March 21, 2025 • 28 mins
This episode emphasizes the vital necessity of self-care amidst the tumultuous political landscape characterized by incessant assaults on our rights and well-being. As we navigate the relentless barrage of distressing news, it becomes of extreme importance to prioritize our mental and emotional health in order to sustain our resilience in the ongoing struggle for justice. I will delineate several of the most egregious actions by the current administration, which are instrumental in maintaining our awareness of the socio-political climate. Furthermore, we will explore practical strategies designed to facilitate rest, rejuvenation, and personal well-being. By embracing these methods, we fortify our resolve, ensuring that we remain engaged and prepared to confront the challenges ahead.
In this episode of Beyond the Breath, Heather talks about the pressing concern of self-care amidst a tumultuous political landscape fraught with disconcerting developments. The narrative commences with an enumeration of disheartening actions undertaken by the Trump administration in recent times, which have engendered a profound sense of anxiety and hopelessness. Heather emphasizes the imperative nature of maintaining one’s mental and emotional well-being as a prerequisite for active engagement in the ongoing struggle for justice and equity. Consequently, the discussion transitions towards practical strategies for self-care, encompassing techniques to mitigate the overwhelming influx of distressing news. This dual approach not only serves to inform the listener of the current socio-political dynamics but also equips them with tangible methods to foster resilience and endurance in the face of adversity. Heather’s call to action encourages listeners to adopt personalized self-care routines that allow for both informed activism and restorative respite, thereby striking a balance between awareness and well-being.
Takeaways:
- The importance of self-care cannot be overstated, especially in challenging political climates.
- Remaining informed about current events while also prioritizing mental well-being is essential for resilience.
- Engaging in acts of kindness significantly contributes to personal empowerment and community connection.
- Practicing mindfulness and meditation can effectively mitigate anxiety and improve one's overall mental health.
Connect with Heather:
Join the Kind Space on Patreon
Give a copy of Heather's book, Parenting with Pride.
Join Heather's Substack and Mid Week Breath weekly newsletter
Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe to, rate, and review!
Work with Heather one-on-one or bring her into your organization to speak or run a workshop!
Email: hh@chrysalismama.com...
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(01:41):
Hey, everyone.
Welcome back to beyond the Breath.
I'm Heather Hester, and todaywe're diving into something that's
been weighing on a lot of us,how to take care of yourself.
While Trump and hisadministration continue their relentless
attack on our rights, ourdemocracy, and our peace of mind,
(02:06):
it's easy to feel overwhelmedand exhausted and even hopeless when
the news cycle is a constantbarrage of bad decisions, which is
really putting it lightly,harmful policies and just blatant
attacks on marginalizedcommunities and really all communities.
(02:32):
But here's the thing.
If we're going to fight, ifwe're going to stand up and keep
showing up, we have to takecare of ourselves.
So today we're going to do two things.
First, I'm going to summarizea few of the most egregious actions
from the Trump administrationand just the past week because we
(02:54):
all need to stay informed.
And then we're going to switchgears and talk about a few ways to
unplug, to rest and reset, andto take care of your mental and emotional
well being.
So let's get into it.
Actually, before we get intoit, I want to acknowledge that if
(03:16):
you are having a hard timefinding that sweet spot of staying
informed and taking a breath,you're not alone.
I missed out on two majorstories just in this past week because
even though I thought I hadfigured out a good content intake
formula paired with justknowing and honoring my mental and
(03:40):
physical signs of overwhelm,and when I need a break, I hadn't.
So I share this becausethere's not a perfect answer this
episode and the reason why Iwanted to do this specific episode
is to offer you some ideas,some options, and just the encouragement
(04:02):
to give yourself a little bitof grace.
So now we can get into it.
Since Inauguration Day, Trumpand his administration have managed
to steamroll and or justcompletely disregard the rule of
law and threaten fundamentalrights and democracy itself.
(04:24):
Here are five of the worstexamples just from this past week,
but things that I felt werevery important to bring up and discuss
today.
The first is the continuingwar on the judiciary.
(04:46):
The judiciary is the only trueremaining check and balance since
Congress has proved its blindfealty and truly lack of a spine.
