Welcome back to What We Can, and thanks for taking some of your valuable time to read this stuff! If it didn’t matter to me, I wouldn’t be doing it, and I assume the same is true of you.
Today, I’m going to talk about things we can do. One problem with direct action is how much time and energy it takes—it can feel like we spend a whole lot of effort making some event happen or trying to solve a single problem, and then afterward we have a tendency to slip into a state of semi-hibernation as we say “but what now?” And there are just too many things many of us want to change in the world these days to narrow it down to just one course of action, which creates a bunch of anxiety in us (what Barry Schwartz describes as the paradox of choice). Too many options means that we freeze up, and when that happens, we don’t do anything. That’s not where we want to be.
Another reason why many of us are struggling to know what to do is that we just don’t have the energy, space in our heads, or focus to be able to do ALL the things. Chances are good that you’re just incredibly overwhelmed, and the result of that overwhelm, all too often, is that we don’t do anything. Same as above, and still, that’s not where we want to be.
One of the core ideas behind this newsletter is that I’d like to be able to help folks make real change, not just consider hypotheticals. So if you’re stuck, if nothing feels like it makes a big enough difference to face the moment, I’m going to periodically suggest some things that all of us can do.
Please keep in mind, first and foremost, that we all have our own role to play. We do not all have the same capacity. We do not all share the same context or levels of privilege. We do not all have the freedom to speak openly without endangering our financial stability. We do not all have the emotional resources to dedicate time and energy to all the causes that need both.
You do not need to judge yourself for not being the warrior you would like to be, and you do not need to judge anybody else for it, either. Please try to maintain the frame in your head that you can do some things, but not ALL the things. It hurts us all when we can’t give each other or ourselves grace in this way.
That said, here are five links to things you can do:
Considering the world of politics, Glen Justice from CQ has created a great rundown called “35 Tips For How to Influence People in Politics” that we can all learn a great deal from. If you’d like to make a difference on the positions of your elected officials, this is a great place to start. If you only have X amount of energy for political advocacy, shouldn’t you maximize what you’re doing so you don’t waste any of that precious energy?
How do you know who to reach out to, and what’s the best way to do it? Have I got a great resource for you! 5 Calls is a nonprofit organization dedicated to actually making phone calls to elected folks (since that’s one of the most effective ways to make a difference in how they represent you). Their app is easy to use, streamlined, and provides scripts and phone numbers for the people you need to be speaking to and about what. Check out their site here. This is a high-impact way to make a difference every day, with minimum effort on your part. Everyone can make five calls!
Lunden Mason from the Berkeley Media Studies Group has written a fantastic blog post that gives us some great tips on how to sustain ourselves right now. It’s titled “Coping With Chaos: What’s Keeping Us Going In This Political Moment”, and you should read it (and follow its suggestions). Mason provides you with nine ideas of how to maintain your focus without overwhelming yourself more than you have to, and this is a read that’s definitely worth your time and attention.
Is it an especially challenging day for you? If not, congratulations! If so, what can you do to get on top of your stress and overwhelm and all the mess in your brain and your world? Here are some amazing tips to help calm down your brain in the here and now. The piece is called “Instant Tips to Find Calm in the Chaos”, and I’ve found several of these suggestions important enough to refer back to in rough moments.
In case you don’t know, things are pretty messed up, politically-speaking, in the here and now. This article from Marc Elias (‘Ten Things We Can All Do To Protect Democracy’) gives us a good framework to conceptualize direct political action in the current moment. If you haven’t seen it, you really should.
I hope that these five links make a difference to how you’re thinking about direct, meaningful, realistic action in 2025.
I appreciate you sending me feedback, subscribing (for free) to this newsletter, and continuing to engage in real-life efforts with me to make things better. That’s the point.
Take care of yourself and each other!
Wanted you to know—I also end my pieces with “Take care of Yourself and Others, Always”—it really sums it all up, doesn’t it? Thanks for writing something that isn’t just about how activists can change the world, but also about how they must also take care of themselves to keep doing that. The big-heartes tend to forget that 🙋♀️
I appreciate these practical links! Thanks so much! Now I have to admit that I could not open more that one! Energy just was not there but I have put in my calendar the others so over the next month I will open one site a week! Thanks for providing me with avenues to action!