Dear One,

As you watch yourself react to the state of your world, please remember : the range of normal is long and wide.

It's normal to cry, suddenly, for "no reason".
There's always a reason, even if it takes an indirect route through your brain.

It's normal to not feel much -- or to numb yourself towards feeling less.
The shutdown/freeze response is our body's way of managing overwhelm.

It's normal to start ALL the home beautification projects.
Your mobilized fight/flight energy needs an outlet.

It's normal to realize you're actually fine, and to feel guilty about it.
Inequity is real, privilege is real, and feeling guilty is your brain's 1st step to mobilize you towards actively sharing resources.

It's normal to have stress dreams.
Your brain is negotiating with danger IRL and needs to do scenario planning.

It's normal to be angrier than usual.
Your fight response gathers strength in rage, aggression and defensiveness.

It's normal to be worried about yourself and others.
We are wired to get stressed about threats to our survival ... worry helps us figure out how to survive and care for each other.

It's normal to hoard things you don't yet need.
Your nervous system wants to keep you as safe as possible. It might not trust that your community will take care of you. It might need you to teach it about collective care vs. self centered care.

It's normal to wish for a different number of people living with you.
Feeling trapped in your environment can wreak havoc on your system.

It's normal to sleep more. Or less.
Sleep can be a great escape hatch (flight) or a byproduct of shutdown (freeze). On the other hand, hypervigilance might keep you up, on edge, protecting your nest.

It's normal for your self-care-for-mental-health-care routine to crumble.
Stillness might not feel safe, movement might not feel possible, your practice might not translate to a screen, feeling your body might be incompatible with a trauma response. The couch might feel safer than going outside.

We're in it. And when we're in it, practicing compassion towards your own nervous system responses, and towards others', sets off a domino effect that can make trauma less traumatic.

From my nervous system to yours,

~Alex