July 30, 2024 • 38 mins
Ever feel like the political climate is weighing you down? As we navigate the intense atmosphere of a Presidential election year, on this episode, I share my own experiences and the profound impact it has had on my mental health. Of course I won't leave my peeps hanging! I also share my strategies for maintaining balance amidst the constant barrage of information. For our international peeps, this episode provides a unique window into the tension and fatigue many Americans experience during this vital election year.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
what's good, everybody.
Welcome to the charging station.
It's your girl, tracy Massey ofLiving my Empowered Life.
I need you to go on ahead andgrab your coffee, grab your tea,
grab your water, grab your wine, whatever your beverage of
choice is.
Sis, go ahead and grab thatthing, bro, go ahead and grab
that thing.
Listen, this is going to be adifferent kind of episode
(00:42):
because, um, listen, this isgoing to be a different kind of
episode because, well, I poppedmy lip real good.
But y'all know, if you've beenrocking with me for a little bit
, you know that I don't reallydo like pop culture or political
stuff.
I mainly focus on mental health, life shenanigans share stories
(01:13):
about myself and my life andeverything like that.
So this is something that isthat has been affecting me in a
negative way and I had to go anddo something about it.
I'm very action oriented, so ifit's something that's bothering
me and I'm like, listen, Ican't live in this space.
So if you're new here, welcome.
I'm so glad to have you here.
You can be listening toanything anywhere, but you're
giving me these few moments ofyour time and I truly appreciate
you.
I hope you stick around.
(01:34):
Welcome to the charging stationIf you are a returning listener
.
Hey, boo, you know I love mesome.
You, everybody.
I need you to follow me on thesocials.
I am on TikTok, facebook,instagram threads, all under
living my empowered life and I'mgonna tell you right now.
(01:55):
I'm gonna tell you right now.
You see some shenanigans in myInstagram stories.
You really get to see the real,authentic me living in real
time.
Now I'm giving you my authenticself here on the podcast as
well, but y'all really get tosee, like, that crazy side of me
.
I don't know how to be fake, sowe're not wasting time being
fake.
But today's episode, like Isaid, is going to be a little
(02:18):
different.
If you are one of our peepsliving outside of America, you
can listen to this and you cankind of get some insight as to
what's happening over here.
It's really crazy.
We are in the middle of apresidential election and from
what my friends overseas havebeen sending me, I'm like yeah,
(02:40):
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,that's really happening.
And to my American peeps, letme tell you something Unless you
have traveled outside of theUnited States, like into
Southeast Asia, even into Africa, like different countries, they
have a different perspective ofwhat America, what's happening
in America and a lot of thesepeople are like yo, what y'all
(03:04):
doing and, to be honest, some ofus Americans are like that too.
So it's a lot.
It's a lot that's happening.
So I really want to deep diveinto the subject of now.
This is for.
This is for entertainment andeducational purposes.
Only, I don't know everything.
(03:24):
I am not a poli-sci, politicalscience major, none of that.
I'm just giving you all thestuff that I have to do right
now with the hopes of itblessing you.
Okay, so I can hear thatrattling in the background.
I had to fix myself because Ineed it.
I'm glad I'm not doing video,because that was awkward, anyway
(03:45):
, anyway.
Anyway, let's get into it.
So I want to talk to you allabout protecting your mental
health during an election year.
Now, this can be so verychallenging because we are
getting bombarded withinformation, whether it be
factual or flat-out lies,propaganda, whatever.
(04:09):
There is tension in the airthat I don't like.
We've been here before and it'svery contentious.
We've had our current sittingpresident, who was running for
re-election, drop out a coupleweeks ago at the time of the
recording of this podcast.
So now we have our vicepresident, who was running for
(04:34):
the presidential seat.
We have a former president whois vying to get back in office
again, and it's just been a lotof things that have been coming
to light and it's just, it'sreally, really heavy.
It's really really heavy andit's very scary.
I'm going to be honest with youNow.
I trust in the Lord with all myheart and lean not unto my own
(04:57):
understanding, and I know thatGod did not give me a spirit of
fear, but a power of love and ofa sound mind.
But watching all this stuffhappening, I'm like, lord Jesus,
this would be a great time foryou to come and collect us all,
because this right here listen,I am tired of living in
unprecedented times.
Okay, I need some precedents.
I need some precedent at times,I need things to stabilize,
(05:20):
because you can literally feelthe tension in the air and
myself, as a black woman, wetired, we tired y'all.
So let's just get into it Now.
I want to start off by talkingabout the branches of the US
government Because, honestly,from what I'm seeing online, I'm
like do people understand howour government works?
(05:44):
Understand, like, how ourgovernment works?
And?
And here in America, thebiggest focus is on a
presidential election year andy'all let's be.
Look, I'm just gonna put thisout there.
We have other elections outsideof the presidential election.
The elections that really,really, really, really shape our
(06:05):
cities, our states, our countryhappen in the general elections
in your county, in your city,in your state, because those
people that are elected to localgovernments move up to state
governments, they move up to thenational governments.
(06:28):
The people that become mayorsand governors move on to become
senators sometimes.
So you really have to look atwhat's happening in your region,
in your city, because thosejudges, the lower courts,
circuit courts those are electedofficials by us, the voters,
(06:52):
and I'm not even going to getinto people that's talking about
.
They're not going to vote.
Listen, as you can.
I don't know if you can tell,but I am like really feeling the
stress of this even as I'mtalking about it.
So let's talk about the branchesof the US government.
There are three branches of theUS government.
We're gonna go back toelementary one-on-one.
(07:13):
They teach this in school.
Well, they taught it when I wasin school.
I don't know what they're doingnow.
Sure, because they talk aboutno child left behind.
Leave some of the childrenbehind.
Okay, because those childrenchildren that are not left
behind become adults who don'tknow nothing, and we are seeing
this now.
Anyway, I'm trying to stay offmy soapbox, y'all, I'm trying to
stay off my soapbox, but thereare three branches of the US
(07:37):
government there's thelegislative branch, there's the
executive branch and there's thejudicial branch.
All three of these branchescreate and manage the laws of
the United States of America.
So the legislative branch thelegislative branch is made up of
(07:58):
the US Congress, which includesthe Senate and the House of
Representatives and all of thespecial agencies and offices
that provide support services toCongress.
The legislative branch's rolesinclude drafting proposed laws,
confirming or rejectingpresidential nominations for
heads of federal agencies,federal judges and the Supreme
(08:21):
Court, and Congress also has theauthority to declare war.
Now, I want you all to keep inmind all of these things these
people are responsible for.
That's why it's reallyimportant to look at who is
running for your House ofRepresentatives and your Senate,
because these are the peoplethat create these laws.
(08:44):
That ain't making sense.
These are the people that havethe authority to approve, who go
sits on the Supreme Court.
These are the people who havethe authority to enact, whether
we go to war or not.
So, in my humble opinion, thesepeople need to be intelligent,
(09:07):
have some education, have somevalues and morals, and not this
stuff that's like wicker wickerI call it wicker morality.
These are the people that kindof you know.
It's like they're the hands youknow, hands of America.
They're the ones that we electin our states.
