Make Your Damn Bed

Jia Tolentino said "Figuring out how to “get better” at being a woman is a ridiculous and often amoral project – a subset of the larger, equally ridiculous, equally amoral project of learning to get better at life under accelerated capitalism. In these pursuits, most pleasures end up being traps, and every public-facing demand escalates in perpetuity. Satisfaction remains, under the terms of the s...

"Slow living is a conversation inherently steeped in  privilege . “So many systems are stacked against members of our society who are, in theory, desperate to slow down, but the structure of capitalism is built around burnout and scarcity,” explains DeVos. With this in mind, let's consider some strategies for practicing slow living in your life: Take it back to the origins of the movement and...

It’s their first time being a person too. Grief distorts reality. Joy is not passive. Done > perfect. The obstacles in your path are your path. Be a good parent to you. Instead of figuring it all out become fascinated with the process. You don’t have to be agreeable to be likable. Real happiness, contentment, life satisfaction, etc. is an inside job. Most shit comes back to balan...

17. People show love in many different ways. At some point, we have to understand that just because someone isn’t capable of communicating love in a healthy way doesn’t mean they don’t love you. But it also doesn’t mean you have to put up with it.  18. Romantic love is overrated. 19. You’re not better than anyone. Noone is better than you. Being further ahead than someone doesn’t disqual...

1. You get one body. Be kind to it. Whatever sucks about it (more than likely) doesn’t compare to what doesn’t suck about it. Learn to appreciate the badass vessel that it is + honor your commitment to it. You’re stuck with it, so you may as well get along with it.  2. You get one mind. See above. 3. You get one round at this life. How you spend your days is how you spend your life, so don’t...

Here's the 2024 compilation of articles from Vox, Atlantic, Medium, Linked in, and NYT, offering their advice from 2024. Stay tuned for mine! SOURCES: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/28/briefing/your-best-advice-of-2024.html https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2024/12/most-memorable-advice-2024/681125/ https://medium.com/mr-plan-publication/heres-some-advice-for-2024-if-you-re-in-your-...

I'm still a little under the weather but tomorrow I'm sharing advice from 2024 in preparation for 2025 so today, I thought I'd do a little recap of last year's episode featuring advice from 2023. The source: https://www.vox.com/even-better/23989636/best-expert-advice-2023 DONATE: www.pcrf.net Get Involved: Operation Olive Branch: Spreadsheets + Links GET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.m...

Gratitude is a practice that gains momentum as we do it. Slowing down takes brain power, which forces us to remember that this is worth the extra effort. Conscious awareness can transform routine into ritual. Slowing down frees up some time and opportunity to notice the magic. Rushing adds an extra layer of stress that causes chaos to snowball. Slowing down adds a buffer of leisure that causes pea...

Another re-release for the holiday. Hope you enjoy! GET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME : www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com TUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT : www.instagram.com/mydbpodcast OR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON : www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcast OR WATCH ON YOUTUB E: www.youtube.com/juliemerica   The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are inten...

Another re-release for the holiday. Hope you enjoy! GET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME : www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com TUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT : www.instagram.com/mydbpodcast OR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON : www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcast OR WATCH ON YOUTUB E: www.youtube.com/juliemerica   The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are inten...

1. Let go of winning.   2. Share your story and invite others to do the same.   3. Ask questions to understand.   4. Acknowledge the role of emotions.   5. When possible, seek common ground.   BY: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/five_ways_to_have_more_constructive_disagreements   H = Hedge your claims , E = Emphasize agreement . A = Acknowledge the oppos...

(this is a re-release) If your inner voice manifested into a human form today, would you be friends with it? I think a lot of us would have to teach our new friend some manners before going into the real world. Which is wild to think about - that the most common voice, our most reliable narrator, our internal operator is kind of an asshole? Is really sad to me. If the voice we live with, and liste...

"Perfectionism is just control dressed up in a different costume." - Seth Hughes "Perfection is just another attempt to tidy up a scruffy universe. You see what this world needs is humanity. Being rough around the edges. ANd a beautiful sustainable restorative and regenerative human culture understands how to balance poles not tries to make one ond of the polarity beat the other." - Seth Hughes Se...