And yet another move thatshows blatant disregard for any judge's
ruling and simultaneouslyseems to dare anyone to call him
(05:10):
slash them on it.
Trump and his sycophantsdefied a judge's order to stop the
deportation of people withoutdue process.
On top of this, these peoplewere flown to a notoriously horrific
prison in El Salvador underthe rule of a brutal dictator.
(05:32):
We're supposed to believe thebiggest liar in the history of American
politics when he tells us thatthey are Venezuelan gang members.
Sorry if I would actually likeproof of that and furthermore like
to see the rule of law inaction, meaning their right to do
process.
(05:53):
I want to go on record sayingthank you to the judges at all levels
who are trying their damnedestto hold him and all of those doing
his dirty work accountable.
Number two Kill the Departmentof Education.
We've been seeing a big pushon their new slogan.
(06:16):
Promises made, promises kept.
Even if the so called bigaction has zero impact, the morons
who blindly follow him AKA theMAGA folks see a few key words and
cheer without any knowledge orunderstanding of what they are cheering
for.
(06:36):
Well, this week brought yetanother one of those the signed executive
order to demolish theDepartment of Education.
To be clear, this has been aRepublican dream since the early
80s when Reagan firstintroduced the idea.
It was soundly rejected thenand again in the 90s when Gingrich
(06:57):
proposed it, and even now thelatest polling shows that more than
60% of Americans think weshould keep or expand the Department
of education.
Only 17% wish to eliminate it altogether.
To be clear, it requires anact of Congress to eliminate the
(07:20):
Department of Education, whichwon't happen.
However, what likely willhappen is Musk and the Doge idiots
will get their dirty hands allover it and strip it down to nothing.
If you've ever wondered whatexactly the federal Department of
Education does, well, amongother things, it oversees funding
(07:43):
for kids with disabilities,students with disabilities, low income
schools, and all student loans.
Understand that this is notabout anything more than checking
off a wish list item that hasbeen a goal of the right for more
than 40 years.
(08:03):
Also, the raging narcissist inthe Oval Office can say he was the
one who did it all whiledestroying millions of people's lives
and jobs.
It's sick.
Number three Eliminateuniversity funding.
(08:25):
In a move that seems to bepart of Trump's revenge tour, as
well as a general F you tohigher education, they have now begun
to eliminate federal fundingto universities.
It is being done under thepretext of punishing schools that
allow protesting or have inthe past, or those who just outwardly
(08:48):
oppose this regime.
And whether or not you thinkthis is justified, I want you to
understand what this actually does.
Most research and developmentin America occurs within the university
systems throughout Federalfunding goes to support those efforts,
whether it is physical labs orintellectual capital.
(09:11):
Cutting or eliminating thisfunding destroys years and in some
cases decades of work ontreatments, cures, interventions,
inventions, and so much more.
It's the behind the scenesstuff that we, the average American
citizen, doesn't think aboutor that we take for granted.
(09:37):
Understand that when apopulation is uneducated and sick,
they are far easier to control.
That is what is happening.
That is what they want.
Number four, all of the Dogeactions within Social Security and
(10:02):
within the US Institute of Peace.
There's so much that I couldsay here.
I mean, it's kind of hard totalk about Musk and his merry band
of idiots at Doge withoutreally the tone of incredulity.
I heard someone this week usethe analogy of using a sledgehammer
(10:26):
to kill a fly instead of a fly swatter.
Honestly, the exercise withanything they do is to understand
that the point of theirexistence is to make a lot of noise
and cause huge amounts ofdestruction and disruption so that
we don't see what is actuallygoing on, or that we're so flustered
(10:50):
or upset or overwhelmed thatwe don't ask the pertinent questions.
So it comes down to theexercise of why.
Thinking like a two year old why?
Why?
Being so curious, continuallyasking why until we finally peel
back all of the layers and getto the real answer.
(11:16):
Now, I've led you here today,but I'm not going to give you the
answer, only a hint.
I want you to do your own research.
I want you to look some thingsup and find out how many billions,
billions with a B ingovernment contracts Musk alone receives.
(11:40):
And if that has increased,decreased, or stayed the same since
he got Trump elected.
