All humans function best in environments of safety and predictability. Our current social-political climate is delivering a constant stream of uncertain changes and threats. This is creating emotional turbulence, waves of strong mixed emotions making it hard to figure out which way is up. These waves then interfere with thinking and planning. It makes taking care of yourself and others difficult. Naming your reaction is the start of finding a way to take care of yourself, and to make a difference in your community. 

Many people are expressing outrage, anger, fear, and frustration at changes coming from federal and state officials. One reaction that I am seeing is moral injury, a distressed reaction to witnessing, or being made to participate in, acts that go against strongly held beliefs. During COVID many health care workers experienced moral injury when they had to follow pandemic protocols to isolate desperately ill patients from families. It went against their moral and personal codes of care and yet they were powerless to do more as they rushed from patient to patient during the initial stages of COVID.   

In an article for the Harvard Business Review, Ron Caracci and Ludmila N. Praslova wrote, “Moral injury has been shown to lead to lasting psychological, physical, spiritual, behavioral, and social harm. Psychological reactions include feelings of grief, anger, anxiety, guilt, shame, or disgust. Some individuals may experience a spiritual or existential crisis or even become physically ill.” These two write about the risks of moral injury in the workplace and how to avoid injuring the moral center of those you lead. When my government, or elected officials, act in ways that are amoral, harmful, or dangerous I experience moral injury, particularly when they claim they are speaking for “all Americans.” The more specific you can be about how events are impacting you, the closer you are to figuring out your next steps.

The constant and threatening social-political changes going on in the U.S. reminds me of being caught up by ocean waves. If you have ever been tumbled by waves, one after another, you know it’s terrifying. You don’t know up from down. You no longer know where to go to breathe and your lungs scream for air. You have water in your nose, in your throat. If you open your eyes or have goggles on you see bubbles and sand all mixed together. There’s no visibility.  Thought is replaced by panic. You are caught up in the turbulence of the water. 

Life in the U.S. right now feels like being hit with wave after wave after wave. There is no chance to consider one policy change or legal threat before another is announced. There is an ongoing cascade of awful news, policy change, legal action, and speculation about how this will all turn out. News and personal conversations are emotionally charged. While all this is true, it is important to remember that we are caught up in this together, and that together we can find ways to move forward. 

A first step is to name what you are experiencing and to find others you can share your thoughts and emotions with. In the next three blogs I am going to explore stories about being caught up by the actual ocean, and lessons to be learned that apply to the social-political turbulence going on in the U.S. As we name our experiences and reactions we can share our stories with one another, which builds the connections we need for a resilient community. 

Please feel free to join me in these efforts through your emails to resilience@learnmodelteach.com or in the comments.  

Peace,

Laura