tassosss: (Hatter on the Table)
tassosss ([personal profile] tassosss) wrote in [community profile] thisfinecrew2016-11-16 07:08 pm

Overwhelmed? Take a deep breath. You got this.

Okay, so after starting this, and seeing all the calls to action and everything, today my introverted self had a little bit of a freakout. And I'm probably not the only one, so if you're feeling frozen about what to do by the firehose of all the info, you are not alone.

Someone even made a website to that effect: Holy Fuck The Election
It points you both to cute animals and organizations you can donate time and money to.

My suggestion, if you're feeling frozen with all the overwhelm is to make yourself a plan of action.
1. Write it on a piece of paper, or what you use for a to do list or app.

2. Keep the list short and specific. No more than 3 items. If that feels like too much, take it down to 1 or 2.

3. Take each of your items and break them down into their components.
--If one of your items is donate money, break it down into
--------------1) pick an organization, 2) get your wallet, 3) go to website, 4) donate.
--If it's call your representative,
--------------1) find the phone number, 2) program it into you phone, 3) find or write a script, (more scripts here for many issues) 4) call

The big thing to remember is you don't have to do all of the items on the same day or at the same time. If it's overwhelming, then do one item, check it off, give yourself a break or a reward. Then ....

4. Make an appointment with yourself for the next step. Find free time in your schedule. Mentally prepare yourself that that is the time you will take to do the thing. You can set a calendar reminder for yourself, which can be especially handy if it's a day or two out.

5. Don't break your appointment with yourself. It's tempting, especially with phone calls, but it really won't take that much time and then it's done.

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until your list is done.

7. Yay! You did it! Bask in your ability to Get Shit Done.


Now. Here's the really hard part: Make another list.


If you have other strategies, please share them. Also, I'm willing to make bingo cards and badges if that will help.

rydra_wong: The display board of a train reads "this train is fucked". (this train is fucked)

[personal profile] rydra_wong 2016-11-17 09:13 am (UTC)(link)
I'm currently on a regimen of One Anti-Trump Action A Day (where an action is something concrete, not signal-boosting or posting online, useful though those may be).

Obviously different people may choose a different allocation, depending on spoons and how many steps you you break tasks down into, but right now this is what's working for me.

The really important thing for me is being able to go: okay, I have done my Action for the day, now I can think about other things.

Also, I'm filtering the shit out of the info I take in. It's really not necessary to read all the lengthy newspaper discussions of Just How Bad Could Things Get to know that, for example, the ACLU and Planned Parenthood are going to be at the centre of the fight, so I started by making donations to them (since I am in a position to be able to afford donations).
spikedluv: (agent carter: peggy - red lipstick by a-)

[personal profile] spikedluv 2016-11-17 12:54 pm (UTC)(link)
It was nice to read this, because yesterday I hit a wall. I still did stuff, but my brain was really starting to fracture with all the other stuff that seems to all need attention at the same time, that being Right The Frell Now! *deep breath*
cesy: "Cesy" - An old-fashioned quill and ink (Default)

[personal profile] cesy 2016-11-20 08:51 am (UTC)(link)
Yes, this is a helpful reminder. I have a lot of post-holiday catching up to do, and spreading it out is totally okay.