Taking extra good care of ourselves

Why it really matters now

I’m guessing that this theme will resonate with many of you as it does with me. We are having to cope with a climate that has become much more abrasive: and I’m referring not only to the weather, but to politics and plenty more. And it won’t get better anytime soon.

Taking care of ourselves is the best antidote – both individually, and in groups. So this blog is an exploration of what this could mean in practice. You may recall Maslow’s famous hierarchy of needs, moving up from essential for survival to desirable for ‘self-actualisation’ (sic). I’ve invented the Heeks Hierarchy: see diagram on right.

Food and shelter are basic survival needs, and even these may become uncertain, especially food: see my blog, Is Britain heading for a food emergency, here. There’s an upside to this problem, as cooking and eating together are great ways to build community.

As many aspects of life become uncertain, fellowship and community become crucial: this has been true for most of human history, but less so in the era of self-contained households that has dominated recent decades, so there are skills we need to re-learn. See more in the Cultivating Community chapter of my book Natural Happiness.

The urgent need for stronger communities is pretty self-evident, but are we in the UK well placed to meet it? Sadly, no. The capitalist powers shaping society push us to consume as individuals, not cooperate collectively. A 2021 study showed that half of UK adults sometimes feel lonely. Generations X, Y and Z, who have grown up on social media, often lack the basic interpersonal skills needed for community, and so do many older adults.

Cultivating Fellowship and Community

Here are my top tips:

• Join more in-person groups, so you have more connections in your locality.
• Seek out, or set up, at least one group of people who share your values, so you can talk over your concerns and explore responses.
• Improve your own communication and conflict handling skills: good pointers and resources in the Community chapter of my recent book, Natural Happiness.
• Explore what other communities are doing to take care of themselves and raise resilience. See the Adaptive Communities section of my website www.seedingourfuture.org.uk.
• Start to smile and say hello to strangers you pass in the street: you may need each other in the next emergency.

Finding Meaning

At the top of my hierarchy is Meaning. This is vital for resilience in these abrasive times, when we’re deluged in commercial messaging that tells us that meaning comes from what we buy and how we look.

For me, understanding what my soul purpose is, for any challenging situation, and life in general, helps a lot in finding meaning and steadiness. You’ll find an explanation of soul purpose and how to explore it on my website www.soulresilience.net. Time in Nature is also vital, as a source of grounding, insight and steadiness when so much feels uncertain. Community has a key role in helping us find meaning and purpose: we need collective strength and vision , see more in this blog.

Hopefully you already have some good ways to take care of yourself, but as the turbulence rises, I urge you to double the dosage, and try some new ideas: maybe some from this blog.