(09:28):
Okay, now, as I'm sharing thisinformation, I'm trying to keep
in mind of people.
You know my audience because weare heard in 60-something
countries, so I'm trying to keepin mind of the people who are
international as well as thepeople based here in the United
States.
So if I say something thatsounds kind of elementary,
that's why I'm trying to keepthem, keep everybody, keep it on
(09:50):
a level where everybody canunderstand it.
And if you hear me pause andlooking away, y'all, I took some
notes, notes, okay.
So the next branch of governmentis the executive branch.
Now, these are in no particularorder, okay, but the executive
(10:11):
branch.
So the executive branch, theirrole includes the President of
the United States.
Who?
The President of the UnitedStates is the head of the state,
meaning they are the head ofall 50 states in the territories
of the United States.
They are the leader of thegovernment, the federal
government and theCommander-in-Ch of the United
States Armed Forces.
So they are the commander ofour Army, navy, air Force,
Marines, us Coast Guard, thosetype of things.
(10:35):
The executive branch alsoincludes the vice president and
the vice president supports thepresident, and if the president
is unable to serve, then thevice president becomes president
.
And the vice president alsopresides over the US Senate and
breaks ties in the Senate votes.
So this person is prettyimportant because if something
(10:58):
happens to the president of theUnited States, then the vice
president automatically becomesthe president of the United
States.
So that's why it is key to lookat who running mates are, as
well as who is running forpresident.
Then you have in the executivebranch, the cabinet.
Now the cabinet members serveas advisors to the president,
(11:21):
and the cabinet members includethe vice president, the heads of
executive departments and otherhigh-ranking government
officials, and the cabinetmembers are nominated by the
president and must be approvedby the Senate.
So if you have a president thatnominates people that are not
really qualified we have seenthat in the United States Then
(11:42):
you have a Senate that approvesthem.
Y'all see why I'm stressed.
Y'all see why.
Y'all see why Y'all understandwhy I'm stressed.
Now I'm getting all of thisinformation off of USAgov.
Okay, I want to just cite mysources.
The executive branch alsoincludes executive departments,
independent agencies and otherboards, commissions and
(12:03):
committees.
So this includes a lot ofpeople.
And lastly, we have the judicialbranch.
So the judicial branch soundsbasically, it sounds like what
it is.
The judicial branch includesthe Supreme Court and other
(12:24):
federal courts.
It evaluates laws byinterpreting the meaning of the
law.
It applies laws to individualcases and decides if laws
violate the Constitution.
Now, members of the SupremeCourt are nominated, chosen by
the sitting president of theUnited States, but they have to
(12:47):
be confirmed by the Senate andHouse of Representatives and
these are lifelong tenures.
So the Supreme Court once youput somebody on the Supreme
Court, as the law is set upright now, once you put somebody
on the Supreme Court, they'rethere for life.
(13:08):
They're there until they eitherdecide to retire or they die.
But Supreme Court justices canbe impeached and removed from
their duties.
I don't know if a lot of peopleknow that and there are usually
nine justices.
The reason that there are nineis because there has to be a
(13:30):
tiebreaker and right now ourSupreme Court has been cutting
up.
I'm just going to leave it atthat.
Our Supreme Court has reallybeen cutting up.
Oh Lord, help us Jesus, help usJesus, help us Jesus.
So you have you know.
That's a basic rundown of whatthe branches of the US
(13:51):
government do.
Each branch of government issupposed to provide checks and
balances, meaning there's asystem in place to where one
branch can't have more powerthan the other and each branch
of government can change acts ofthe other branches.
(14:13):
So, for instance, the presidentcan veto legislation created by
Congress.
The president can also nominateheads of federal agencies and
high court appointees.
Now, the high court are thecourts where you may have had a
case that was in a lower courtso something that's happening in
(14:33):
your state and then an appealhappens, or you can petition a
higher court to review that case, and then there's a judgment
that comes from the higher court.
Well, if the higher court makesa judgment that you aren't
satisfied with, you can alsopetition the Supreme Court to
look at your case and make aruling.
If the Supreme Court makes adecision that you don't like, it
(14:58):
can always bounce back to thelower court, so there can be a
lot of ping-ponging going on.
Congress also confirms orrejects president's nominees,
and it can also remove thepresident from office in
exceptional circumstances.
So there can be an impeachment.
An impeachment is where let mesee if I understand this
correctly um, let me see if Iunderstand this correctly an
(15:22):
impeachment is where a member ofcongress or, um, yeah, a member
of congress can say hey, youknow, you're not quite doing
things.
Um, right, I'm watering thisdown.
So very much, y'all.
But, um, the congress, a memberof congress, can bring articles
of impeachment and they have tolay out the reason why they
want to impeach this president.
So there's a difference betweenan impeachment does not
(15:44):
necessarily mean that thepresident will be removed from
office, or whomever theimpeachment is against can be
removed from office.
Because, again, an impeachmentcan happen to the vice president
, it can happen to the SupremeCourt justices, so that does not
necessarily mean that they willbe removed from office, but it
does put a mark on them.
Um, in order to remove somebodyfrom office, I think it has to
(16:08):
be approved and things like that.
So, um, congress, sorry y'all,I don't know if you can hear
that sound, but if somebody inthe hallway is like making a
whole lot of noise, if you canhear that sound, but if somebody
in the hallway is like making awhole lot of noise, hush, sorry
about that y'all.
So Congress can reject thepresident's nominees and remove
(16:33):
the president under extremeexceptional circumstances.
So the justices of the SupremeCourt are nominated by the
president and confirmed bySenate, and they can overturn
unconstitutional laws by Senate,and they can overturn
unconstitutional laws.
So that's a quick rundown ofour system, and right now in the
(16:56):
United States it's real shaky.
I'm just going to leave it atthat.
It's real shaky.
So if you have been watchingthe news or looking at rallies
or things like that, y'all, it'sjust.
As an American citizen, I lovemy country.
I don't love what's happeningin my country, and at this point
in time I truly feel helpless.
(17:19):
That's the best way I can.
I can put it on top of seeingthings that's going on in the
world and things that'shappening in my life.
It is a lot.
One thing I know that I can do,though, for sure, is get out
and vote and make my vote, makean educated, informed decision
(17:41):
with my vote.
So hold on.
I got a text message let's talkabout ways that we can protect
our mental health during anelection year.
Now, again.
This can be challenging becausethe heightened stress and
(18:02):
anxiety that can accompany thesepolitical campaigns and
discussions.
You got to protect your peace,y'all you know.
If you've been rocking with mefor a while, you know I am all
about protecting my peace.
If it's something that iscosting me my peace, that thing
is too expensive and I am notwilling to pay the cost.
(18:24):
Let me see I'm looking upsomething right quick.
Make sure you are registered tovote.
Check your voter registrationcard.
Make sure that information iscorrect.
Make sure you know where yourvoting place is.
If you are in a state that hasearly voting, I would highly
(18:47):
recommend doing early voting.
I wish there was a way that wecould opt out of the text
messages and the advertisementswhen we have voted already,
because I'm like my duty hasbeen done.
I don't need to hear any moreof this.
You're stressing me out.
