Be more attentive to your internal state and mind’s workings when engaging with political discussions, media, or triggers to understand how your identity is being activated and distorted.
Recognize that true political ‘winning’ is not about beating others, but about expanding your coalition, bringing people into your circle, and building relationships that foster mutual understanding and progress.
Dedicate your political engagement to achieving tangible progress in the world around you, especially at the local level, as this makes it easier to build coalitions, compromise, and focus on helping rather than just winning.
Anchor more of your political attention and efforts in the place you live, as local engagement can be very powerful, healing, and consequential, unlike the often abstract national politics where individual effect is limited.
Practice a consistent and rigorous spiritual dimension in your life, such as meditation, to provide an anchoring from political winds and maintain a stable internal state.
Actively build an informational ecosystem for yourself that consistently activates the identities you wish to be strongest, rather than leaving this project to others who may manipulate your identity.
Intentionally seek out political voices who are trying to persuade an audience that doesn’t agree with them, as opposed to those who only speak to their own crowd, to gain a more nuanced perspective.
Prioritize consuming political content through podcasts rather than social media like Twitter, as podcasts foster conversation and a more human, nuanced dynamic, while Twitter often promotes conflict and one-dimensional discourse.
Consume a diverse range of political podcasts from across the spectrum, while mindfully observing your emotional and cognitive reactions (e.g., triggers, desire to see others vanquished, delight in agreement) to become a better citizen and journalist.
After consuming political media, especially on platforms like Twitter or cable news, take a moment to reflect on how you feel, what’s happening inside you, and what has changed since you started engaging with the content.
Actively develop identities beyond the simple left-right political spectrum, such as regional or community-based identities, to break out of zero-sum thinking and foster new dimensions for political engagement.
Reduce your consumption of national political news (e.g., from 90% to 70%) and increase your attention to local news, such as checking a local newspaper daily, to better anchor yourself in your community.
Give yourself a break during difficult times like a pandemic, letting go of perfectionism and recognizing that forming or exacerbating coping habits is natural, while still striving to be mindful of them without self-judgment.
Approach meditation without wanting a specific outcome or feeling (like clarity), as desire can hinder the practice; instead, focus on clearly feeling whatever is present without judgment.
Stick with your meditation practice to skillfully coexist with difficult emotions by noticing them, letting go of the desire for them to change, and relaxing into them, rather than feeding, fighting, or ignoring them.
Engage with meditation teachers or fellow meditators to receive reminders of basic principles and avoid common traps, as everyone, including experienced practitioners, can forget fundamental aspects of the practice.
Make sure to read a local news source every day to stay informed about what’s happening in your immediate area and foster a stronger connection to your local community.
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