Clare Honeyfield on maintaining emotional integrity in a time of global injustice

How do I maintain emotional integrity in a time of grave global injustice?

Like everyone, my mobile device has been live streaming a genocide for nearly two years now.

The sickening images we are all seeing daily serve (rightly) to make our relative powerlessness feel heavy and heart breaking.

It is jarring. To say the least.

Taking care of our own wellbeing can feel self-indulgent.

The swirling thoughts can feel overwhelming.

To state the obvious, what we are witnessing from afar goes way beyond what any human can accept, tolerate or integrate.

Is having coping strategies for watching reels OK? When such dreadful things are happening?

I don’t know.

One thing I do know. If I skipped over this and hopped straight back to the business mindset, I wouldn’t be being authentic.

So here are some things I’ve done which have helped me this week;

Written to and received a reply from our MP – I guess if we all did this every week or every day, strength of feeling might be more apparent to those in power?
Shared as many personal stories from Gaza as I can each day on my social “stories”
Sat quietly at the back of a local vigil/protest to feel connected in my utter despair and in my hope.
I got plenty of rest and took care of my body and soul in ways that feel right for me.
Acknowledging that this depth of feeling around dreadful injustice is what makes us human.
Remembering that these unthinkable images are running in the background of everyone’s life, that everyone is affected, and trying to take that into consideration in day-to-day interactions.
Taking regular breaks from screens, listening to music, being creative, being gentle on myself so I’m more able to contribute in other areas of my life.
Not giving in to my rather self-indulgent impulse to self-sabotage out of existential guilt.
Practicing radical gratitude for life luxuries like a safe home and access to food and healthcare.
Contributing to/sharing fundraising links for grass roots projects like https://allourrelations.co.uk/get-involved

Want to do something yourself?

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to Dance for Gaza in Stroud. Skank Holiday Mash-Up at The Crown & Sceptre with Saturday 2^nd August 2pm – 9pm. All proceeds to grassroots projects on the ground in Gaza.