After Las Vagas

It was hard to wake up to the news of another mass shooting today.  I appreciated the words of author Glennon Doyle:  “You are not a mess.  You are a feeling person in a messy world”.  She goes onto say, “Reminder to my beloveds today - it's a terrible day - and it is okay to feel that deeply. There is nothing wrong with you- there is just something wrong. We will rise and we will work- but today- today it is okay to stop and rest and hold our hearts and people close. Stay soft. This world needs people who are strong enough to stay soft.”

Yes, what a mess.   I also want to share this article: What To Do If You Feel Traumatized By The Las Vagas Shooting.  I appreciate their description of grief and anxiety as normal reactions to this news, even if we weren’t physically there. 

It is absolutely a normal human response to be affected by tragedies like this. Our minds and our bodies respond as if we were there and, for some, that vicarious trauma is deeply impactful.
— Dan Reidenberg, Executive Director of Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, and chair of the American Psychotherapy Association.

And that we may each have different needs in response. I found their recommendations in the article for caring for yourself to be quite good, check it out.

Also, as they pointed out, research shows that action and kindness help fuel resiliency. Many news outlets are publicizing ways to help the victims of this attack.  You can also consider reaching out to people you care about.  Say “I love” a few more times this week if you can.  It may help you feel just a little bit better.