I don’t know about you, but I’m struggling today. Yesterday, too. This administration’s decision to not return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, coupled with President Trump’s comments to the Salvadorean President, really brought me down.

If you haven’t heard, last week, the US Supreme Court seemed to direct the White House to “facilitate” the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man deported mistakenly and held without trial at a notorious mega-prison in his native El Salvador.

However, during a meeting in the Oval Office between President Donald Trump and his good friend, Salvadorean President Nayib Bukele, the two men made clear that they will not comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Unfortunately, the case is quite complicated, and the Supreme Court’s order included plenty of nuance. If the administration made one thing clear, it’s that they will not facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return.

Bukele, meanwhile, was pushed by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins about whether he would return Abrego Garcia.

“The question is preposterous,” he said. “How can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States? I don't — I don't have the power to return him to the United States.” In response, Mr. Trump did not ask Bukele to send back Abrego Garcia.

For those who do not know, the US is paying El Salvador, essentially as a contractor, to house Venezuelan migrants in the prison.

Additionally, during a Presidential ‘hot mic,’ Mr. Trump was overheard telling Bukele, “Homegrowns are next. You gotta build about five more places.” It’s unclear when the administration will begin sending US citizens to the prison, where men are currently crammed into cells by the dozens. Many expect the men will never be freed.

How am I coping?

Holy cow. We’ve had some rough days since this administration began, but Monday might have been one of the worst. Since then, I’ve definitely felt more stressed and mentally strained than usual.

Personally, I’ve increased the frequency of deep breathing and relaxation exercises I incorporate throughout the day. If I feel myself becoming a little too tense, I catch myself, close my eyes, clear my mind, and let the breathing exercises take over.

I typically work out every day for at least 30 minutes, and this week is no exception. Although I do enjoy lifting weights when I can fit it into my day, I always ensure to incorporate an abdominal workout and a high-intensity interval training session into my daily routine. Although I prefer to exercise in the morning, I’ve been a little busy this week, so I’ve conducted my fitness routines in the evenings.

Have you been getting more nightmares lately? I have, and they feel like they’re more driven by anxiety than my post-traumatic stress disorder (based on the content of my dreams).

To combat my nightmares and my inability to sleep through the night, I’ve started meditating again before bed. I used to listen to a lot of sleep visualizations before dozing off, and I’ve decided to break out the best hits lately. I typically use the Centr app, but there are plenty of free sleep meditations across the internet (it’s a magical place, although I sometimes decry its very existence).

Last, I’m coping by constantly reframing my thoughts and altering my perceptions. Since reading The Four Agreements and other books like it, I’ve been largely successful with grounding myself and stopping my mind before it races off into the abyss. To be honest, it’s been a little more difficult these days.

At the end of the day, all the knowledge in this world is made up. We decided to call one object a “tree” and another a “chair,” because these symbols help us to communicate with others and add meaning to our world. We named nations and states, based on imaginary boundaries we also made up.

The same can be said for concepts like democracy, freedom, equality, and opportunity - they’re all made up concepts. I accept this, but I still choose to fight for them, because I believe these ideals contribute to a healthier, more prosperous human society.

I love the ideas of democracy, freedom, equality, and opportunity. They’re the reason I signed up to wear a uniform and fight for our country, and they’re the reason I continue to defend the United States Constitution.

I know we’ve had a rough go lately, but bad things always happen in this world, alongside the good things. We will overcome this, and I believe we will prevail in the end. The road will be long, and it won’t be easy, but we are on the right side of history.

Well, I believe that’s all for today. I hope you’ve found your own ways to cope with everything that’s going on in the world.

Sleep well, and wake happy. Love you all!

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