Voted already because I'm likemy duty has been done.
I don't need to hear any morethis.
You stressing me out.
Um, if you have mail-in ballots,um, absentee ballots, make sure
you are filling those out.
It is very, very important, notjust for a presidential
(19:08):
election, but also for your,your house of representatives,
your congressman, your statelegislature, your city, your
county, like, just take, takepride in where you live.
Um, let's see, I am looking forsomething right now, y'all.
So give me just a second.
Um, if you're wanting more infoabout the political makeup of
(19:35):
this um of our, the unitedstates, I have a podcast that I
absolutely love.
These ladies are amazing atbreaking down the ballots on
each state.
They are amazing at bringingstories forth that we may not
know, and that podcast is HeadWraps and Lipstick.
(19:57):
You can find them on all yourpodcast listening platforms.
I don't recommend a lot ofpeople, but these ladies are on
it.
They give very, very, veryvaluable information.
Let me see.
I'm looking for the websitewhere you can review ballots.
(20:22):
So let's see, because one thingyou definitely want to do when
you're voting whether it bevoter registration, whether it
be your local or nationalgovernment you want to make
informed decisions.
So look at the candidates tomake informed decisions.
(20:45):
So look at the candidates.
Listen to debates.
If there's somebody that'salready in office like already
serving you know you can.
Did?
You know that you can go lookup their voting record.
You can go look up and see howmuch they've attended hearings
or Senate meetings.
You know all of that.
You can do that from the locallevel all the way up to the
Congress and the Senate, I meanthe House of Representatives and
(21:05):
the Senate.
Mm-hmm, check these people out,and I know that it's a lot of
work, but, baby, when you gotpeople who are sitting in these
offices for what seem likelifetimes and they're shaping
what is happening in yourcountry, you better be paying
attention who's up in there?
That's one of the rights thatwe have so far as of now, one of
(21:30):
the rights we have as a UnitedStates citizen.
These people work for us.
Okay, we are the ones who electthem and we have a
responsibility to unite togetherto make sure that they're doing
the work for us, not thelobbyists, not the people who
(21:52):
donate the most money.
They work for us.
And I said I'm not going to bepolitical, but yeah, this is
some stuff that's been under myskin.
I have been voting since I was18 years old.
My mom kept me in front of anewspaper and she kept me in
front of these elections, andwhen I was younger, I hated it,
but as I got older, I understoodit.
(22:13):
So when I turned 18, my momasked me what I wanted for my
birthday.
I said I wanted my voterregistration card, and I will
never forget the first time Iactually sat in a voter booth
and cast my ballot for the veryfirst time.
I thank my mother for that gift.
All right, so let's get into it.
(22:37):
Ways that you can protect yourmental health during elections.
Number one y'all you have gotto limit media exposure.
You've got to set someboundaries of how much news
you're looking at and how muchsocial media you are consuming.
So one thing that I've had todo I've had to designate times,
(22:59):
specific times, for me, to checkupdates and, rather than
constantly scrolling, because itwas really starting to stress
me out, I carry stress in myneck and shoulders.
My muscles had been so tightuntil I went on my girls trip
and we were at the beach and Ifinally was able to release that
and I was in prayer and I said,god, what am I stressing about?
(23:23):
Because, yeah, it's stuffhappening, but my life overall
has been really good.
So what am I stressing about?
And he showed me what I wasstressing about it's about these
dang elections.
It's about all of this stuffthat's coming at us.
It has really stressed me out.
So I'm like, okay, stuff that'scoming at us.
It has really stressed me out.
So I'm like, okay, okay, let'spause.
(23:44):
I can be informed but notconsumed.
And so that's where you need toget Be informed but not
consumed.
Number two engage in someself-care.
You have got to prioritizeactivities that help you relax
and recharge.
Exercising is a great way torelax and recharge and it also
has benefits of.
You know you might tone up,lose a little bit of weight,
(24:06):
you're going to have some energy, your mental clarity is going
to be even better.
You know you're going to feelgood overall by doing some
exercise.
Move your body 30, 45 minutes aday.
Take a walk, get yourself innature, go outside and touch
some grass.
Minutes a day.
Take a walk, get yourself innature, go outside and touch
some grass.
(24:28):
Meditation Listen, christianfolks sometimes get a little
heated when you talk aboutmeditation.
Meditation is not doesn't haveto be spooky y'all, and if you
meditate in the conjugalexperience, I don't know what to
tell you.
I'm going to tell you, butmeditation you can actually sit
and do deep breathing exercisesand have moments of just
gratitude and thankfulness, likeI am so thankful that I have so
far the right to vote Because,if you look at American history,
(24:52):
as a black person and as awoman, we didn't have those
rights.
We haven't always had thoserights.
Look back into the 1950s and1960s.
That's not that far away, y'all.
So meditation, focusing ongratitude, focusing on the
things that you are blessed with, the people that you're blessed
(25:14):
with.
Find a hobby this is a way toengage in self-care.
Find a hobby I just shared onmy engage in self-care.
Find a hobby I just shared onmy social media.
My therapist has given me anassignment.
I had to find a hobby andthere's one rule I cannot turn
my hobby into a business.
My therapist knows me very well.
So yesterday, as the time of therecording of this podcast, I
(25:39):
took a floral arrangement classand loved it.
I felt so relaxed and I feltthe creativity because I'm a
visual person, I'm a creative.
So being able to create thisbeautiful floral arrangement
that is sitting in my houseright now if you go on my social
media you'll see it I was likeyo, I did that.
(26:00):
I'm pretty proud of myself, butI realized that having that
hobby is an outlet for me nowand I joked about my friends
getting floral arrangements allthe time.
But I'm so serious because Ilove doing it.
Yes, that was my first time,but you instantly know if you
like something or not, and Iloved it.
So find a hobby, something thatyou can enjoy that is not
(26:24):
attached to a job, a paycheck,money, monetary nothing.
If you like to dance, go take adance class.
If you love Pilates, go do somePilates.
Find yourself a hobby.
(26:51):
Another form of self-care isspending time with loved ones.
We can sit and talk and laugh,have a good kiki with our
favorite beverages and justforget about what the heck is
going on in this world.
Those are forms of self-care.
Find ways to implementself-care for you and don't sit
(27:12):
here and talk about you don'thave time.
Don't say you don't have time.
You've got to be intentionalabout self-care.
I understand you might be awife, a mother, a father.
You may have responsibilitiesor obligations.
You're an adult I'm sure you do, but you have got to carve out
some time for some self-carebefore you run yourself ragged.
(27:36):
Number three stay informed, butstay informed wisely.
Choose reliable news sourcesand avoid sensational or biased
media.
Fact check the informationbefore you go sharing or
reaching, sharing or reacting,because some of these outlets
(28:00):
are definitely reaching.
Fact check your stuff, please.
And it's so easy to be on theinternet and just hit share and
what you're sharing ispropaganda.
There's a lot of AI generatedthings.
A friend of mine sent me avideo of it was Kim Kardashian
(28:24):
being interviewed by somebodyand they were talking about Kim
was saying Kim was saying shewas transitioning to be a man.
And I'm looking at this videoI'm like, yeah, this don't look
right.
