but that’s no excuse to throw up your hands. There are numerous great organizations that will be under siege over the next few years, and any contributions to them are a step in the right direction.
As Kristof notes: “I will back organizations fighting to uphold human values. During Trump’s first term, the A.C.L.U. did heroic work battling family separation at the border. Planned Parenthood fought to preserve access to reproductive health. So many other organizations stepped up to assist the vulnerable. Let’s support them. I will back humanitarians around the world.”
Make a list of other groups that matter to you and start helping them out. Every little bit counts.
Additionally, the people of Ukraine will soon be in an especially precarious position, and could use assistance more than ever.
Follow Along, But Be Smart About It
While it’s still important to support credible sources for your news, be aware that a lot of respectable media outlets continue to humiliate themselves and bend the knee.
Consider supplementing any existing subscriptions with sources like ProPublica, who have even outlined what they’ll be focusing on for the next several years.
Be wary of centralized, algorithmic social media! Adjustments they’ve been making aside, they remain a massive contributor to our world’s misinformation issues. The best time to set up and start using decentralized options like Mastodon and Bluesky was a long time ago. The second best time is right now.
When it comes to the inevitable online confrontations you’ll have with MAGAts, Lana has the perfect advice: “Block and bless. At this point you’re either on the right side or you’re beyond help. We’re not wasting energy trying to train you how to be fucking decent anymore.”
We’re Not Alone
I’m not gonna sugarcoat it, things are gonna get very, very bad (and stay that way for a while). There’s a small level of comfort though to be drawn from the fact that our upcoming troubles are far from unique if we look at recent history.
I’m a fan of the Autocracy in America podcast with Anne Applebaum, but there are countless other sources you can/should explore, to find out how others around the world have dealt with creeping fascism.
It’s really all about keeping hope alive and knowing that things can be turned around.
To shamelessly steal Lana’s great closer: “Hope is not fragile. Hope gets knocked down, picks herself back up, spits out a tooth, and throws the next punch.”
And who doesn’t love punching Nazis?
Originally published at http://houseofkyle.com on January 5, 2025.
