We are officially past the halfway point of what has been a very tumultuous year and friends, it just keeps going. The presidential election here in the US is on the forefront of the mind for so many of us, on top of multiple genocides, and that’s on top of all of the changes in legislation and horror and injustice that’s been happening. Shit is very scary out in the world and I am feeling palpable outrage and fear from people I’m connected with. And rightfully so. We have every right to be angry at what’s going on politically here in the US and terrified of how the election will turn out.

When so much is going on leading up to an election and what will surely be a pivotal event in our lives, it is easy to get caught up in all the worry over what might happen, not to mention the fear of what the fallout will be. It all makes sense based on all of the awful shit we’ve already seen happen!

And still, I have to ask you, ask us, really: What will worrying get us?

The shit we need to talk about this week: we can’t worry over what we cannot control.

What good will it do? And what will the impact be on us in the end?

You know that the answers are that 1) it will do no good and 2) the impact on us in the end will be shit for sure. Panic. Dread. Anxiety. Numbing. Giving away time doing nothing that is soul-filling. Disassociating. Disconnecting from ourselves AND EACH OTHER.

And friends, this is not the time. It’s never the time, let’s be real, but based on what we’re up against, THIS IS NOT THE TIME for disconnecting from ourselves and each other. It’s quite the contrary. THIS IS THE TIME TO DOUBLE DOWN ON OUR CARE OF AND CONNECTION TO OURSELVES AND EACH OTHER.

Join me in this episode as I discuss ways to meet your worry, move through it, and do something about it (to support yourself and the cause you're worrying about) so that you’ll be resourced rather than depleted as we find our way through the world’s dumpster fire.

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A note: I recorded this in a shared space so be prepared for some background sounds big and small! It’s real life real-lifing in real time! Thanks for your patience!

This summer, my goal for you is to stay cool and at ease from the inside out and be minimally burned by the dumpster fire that is this world. How does that sound? You in?

In this episode, I discuss:

- Tending to the tough and tender parts of our spirit at this point in the year

- The three keys for being in harmony summer:

1) Keep cool - physically and emotionally (especially from the inside, out)

2) Enjoy being mellow (including mentally) and relaxing

3) Be grounded, stable, and at ease (especially at a cellular level)

Jump in for all the goodness!

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Friends, we are having to endure too much these days, both in our individual lives and collectively. And if you, like me, are finding it to be increasingly harder and harder to cope in the world, then, this episode is for you. And I hope you get from it a bit of what you need.

I’m hearing from people that they’re feeling numb, disconnected, distressed, grief, overwhelm, anger, exhaustion, anxiety, and so much in between. We all have our own ways of dealing with all that is present while living in our current times, and some coping mechanisms I’m hearing pretty consistently these days is disconnecting from things we normally do and enjoy, or spending more time than usual getting caught up in things that totally suck up our time or even purposely numbing out through those things that suck up our time (like aimlessly scrolling), or in some instances, disassociating, which is the mental process of disconnecting from our thoughts, feelings, memories, or sense of identity.

It’s possible you’re finding yourself doing some or all of the above. No shame, friends. It makes sense because continuing to be in a state of chronic stress with one stressful episode piling on top of another is super dysregulating and we’re not meant to deal with multiple distressing things at once for long periods of time. So, we end up coping by disconnecting, numbing and disassociating so that we can simply show up to our responsibilities and be some semblance of a human.

But the hard truth is: none of these coping mechanisms help anything in the long run. They don’t stop the genocide or oppression. They don’t help us deal with what we’re experiencing in a sustainable way. In reality, what these coping mechanisms do is allow us to slide further down the rabbit hole of overwhelm and despair. It fuels further dysregulation and disconnection from ourselves and each other. It fuels reactionary behavior rather than thought-out responses.

So what we really need to understand is: Our needs, our desires, this picture we have of how we know life can be for ourselves, our communities, and for others around the world NEED US TO NOT COPE IN THESE WAYS.

Ending genocide and other injustice and oppression that’s happening around the world and in our communities requires us to NOT disconnect from ourselves and each other, numb out, or disassociate from it all.

It requires us to COME BACK TO OURSELVES and go all in on our self-love practices.

In this episode, I discuss a variety of practices and mindset shifts to do just that.

Jump in for all of the goodness!

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Additional resources from this episode:

Michelle Cassandra Johnson instagram: @skillinaction

Susanna Barkataki instagram: @susanabarkataki

It’s common to find yourself cleaning the clutter from your living spaces as spring unfolds. And I feel as though these days, with all we’re continuing to witness and endure in the world, there is a connection between the heaviness, overwhelm, horror, and burnout we’re experiencing and this response of cleaning and purging in our home lives.

So many of us feel helpless even though we’re doing as much of the hard work as we can to stand up to oppression and injustice and advocate for those with less power. As a result, it's natural to turn to things you can do to feel in control and, most importantly, open space for some good to come in.

And, I also think that given how exhausted and horrified we are, we could benefit from some inner spring cleaning, too.

We need to talk about this practice as it pertains to the ways you honor your body, how you are with your mind, the company you keep, and how you connect with your community so that you have more energy to go around and less “clutter” - aka stuff that doesn’t serve you - in your inner space. And while I am absolutely aware that energy, resources, and frankly, shits to give are low in availability, I really think this is an important angle for our conversation on cleaning and purging.

And honestly, I think it will help to relieve some of the feelings of stuck, sticky, dull, and overwhelm we’re all inundated with as humans in our current world. Especially so we can continue to be with our big emotions, regulate how we react to them, and can keep moving forward in liberating our lives and work.