You can pivot whenever you need to. Maybe you’ve been on a path that felt right for a while, but now it doesn’t. That’s okay. We outgrow shit. Goals that used to fire us up can start to feel like obligations, and that’s not failure, it’s growth. There’s no rule that says you have to stay the same person you were 5 minutes ago, let alone 5 years ago. You’re allowed to change. To take breaks. To dre...

This is a re-release. DONATE: www.pcrf.net Get Involved: Operation Olive Branch: Spreadsheets + Links GET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com TUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcast OR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcast OR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica   The opinions expressed by Julie M...

The real thing I enjoy about cooking and working out - is when the effort is the least interesting part about it. I hate treadmills, but give me a cocktail and a disney pass, I’m walking MILES without a second thought. I hate arm day but I LOVE rowing a boat into the middle of a water feature and snacking with a pal. I hate cycle classes but will bike for hours in a pretty neighborhood. And the sa...

"In my humdrum life, the daily battle hasn't been good versus evil. It's hardly so epic. Most days, my real battle is doing good versus doing nothing." - Dierdre Sullivan "It's so rare. It's so rare that somebody'd look out for you. Thoughts and Prayers are all they'd do." - Gigi Perez The Diedre Sullivan piece: https://www.npr.org/2005/08/08/4785079/always-go-to-the-funeral Gigi Perez's "Fable +...

One way to know if it's time to quit is to ask: "If I weren’t already invested in this, would I choose it today?" The key to quitting "well" is: Honesty —with yourself and others. Own your decision. Having an exit plan. Quitting isn't ghosting. Whether it’s a job, hobby, or a relationship, think about how you can leave things respectfully. Tie up loose ends/make the transition as smooth as possibl...

RULES FOR RADICALS: "Power is not only what you have but what the enemy thinks you have." "Never go outside the experience of your people." "Whenever possible go outside of the experience of the enemy." "Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules." "Ridicule is man's most potent weapon. There is no defense. It is almost impossible to counterattack ridicule. Also it infuriates the opposition,...

In today’s world, we're sold far more than just products. We're sold lifestyles/belief systems that tell us who we should be, how we should act, and what will make us 'successful.' Brands like Apple, Nike, Lululemon, etc. have moved beyond selling shoes or tech gadgets—they sell you the idea that buying their product makes you part of something bigger. It makes you 'better.' But here’s the catch:...

How much exercise do we need to impact our mental health? 15 minutes. That's it. Just 15 minutes (of any type of movement) can improve your well-being. Maybe it's time we start focusing on quality over quantity. RESOURCES: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-your-brain-needs-exercise/ AND: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/dec/11/just-do-something-you-enjoy-have-official-tar...

What if I told you that aerobic exercise was as valuable for our cognitive health as our physical health? What if there was a way to exercise that multiplied it's positive effects without any additional physical effort? Would you change anything about the way you show up? RESOURCES: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-your-brain-needs-exercise/ AND: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandst...

When was the last time you dressed for joy? What we wear has a greater impact on us than we think. Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and wear the thing that makes you feel good, even if it's "loud" or "bright" or "showy". If it makes you happy??? Put that shit on !!! RESOURCE: https://www.verywellmind.com/color-psychology-2795824#:~:text=Color%20is%20a%20powerful%20communication,%2C...

How do we make ethical decisions? Are there "universal moral truths"? What can we do if a situation is not morally "black and white"? There are countless factors that apply to every ethical question. Context is crucial. I think, in general, we're all bound to be a little wrong and a little right - and understanding all of the factors that go into that is the clearest way to ensure we're not overwh...

At its simplest, ethics is a system of moral principles that affect how we make decisions and lead our lives. Ethics (or moral philosophy) is about with what is good for individuals and society. Ethics 101: https://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/introduction/intro_1.shtml Another Intro to Ethics: https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Historical_Introduction_to_Philosophy/Ethics And another: https://en.wikipedia.o...