So I went fact checked it andit's an AI video, but it was Kim
Kardashian sitting there sayingthe words.
But what they did was theysliced different interviews that
(28:45):
she did to make it seem likeshe was in this interview.
So I responded to my friendlike girl, this is AI.
What are you doing?
Fact-check your stuff.
It's easy to share, but it'snot easy to retract and we all
know a lie spreads faster thanthe truth.
(29:07):
Don't be spreading lies, y'all.
Don't be spreading lies.
We can't afford it.
Connect with supportive people.
Number six connect withsupportive people.
Again, surround yourself withfriends and family who offer
positive support andunderstanding.
A lot of times we say we don'ttalk about religion, we don't
(29:27):
talk about politics, becausethose can cause fights.
But there are ways that you canhave meaningful discussions
about what's going on in yourarea.
But if you're with friends andfamily and you know this stuff
is stressing you out, be aroundpeople.
That's going to make you laugh.
Be around people that's goingto restore and refresh you.
Stay away from the negativenailies.
(29:51):
Number seven I touched on this alittle bit, but stay active.
Engage in some physicalactivities that you enjoy.
Exercise can significantlyreduce stress and improve your
mood.
Y'all.
I can't tell you how many timesa good workout has made my mood
feel so much better, like today.
I cannot wait to get to the gym.
I can't wait because I feel somuch better.
(30:17):
So engage in some physicalactivity Now.
Whatever that physical activityis, I ain't gonna judge you
this is a no judgment song butmake sure you're not hurting
nobody.
And it's legal, okay, I don'twant you to get in trouble and I
don't want you to be sitting uphere saying Tracy told me to
engage in this.
I ain't tell you nothing that.
(30:40):
Mm-mm.
Don't put that on me, ricky,bobby, okay.
Number eight focus on what youcan control.
It's a lot of things that wecannot control in this
environment, but accept thatsome things are beyond your
control.
Focus on actions that you cantake, such as voting,
volunteering or engaging inpeaceful activism.
(31:03):
I know that I can get my tailto the polls and vote after I've
researched and made wisechoices in this area.
No more just clicking a buttonfor my political party, because
all skinfolk ain't kinfolk.
(31:24):
North Carolina has a lieutenantgovernor right now and I'm like
what in the world is going onwith this man, because I've sat
and I've listened to the thingsthat he said and y'all people
are saying the quiet things outloud, and I'm glad that they are
, because it's like yo, what,what?
(31:47):
I can control whether my votegoes to these people or not, and
so can you volunteering.
It doesn't necessarily have tobe a political based
volunteerism.
Um, this week I'm going to bevolunteering for elevation
church's love week.
Giving back always makes mefeel better, always, and I've
(32:10):
always encountered people whohave amazing stories and and I'm
volunteering to help them, but,but they usually help me.
Volunteer Number nine, and thismay be the most important thing.
Second most important thingSeek professional help if needed
.
Listen, listen.
(32:34):
If the stress has becomeoverwhelming, consider talking
to a mental health professional,somebody that is licensed,
somebody that has experience.
Talk to this person and helpwork out what you're the stress
that you're feeling.
My therapist and I I have thisconversation with my therapist
(32:56):
on Friday, y'all I'm in therapyevery Friday.
Okay, I am not ashamed everyFriday, because at this point,
my therapy sessions help me dealwith people who don't go to
therapy, who refuse to go totherapy.
But there are some times wherethere's something that I can't
really figure it out or I justneed an outlet to talk about to
(33:18):
someone, and my therapist isthere for that, and so, with
this heightened politicalenvironment, I was like you know
what I?
I can't, I can't deal with this, and so we were able to map out
a plan for me to be able todeal with it, and I'm sharing
that plan with you right now.
I'm sharing that plan with youright now.
(33:39):
I'm sharing that plan with youright now, along with this with
seeking professional help, leaninto your spirituality.
For me and this is the mostimportant thing for me and I
feel like it's vital Me leaningon God's word is the thing that
(34:00):
is keeping me afloat, becauseGod's word is true.
God's word will never fail God.
This world can pass away, butGod's word is still going to
remain, and my history with God.
I know he has been faithful.
I know he has been a reliable,dependable God.
So when this world getsconfusing, I'm leaning on him.
(34:23):
I'm pulling out my Bible andreading scriptures and studying
scriptures and praying andmeditating and fasting and doing
all this stuff Because, at theend of the day, my mental health
I'm not going to break.
I'm not going to break in this.
I'm not, I refuse.
And as long as I got God on myside, I will not fail.
So this whole world can gocuckoo, cocoa pups.
I know my God is gonna have meperiod, point blank.
(34:44):
Argue with your mama.
You can't argue with me aboutwhat my God has done for me.
And when I say my God, you knowI just make that relationship
personal for me.
So lean into your spirituality.
And, last but not least, thismay be one of my favorite things
(35:05):
to do Practice gratitude.
I've shared this earlier in theepisode, but when you reflect
on positive aspects of your lifeand the things that you're
grateful for, it shifts yourfocus away from the stressors.
Yes, this environment isvolatile, it is hostile.
(35:28):
There's so much going on in theworld and I'm just a small cog
in this big old machine.
But I am thankful.
I am thankful for my life, myhealth, my job, my family, my
friends, being able to go onvacation, being able to sit
(35:51):
behind this mic of a podcast.
I'm thankful for all of thosethings Because I remember a time
when I was homeless.
I remember the time of remembertimes of not having food and to
look at, look over the totalityof my life and see where God
(36:14):
has me right now.
I am so very grateful Becauseit could be totally different,
and I know that this is not thetestimony of a lot of people, so
that I walk in gratitude and ifthere are ways that I can help
(36:36):
somebody else, I do those things.
So I hope that this has beenhelpful for you.
If you are one of our peeps thatis in another country and
you're looking at all this stufflike yo, america's off the hook
, ooh, ooh, america's doingsomething wild, yes, we are, yes
(36:59):
, we are, and we need yoursupport and your prayers.
Listen, because it is, it's,it's, it's it's different over
here.
Y'all um, and I just want totouch on something too, because
there's been a lot of talk aboutum people moving out of the
(37:21):
United States.
Even myself, I've thought aboutmoving out of the United States
, and this was before all of thecraziness, the shenanigans were
happening.
But even if you can move out ofthe United States, just prepare
yourself like research thecountry that you're trying to
move to and make sure you havesome money.
(37:41):
Make sure you have some money.
Don't be going to thesepeople's countries you broke and
you add into the stress of thatcountry.
Do your research, make sure youhave some money.
Make sure you have the means tolive where you're going to live
.
If you don't, don't just pickup and say I'm gonna buy this
(38:01):
plane ticket, there's one wayticket to 10, buck two and then
you don't know how you're gonnaeat the next day.
Now it's not the time to bemaking knee-jerk reactions.
We really have to move inwisdom and discernment because
we owe that to ourselves.
If you don't owe nobody elsenothing, you owe yourself to
(38:24):
walk in wisdom and discernment.
All right, so that's all I gotfor this week, y'all.
We are coming to the close ofseason seven, but I hope this
was helpful to you.
