Summary

We can save US by seeking wellbeing. My wellbeing is connected to the wellbeing of all of US. The research on wellbeing is emerging and there is more research needed. We can take steps to promote our wellbeing. Take care of yourself. Seek the truth. Do not believe the lies offered by Donald’s Administration.

Saving US through Wellbeing

I am continuing my mission of positivity, optimism, and gratitude for 2026. We are living under authoritarianism. We save ourselves by safeguarding our collective wellbeing. Let’s delve into saving US through wellbeing.

Collective Wellbeing

Wellbeing is not an end game. We achieve wellbeing over time. Wellbeing is a process.

My wellbeing affects the wellbeing of people in my social network. My wellbeing intersects with the wellbeing of others. My wellbeing contributes to our collective wellbeing.

So, our collective wellbeing is the responsibility of all of US.

Promoting Wellbeing: We Have Choices

We have agency in our lives, including in achieving wellbeing. We can make decisions because we are independent. We are not controlled by someone else, in spite of living under authoritarianism.

Take the time to review your daily schedule. Minute by minute, what do you do? Explore how you are mindful in each moment of your day. Do you mindfully wash your face? Do you mindfully eat your food? Do you mindfully connect with your colleagues, your friends, your family? Do you mindfully prepare yourself at bedtime?

Or, do you do things on automatic pilot, without paying attention in the moment?

We do many things automatically. That is the beauty of our brains. Thankfully, we do not have to pay attention to every movement of our bodies. Can you imagine how much energy we would expend if we had to think about every muscle involved in the act of smiling? Consider a more complex activity like riding a bicycle: that would be draining to have to contemplate the multiple muscles and nerves involved.

So, take time to reassess your daily routine. Prioritize your time by consciously selecting your activities. Decide which activities consume your emotional energy. Consider whether there is a benefit for you or for the community as a result of your expenditure of energy.

Think big. If you contact your elected official about a concern, does your message help anyone, I mean anyone other than yourself? If you spend money, is this retail therapy which sacrifices your values because you are purchasing something from a company which exploits people? If you engage in a discussion with neighbours, are you kind to them or do you attack them without trying to see commonalities between you and them? If you pray, are you praying only for yourself or are you praying for all of humanity?

Is there anything you can do differently, to connect with fellow human beings and remember your shared humanity?

Neuroscience of Wellbeing

There is still much research to be done to correlate brain regions with wellbeing. de Vries et al (2023) analyzed 56 studies in a very intricate research paper and concluded that more research is required to illuminate the brain structures and circuits implicated in the experience of wellbeing.

Another meta-analysis (Luo et al, 2025) provides an interesting proposal for a neural network of emotional wellbeing.

Nevertheless, we do have research evidence substantiating the correlations of healthy eating, social connectedness, mindfulness, exercise, experiencing nature, sleep, gratitude, compassion, and music. Please see my previous posts for additional details.

Wellbeing 2026: Positivity, Optimism, and Gratitude

Arm yourself with truth. That is how you, and all of US, will secure wellbeing and pursue positivity, optimism, and gratitude. Gratitude for our community, for our collectivity, can propel US forward, to peace.

Tell a lie often enough and eventually you and others will believe it. Not so fast, as Stafford (2016) discussed in his exposé of the science behind the illusory truth.

This week, we have been barraged with illusory truths by Donald’s Administration. Noem hijacked justice by judging a situation before an investigation had been completed. We have seen Donald and Noem portray a young woman as a domestic terrorist because it suits the narrative they wish to spin. And, we have seen the videos from multiple angles which prove Donald and Noem to be wrong.

Plain wrong.

Renee Nicole Good is dead because an ICE officer shot her point blank in the face and either he or his colleague called her a “f—-ing bitch” as her vehicle careened out-of-control, sped up as the breath exited her body, and crashed into a vehicle down the road. And, Renee’s last words to the ICE officer were: “That’s fine dude. I’m not mad at you”, uttered in a calm tone.

We have the truth. We can remain positive, optimistic, and grateful that we are on the side of truth, for all human beings.

Take Action: Saving US through Wellbeing

Call your elected officials and demand that Noem be held accountable for her lies and her miscarriage of justice and her failed leadership at the head of the department of nazi security.

Capitol Switchboard: 202.224.3121

Take care of yourself and of your neighbours. We are all human beings deserving of respect and kindness.

Stand up and be counted in the protests against the domestic terrorism, in my opinion, being enacted by Donald’s Administration.

Remember, you are not alone in questioning the reality of the USA today. Authoritarianism has arrived. We will vanquish it together.

The Bulwark: Quote from George Orwell’s 1984

https://www.youtube.com/post/UgkxLTuaHV34Vq0qM5BjcWFPf006mjDQOFqi

Always, surround yourself with music to inspire you to be kind, grateful, generous, compassionate, peaceful, and truth seeking.

Please give generously to your local food pantries. Your neighbours will thank you.

Disclaimer: The content of this post is not meant to substitute for a consultation with your healthcare professional team.

If you are thinking of hurting yourself or of hurting someone else, please CALL 9-1-1; CALL 9-8-8; or GO TO the nearest emergency room.

Selected References:

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Annenberg School of Communication. (October 30, 2020). In Conversation with Emile Bruneau: Dehumanization. University of Pennsylvania. Accessed online on July 5, 2025, at https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9991937/

de Vries, L.P., van de Weijer, M.P., Bartels, M. (February 2023). A systematic review of the neural correlates of well-being reveals no consistent associates. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, Volume 145. Accessed online on January 10, 2026, at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763423000052

Frounfelker, R.L., Islam, N., Falcone, J., Farrar, J., Ra, C., Antonaccio, C.M., Enelamah, N., Betancourt, T.S. (August 2019). Living through war: Mental health of children and youth in conflict-affected areas. International Review of the Red Cross, No. 911. Accessed online on January 3, 2026, at https://international-review.icrc.org/articles/living-through-war-mental-health-children-and-youth-conflict-affected-areas

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Zaki, J. (May 14, 2020). Catastrophe Compassion: Understanding and Extending Prosociality Under Crisis. Trends Cogn. Sci, 24(8): 587-589. Accessed online on November 17, 2024, at https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7221394/#:~:text=Extending%20Catastrophe%20Compassion&text=Floods%2C%20bombings%2C%20and%20earthquakes%20are,boundaries%20that%20typically%20separate%20people.

Nota Bene:

USA Government websites are being purged by the current Trump Administration to align the website content with the regime’s political agenda. Please note that any government website cited in this and other posts on this website may no longer contain evidence based or historically correct information. Thus, I am trying to avoid including any references or resources which derive from a USA government website. This is not bias; I take this action in an effort to maintain a factually sound content in my posts.