As someone who has suffered sleep problems on and off for years, I empathise! It can be hard to do much when one is just trying to stay functional.

Once you can get some decent sleep, though, I agree that getting more involved with the community is an excellent next step. Personally I’m not cut out for politics, but if that appeals to you (or you think you’d be able to manage it), go for it.

I know how you feel. It has also been something in the back of my mind over the past few years and my child is going to face challenges that my parents’ generation never had.

The way I deal with it is to try to future-proof my home and maintain relationships with my family and neighbours as much as possible.

We’ve put in a lot of effort over the past few years to improve our home’s insulation and its longevity, as well as non-energy aspects such as accessibility. The goal is not to be completely independent; that’s not possible in the modern world. But it is possible to build a more resilient lifestyle.

On a community level, we have built relationships with several of our neighbours and now look out for each other; e.g. we keep an eye on each other’s properties when one of us is away, or supported another when they had a medical emergency. We also have a neighbourhood house in our community so that things like bread, fruit and vegetables that would otherwise be tossed by the supermarkets don’t go to waste and people who need them can access them.

The other thing I try to do is advocate where I can. I write to politicians, I support petitions, and I talk with friends and family who don’t share my concerns (a very slow process).