Extra points for sharing it inthe comments.
Number five.
Now this last one wouldactually earn a SMH and a text.
(12:02):
Earlier this week, Trump, inhis infinite wisdom, ordered the
JFK assassination files to be redacted.
Now, to be clear, these fileshad already been released by the
Biden administration.
But not to be outdone by hispredecessor, Trump needed to, in
(12:22):
his mind, one up him.
Well, as it turns out, theredacted portions of those files
did not contain any newevidence or information or interesting
twist to the story.
Nope, the information that wasredacted was the names, addresses,
(12:46):
birth dates and SocialSecurity numbers of anyone who worked
on the case or the cases aboutthe JFK assassination case.
And as you might guess, manyof those people are still alive.
So Trump effectively doxxedall of those people.
(13:09):
One, for example, was one ofhis own attorneys.
It's a lot.
I know.
It's dangerous.
It's upsetting.
It's mind blowinglyunbelievable and it's horrifically
real.
(13:30):
This is why it's easy to feelconstantly on edge, constantly anxious
and constantly exhausted.
It's also why we cannot affordto burn out.
So how do we unplug and takecare of ourselves?
(13:51):
Not as an escape, but as astrategy for endurance.
So I want to shift the energyhere and I want you to take a huge
deep breath and I'm going todo it with you.
So just take a minute righthere and just breathe.
(14:14):
I want to give you 10practical, realistic ways to take
care of yourself.
Things that you can startdoing today to protect your peace
while also staying engaged inthis fight for justice.
(14:34):
1.
Limit doom scrolling and takesome time to curate your social media.
Find your own formula for consumption.
Everyone's is going to bedifferent and it is going to shift
and change.
Is it just one podcast episodea day?
(14:57):
Is it just maybe it's aspecific amount of time that you
allow yourself either onsocial media or consuming podcasts
or watching the news, readingthe paper, reading emails, Whatever
it is, figure out what worksfor you and stick with that.
(15:19):
Stay informed, but don't letit consume you.
Unfollow toxic accounts Icannot state this one any stronger.
This is really, really important.
Yes, there is extraordinaryvalue in listening to opposing points
of view or learning opposingpoints of view.
(15:41):
However, just like everything,there are those out there who are
filled with bluster andpurposeful misinformation and others
that just deliver a differingpoint of view as opinion.
If you have the tolerance andstomach for it, find those.
Find the latter.
If not right now, the mostimportant thing is building your
(16:05):
resilience and your enduranceas well as your intellectual capital
based in truth and in fact,these exercises help you learn how
to parse all of that otherstuff out.
And finally, follow uplifting accounts.
If you are really big intoInstagram and TikTok and even Facebook,
(16:32):
even Blue sky and God ForbidX, follow the ones that just make
you feel good.
Whether it's baby goats inpajamas, which I personally think
are hysterical, or cute dogvideos or the swearing baby videos,
(16:56):
I whatever it is somethingthat just helps your body just relax
or laugh or just shift gears alittle bit.
And finally and mostimportantly in number one, set boundaries
around when and how you engage.
(17:19):
Number two, get outside.
Nature is medicine and I knowmany of us still live in areas that
this time of year.
Right now it's cold orpotentially unpleasant, but get out
there anyway.
Put on your layers, put onyour raincoat, put on your boots.
(17:41):
Whatever it is, get outside.
Nature is medicine.
A walk, a hike, sitting by thewater, sitting by the trees or in
the grass, whatever works for you.
My daily morning walk with mydog Mackenzie has become really sacred
(18:01):
time to me.
I do it no matter the weather,which like I just said in recent
months has been prettymiserable to be honest.
But moving my body, breathingin fresh air, feeling sunlight on
my skin, noticing the weather,just being really aware of the weather
(18:24):
and the natural world aroundme and focusing on this little creature
who derives such joy fromchasing a ball, all of that really
helps ground me and preparesme for whatever may come in my day.
And I want you to rememberthat exercise, whether it's inside
(18:49):
or outside, isn't just about fitness.
It is a proven way to processstress and improve your mental health.
Number three, and this isanother lovely one and can be done
in so many different ways.
(19:09):
Create or consume art.
