Winter Is Coming. But Spring Is Coming, Too.

© 2024 by Dr. David B. Meredith, D.Ac.

Our part of the world is bathed in the golden and burnt hues of autumn. Leaves the orange of dying stars swirl on gentle breezes and rustle underfoot and skitter across the sidewalks, carrying the faint, musky scent of life turning to soil. I’m freezing in the early morning, my old dog’s teeth chattering and bones trembling as I nudge her to do her business on the lawn; yet by afternoon I need to air condition my car, the low sun blinding me wherever I turn. This is usually my favorite time of year, gorgeous, bittersweet, the few weeks between the warm glow of the past summer and the looming uncertainty of winter.

This year, it’s even more poignant. Nearly everyone I’ve spoken to expresses feelings of stress and anxiety around the upcoming election – sometimes offhandedly, an addendum to their other concerns; quite often as a precursor for expressing a much deeper dread. What will happen to their livelihood, their family, their community if their preferred candidates don’t win? Uncertainty. Fear. Powerlessness. Dismay. Bewilderment. How can fifty percent of their countrymen so fundamentally disagree with them?

We put on sweaters. We take them off. We count the number of passing bumper stickers that support our cherished positions. We try to catch a glimpse of the drivers of the opposing cars. Are they monsters? Can they be convinced?

Hanging out skeletons for Halloween and feeling the stresses in our own deep bones. It’s not healthy to feel like this for any season of time. Sleep suffers, other precious moments lost to fretting and woolgathering. The heart, once open with wonder, must now guard itself, work harder to move essence through stiffening portals. Perhaps close itself off. Joys are forgotten, at first just for a moment and then lost sight of entirely as they swirl in a distant wake. Other chronic symptoms begin to arise, compound, compete for attention.

This is the sort of thing I hear.

A change is needed. A change is possible. Not just the change that can come from voting for the right candidates, from having them preside over us for a while, but a shift in our way of being. Autumn has always illustrated the power of  transitions, inviting us into introspection even as our surroundings shift, sometimes fiercely, from one extreme to the next.

Here are my thoughts for living well in a world that can tilt out from under us:

Elections are how we channel our thoughts and emotions into how we want our world around us to be, how we express our highest values and guard against our deepest fears. In this very real way, they are a creative force. The news around them shouldn’t be ignored, can’t be ignored, but we can curate how we interact with it.

Are you confused about who to vote for in this “post-truth” world? Make a list of those values and fears. Sit with it. When you can’t believe your eyes and ears, believe your heart.

Find joy somewhere. Revive it. Hold on to it. Visit with it as often as possible. A better world needs a foundational joy, no matter what its source. Something unique to you. Something you can share. Why would we put ourselves through these stresses if not for the potential for joy?

And find stillness. Create a time or place in your day away from intrusion, media, news, notifications. Breathe.

Look outward. Don’t close yourself off; open yourself up. Create community based around the changes you want to see in the world. Make time for it. Volunteer. Channel your resources. Even if your candidate doesn’t win, you will make your mark in the world. You are not powerless.

Look inward. What support do you need? Ask for help. Shamelessly indulge in comfort. Tend to yourself like you would your child, your pet, your deepest love. Mollify your symptoms. Make friends with them. Learn from them. Don’t let them stop you from living fully and powerfully. Self-care can be community care.

Vote. Love. Use your voice. Change the world. Make this time your own. Live fully.

Winter is coming. But spring is coming, too.

The mission of Very Well is to help people feel good, get better, and live more fully during confusing times. When we’re in pain, stressed, anxious, overwhelmed—we have nothing left to give. When we take this kind of care for ourselves, we can have the strength, power, and vision to take care of our community and the world around us.

Needless to say, acupuncture, red light therapy, PEMF, vibroacoustic therapy, salt room therapy, and infrared sauna can help us deal with stress and feelings of being overwhelmed during election season… and whatever comes after.

A version of this essay appeared in the Baltimore Fishbowl on November 1, 2024.