This will probably be the lasttime I talk about political
politics and stuff, because it'sstressful y'all.
I don't like my life to bestressed.
But until next time, remembergod loves you, I love you, and
(38:48):
ain't nothing you can do aboutit.
Boo bye.
what's good, everybody.
Welcome to the charging station.
It's your girl, tracy Massey ofLiving my Empowered Life.
I need you to go on ahead andgrab your coffee, grab your tea,
grab your water, grab your wine, whatever your beverage of
choice is.
Sis, go ahead and grab thatthing, bro, go ahead and grab
that thing.
Listen, this is going to be adifferent kind of episode
(00:42):
because, um, listen, this isgoing to be a different kind of
episode because, well, I poppedmy lip real good.
But y'all know, if you've beenrocking with me for a little bit
, you know that I don't reallydo like pop culture or political
stuff.
I mainly focus on mental health, life shenanigans share stories
(01:13):
about myself and my life andeverything like that.
So this is something that isthat has been affecting me in a
negative way and I had to go anddo something about it.
I'm very action oriented, so ifit's something that's bothering
me and I'm like, listen, Ican't live in this space.
So if you're new here, welcome.
I'm so glad to have you here.
You can be listening toanything anywhere, but you're
giving me these few moments ofyour time and I truly appreciate
you.
I hope you stick around.
(01:34):
Welcome to the charging stationIf you are a returning listener
.
Hey, boo, you know I love mesome.
You, everybody.
I need you to follow me on thesocials.
I am on TikTok, facebook,instagram threads, all under
living my empowered life and I'mgonna tell you right now.
(01:55):
I'm gonna tell you right now.
You see some shenanigans in myInstagram stories.
You really get to see the real,authentic me living in real
time.
Now I'm giving you my authenticself here on the podcast as
well, but y'all really get tosee, like, that crazy side of me
.
I don't know how to be fake, sowe're not wasting time being
fake.
But today's episode, like Isaid, is going to be a little
(02:18):
different.
If you are one of our peepsliving outside of America, you
can listen to this and you cankind of get some insight as to
what's happening over here.
It's really crazy.
We are in the middle of apresidential election and from
what my friends overseas havebeen sending me, I'm like yeah,
(02:40):
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,that's really happening.
And to my American peeps, letme tell you something Unless you
have traveled outside of theUnited States, like into
Southeast Asia, even into Africa, like different countries, they
have a different perspective ofwhat America, what's happening
in America and a lot of thesepeople are like yo, what y'all
(03:04):
doing and, to be honest, some ofus Americans are like that too.
So it's a lot.
It's a lot that's happening.
So I really want to deep diveinto the subject of now.
This is for.
This is for entertainment andeducational purposes.
Only, I don't know everything.
(03:24):
I am not a poli-sci, politicalscience major, none of that.
I'm just giving you all thestuff that I have to do right
now with the hopes of itblessing you.
Okay, so I can hear thatrattling in the background.
I had to fix myself because Ineed it.
I'm glad I'm not doing video,because that was awkward, anyway
(03:45):
, anyway.
Anyway, let's get into it.
So I want to talk to you allabout protecting your mental
health during an election year.
Now, this can be so verychallenging because we are
getting bombarded withinformation, whether it be
factual or flat-out lies,propaganda, whatever.
(04:09):
There is tension in the airthat I don't like.
We've been here before and it'svery contentious.
We've had our current sittingpresident, who was running for
re-election, drop out a coupleweeks ago at the time of the
recording of this podcast.
So now we have our vicepresident, who was running for
(04:34):
the presidential seat.
We have a former president whois vying to get back in office
again, and it's just been a lotof things that have been coming
to light and it's just, it'sreally, really heavy.
It's really really heavy andit's very scary.
I'm going to be honest with youNow.
I trust in the Lord with all myheart and lean not unto my own
(04:57):
understanding, and I know thatGod did not give me a spirit of
fear, but a power of love and ofa sound mind.
But watching all this stuffhappening, I'm like, lord Jesus,
this would be a great time foryou to come and collect us all,
because this right here listen,I am tired of living in
unprecedented times.
Okay, I need some precedents.
I need some precedent at times,I need things to stabilize,
(05:20):
because you can literally feelthe tension in the air and
myself, as a black woman, wetired, we tired y'all.
So let's just get into it Now.
I want to start off by talkingabout the branches of the US
government Because, honestly,from what I'm seeing online, I'm
like do people understand howour government works?
(05:44):
Understand, like, how ourgovernment works?
And?
And here in America, thebiggest focus is on a
presidential election year andy'all let's be.
Look, I'm just gonna put thisout there.
We have other elections outsideof the presidential election.
The elections that really,really, really, really shape our
(06:05):
cities, our states, our countryhappen in the general elections
in your county, in your city,in your state, because those
people that are elected to localgovernments move up to state
governments, they move up to thenational governments.
(06:28):
The people that become mayorsand governors move on to become
senators sometimes.
So you really have to look atwhat's happening in your region,
in your city, because thosejudges, the lower courts,
circuit courts those are electedofficials by us, the voters,
(06:52):
and I'm not even going to getinto people that's talking about
.
They're not going to vote.
Listen, as you can.
I don't know if you can tell,but I am like really feeling the
stress of this even as I'mtalking about it.
So let's talk about the branchesof the US government.
There are three branches of theUS government.
We're gonna go back toelementary one-on-one.
(07:13):
They teach this in school.
Well, they taught it when I wasin school.
I don't know what they're doingnow.
Sure, because they talk aboutno child left behind.
Leave some of the childrenbehind.
Okay, because those childrenchildren that are not left
behind become adults who don'tknow nothing, and we are seeing
this now.
Anyway, I'm trying to stay offmy soapbox, y'all, I'm trying to
stay off my soapbox, but thereare three branches of the US
(07:37):
government there's thelegislative branch, there's the
executive branch and there's thejudicial branch.
All three of these branchescreate and manage the laws of
the United States of America.
So the legislative branch thelegislative branch is made up of
(07:58):
the US Congress, which includesthe Senate and the House of
Representatives and all of thespecial agencies and offices
that provide support services toCongress.
The legislative branch's rolesinclude drafting proposed laws,
confirming or rejectingpresidential nominations for
heads of federal agencies,federal judges and the Supreme
(08:21):
Court, and Congress also has theauthority to declare war.
Now, I want you all to keep inmind all of these things these
people are responsible for.
That's why it's reallyimportant to look at who is
running for your House ofRepresentatives and your Senate,
because these are the peoplethat create these laws.
(08:44):
That ain't making sense.
These are the people that havethe authority to approve, who go
sits on the Supreme Court.
These are the people who havethe authority to enact, whether
we go to war or not.
So, in my humble opinion, thesepeople need to be intelligent,
(09:07):
have some education, have somevalues and morals, and not this
stuff that's like wicker wickerI call it wicker morality.
These are the people that kindof you know.
It's like they're the hands youknow, hands of America.
They're the ones that we electin our states.
(09:28):
Okay, now, as I'm sharing thisinformation, I'm trying to keep
in mind of people.
You know my audience because weare heard in 60-something
countries, so I'm trying to keepin mind of the people who are
international as well as thepeople based here in the United
States.
