I want to live in a world where everyone of every size, shape, shade, and identity is safe, respected, cared for, and loved.

Where Black people can walk down the street and relax in their homes without fear of being shot by the police.

Where larger-bodied people have access to the same compassionate, evidence-based healthcare that smaller-bodied people do, as well as the same physical spaces.

Where women and transgender people can express themselves, online and off, without fear of abuse.

Where climate change is addressed swiftly and effectively, so that wildfires and hurricanes and floods are rarer and more manageable occurrences.

Where pandemic responses put public health over politics.

Where our elected officials care about us, not just about themselves.

The world I want is the one that most people want—and one that we all deserve.

There are times when I can see that world so clearly, but right now it’s hard to hold on to the vision. The smoke is thick, the waters rising.

Like a lot of people, I’m struggling mentally. So many people are struggling materially as well.

Many of us are also struggling right now with body shame, which in diet culture is a common response in tough times. As Summer Innanen, my guest on this week’s episode of Food Psych, puts it, “body shame often is a coping mechanism, or a way that we try to problem-solve complex anxieties and stresses in our life.”

This past week has been particularly hard, as multiple climate-driven disasters have added fuel to the already blazing dumpster fire that is 2020.

With wildfires raging, tropical storms surging, police violence continuing unchecked, a global pandemic upending life as we know it, and American democracy hanging in the balance, this moment truly feels touch-and-go.

But as much as I sometimes feel like curling into a ball and letting the apocalypse sweep me away, I know we can’t let that happen.

Because we have the power to change these things, and we have to keep fighting.

ALL of these issues can be addressed by holding strong to our vision, electing officials who'll make smart policy decisions to help enact that vision, and working together consistently to make it a reality.

No matter how hopeless things might feel, there are lots of small, immediate, doable actions we can take for self-care and community care.

Some days that might just mean taking a shower or a nap, eating regularly and enough, doing our best to refute that inner body-shaming voice, and leaning on friends and family for support.

Other days it might mean doing what we can to support disaster-relief funds, anti-racist organizations, and liberatory leaders.

Some days it might mean registering to vote, requesting a mail-in ballot, and writing postcards to voters.

Other days it might mean unfollowing people online who make us feel bad about our bodies, learning about humane technology, and rethinking our relationships with social media.

Whatever you’re able to do right now, I hope you’ll join me in refusing to let the apocalyptic forces win.

I’m sending you compassion and support, and I hope you’re taking care of yourself and staying as safe and secure as possible in these wild times.

Here’s to creating a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world,

Christy