What does that mean to you?
When you think about art, whatdo you think of?
Do you think of painting?
Drawing?
Listening to music?
Dance?
Reading or writing?
Crocheting?
Journaling?
(19:32):
Learning something new?
Going to a museum?
I had an opportunity a weekago when I was visiting Connor in
New York to have a tour with afriend of mine.
Her mother in law is a docentat the Met and she gave us a private
tour of the modern andcontemporary wing there.
(19:55):
And it was phenomenal and itmight be one of my most favorite
times at an art museum.
I learned so much and it wasso lovely just to be with people
who I love and just consuming,letting all of this beautiful art
(20:16):
around me, just kind ofsoaking it in.
So I highly encourage you tothink about what kinds of art you
like to consume and what kindsof art you like to create and add
that to your list of thingsthat you do to unplug.
(20:37):
The next one is go for an adventure.
Whether it's driving or flyingor walking in your town, being a
tourist in your own city,exploring someplace new.
(20:58):
My kids often utilize the thedriving one.
Sometimes driving or exploringsomeplace new can really help just
clear your head and that'swhat they use it for a lot of the
time.
And I remember loving to dothis when I was a teenager and young
adult.
There's nothing quite likehours in your car or hours in the
(21:22):
road to give you a fresh perspective.
Number five is to watch someescapist tv.
I know that might sound sillyor frivolous, but right now, honestly,
there's really nothing wrongwith consuming something a little
more mindless.
Some mindless media, perhapsmore than you normally would.
(21:47):
Thanks to all of the streamingservices, there is something out
there for everyone.
I will tell you that Isabelrecently got me hooked on Outlander,
which, despite all of the fussfor the many years it's been around,
I had not yet seen.
And I have to say that I I donow see what all the fuss is about.
(22:11):
Although truth be told, I dofast forward through some of the
more violent scenes.
But it is currently my mostfavorite thing to binge watch.
Number six Connect with community.
Reach out to your friends,your family, your support groups.
(22:33):
Socialize, preferably inperson if you're able.
Human contact, just whetherit's sitting with a friend, having
a meal with a friend, doing anactivity with other human beings
is so healing and so soothingthat it is part of every list that
(23:01):
you will see about ways tounplug and ways to care about yourself
or care for yourself.
Number seven is to engage inacts of kindness.
And this is something that wetalked a little bit last week on
Last Friday's pod andsomething that we'll be exploring
in future pods as well.
(23:21):
I want you to think about whatdoes engaging in acts of kindness
look like for you?
Is it donating?
Volunteering?
Supporting different mutualaid efforts?
What are the actions that youcan take?
Even in the smallest of ways,this can be so, so empowering.
(23:46):
And so I encourage you to takejust a few minutes once you're finished
listening today and thinkabout one or two ways that you can
be kind.
Remember, kindness isdifferent than niceness.
And if you don't remember allof that, go back quickly and listen
to Last Friday's pod.
(24:09):
Number eight Practicemindfulness or meditation, which
is always one of my mostfavorite suggestions.
Practicing being aware of yourthoughts and being present can pull
you out of spinning or anxietybecause that comes from the spinning
and the anxiety comes fromliving in the past or living in the
(24:30):
future.
When you pull yourself intothe present, you can really get yourself
centered and focused on yourthoughts and your body.
So even five minutes of deepbreathing can reset your nervous
system.
Focus on where you feeltightness in your body and send your
(24:54):
breath there.
Don't overcomplicate it.
You can take a few minutesanywhere, whether it's your office
chair, the edge of your bedwhen you first wake up in the morning,
your sofa at the end of the day.
Just please don't do whileyou're driving and put all of your
(25:15):
attention on your breath andyour body and just let the magic
happen.
Number nine Laugh and find joy.
Watch a comedy.
Listen to a funny podcast,Play a silly game.
Do something that makes yougenuinely happy.
(25:36):
If you've been listening to mefor a while, you may remember that.
Humor, laughter, joy.
That's what really helped usstay sane as a family and what has
really bonded the six of usand so so many ways.
Grace and I were just talkingabout today, our family's humor,
(26:00):
which is witty and quite fabulous.