So if I say something thatsounds kind of elementary,
that's why I'm trying to keepthem, keep everybody, keep it on
(09:50):
a level where everybody canunderstand it.
And if you hear me pause andlooking away, y'all, I took some
notes, notes, okay.
So the next branch of governmentis the executive branch.
Now, these are in no particularorder, okay, but the executive
(10:11):
branch.
So the executive branch, theirrole includes the President of
the United States.
Who?
The President of the UnitedStates is the head of the state,
meaning they are the head ofall 50 states in the territories
of the United States.
They are the leader of thegovernment, the federal
government and theCommander-in-Ch of the United
States Armed Forces.
So they are the commander ofour Army, navy, air Force,
Marines, us Coast Guard, thosetype of things.
(10:35):
The executive branch alsoincludes the vice president and
the vice president supports thepresident, and if the president
is unable to serve, then thevice president becomes president
.
And the vice president alsopresides over the US Senate and
breaks ties in the Senate votes.
So this person is prettyimportant because if something
(10:58):
happens to the president of theUnited States, then the vice
president automatically becomesthe president of the United
States.
So that's why it is key to lookat who running mates are, as
well as who is running forpresident.
Then you have in the executivebranch, the cabinet.
Now the cabinet members serveas advisors to the president,
(11:21):
and the cabinet members includethe vice president, the heads of
executive departments and otherhigh-ranking government
officials, and the cabinetmembers are nominated by the
president and must be approvedby the Senate.
So if you have a president thatnominates people that are not
really qualified we have seenthat in the United States Then
(11:42):
you have a Senate that approvesthem.
Y'all see why I'm stressed.
Y'all see why.
Y'all see why Y'all understandwhy I'm stressed.
Now I'm getting all of thisinformation off of USAgov.
Okay, I want to just cite mysources.
The executive branch alsoincludes executive departments,
independent agencies and otherboards, commissions and
(12:03):
committees.
So this includes a lot ofpeople.
And lastly, we have the judicialbranch.
So the judicial branch soundsbasically, it sounds like what
it is.
The judicial branch includesthe Supreme Court and other
(12:24):
federal courts.
It evaluates laws byinterpreting the meaning of the
law.
It applies laws to individualcases and decides if laws
violate the Constitution.
Now, members of the SupremeCourt are nominated, chosen by
the sitting president of theUnited States, but they have to
(12:47):
be confirmed by the Senate andHouse of Representatives and
these are lifelong tenures.
So the Supreme Court once youput somebody on the Supreme
Court, as the law is set upright now, once you put somebody
on the Supreme Court, they'rethere for life.
(13:08):
They're there until they eitherdecide to retire or they die.
But Supreme Court justices canbe impeached and removed from
their duties.
I don't know if a lot of peopleknow that and there are usually
nine justices.
The reason that there are nineis because there has to be a
(13:30):
tiebreaker and right now ourSupreme Court has been cutting
up.
I'm just going to leave it atthat.
Our Supreme Court has reallybeen cutting up.
Oh Lord, help us Jesus, help usJesus, help us Jesus.
So you have you know.
That's a basic rundown of whatthe branches of the US
(13:51):
government do.
Each branch of government issupposed to provide checks and
balances, meaning there's asystem in place to where one
branch can't have more powerthan the other and each branch
of government can change acts ofthe other branches.
(14:13):
So, for instance, the presidentcan veto legislation created by
Congress.
The president can also nominateheads of federal agencies and
high court appointees.
Now, the high court are thecourts where you may have had a
case that was in a lower courtso something that's happening in
(14:33):
your state and then an appealhappens, or you can petition a
higher court to review that case, and then there's a judgment
that comes from the higher court.
Well, if the higher court makesa judgment that you aren't
satisfied with, you can alsopetition the Supreme Court to
look at your case and make aruling.
If the Supreme Court makes adecision that you don't like, it
(14:58):
can always bounce back to thelower court, so there can be a
lot of ping-ponging going on.
Congress also confirms orrejects president's nominees,
and it can also remove thepresident from office in
exceptional circumstances.
So there can be an impeachment.
An impeachment is where let mesee if I understand this
correctly um, let me see if Iunderstand this correctly an
(15:22):
impeachment is where a member ofcongress or, um, yeah, a member
of congress can say hey, youknow, you're not quite doing
things.
Um, right, I'm watering thisdown.
So very much, y'all.
But, um, the congress, a memberof congress, can bring articles
of impeachment and they have tolay out the reason why they
want to impeach this president.
So there's a difference betweenan impeachment does not
(15:44):
necessarily mean that thepresident will be removed from
office, or whomever theimpeachment is against can be
removed from office.
Because, again, an impeachmentcan happen to the vice president
, it can happen to the SupremeCourt justices, so that does not
necessarily mean that they willbe removed from office, but it
does put a mark on them.
Um, in order to remove somebodyfrom office, I think it has to
(16:08):
be approved and things like that.
So, um, congress, sorry y'all,I don't know if you can hear
that sound, but if somebody inthe hallway is like making a
whole lot of noise, if you canhear that sound, but if somebody
in the hallway is like making awhole lot of noise, hush, sorry
about that y'all.
So Congress can reject thepresident's nominees and remove
(16:33):
the president under extremeexceptional circumstances.
So the justices of the SupremeCourt are nominated by the
president and confirmed bySenate, and they can overturn
unconstitutional laws by Senate,and they can overturn
unconstitutional laws.
So that's a quick rundown ofour system, and right now in the
(16:56):
United States it's real shaky.
I'm just going to leave it atthat.
It's real shaky.
So if you have been watchingthe news or looking at rallies
or things like that, y'all, it'sjust.
As an American citizen, I lovemy country.
I don't love what's happeningin my country, and at this point
in time I truly feel helpless.
(17:19):
That's the best way I can.
I can put it on top of seeingthings that's going on in the
world and things that'shappening in my life.
It is a lot.
One thing I know that I can do,though, for sure, is get out
and vote and make my vote, makean educated, informed decision
(17:41):
with my vote.
So hold on.
I got a text message let's talkabout ways that we can protect
our mental health during anelection year.
Now, again.
This can be challenging becausethe heightened stress and
(18:02):
anxiety that can accompany thesepolitical campaigns and
discussions.
You got to protect your peace,y'all you know.
If you've been rocking with mefor a while, you know I am all
about protecting my peace.
If it's something that iscosting me my peace, that thing
is too expensive and I am notwilling to pay the cost.
(18:24):
Let me see I'm looking upsomething right quick.
Make sure you are registered tovote.
Check your voter registrationcard.
Make sure that information iscorrect.
Make sure you know where yourvoting place is.
If you are in a state that hasearly voting, I would highly
(18:47):
recommend doing early voting.
I wish there was a way that wecould opt out of the text
messages and the advertisementswhen we have voted already,
because I'm like my duty hasbeen done.
I don't need to hear any moreof this.
You're stressing me out.
Voted already because I'm likemy duty has been done.
I don't need to hear any morethis.
You stressing me out.
Um, if you have mail-in ballots,um, absentee ballots, make sure
you are filling those out.
