Connecting with others. Humans are social creatures, and it's important to have strong, healthy relationships with others. Having good social support may help protect you against the harms of stress. It is also good to have different types of connections. Besides connecting with family and friends, you could find ways to get involved with your community or neighborhood. For example, you could volunteer for a local organization or join a group that is focused on a hobby you enjoy. Developing a sense of meaning and purpose in life. This could be through your job, volunteering, learning new skills, or exploring your spirituality. Developing coping skills, which are methods you use to deal with stressful situations. They may help you face a problem, take action, be flexible, and not easily give up in solving it. Meditation, which is a mind and body practice where you learn to focus your attention and awareness. There are many types, including mindfulness meditation and transcendental meditation. Meditation usually involves: A quiet location with as few distractions as possible A specific, comfortable posture. This could be sitting, lying down, walking, or another position. A focus of attention, such as a specially chosen word or set of words, an object, or your breathing An open attitude, where you try to let distractions come and go naturally without judging them -- edited Read more

To quote noted philosopher Hannah Montana, nobody’s perfect. Such is human existence. When it comes to allyship, the same remains true: no one expects perfection. So, as imperfect humans growing every day, it’s important for each of us to acknowledge how to be a better ally. As in any aspect of life, when it comes to being an ally, there is always room for growth — and actively pursuing growth is what will strengthen the many movements out there for change. Read more