Do Whatever It Takes

Prior to the Pandemic, I found TikTok to be irritating, non-sensical, and perhaps juvenile. As much as I love to dance, I could not understand the fascination with watching other people follow trends to do the same dances as the masses.

Then someone told me they used TikTok to laugh; that there were a lot of people posting funny things - jokes, comedy skits, funny stories and other random silliness. I just had do a few searches; watch, like and follow the posts or creators I enjoyed; and soon my feed would roll by with similar content.

With the level of anxiety and depression I felt from being tuned into the news 24/7 and my own set of circumstances, I was ready to try another path. So I signed up, followed my friend's advice, and was soon finding my way to moments of joy, laughter, and comedic relief. It made a huge difference in my mental health and soon I was finding ways to make myself laugh and have fun.

For the last week or so, since Helene laid waste to the land and lives of so many in Western North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida, I have been in a daze. I am fortunate in every way imaginable and also feel a deep level of loss, grief and anxiety because of the effects of the storm. At times, I feel paralyzed by the enormity of it and I am hundreds of miles away.

Knowing that my freeze response is unhelpful to everyone including me, I am taking small steps every day to keep myself moving. Some of it makes sense, some of it doesn't. However, my personal prescription for mental health and wellness in times like these is to do whatever it takes.

In the last week, I have allowed myself numerous little moments of respite and uncharacteristic indulgences to soften some of the rough edges of my heart and spirit. Last night, for example, I had pizza, ice cream and a small glass of wine. After that, I did some art therapy and watched a bunch of funny TikToks to take my mind off the storm.

These splurges don't solve anyone's problems, but they at least momentarily restore tiny parts of me. Maybe that will be enough to give me energy to help someone else in some small way. Maybe just by writing this post and an impromptu poem just for you.

Do What It Takes Watch a TikTok. Bake a fruit pie. Complement someone new you meet.

Plant fall flowers. Enjoy the sunset. Skip all the way down the street.

Walk the dog. Sing a song. Eat some chocolate cake.

Lay in bed and read a book, In a blanket fort you a make.

Close your eyes and feel the breeze And the sun as it warms your face Then when night comes, look up at the stars. Watch the moon, glide through it's starry space.

Grab a hand or maybe too. Give them all a squeeze.

Kiss the ground or bless the land. Do what it takes to have a moment of peace.

Sending so much love and peace to you and everyone affected by the storm. Be safe. Be Well. And do whatever it takes.