I want to take a moment to recognize how difficult things are right now. If you are here in the States, likely you are feeling the stress of the daily news cycle, which is an endless stream of horrific content. If you are active in your community, you are likely experiencing stressful events up close. It takes a toll.

I was recently at a community meeting that hosted an elder who was experienced in disaster relief work. She was there to offer not only acknowledgment of what we were feeling, but advice on how to care for ourselves to avoid burnout. She reminded us that no matter how important the work is, if we do not fill our cups, we will not be able to show up for others.

This is so important. We need to take time for rest, for nourishment, for filling our cups. For many of us, it is hard to look away. But giving our nervous systems a break allows us to come back with more resilience.

I would add that in times like these, good nervous system tonic herbs are invaluable. I have made it a point to drink at least 2 cups of tea a day of some kind of nervous system blend. If you have favorites, stick with those. If you need some suggestions, see the list below. The goal is not to avoid the reality around us, but to do what we need to do so that we can continue to show up and do our good work. The plants are here to support us.

In good medicine,

April