It is very, very important, notjust for a presidential
(19:08):
election, but also for your,your house of representatives,
your congressman, your statelegislature, your city, your
county, like, just take, takepride in where you live.
Um, let's see, I am looking forsomething right now, y'all.
So give me just a second.
Um, if you're wanting more infoabout the political makeup of
(19:35):
this um of our, the unitedstates, I have a podcast that I
absolutely love.
These ladies are amazing atbreaking down the ballots on
each state.
They are amazing at bringingstories forth that we may not
know, and that podcast is HeadWraps and Lipstick.
(19:57):
You can find them on all yourpodcast listening platforms.
I don't recommend a lot ofpeople, but these ladies are on
it.
They give very, very, veryvaluable information.
Let me see.
I'm looking for the websitewhere you can review ballots.
(20:22):
So let's see, because one thingyou definitely want to do when
you're voting whether it bevoter registration, whether it
be your local or nationalgovernment you want to make
informed decisions.
So look at the candidates tomake informed decisions.
(20:45):
So look at the candidates.
Listen to debates.
If there's somebody that'salready in office like already
serving you know you can.
Did?
You know that you can go lookup their voting record.
You can go look up and see howmuch they've attended hearings
or Senate meetings.
You know all of that.
You can do that from the locallevel all the way up to the
Congress and the Senate, I meanthe House of Representatives and
(21:05):
the Senate.
Mm-hmm, check these people out,and I know that it's a lot of
work, but, baby, when you gotpeople who are sitting in these
offices for what seem likelifetimes and they're shaping
what is happening in yourcountry, you better be paying
attention who's up in there?
That's one of the rights thatwe have so far as of now, one of
(21:30):
the rights we have as a UnitedStates citizen.
These people work for us.
Okay, we are the ones who electthem and we have a
responsibility to unite togetherto make sure that they're doing
the work for us, not thelobbyists, not the people who
(21:52):
donate the most money.
They work for us.
And I said I'm not going to bepolitical, but yeah, this is
some stuff that's been under myskin.
I have been voting since I was18 years old.
My mom kept me in front of anewspaper and she kept me in
front of these elections, andwhen I was younger, I hated it,
but as I got older, I understoodit.
(22:13):
So when I turned 18, my momasked me what I wanted for my
birthday.
I said I wanted my voterregistration card, and I will
never forget the first time Iactually sat in a voter booth
and cast my ballot for the veryfirst time.
I thank my mother for that gift.
All right, so let's get into it.
(22:37):
Ways that you can protect yourmental health during elections.
Number one y'all you have gotto limit media exposure.
You've got to set someboundaries of how much news
you're looking at and how muchsocial media you are consuming.
So one thing that I've had todo I've had to designate times,
(22:59):
specific times, for me, to checkupdates and, rather than
constantly scrolling, because itwas really starting to stress
me out, I carry stress in myneck and shoulders.
My muscles had been so tightuntil I went on my girls trip
and we were at the beach and Ifinally was able to release that
and I was in prayer and I said,god, what am I stressing about?
(23:23):
Because, yeah, it's stuffhappening, but my life overall
has been really good.
So what am I stressing about?
And he showed me what I wasstressing about it's about these
dang elections.
It's about all of this stuffthat's coming at us.
It has really stressed me out.
So I'm like, okay, stuff that'scoming at us.
It has really stressed me out.
So I'm like, okay, okay, let'spause.
(23:44):
I can be informed but notconsumed.
And so that's where you need toget Be informed but not
consumed.
Number two engage in someself-care.
You have got to prioritizeactivities that help you relax
and recharge.
Exercising is a great way torelax and recharge and it also
has benefits of.
You know you might tone up,lose a little bit of weight,
(24:06):
you're going to have some energy, your mental clarity is going
to be even better.
You know you're going to feelgood overall by doing some
exercise.
Move your body 30, 45 minutes aday.
Take a walk, get yourself innature, go outside and touch
some grass.
Minutes a day.
Take a walk, get yourself innature, go outside and touch
some grass.
(24:28):
Meditation Listen, christianfolks sometimes get a little
heated when you talk aboutmeditation.
Meditation is not doesn't haveto be spooky y'all, and if you
meditate in the conjugalexperience, I don't know what to
tell you.
I'm going to tell you, butmeditation you can actually sit
and do deep breathing exercisesand have moments of just
gratitude and thankfulness, likeI am so thankful that I have so
far the right to vote Because,if you look at American history,
(24:52):
as a black person and as awoman, we didn't have those
rights.
We haven't always had thoserights.
Look back into the 1950s and1960s.
That's not that far away, y'all.
So meditation, focusing ongratitude, focusing on the
things that you are blessed with, the people that you're blessed
(25:14):
with.
Find a hobby this is a way toengage in self-care.
Find a hobby I just shared onmy engage in self-care.
Find a hobby I just shared onmy social media.
My therapist has given me anassignment.
I had to find a hobby andthere's one rule I cannot turn
my hobby into a business.
My therapist knows me very well.
So yesterday, as the time of therecording of this podcast, I
(25:39):
took a floral arrangement classand loved it.
I felt so relaxed and I feltthe creativity because I'm a
visual person, I'm a creative.
So being able to create thisbeautiful floral arrangement
that is sitting in my houseright now if you go on my social
media you'll see it I was likeyo, I did that.
(26:00):
I'm pretty proud of myself, butI realized that having that
hobby is an outlet for me nowand I joked about my friends
getting floral arrangements allthe time.
But I'm so serious because Ilove doing it.
Yes, that was my first time,but you instantly know if you
like something or not, and Iloved it.
So find a hobby, something thatyou can enjoy that is not
(26:24):
attached to a job, a paycheck,money, monetary nothing.
If you like to dance, go take adance class.
If you love Pilates, go do somePilates.
Find yourself a hobby.
(26:51):
Another form of self-care isspending time with loved ones.
We can sit and talk and laugh,have a good kiki with our
favorite beverages and justforget about what the heck is
going on in this world.
Those are forms of self-care.
Find ways to implementself-care for you and don't sit
(27:12):
here and talk about you don'thave time.
Don't say you don't have time.
You've got to be intentionalabout self-care.
I understand you might be awife, a mother, a father.
You may have responsibilitiesor obligations.
You're an adult I'm sure you do, but you have got to carve out
some time for some self-carebefore you run yourself ragged.
(27:36):
Number three stay informed, butstay informed wisely.
Choose reliable news sourcesand avoid sensational or biased
media.
Fact check the informationbefore you go sharing or
reaching, sharing or reacting,because some of these outlets
(28:00):
are definitely reaching.
Fact check your stuff, please.
And it's so easy to be on theinternet and just hit share and
what you're sharing ispropaganda.
There's a lot of AI generatedthings.
A friend of mine sent me avideo of it was Kim Kardashian
(28:24):
being interviewed by somebodyand they were talking about Kim
was saying Kim was saying shewas transitioning to be a man.
And I'm looking at this videoI'm like, yeah, this don't look
right.
So I went fact checked it andit's an AI video, but it was Kim
Kardashian sitting there sayingthe words.
But what they did was theysliced different interviews that
(28:45):
she did to make it seem likeshe was in this interview.
