Anti-Inflammatory Rhetoric

Welcome back to to Anti-Inflammatory Rhetoric. I'm trying out a new format where I take your questions and get a chance to speak to them each episode. In this episode I talk about what to do when you want to give up: A new take on normalizing Obligatory suicidality trigger warning, but quickly covered and on to less serious aspects Test or Rest Asking for support Pausing or Stopping, both are ok F...

Hi listener, I'm a little under the weather, but in between cloudbursts I wanted share some soft takes on being sick. I know I need them, so hopefully you find them helpful too.

I'm back to my regular soft takes, but this time on another personal note. I've dealt with depression my whole life and I wanted to share how I get by, how it gets easier, and other general soft takes. If this is too heady of a topic for you in your current headspace, please feel free to skip it.

Ok listener, just one more hard take before I get to regular programming. The concept of masculinity has been with me my whole life, and along with has come a bunch of BS that I'm constantly astounded by. In this episode I explore some aspects of masculinity that I think we should retire. As always, if you've got your own similar or contrary opinions I'd love to hear them, so lemme know whaddya th...

This episode is the start of something different. Just as soothing is helpful, so is getting riled up at things I believe we need to get riled up about. So I'm giving some hard takes on money, why it's B.S. and how to cope with that (ya got me, there's some soft takes in this one).

In this episode I get a little personal and share my experience on living with autism. I discovered this late in life, and I believe it's been helpful to know though not without a few upsets. There's plenty of soft takes and wandering tangents, but hey, that's what this is all about!  I mentioned a few books and resources in the audio file, so here they are: " Why Can't I Just Enjoy Things?: A Com...

These days I've been working hard at exercising my body and mind, but there's another aspect of my life that needs attention, and that's my soul or spirit. How can we get back to that, and how can we exercise a part of ourselves that's unique? Let's explore.

After a hiatus I've returned to podcasting, and it seems the world is way more fiery than previously. So how can we get through this? I honestly have no idea but I'm excited to find out. Welcome back to Anti-Inflammatory Rhetoric.

Taking breaks, such a favorite topic of mine, and also one of the hardest things for me to do. So it's well deserving of some soft takes. It can grant perspective, it respects your energy, and it's great practice if you're self-care challenged. Also, two bits of news!  One: I'm taking a short break from future episodes, and will be back to recording in a couple weeks.  Two: I'd love to hear what s...

Getting By is downright admirable, even though it isn't sexy, it's the stuff life is made of. I think we could all be a bit softer on ourselves for getting by, and maybe even find pride in it.

Stopping is hard, and telling ourselves it's quitting is harder. But it's a good skill to learn, and I've got some soft takes to make it easier.

What even is satisfaction? And can you get it without buying things? Short answer is yes, but listen for the soft takes anyways.

We can't care all the time about all the things, so how can we find our care when we've run out? Let me offer some soft takes on the topic.

No matter the age, play is important. It's taking back our values and giving ourselves challenges just for the heck of it. Maybe you're already good at having play in your life, if not, these soft takes are for you.

I know the future can stress me out some times, so here's some soft takes on how to find hope and compassion for ourselves as the future unfolds.

I was a little late in putting this episode out because I simply didn't have the brain for it, now that I do, I wanted to share how I tried to find compassion for myself when my head wasn't cooperating.

Answers might seem like the right thing to look for, but when have you found any? Maybe questions are where it's at. This episodes looks to flip our answer-seeking into something more fun and playful.

No I can't tell you the answer to life, the universe, and everything, but I can help you feel better not knowing.

This episodes hopes to soften all the weird feels I get when people ask me what I do, and if you share in these feels I hope I can help.

I'm not sure why we compare ourselves, but I know it makes me feel less connected when I do it. I offer these soft takes in hopes we can treat ourselves a little nicer and more humanely.

What a deserving topic. I call myself a failure, and I know others do too, but hopefully these soft takes will help us treat ourselves with a little more compassion.

Money, it's so entwined with our lives, but I think it won't always be this way. Listen in for some soft takes and a call to start a dialogue on money. For a great read, check out "Debt: The First 5000 Years" by David Graeber , you can find it at your local library and local bookstore.

Bad news is reliable, and also stressful. I give some soft takes involving empathy, self compassion, and even a little grounding exercise.

Some soft takes on Laziness, how it might keep us from resting, and how it could reveal attitudes around work and effort that aren't serving us.

Some soft takes on complaining, why it might not be as bad as it sounds, and how it might be an indicator of our attitudes towards suffering and compassion.