By the Alliance for Sustainability Team
How are you doing in the wake of the elections?
At the Alliance, we’ve had some very poignant discussions about how we feel and how to move forward. Even though pretty much all of the work we’ve been doing at the Alliance is threatened by what is to come, we need to somehow find a way to continue our efforts to co-create a world of sustainability, health, equity and kindness.
As a first step, we feel it’s important to grieve and to share openly and honestly our feelings and fears. We sense that the next step is to share our various paths to self-care, healing and moving forward individually and collectively.
We want to share these 3 reflections as a start to this process and hope you will join with us in sharing yours.
Allie Vanden Heuvel, Alliance Intern from University of Alabama at Birmingham MPH ‘25
I am devastated. I’m in shock, I’m horrified, I’m angry. I can’t hold all these emotions at once while being expected to continue operating as normal. It’s not normal, it feels apocalyptic. I can’t change the outcome or change bigoted, selfish people’s minds. But I can take care of myself and my community.
At 6:30am on November 6, I cried. I stayed in bed for longer than usual, then ate breakfast even though I didn’t want to. I took my dog for a long walk in the chilly morning and listened to a comedy podcast to take my mind off of the current state of the world. I reached out to friends and family and told them I loved them and I am here for them always. Not only did this help them, it reminded me that I have a support system that loves me and will be by my side for everything that comes.
Since that morning, I have been avoiding social media and reading a fantasy book instead. You might call this avoidance, and maybe you’re right, but falling into a fictional story helps me. Sure, they have their own problems in the mythical land, but at least they don’t know who Trump is.
I am slowly moving toward accepting what’s to come, but I am not there yet. That’s okay. When the time comes, I’ll be ready to fight.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 to speak with someone today. You are not alone.
Amy Durr, Communications Coordinator
Wednesday morning’s election result came as a shock, with the added unprocessed collective trauma lingering from Trump’s first term. To avoid reacting with Chicken Little’s “The World Is Ending!,” unfocused rage, or plain black nihilism, I went to Twitter to look for hope and goodness. No hope yet – almost everyone was pulling back for some processing and mental health boosting. Great idea.
I began by telling myself that I needed and deserved thoughtful and nurturing self-care in these dark days. I have been giving myself lots of time to process the everyday logistics, disenfranchised grief, and overwhelming feelings, without judgment or “shoulds.” I’m processing in little chunks instead of trying to figure out everyone all at once. Giving yourself breaks from processing is good if it all feels too overwhelming – this is definitely not a sprint. And I’ve been noticing and talking with my fear, because ignoring fear is a recipe for stuckness.
I’m focusing on sleep, calming rituals (hot showers, meditation and visualization, journaling with pen and paper), and self love. I read an entire book about hope in one day, and today I’m going to re-read Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit, a slim amusing and refreshing feminist essay collection. I’m also digging out the journals of poems that got me through my divorce.
I texted with my BFF. I’m checking in with online friends. And I’m concentrating on community, because community is the answer to almost everything that’s wrong with the US and the world right now. Nurturing existing communities, plotting to gather new communities, and examining my own reservations about being in community, all in order to begin anew.
Katie Block, Alliance Intern from Wellesley College ’25
After this election, which I am still not able to fully process, I’ve committed to focusing on the small but significant wins:
- The first transgender person has been elected to Congress
- Senators have been elected from an unprecedented variety of racial groups
- Seven states strengthened protections for reproductive rights
In response to the 2016 election and the repeals of rights in recent years, strong mutual aid networks have formed to support those most at risk from repressive policies. I plan to channel my energy into sharing knowledge and resources to protect healthcare access where it’s under threat—a resource I believe will be more vital in the coming years.
As Kamala Harris stated in her concession speech, “Sometimes the fight takes a while.” I’m redirecting my immense frustration from this election toward supporting my community and looking ahead. I feel a stronger sense of purpose than ever to help create the America I know is possible: one that champions support, wisdom, and the freedom to be who we are.