From Saba's Care Corner, professional advice on applying the 5 C's to confront guilt and uncertainty amid the call to resist.

Here, professional life coach Saba Banda suggests using self-care and a short 5-step approach to digging deeper into uncomfortable feelings and internal conflict.

April 26 —

Dear resisters,

We recently opened up this newsletter to other voices in our Resisting Project 2025 campaign and allies. Below is a new post from Saba’s Care Corner, a new occasional advice column from Saba Band, a professional life coach and wise woman who is a core member of our campaign.

Like many of you, Saba is constantly hearing about and from people who are coping or struggling with their emotional reactions to the constant political assaults on our democracy and civil liberties and specific targeted groups by the Trump administration. People are feeling outraged, furious, really afraid, constantly anxious, despairing, overwhelmed, and uncertain how to best respond. Just this week, we’ve witnessed Trump officials move to arrest judges and lawyers and detain children who are US citizens, expanding their draconian attacks on immigrants and foreign students they deem unwelcome in America now. It’s police-state scary.

We aim to provide a focus and resources on emotional self-care and resilience as part of one’s resistance arsenal. So we’ve invited readers to submit any questions or concerns you may have with Saba who will publicly answer them. We are sharing Saba’s Corner here and online at our campaign website. Below is one letter:

Dear Saba,

"I am doing what I can to resist this administration, but I'm not comfortable attending protests and feel guilty about that. How can I make this feeling go away?"

Saba:

Thank you for your question. Let's do a self-inquiry and bring some clarity and insight to support you. I developed a 5-step framework (The 5 C’s) you may find helpful.

We all have our own inner wisdom and innate well-being, although it is often hidden behind our limiting beliefs and unconscious biases. Recognizing what is in the way, challenging its validity, and getting curious about what else may be possible, will reveal the inner wisdom and innate well-being that was already there.

A simple truth from my perspective: you can't help how you feel… feelings are just that, feelings. There is an opportunity for self-compassion here, sitting with this uncomfortable feeling, and having acceptance of your current state is the first step to working through it. This may take attention off wanting the feelings to go away, and instead focuses on your current reality: you feel “guilty”. Can you bring some compassion to that part of you that feels guilty? How would you speak to a close friend if they were feeling guilty? There’s an opportunity to give yourself the same grace.

A question you may want to explore is what meaning am I making of feeling "guilty"? I feel "guilty" for not attending protests. What does that say about me?

Some possibilities may be that I am not committed, I don’t care, I’m not doing enough to help the resistance, I’m selfish… you get the idea. Now, ask yourself “Is that true?”. What evidence can you find to support or dispute this belief? I suggest taking a bit of time to slow down and see what comes up for you… perhaps even write it down.

Applying the 5 C’s framework to the question:

CONCERN: What is my greatest concern right now? E.g.: I’m feeling guilty

CARE: What am I caring about? What really matters to me? E.g.: How I may be perceived by others, am I doing “resistance” correctly, I care about preserving our freedom and democracy… all of these can be true.

COMPASSION: Can I practice self- compassion for the part of me that is hurting right now? E.g.: Grace for that part of me that feels guilty

CLARITY: This is an opportunity to get in touch with my values. What are the values I am choosing to live by? E.g.: Values that matter to you… what are the 1-2 injustices that really get you upset? LGBTQ+ rights? Women’s rights? Racial justice?

CALL TO ACTION: How will I contribute to the greater good? What is the next best step I can take right now? E.g.: How am I being and what am I doing to show my commitment to the resistance that is not protesting in the streets right now? How am I demonstrating that? What is the opportunity? A few examples: help make signs, snack care packages for those protesting, offering comfort and help to a neighbor or friend in a vulnerable community, donating your money and time to causes you care about.

We all have a role to play in our current circumstances. What that role is can only be determined by you.

Having clarity about your role is much easier when we are not bogged down by preconceived notions of what is the right and wrong way to participate in the resistance movement.

Let me know what comes up for you in this inquiry. What can we expand on?

Comment below or send an email to: insidewellbeing808@gmail.com.

About Saba Bando:

HELP US SPREAD THE SELF-CARE MESSAGE:

We also invite you to share Saba’s Care Corner with others who may benefit from its sage advice. Please consider restacking it and sharing the link with others via your social media or other channels. Emotional self-care and resilience are essential elements of sustained activism that also help deter political apathy and burnout, so please help us share that positive message. - AC