And we were kind of laughingabout how in recent times it's become
a little bit dark too.
Our family group chat is quitesomething, although we both both
agreed that it's somethingthat we really couldn't share with
other people and somethingthat I may just use someday to write
(26:23):
a book.
And finally, number 10, giveyourself permission to rest.
You do not have to be fightingall of the time.
Rest is resistance, too.
Without it, you can't keepmoving forward.
(26:45):
Here's the truth.
They want us exhausted.
They want us hopeless.
But we're not going to givethem that.
We're going to stay informed.
We're going to stay engaged,and we're going to take care of ourselves
so that we can keep fighting.
(27:06):
So I challenge you.
Pick one thing from today'slist and actually do it.
Even if it's just setting atimer to limit your doom scrolling.
Even if it's just steppingoutside for a few minutes of fresh
air.
And if this episode spoke toyou, please share it.
(27:29):
Someone in your life probablyneeds this message just as much as
you do.
If you're really in a sharingmood, let us know your favorite way
to unplug.
Thank you for being here, forshowing up, for caring.
Until next time, take care ofyourself and take care of each other.
Hey, everyone.
Welcome back to beyond the Breath.
I'm Heather Hester, and todaywe're diving into something that's
been weighing on a lot of us,how to take care of yourself.
While Trump and hisadministration continue their relentless
attack on our rights, ourdemocracy, and our peace of mind,
(02:06):
it's easy to feel overwhelmedand exhausted and even hopeless when
the news cycle is a constantbarrage of bad decisions, which is
really putting it lightly,harmful policies and just blatant
attacks on marginalizedcommunities and really all communities.
(02:32):
But here's the thing.
If we're going to fight, ifwe're going to stand up and keep
showing up, we have to takecare of ourselves.
So today we're going to do two things.
First, I'm going to summarizea few of the most egregious actions
from the Trump administrationand just the past week because we
(02:54):
all need to stay informed.
And then we're going to switchgears and talk about a few ways to
unplug, to rest and reset, andto take care of your mental and emotional
well being.
So let's get into it.
Actually, before we get intoit, I want to acknowledge that if
(03:16):
you are having a hard timefinding that sweet spot of staying
informed and taking a breath,you're not alone.
I missed out on two majorstories just in this past week because
even though I thought I hadfigured out a good content intake
formula paired with justknowing and honoring my mental and
(03:40):
physical signs of overwhelm,and when I need a break, I hadn't.
So I share this becausethere's not a perfect answer this
episode and the reason why Iwanted to do this specific episode
is to offer you some ideas,some options, and just the encouragement
(04:02):
to give yourself a little bitof grace.
So now we can get into it.
Since Inauguration Day, Trumpand his administration have managed
to steamroll and or justcompletely disregard the rule of
law and threaten fundamentalrights and democracy itself.
(04:24):
Here are five of the worstexamples just from this past week,
but things that I felt werevery important to bring up and discuss
today.
The first is the continuingwar on the judiciary.
(04:46):
The judiciary is the only trueremaining check and balance since
Congress has proved its blindfealty and truly lack of a spine.
And yet another move thatshows blatant disregard for any judge's
ruling and simultaneouslyseems to dare anyone to call him
(05:10):
slash them on it.
Trump and his sycophantsdefied a judge's order to stop the
deportation of people withoutdue process.
On top of this, these peoplewere flown to a notoriously horrific
prison in El Salvador underthe rule of a brutal dictator.
(05:32):
We're supposed to believe thebiggest liar in the history of American
politics when he tells us thatthey are Venezuelan gang members.
Sorry if I would actually likeproof of that and furthermore like
to see the rule of law inaction, meaning their right to do
process.
(05:53):
I want to go on record sayingthank you to the judges at all levels
who are trying their damnedestto hold him and all of those doing
his dirty work accountable.
Number two Kill the Departmentof Education.
We've been seeing a big pushon their new slogan.
(06:16):
Promises made, promises kept.
Even if the so called bigaction has zero impact, the morons
who blindly follow him AKA theMAGA folks see a few key words and
cheer without any knowledge orunderstanding of what they are cheering
for.
(06:36):
Well, this week brought yetanother one of those the signed executive
order to demolish theDepartment of Education.
