Take Back The Night is tonight. It is an incredibly powerful to march, stand, and listen to each other’s experiences. It’s healing, empowering, and an important experience for many survivors and allies. But, processing everything that happens, from the survivor speak outs, performances, the clothesline project, and the act of marching together is necessary. We will be handing out programs at the rally with a couple strategies for self-care. These are suggestions for things you can use or do if you’re having challenging feelings. It’s normal to have a variety of feelings like anger, sadness, hopelessness, hope, or power after an event like this. It is important to acknowledge these feelings and to take care of yourself. Just a reminder, if you are feeling overwhelmed there are people that can and want to help. At the rally, there will be Advocacy Center Advocates wearing pink armbands that can help you if you’re working through some overwhelming feelings. You can also call our 24-Hour Hotline: 607-277-5000 or the Suicide Crisis Hotline: 607-272-1616 This past year, the quote by Audre Lorde in Bursts of Light has been on my mind. “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” This statement is incredible. We live in a world where some people are given advantages that protect their health, safety, education and some people have to march in the streets to get others to recognize their humanity. Taking care of yourself and giving yourself time to process and heal isn’t self-indulgence. Self-care isn’t about being happy, it is about finding a way to exist in a world that does not want some people to exist. And when that happens, it is self-preservation. And that self-preservation is an act of warfare. In a piece reflecting on Bursts of Light, Sara Ahmed comes up with a definition of what self-care is, “Self-care: that can be an act of political warfare. In directing our care towards ourselves we are redirecting care away from its proper objects, we are not caring for those we are supposed to care for; we are not caring for the bodies deemed worth caring about. And that is why in queer, feminist and anti-racist work self-care is about the creation of community, fragile communities, assembled out of the experiences of being shattered. We reassemble ourselves through the ordinary, everyday and often painstaking work of looking after ourselves; looking after each other. This is why when we have to insist, I matter, we matter, we are transforming what matters. Women’s lives matter; black lives matter; queer lives matter; disabled lives matter; trans lives matter; the poor; the elderly; the incarcerated, matter.” To read more of her reflection on Audre Lorde’s often restated quote, please follow this link. Below, I’ve listed a couple suggestions for self-care. This isn’t an exhaustive list. Self-care looks different for everyone. There is no one way path to healing. As long as we are deliberately and intentionally choose to put our well being first, even if it’s just for a little bit each day, we are fighting against injustice. Here are the suggestions from the self-care cards handed out at the rally. Talk- Find friends, family or other support people to share your feelings with Laugh- Identify activities and people that make you feel good and happy Eat Healthy- making healthy meal choices can help us to feel good about ourselves and our bodies Relax- Make an effort to take a walk, a bath, do yoga or meditate; even for a few minutes Focus on the good- Work to highlight the positives, which will help to identify active solutions as problems arise Ask for help! If you are feeling overwhelmed there are people that can & want to help! For more readings on self-care, please take a look at the posts below: Self-Care and Social Justice Work Practicing Radical Self-Love: Why You Need Self Care the Most When it Seems Impossible An Interactive Self-Care Guide For Black Women, Self Care is a Radical Act 5 Tips for Self-Care in a Culture That Glorifies Stress Take Back The Night marches will leave: Ithaca College -- Textor Ball at 6:15pm Cornell -- Ho Plaza at 6:30pm Community March -- GIAC at 301 W. Court Street at 6:45pm The Rally will begin at 7pm at the Bernie Milton Pavilion! ASL interpreters will be available at the rally. We will also have shirts for sale from a sliding scale of $12-20
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