Regulation Is An Act Of Resistance

Right now, panic spreads faster than insight.
And any of us can unintentionally amplify it by
stoking urgency with a single comment.

By jumping in with our, ¨And did you hear about…?¨

Or adding our ¨Did you see that video?¨

A conversation can go from 0 to Doomsville in seconds.

One minute we´re talking to someone about how tired we are.

The next, we´re stomping on the gas pedal, racing toward despair.

This is all part of the plan.

But there´s another way to respond to [fill in the blank].

We can regulate ourselves, and by our very presence, help others.

We can face a group of riled-up folks the same way we face a peaceful forest: with grounded presence and breath before uttering a word.

I call this ¨somatic practivism¨: using our nervous system regulation practices in ways that calm us AND others.

Picturing myself in a forest is my favorite way to ground myself.

What's yours?

Breath. Sensation. Awareness. Nervous system literacy.

These are not just for self-care.

Calm can be a form of contagious activism.

Because one regulated individual can dissolve the panic in an entire room.

Somatic practivism (practice + activism) calls for adopting a range of practices that allow us to move through upheaval with steadiness instead of panic.

Rather than numbing or rushing to resolve, we stay with what’s happening in the body and respond with intention rather than impulse.

We turn to mindfulness practices—from traditional meditation to playful awareness—to help us pay attention without feeling pummelled.

We use simple breathwork, tapping, and acupressure.

Our inner attunement is what keeps us calm and focused when everyone around us is distressed.

When we regulate ourselves, we invite others to do the same.

In what ways are you modeling a future you can fall in love with?

Parents know that matching the anger in the room only makes things worse.

People (even little ones) respond more calmly to calm people.

Think of an empathetic teacher who interrupts roiling emotions in the classroom with a single gesture or a simple reminder to breathe.

Or consider a paramedic or nurse comforting injured and anxious people after an accident.

Or a leader responding calmly to a polarizing question in front of a tense crowd.

Regulated people regulate rooms.

And being one of the regulated ones can be far more impactful than shouting and carrying a sign.

Because yes, we need to resist.

But there are many ways to show up.

And if you are an introvert who would rather meet a worried friend for a quiet conversation about how they´re feeling than go to a rally, do that.

This is a very human and necessary way to resist, too.

Look, I understand the role of anger in resistance. It is necessary when rights are being obliterated. There are many people out there being loud and holding the line wherever they can.

This is essential work.

But it is not essential for everyone to resist in the same way.

For some, leveraging the ability to stay calm is a superpower.

If you are not participating in a form of action because it spikes your anxiety, and if you are feeling guilty about that, I want to remind you that you can play a vital role by being a model of calm wherever you are.

Hold the space. Soften the edges.
Stand steady in the storm.

In this time of colliding crises, calm is not passive.
It can be intentionally and creatively disruptive.

It changes the temperature of the conversation.
It widens the field of possibility.
And it nudges imagination toward the light
rather than the darkness.

We can expect more conflict, more fear, and more anger.

You will be called to resist in some way.

You can choose to trade panic for presence, and use somatic practivism for yourself and those around you.

Or you can organize, show up, get loud, and stay visible…no matter what happens.

Maybe you’ll do both…and a whole lot more.

Find the form of resistance that makes you feel courageous, connected, and more human.

PROMPT:

How are you showing up for/with those who feel anxious?

Who is showing up for you?

PLAY:

It’s easy to feel the heaviness of all that we are losing.

The antidote is to imagine the lightness of the space that is opening, and falling in love with what is still possible.

We will not be getting back to “normal.”

But we will have a chance to create something new, different, more life-affirming, and worth loving.

What are you imagining that might delight you?


Thank you for being here, and for being open to resisting in your best way. ❤️