To be clear, this has been aRepublican dream since the early
80s when Reagan firstintroduced the idea.
It was soundly rejected thenand again in the 90s when Gingrich
(06:57):
proposed it, and even now thelatest polling shows that more than
60% of Americans think weshould keep or expand the Department
of education.
Only 17% wish to eliminate it altogether.
To be clear, it requires anact of Congress to eliminate the
(07:20):
Department of Education, whichwon't happen.
However, what likely willhappen is Musk and the Doge idiots
will get their dirty hands allover it and strip it down to nothing.
If you've ever wondered whatexactly the federal Department of
Education does, well, amongother things, it oversees funding
(07:43):
for kids with disabilities,students with disabilities, low income
schools, and all student loans.
Understand that this is notabout anything more than checking
off a wish list item that hasbeen a goal of the right for more
than 40 years.
(08:03):
Also, the raging narcissist inthe Oval Office can say he was the
one who did it all whiledestroying millions of people's lives
and jobs.
It's sick.
Number three Eliminateuniversity funding.
(08:25):
In a move that seems to bepart of Trump's revenge tour, as
well as a general F you tohigher education, they have now begun
to eliminate federal fundingto universities.
It is being done under thepretext of punishing schools that
allow protesting or have inthe past, or those who just outwardly
(08:48):
oppose this regime.
And whether or not you thinkthis is justified, I want you to
understand what this actually does.
Most research and developmentin America occurs within the university
systems throughout Federalfunding goes to support those efforts,
whether it is physical labs orintellectual capital.
(09:11):
Cutting or eliminating thisfunding destroys years and in some
cases decades of work ontreatments, cures, interventions,
inventions, and so much more.
It's the behind the scenesstuff that we, the average American
citizen, doesn't think aboutor that we take for granted.
(09:37):
Understand that when apopulation is uneducated and sick,
they are far easier to control.
That is what is happening.
That is what they want.
Number four, all of the Dogeactions within Social Security and
(10:02):
within the US Institute of Peace.
There's so much that I couldsay here.
I mean, it's kind of hard totalk about Musk and his merry band
of idiots at Doge withoutreally the tone of incredulity.
I heard someone this week usethe analogy of using a sledgehammer
(10:26):
to kill a fly instead of a fly swatter.
Honestly, the exercise withanything they do is to understand
that the point of theirexistence is to make a lot of noise
and cause huge amounts ofdestruction and disruption so that
we don't see what is actuallygoing on, or that we're so flustered
(10:50):
or upset or overwhelmed thatwe don't ask the pertinent questions.
So it comes down to theexercise of why.
Thinking like a two year old why?
Why?
Being so curious, continuallyasking why until we finally peel
back all of the layers and getto the real answer.
(11:16):
Now, I've led you here today,but I'm not going to give you the
answer, only a hint.
I want you to do your own research.
I want you to look some thingsup and find out how many billions,
billions with a B ingovernment contracts Musk alone receives.
(11:40):
And if that has increased,decreased, or stayed the same since
he got Trump elected.
Extra points for sharing it inthe comments.
Number five.
Now this last one wouldactually earn a SMH and a text.
(12:02):
Earlier this week, Trump, inhis infinite wisdom, ordered the
JFK assassination files to be redacted.
Now, to be clear, these fileshad already been released by the
Biden administration.
But not to be outdone by hispredecessor, Trump needed to, in
(12:22):
his mind, one up him.
Well, as it turns out, theredacted portions of those files
did not contain any newevidence or information or interesting
twist to the story.
Nope, the information that wasredacted was the names, addresses,
(12:46):
birth dates and SocialSecurity numbers of anyone who worked
on the case or the cases aboutthe JFK assassination case.
And as you might guess, manyof those people are still alive.
So Trump effectively doxxedall of those people.
(13:09):
One, for example, was one ofhis own attorneys.
It's a lot.
I know.
It's dangerous.
It's upsetting.
It's mind blowinglyunbelievable and it's horrifically
real.
(13:30):
This is why it's easy to feelconstantly on edge, constantly anxious
and constantly exhausted.
It's also why we cannot affordto burn out.