Jump in for all the goodness!

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Additional resources from this episode:

Michelle Cassandra Johnson instagram: @skillinaction
Susanna Barkataki instagram: @susanabarkataki

These days, so many of us are experiencing lots of both/and situations and opposites at the same time since it continues to be really hard to be in the world with so much conflict, genocide, harm, and inequity going on. It’s a conversation I continue to have with so many friends and colleagues and so I thought this would be a timely one to have with you here because in these conversations, an important question keeps coming up:

What the fuck do we do with ourselves right now? How do we meet this moment?

My simple answer to the complicated questions: being slow-ish, pausing, and checking in more.

Because the reality is, this is what is necessary to interrupt burnout, to dig yourself out of overwhelm, and break the cycles once and for all. We know the systems aren’t slowing down in a significant way any time soon, so remember, it’s on us to slow down the runaway train. Or at least create a more aligned way for us to be in the world because honestly, trying to keep up at a runaway train pace isn’t working out for us.

In this episode I discuss:

- Tapping into the gift of spring’s energy to meet you where you are right now

- Ways I’m tending to myself, especially when I am hella unsettled or deeply sad

- Prompts for you to consider as you explore being slow-ish, pausing, and checking in more, and working through resistance and discomfort as they arise

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Now that nature has increased sunlight and some warmer temperatures, it is thawing out from winter’s cold. And depending on where you live geographically, there might have been ice and snow, so the earth is starting to be saturated with water. It’s providing us fantastic conditions for planting seeds and reaping abundance.

As a result, you might be feeling uplifted as we come out from under winter’s veil of darkness and nature feels lighter.

Or, like me, you might be feeling a lingering lethargy, from the winter, and/or from ongoing accumulation of hard things in your life, community and around the world.

It’s possible you’re feeling a combination of both, honestly. And there’s no right way to feel. AT ALL.

When it comes to the characteristics of spring: we’re talking about moisture - both through the thawing out from winter’s snow and ice accumulation and also through spring showers, as well as softness, warmth, a slow-ish pace, new beginnings, birth, renewal, growth.

So when I say that there’s no one right way to feel right now and that uplifted and still lethargic or down or low vibe or whatever you call your current experience both make sense, i mean it. They both make sense because there’s some of both present right now.

You might be wondering what to do to maintain balance this season without overdoing it and landing right back into burnout. Or maybe you’re wanting to decrease how overwhelmed or lackluster you feel so that you can feel more uplifted and avoid deepening burnout.

I’ve got some thoughts on how to create a bit of balance so that you can be at ease, not overdoing it too fast or too long or underdoing it (yup, made up a word) for too long. That last part is going to be really important because spring can get a bit heavy in the moisture area - both outside and within us, hello spring allergies and colds! - so it’ll be really important to ensure that there’s not an over-accumulation of this energy within you.

In this episode, I’m discussing three places you’ll find ease in the spring: your intuition, your morning routine, and bringing in some practices that balance your energy.

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Spring is here and I don't know about you, but I have zero interest or energy to do any springing, jumping or bouncing forward. What’s deeply present for me these days are some heavy hitters: grief, overwhelm, stress, fatigue, disconnect, worry, doubt, and fear. On top of all the current events that just won’t quit.

In this episode, I get candid about how I’m experiencing life in the hopes that if you’re experiencing life in a way that does not at all align with nature’s spring, you’ll know you’re not alone. And if you’re feeling put off, annoyed, angry, or offended by spring springy-ness, I get it!

And, instead of pushing through or forcing yourself to feel less flat (which will only leave you feeling how you’re feeling even more so!), I’ve got a proposition for you: let it be ok.

Remember, not all seeds or crops make it on time or at all. Why wouldn’t it be the same for our experiences and output? Especially given the absolute unprecedented times we’re living in.

Jump in to hear all the goodness on practices that will support you in letting yourself be a little (or a lot flat) for a little longer and tips for gently leaning into some of spring’s vibe as you can.

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I think there’s some confusion happening out there in the world when it comes to consistency. We all know when it comes to definitions, consistent is something we’re pretty dependable about doing, usually the same way, while constant means doing something continuously without interruption. And yet, when it comes to our committed actions in the world, somehow our effort to be consistent has morphed into an expectation (including a self-expectation!) of being constant.

Always tuned in.

Always moving forward.

Always thinking.

Always in some sort of action to disrupt or support others.

And somehow, when we pause or are forced to stop, say to go to the bathroom, tend to a personal matter or a family member, or dare I even say it, we get sick or disconnect for a bit, we feel guilty, like we’re not doing enough and like the effort will stall because we’re not actively moving forward.

The shit we need to talk about this week: it’s like we’ve taken the hustle and grind of dominant culture and repackaged it as being “committed” in our liberation-focused and social change culture. And it’s literally crushing us. In so many ways. In our ability to access ease. Not to mention our sleep - both in quantity and quality.

In this episode, we discuss sustainable practices for getting better sleep, both in quality and quantity, so that you can be resourced in your continued liberation and social-change efforts, including:

- Having a well-timed and intentional schedule throughout the day

- Slowing down your pace, easing the frenetic and sometimes frantic energy pushing you forward, and pausing more throughout the day

- Establishing a power down time frame

- Engaging in evening rituals

- Creating a consistent bedtime (and sleep time)

Jump in for all the goodness!

Refuel Your Power - March 23, 2024 on Zoom!

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