Stepping Back to Step In: Techniques and Tips to Make a Difference

To my friends who are inundated with grim news – climate, war and more, it is important to protect our spirit and allow time and space to regenerate. Stepping away is crucial right now…but so is stepping back in.

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Tips to make a difference

Last week has been an extremely uncomfortable time for me. On a personal level, I ended up having to cancel my trip to India. I was planning to spend time with my family and also immerse myself in the farms and forests of the Eastern Himalayas in Meghalaya. On a collective level, the horrors of the US-Israel war on Iran are continuing; we have yet to feel the full effects. With Palestine, Sudan and now Iran under attack, the longer this goes on, the worse the impacts will be on food, shortages and price hikes on gas and other essentials.

For all the cooking, writing and speaking that I do, my work is really about the everyday small steps while taking a 35,000 ft big picture view of why what we do matters.

In these grim times, it’s ok to pause real life, go for a walk, cook a meal, or binge-watch a campy show – Bridgerton ✅ In fact, it’s more than ok, taking a pause is essential. If you’re stuck at an airport in Dubai, following “stay indoors” instructions in Doha or experiencing far, far worse, I feel for you.

Standing together

With all that’s going on in the world, it is essential to protect ourselves and our loved ones. While rest and regeneration are important to get through these times, it is just as important to stand and witness all that’s going on.

Stepping away is crucial right now; it’s just as important to step back in.

How do we do this without exhausting our spirit?

Here’s what is working for me:

• Regulate the onslaught of media info. No phones first thing, switch off electronics an hour before bed and avoid AI-generated memes and videos all day, every day. Identify reliable journalists, news programmes, newspapers and websites, and support them with your attention and your subscriptions. Be ruthless about bookending your time spent in media – social and otherwise. Remember, regulate.
• Spend time with nature, in nature. I call myself a treehugger, a term that became popular in India in the 1970’s. The word is inspired by the Chipko movement, a nonviolent ecological movement that spread quickly throughout the northern Himalayas. It was started by indigenous women of north India (today Uttarakhand) to protest against the government’s felling of old trees. Chipko, a Hindi word, literally means to hug. Walk among the trees if you can, unplugged if possible.
• Share your time, money and service with those who need it. This can take the form of donations – money or time – or simply choosing to shop where your money makes the biggest difference. Choose local businesses and shops. Avoid large corporations like Amazon and Walmart.

It will be another 3 months or so before we fully feel the repercussions of the US-Israel war on Iran. The effects of climate change are also building up. Gas prices will go up more, there will be food scarcity, and more shortages of pantry staples and other essentials.

I am not saying this to scare you or force you to act out of fear. That’s not my intention – though there’s nothing wrong with storing a few extra cans of beans in your basement. I want to encourage you to think long-term and be practical about the choices you make today. What we spend on today is the world we are building for tomorrow.

What’s the one step you can take today?

Choose to shop at your local shops, pharmacies, markets and farms. Yes, the prices may be higher than what you may find on Amazon, but think of this expenditure as an investment that protects employment and ecosystems where you live, and supports your local economy. This is an important and impactful step that we can all take right now to protect our immediate future. The world has changed. We have to acknowledge responsibility and step in. Together.

I am shooting a few videos over the next week that I hope will be helpful as we navigate these changing times. I will post them on Instagram and YouTube. The links will be in next Sunday’s newsletter.