So how do we unplug and takecare of ourselves?
(13:51):
Not as an escape, but as astrategy for endurance.
So I want to shift the energyhere and I want you to take a huge
deep breath and I'm going todo it with you.
So just take a minute righthere and just breathe.
(14:14):
I want to give you 10practical, realistic ways to take
care of yourself.
Things that you can startdoing today to protect your peace
while also staying engaged inthis fight for justice.
(14:34):
1.
Limit doom scrolling and takesome time to curate your social media.
Find your own formula for consumption.
Everyone's is going to bedifferent and it is going to shift
and change.
Is it just one podcast episodea day?
(14:57):
Is it just maybe it's aspecific amount of time that you
allow yourself either onsocial media or consuming podcasts
or watching the news, readingthe paper, reading emails, Whatever
it is, figure out what worksfor you and stick with that.
(15:19):
Stay informed, but don't letit consume you.
Unfollow toxic accounts Icannot state this one any stronger.
This is really, really important.
Yes, there is extraordinaryvalue in listening to opposing points
of view or learning opposingpoints of view.
(15:41):
However, just like everything,there are those out there who are
filled with bluster andpurposeful misinformation and others
that just deliver a differingpoint of view as opinion.
If you have the tolerance andstomach for it, find those.
Find the latter.
If not right now, the mostimportant thing is building your
(16:05):
resilience and your enduranceas well as your intellectual capital
based in truth and in fact,these exercises help you learn how
to parse all of that otherstuff out.
And finally, follow uplifting accounts.
If you are really big intoInstagram and TikTok and even Facebook,
(16:32):
even Blue sky and God ForbidX, follow the ones that just make
you feel good.
Whether it's baby goats inpajamas, which I personally think
are hysterical, or cute dogvideos or the swearing baby videos,
(16:56):
I whatever it is somethingthat just helps your body just relax
or laugh or just shift gears alittle bit.
And finally and mostimportantly in number one, set boundaries
around when and how you engage.
(17:19):
Number two, get outside.
Nature is medicine and I knowmany of us still live in areas that
this time of year.
Right now it's cold orpotentially unpleasant, but get out
there anyway.
Put on your layers, put onyour raincoat, put on your boots.
(17:41):
Whatever it is, get outside.
Nature is medicine.
A walk, a hike, sitting by thewater, sitting by the trees or in
the grass, whatever works for you.
My daily morning walk with mydog Mackenzie has become really sacred
(18:01):
time to me.
I do it no matter the weather,which like I just said in recent
months has been prettymiserable to be honest.
But moving my body, breathingin fresh air, feeling sunlight on
my skin, noticing the weather,just being really aware of the weather
(18:24):
and the natural world aroundme and focusing on this little creature
who derives such joy fromchasing a ball, all of that really
helps ground me and preparesme for whatever may come in my day.
And I want you to rememberthat exercise, whether it's inside
(18:49):
or outside, isn't just about fitness.
It is a proven way to processstress and improve your mental health.
Number three, and this isanother lovely one and can be done
in so many different ways.
(19:09):
Create or consume art.
What does that mean to you?
When you think about art, whatdo you think of?
Do you think of painting?
Drawing?
Listening to music?
Dance?
Reading or writing?
Crocheting?
Journaling?
(19:32):
Learning something new?
Going to a museum?
I had an opportunity a weekago when I was visiting Connor in
New York to have a tour with afriend of mine.
Her mother in law is a docentat the Met and she gave us a private
tour of the modern andcontemporary wing there.
(19:55):
And it was phenomenal and itmight be one of my most favorite
times at an art museum.
I learned so much and it wasso lovely just to be with people
who I love and just consuming,letting all of this beautiful art
(20:16):
around me, just kind ofsoaking it in.
So I highly encourage you tothink about what kinds of art you
like to consume and what kindsof art you like to create and add
that to your list of thingsthat you do to unplug.
(20:37):
The next one is go for an adventure.
Whether it's driving or flyingor walking in your town, being a
tourist in your own city,exploring someplace new.
(20:58):
My kids often utilize the thedriving one.
Sometimes driving or exploringsomeplace new can really help just
clear your head and that'swhat they use it for a lot of the
time.
