If you’re paying attention (please pay attention*) you might notice that the human world is particularly off kilter, out of sorts, up shit creek, not being fair dinkum right now. One might find oneself wondering how to keep on keeping on amongst all the sad. Here’s how I do it.

Firstly, the antidote to anxiety/sadness/anger is action. On a macro level for me this includes:

• Engaging with politics by voting progressively, campaigning and advocating for good changes.
• Managing my money ethically – specifically which bank and superfund I store cash in. Make sure they don’t invest in fossil fuels.
• Connect meaningful with First Peoples of the country you live in. I pay the rent to a local Aboriginal organisation where I live and volunteer where I can to support their self-determination.

Secondly, On a more personal level, I try and look after myself as best as I can, because sadness can wear you down, it can stomp on your head and heart and make you feel like your hands are tied behind your back. Hopeless, in other words. Here’s how I look after myself.

• Gardening: There’s a saying ‘dirty hands, happy hearts.’ And it’s true, science even agrees that having your hands in the earth can increase your happiness as it triggers sparks of serotonin in your brain – performing as a natural antidepressant. Cool hey. I also grow a lot of food, so what I eat is good for me. And yes I still eat some delicious junk food, but in moderation. Usually.
• Bush time, in particular trail running and walking: I live on the edge of an incredible mountain, Kunanyi/My Wellington – riddled with tracks and secret creeks and waterholes. I can run and walk all over it which delivers me a fresh brain, a tired body and a grounded spirit.
• Dog time: Fellow dog lovers understand – the love that a dog gives you is bottomless and we don’t deserve these fluffy angels. Our dog, Olly – is a delightful light in our lives and we adore and spoil him as he deserves.
• Lifting heavy things: 3-4 times a week you’ll find me lifting heavy things at the local (cheapest) gym. I’m committed to ageing well, meaning strong. It’s also helped me fall-in-gratitude with my body after having extended, chronic health issues with it. Feeling strong and capable is the best feeling.
• Art: I am happily addicted to doing watercolour paintings of mostly Australian birds. It helps quieten my often busy brain, learn about our stunning wildlife and slowly cover our whole house in bird art.
• Some trashy or fantasy TV or book time: Surrender to escapism as needed. I smashed the romantasy book series, The Crown of Thorns recently – 5 books in one month.
• Random and spontaneous acts of joy: THE SPRAY TAN BIT… The other day my friend Ange who works in a similar space as me where we’re often engaged in the politics of the world, invited me to go get a spray tan with her. I laughed as neither of us had ever had one before. You see, we’d been talking about the big, wicked problems of the world and how to keep going despite all the constant setbacks. Ange was sharing how she’s been coping lately and how she had a new idea…. That getting a spray tan could be a fun and interesting thing to do to shake things up and remember to do random acts of spontaneous joy that make you laugh and see the world differently.

So one Wednesday morning we rocked up to the local beauty parlour (is that what we call them)? And because we know nothing, we thought we’d do our legs only. A young woman originally from Manchester, UK took us one by one into the little spray room and explained how works. She said you can leave your undies on or take them off. I took mine off, but admittedly did feel a bit (a lot) sorry for her when she was spraying my beautiful big bum, and she instructed me to “stick your bum in my face” so she could get into all the creases. Laughing was constant. I was in awe of this woman, so used to getting up front with folk’s vulvas and bottoms while being cool as a cucumber.

Afterwards we sat outside on the bench on the footpath and debriefed. Our legs looked great by the way, and I reluctantly agreed that a tan makes you look good for some reason – why is that??? However we were sad to learn they only last 5 days and that being in Tassie no one is actually going to see it except my family because it’s a bit crisp most of the time – even in Summer.

Will I get it done again? I don’t have any plans to at this stage, but if I do I reckon I’ll wear my undies next time to save the young women the sight of me when they say to stick my bum into their face – ha!

• Friends: As my point above showcases, friends are fucking hilarious and good for you. They help you re-engage with the world outside your brain – which is always a good thing. So find them, make them, and hold onto them. Because loneliness will cripple you whereas community will hold you through good and not good times.

And has my sad gone away? Not really as the world is being relentlessly unjust, but there is a strengthening layer of joy that sits by its side that helps me keep my head and heart above the water line so I can be of use to helping counter that unjustness.

Unlike happiness, which is a short-lived fleeting sensation, joy is a like a slow burner like a slow-release fertiliser in the garden. It sits there and slowly feeds and fuels you to be your strongest, healthiest, and most productive self. Joy is resistance.

As Wyn Wiley, American environmentalist & drag artist known professionally as Pattie Gonia says “…Joy is strategic, if you look at any movement, yes civil disobedience, protesting, boycotting – they were all successful strategies. But it’s joy that kept people turning up day after day. Joy sustains a movement. Joy is momentum…”

So please please please, remember to find and make the joy. It’s a critical ingredient for the non-violent revolution I believe we need to outgrow the status quo and create a world that’s good for all living beings.  

*Media/Broadcast outlets to follow along with (Australian focused)

Ette Media

Cheek

Deep Cut

Crikey

AAP FactCheck

Oh you’re still here? Ok then – here are my spray tanned legs. Imagine how white they were before!