So I responded to my friendlike girl, this is AI.
What are you doing?
Fact-check your stuff.
It's easy to share, but it'snot easy to retract and we all
know a lie spreads faster thanthe truth.
(29:07):
Don't be spreading lies, y'all.
Don't be spreading lies.
We can't afford it.
Connect with supportive people.
Number six connect withsupportive people.
Again, surround yourself withfriends and family who offer
positive support andunderstanding.
A lot of times we say we don'ttalk about religion, we don't
(29:27):
talk about politics, becausethose can cause fights.
But there are ways that you canhave meaningful discussions
about what's going on in yourarea.
But if you're with friends andfamily and you know this stuff
is stressing you out, be aroundpeople.
That's going to make you laugh.
Be around people that's goingto restore and refresh you.
Stay away from the negativenailies.
(29:51):
Number seven I touched on this alittle bit, but stay active.
Engage in some physicalactivities that you enjoy.
Exercise can significantlyreduce stress and improve your
mood.
Y'all.
I can't tell you how many timesa good workout has made my mood
feel so much better, like today.
I cannot wait to get to the gym.
I can't wait because I feel somuch better.
(30:17):
So engage in some physicalactivity Now.
Whatever that physical activityis, I ain't gonna judge you
this is a no judgment song butmake sure you're not hurting
nobody.
And it's legal, okay, I don'twant you to get in trouble and I
don't want you to be sitting uphere saying Tracy told me to
engage in this.
I ain't tell you nothing that.
(30:40):
Mm-mm.
Don't put that on me, ricky,bobby, okay.
Number eight focus on what youcan control.
It's a lot of things that wecannot control in this
environment, but accept thatsome things are beyond your
control.
Focus on actions that you cantake, such as voting,
volunteering or engaging inpeaceful activism.
(31:03):
I know that I can get my tailto the polls and vote after I've
researched and made wisechoices in this area.
No more just clicking a buttonfor my political party, because
all skinfolk ain't kinfolk.
(31:24):
North Carolina has a lieutenantgovernor right now and I'm like
what in the world is going onwith this man, because I've sat
and I've listened to the thingsthat he said and y'all people
are saying the quiet things outloud, and I'm glad that they are
, because it's like yo, what,what?
(31:47):
I can control whether my votegoes to these people or not, and
so can you volunteering.
It doesn't necessarily have tobe a political based
volunteerism.
Um, this week I'm going to bevolunteering for elevation
church's love week.
Giving back always makes mefeel better, always, and I've
(32:10):
always encountered people whohave amazing stories and and I'm
volunteering to help them, but,but they usually help me.
Volunteer Number nine, and thismay be the most important thing.
Second most important thingSeek professional help if needed
.
Listen, listen.
(32:34):
If the stress has becomeoverwhelming, consider talking
to a mental health professional,somebody that is licensed,
somebody that has experience.
Talk to this person and helpwork out what you're the stress
that you're feeling.
My therapist and I I have thisconversation with my therapist
(32:56):
on Friday, y'all I'm in therapyevery Friday.
Okay, I am not ashamed everyFriday, because at this point,
my therapy sessions help me dealwith people who don't go to
therapy, who refuse to go totherapy.
But there are some times wherethere's something that I can't
really figure it out or I justneed an outlet to talk about to
(33:18):
someone, and my therapist isthere for that, and so, with
this heightened politicalenvironment, I was like you know
what I?
I can't, I can't deal with this, and so we were able to map out
a plan for me to be able todeal with it, and I'm sharing
that plan with you right now.
I'm sharing that plan with youright now.
(33:39):
I'm sharing that plan with youright now, along with this with
seeking professional help, leaninto your spirituality.
For me and this is the mostimportant thing for me and I
feel like it's vital Me leaningon God's word is the thing that
(34:00):
is keeping me afloat, becauseGod's word is true.
God's word will never fail God.
This world can pass away, butGod's word is still going to
remain, and my history with God.
I know he has been faithful.
I know he has been a reliable,dependable God.
So when this world getsconfusing, I'm leaning on him.
(34:23):
I'm pulling out my Bible andreading scriptures and studying
scriptures and praying andmeditating and fasting and doing
all this stuff Because, at theend of the day, my mental health
I'm not going to break.
I'm not going to break in this.
I'm not, I refuse.
And as long as I got God on myside, I will not fail.
So this whole world can gocuckoo, cocoa pups.
I know my God is gonna have meperiod, point blank.
(34:44):
Argue with your mama.
You can't argue with me aboutwhat my God has done for me.
And when I say my God, you knowI just make that relationship
personal for me.
So lean into your spirituality.
And, last but not least, thismay be one of my favorite things
(35:05):
to do Practice gratitude.
I've shared this earlier in theepisode, but when you reflect
on positive aspects of your lifeand the things that you're
grateful for, it shifts yourfocus away from the stressors.
Yes, this environment isvolatile, it is hostile.
(35:28):
There's so much going on in theworld and I'm just a small cog
in this big old machine.
But I am thankful.
I am thankful for my life, myhealth, my job, my family, my
friends, being able to go onvacation, being able to sit
(35:51):
behind this mic of a podcast.
I'm thankful for all of thosethings Because I remember a time
when I was homeless.
I remember the time of remembertimes of not having food and to
look at, look over the totalityof my life and see where God
(36:14):
has me right now.
I am so very grateful Becauseit could be totally different,
and I know that this is not thetestimony of a lot of people, so
that I walk in gratitude and ifthere are ways that I can help
(36:36):
somebody else, I do those things.
So I hope that this has beenhelpful for you.
If you are one of our peeps thatis in another country and
you're looking at all this stufflike yo, america's off the hook
, ooh, ooh, america's doingsomething wild, yes, we are, yes
(36:59):
, we are, and we need yoursupport and your prayers.
Listen, because it is, it's,it's, it's it's different over
here.
Y'all um, and I just want totouch on something too, because
there's been a lot of talk aboutum people moving out of the
(37:21):
United States.
Even myself, I've thought aboutmoving out of the United States
, and this was before all of thecraziness, the shenanigans were
happening.
But even if you can move out ofthe United States, just prepare
yourself like research thecountry that you're trying to
move to and make sure you havesome money.
(37:41):
Make sure you have some money.
Don't be going to thesepeople's countries you broke and
you add into the stress of thatcountry.
Do your research, make sure youhave some money.
Make sure you have the means tolive where you're going to live
.
If you don't, don't just pickup and say I'm gonna buy this
(38:01):
plane ticket, there's one wayticket to 10, buck two and then
you don't know how you're gonnaeat the next day.
Now it's not the time to bemaking knee-jerk reactions.
We really have to move inwisdom and discernment because
we owe that to ourselves.
If you don't owe nobody elsenothing, you owe yourself to
(38:24):
walk in wisdom and discernment.
All right, so that's all I gotfor this week, y'all.
We are coming to the close ofseason seven, but I hope this
was helpful to you.
This will probably be the lasttime I talk about political
politics and stuff, because it'sstressful y'all.
I don't like my life to bestressed.
But until next time, remembergod loves you, I love you, and
(38:48):
ain't nothing you can do aboutit.
Boo bye.
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