And I remember loving to dothis when I was a teenager and young
adult.
There's nothing quite likehours in your car or hours in the
(21:22):
road to give you a fresh perspective.
Number five is to watch someescapist tv.
I know that might sound sillyor frivolous, but right now, honestly,
there's really nothing wrongwith consuming something a little
more mindless.
Some mindless media, perhapsmore than you normally would.
(21:47):
Thanks to all of the streamingservices, there is something out
there for everyone.
I will tell you that Isabelrecently got me hooked on Outlander,
which, despite all of the fussfor the many years it's been around,
I had not yet seen.
And I have to say that I I donow see what all the fuss is about.
(22:11):
Although truth be told, I dofast forward through some of the
more violent scenes.
But it is currently my mostfavorite thing to binge watch.
Number six Connect with community.
Reach out to your friends,your family, your support groups.
(22:33):
Socialize, preferably inperson if you're able.
Human contact, just whetherit's sitting with a friend, having
a meal with a friend, doing anactivity with other human beings
is so healing and so soothingthat it is part of every list that
(23:01):
you will see about ways tounplug and ways to care about yourself
or care for yourself.
Number seven is to engage inacts of kindness.
And this is something that wetalked a little bit last week on
Last Friday's pod andsomething that we'll be exploring
in future pods as well.
(23:21):
I want you to think about whatdoes engaging in acts of kindness
look like for you?
Is it donating?
Volunteering?
Supporting different mutualaid efforts?
What are the actions that youcan take?
Even in the smallest of ways,this can be so, so empowering.
(23:46):
And so I encourage you to takejust a few minutes once you're finished
listening today and thinkabout one or two ways that you can
be kind.
Remember, kindness isdifferent than niceness.
And if you don't remember allof that, go back quickly and listen
to Last Friday's pod.
(24:09):
Number eight Practicemindfulness or meditation, which
is always one of my mostfavorite suggestions.
Practicing being aware of yourthoughts and being present can pull
you out of spinning or anxietybecause that comes from the spinning
and the anxiety comes fromliving in the past or living in the
(24:30):
future.
When you pull yourself intothe present, you can really get yourself
centered and focused on yourthoughts and your body.
So even five minutes of deepbreathing can reset your nervous
system.
Focus on where you feeltightness in your body and send your
(24:54):
breath there.
Don't overcomplicate it.
You can take a few minutesanywhere, whether it's your office
chair, the edge of your bedwhen you first wake up in the morning,
your sofa at the end of the day.
Just please don't do whileyou're driving and put all of your
(25:15):
attention on your breath andyour body and just let the magic
happen.
Number nine Laugh and find joy.
Watch a comedy.
Listen to a funny podcast,Play a silly game.
Do something that makes yougenuinely happy.
(25:36):
If you've been listening to mefor a while, you may remember that.
Humor, laughter, joy.
That's what really helped usstay sane as a family and what has
really bonded the six of usand so so many ways.
Grace and I were just talkingabout today, our family's humor,
(26:00):
which is witty and quite fabulous.
And we were kind of laughingabout how in recent times it's become
a little bit dark too.
Our family group chat is quitesomething, although we both both
agreed that it's somethingthat we really couldn't share with
other people and somethingthat I may just use someday to write
(26:23):
a book.
And finally, number 10, giveyourself permission to rest.
You do not have to be fightingall of the time.
Rest is resistance, too.
Without it, you can't keepmoving forward.
(26:45):
Here's the truth.
They want us exhausted.
They want us hopeless.
But we're not going to givethem that.
We're going to stay informed.
We're going to stay engaged,and we're going to take care of ourselves
so that we can keep fighting.
(27:06):
So I challenge you.
Pick one thing from today'slist and actually do it.
Even if it's just setting atimer to limit your doom scrolling.
Even if it's just steppingoutside for a few minutes of fresh
air.
And if this episode spoke toyou, please share it.
(27:29):
Someone in your life probablyneeds this message just as much as
you do.
If you're really in a sharingmood, let us know your favorite way
to unplug.
Thank you for being here, forshowing up, for caring.
Until next time, take care ofyourself and take care of each other.
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