It is okay to feel exhausted: A message to the LGBTQ BIPOC community
Dr. Dumayi Gutierrez • 2020
During this time of COVID, Black Lives Matter, navigating our identities within conversations of equality, and essentially having our world on pause; you may be feeling lack of motivation, sluggish, mundane and overall exhausted. Is this okay?
YES.
To elaborate, our world is connected through cybernetic systems. Systems include interpersonal and overall broader connections that shape personality, actions, and behaviors. There are multiple systemic levels that are influencing your daily life. This includes society, community, family and friendships, and your personal system. Each system influencing the other. As LGBTQ BIPOC community, navigating these systems already include external stressors (fear of discrimination or violence), internal stressors (shame or rejection of self), cultural stereotypes, cultural beliefs, family tradition and balancing multiple oppressed identities.
Now, at this moment, our personal systems are being heavily influenced as we navigate a different form of physical safety outside our homes, socially distancing from our friends and family, decreasing interactions with our community, loss of cultural safe spaces, navigating difficult moral conversations with loved ones, and keeping updated or advocating for change of our governing bodies on a daily basis. It is exhausting!
Here are a few tips to cope with exhaustion:
Take space when you need to. This can be mentally through taking a few breathes in and out, physically such as retreating to another room in the home or creating your own mental health sanctuary in a space you potentially do not use as much.
Reconnect with quality relationships. Sometimes reconnecting with old friends and family members you can authentically relate to, help normalize feelings and increase fulfillment of interactions we are unable to have right now.
Recognize where control is. Keep exposure to social media limited, lean on your support systems when you feel emotionally depleted, create a routine including activities that you enjoy and breaks when you need them.
Reach out to supportive communities. Research local LGBTQ BIPOC affirming organizations in your area to connect with. See what forms of virtual and safe events are occurring to increase your support system.
Remember, you are not navigating one system, you are navigating multiple. Its okay to feel exhausted and take it step at a time!
