[Whisperzzzzzzz]

 amphibian, on 08 April 2026 - 02:14 PM, said:

With this kind of a bleak feeling about world politics that can be shockingly local, it's extremely important to preserve and support the things, people, and ideas that bring you joy and peace.

Part of this is burn out - which is something I know very well from the Pandemic years. I had to work slowly and non-linearly to build myself, my community, and my world view back into something stronger and better from hitting a very low point of feeling awful about my job that specifically involved trying to get people trapped in prisons and nursing homes that were pandemic hellholes into safer spaces or out and about what the federal government wasn't doing to support all of us, the flaws of what the state government and local government were doing as well. My marriage broke up in 2021 and 2022 for a set of reasons that aren't for getting into here.

My point in bringing this personal side up is that there must be steady investment and work done to support the local community that recharges you. It is like going to the gym and getting emotionally strong and providing that to others too.

That local organization, the time with family, the volunteering or running for elections to take the jobs away from the people who support this right wing insanity, and whatever else you can do - they're all worth doing and will protect/support your happiness.

I built myself back into someone stronger and I'm now at a point where I can figure out the proper balance of paying attention to the world, doing the local community work, putting time into my excellent partner and our relationship, giving our dog the best life, doing things in local government that affect thousands of people for the better, and more.

It sounds like you may have more time in your day than other people lol! I can barely find the time to do my laundry.

[QuickTidal]

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 08 April 2026 - 03:12 PM, said:

It sounds like you may have more time in your day than other people lol! I can barely find the time to do my laundry.

Try laundry for 4, two of whom are little people who have three times the amount of clothes the adults have because "We can't turn down the constant hand-me-downs"...it's a mountain of laundry done every few days and it's the BANE of my existence.

[amphibian]

 Whisperzzzzzzz, on 08 April 2026 - 03:12 PM, said:

It sounds like you may have more time in your day than other people lol! I can barely find the time to do my laundry.

2 to 10 hours a month can go a long way towards this. We're not going to change the world by all of a sudden going full time alternative job with no pay into this.

I carry a job that's often 65 hours a week, a home in which I am cooking/cleaning/upkeeping, an active dog, a large family, large group of friends, a partner with their own family and friends, two significant volunteer obligations that get me out into the community, a class I have been taking, two book clubs, my own fun pursuits, supporting my partner with theirs, and so on.

Things do fall off the table sometimes, yet the stability and active calendaring of when things happen makes this much easier to do.

Some of this will shrink if kids come into the equation. The volunteer obligations have been critical for my building back from burn out over the millions of people, some of which were my clients, having horrendous outcomes during the pandemic.

If this doesn't fit you, then it doesn't. But it does not need an enormous time commitment unless you want something like that.