#41 - Caring For Ourselves When The World Is On Fire

To say that he past few weeks have been hard would be a huge understatement. So this week's episode is all about how we can care for ourselves when it feels like the world is on fire. Black women & femmes have been teaching for generations about the importance of avoiding burnout when fighting oppressive systems. And, while that is not our lesson to teach, we are talking in this episode about: the importance of caring for ourselves & leaving room for our humanity in times of high stress; why it's okay that we all need different things to meet our needs for self-care & processing; and some practical ways that we can engage in self-care right now.

And in a move to honor her needs for space, Naomi has extended the deadline to join the waitlist for her new & improved 1:1 Intuitive Eating & Anti-Diet coaching. If that's something you're interested in, you have until Tuesday, July 12, 2022 to join the waitlist to get first shot at her 3 available coaching spots & 10% off your package price.  Get all the info & join the waitlist here!

You can stay up to date on all things Satisfaction Factor by following us on IG @satisfactionfactorpod!

Here's where to find us:
Sadie Simpson: www.sadiesimpson.com or IG @thesadiesimpson
Naomi Katz: www.happyshapes.co or IG @happyshapesnaomi

For this episode's transcript, visit: www.satisfactionfactorpod.com

Referenced in this episode:
National Network of Abortion Funds
How to Show Up For Abortion Access (this is a comprehensive document with tons of resources for getting involved/finding support if you need it)
A Breakdown of the Supreme Court Rulings and their Impact (Anti-Racism Daily)
Pleasure Activism by adrienne maree brown
All Bodies Movement & Wellness
Natalie Topalian, The Brand Copywriter

Want to connect with us to deepen the conversation? Join us in our online community, The Satisfaction Space!

Want to show the world that you love the pod? Get t-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, stickers, totebags & more at Teepublic!

You can stay up to date on all things Satisfaction Factor by following us on IG @satisfactionfactorpod!

Here's where to find us:
Sadie Simpson: www.sadiesimpson.com or IG @sadiemsimpson
Naomi Katz: www.happyshapes.co or IG @happyshapesnaomi

Transcript

Naomi Katz: 0:03

Welcome to Satisfaction Factor, the podcast where we explore how ditching diet culture makes our whole lives more satisfying. Welcome back to Satisfaction Factor. I'm Naomi Katz, an Intuitive Eating, body image, and self trust coach.

Sadie Simpson: 0:26

I'm Sadie Simpson, a group fitness instructor, personal trainer, and Intuitive Eating counselor.

Naomi Katz: 0:31

This episode is maybe going to be a little bit different than usual. In light of the recent current events and Supreme Court rulings, especially the overturning of Roe v. Wade- but I mean, honestly, none of them have been good- and just with the general feeling of the world being on fire that a lot of us are struggling with right now, we wanted to take this episode and talk about how we can continue to care for ourselves and honor our own humanity during times of high stress. Fighting this bullshit- not to mention living through it- is going to be a long haul, and we really need to be caring for ourselves both physically and mentally if we're going to be able to stick it out. This is a lesson that Black women and feminists have been teaching for years, so I'm not going to teach that lesson. It's not really my arena to teach. But I will highly recommend the book Pleasure Activism by adrienne maree brown. We've definitely referenced the book before, and we'll put a link to it in the show notes, but that is a great place to start exploring pleasure and self care as activism and through activism on a deeper level.

Sadie Simpson: 1:47

Yeah, thanks for pointing that out. Because I think that is a really good resource that folks can refer to, if they're into this episode, or they're listening to this episode, and they're seeking a little more.

Naomi Katz: 2:00

Yeah. We're also going to put some links in the show notes to some action steps that we can all be taking right now- so things like abortion funds, scripts for calling government representatives, and stuff like that- because that's a really important part of all of this as well, right now. You know, it's not self care or action, it's both of those things. We're going to put some of those links in there, too. But today, we're mostly going to talk about the self care and being a human part of all of this. Maybe we can kind of both talk a little bit about just how we're processing, and like how we're caring for ourselves right now. How do you feel about that,

Sadie Simpson: 2:38

Yeah, yeah, that sounds good. And honestly, I've Sadie? found a lot of value in relating to people, and just hearing about what other folks are doing and going through on Instagram stories. Like, I don't know about you, but that's something that has been really helpful for me right now. So hopefully, sharing a little bit about our process might be helpful for others. And honestly, it might be helpful for us just to say some of this out loud too. So yeah.

Naomi Katz: 3:04

Yeah, absolutely. I'm totally with you. And we'll get to this a little bit later, but it's helpful to feel like you're in community. And so, like, just sort of looking through social media and stuff like that. You know, obviously, social media in times like this is kind of a double edged sword. But, you know, especially if you're selective about who you're following and stuff like that, there can be a sense of community in like seeing how other people are dealing with this stuff, too. I guess I'll start. So it's funny, last week on the pod, we talked about how it can be like helpful to know, like, some of your personality assessment type things, because it can help us to recognize behaviors that we may engage in and stuff like that. Well, I'm an Enneagram, nine, and I'm a Taurus Sun, which means my go to mode when I'm stressed is like disassociating, like just numbing, like shutting down basically. I used to feel a lot of weird guilt about that, but now I kind of just see it as part of my process. So for the first two days, I spent a lot of time on my couch. I actually- I had been putting off watching the last few episodes of This Is Us for a while, and so I actually watched them over those couple of days, because I knew it would make me cry, and because it like felt good to cry, and in some ways, it was easier for me to access that through something that was like totally unrelated.

Sadie Simpson: 4:37

Mmm. Yeah.

Naomi Katz: 4:38

And then of course, I only had like three episodes, so I also watched a lot of other TV, and played Candy Crush, and like fully, like, numbed out during all that time. And like alternated that with doomscrolling of course.

Sadie Simpson: 4:53

Yes.

Naomi Katz: 4:54

I also made some donations, and I went through some periods of like high anxiety, and anger, and stuff like that. But mostly, I like kind of just leaned into that freeze response.

Sadie Simpson: 5:06

Mm-hmm.

Naomi Katz: 5:08

I am starting to come out of that now. I, yesterday, went to see Betsy at All Bodies Movement and Wellness. You may remember her from a previous podcast episode. I saw her yesterday, and I got to move some heavy shit, and share some anger and sadness with her, and that helped a ton. I've been talking a lot with Ben, and that's always helpful. And then I also took some stuff off my plate that I felt like could be pushed until next week, when like I had a little bit more time for the brain fog to clear. For instance, as we're recording this, theoretically, I was going to be opening my one on one coaching spots this week. I pushed that out until next week, so the week that you're hearing this. That is a huge privilege. But it's something I can do because my coaching is not currently my main source of income. I do still have a day job, and I have not been able to take a break from that this week. So just kind of like balancing what's going on for me, and like where I have space to shift, and where I don't. And then, you know, lastly, I'm just making sure I'm doing the basics, like eating regularly. Again, we've talked about this before, I'm not really a like forget to eat when I'm upset person. I'm generally the opposite of that. So for me, that mostly means just like making sure I have food in the house that I like, and that I'll enjoy, and letting myself find comfort in that a bit too. How about you, Sadie, how are you processing?

Sadie Simpson: 6:45

I don't know shit about astrology. And right now my Enneagram is kind of TBD- I really don't know what my Enneagram number is at this point. So whenever I think about relating to stuff like that, I'm in this weird limbo of what my personality type is, quote unquote, supposed to be, and how I'm supposed to process to this type of thing, according to, you know, all of the quizzes and all of the answers. But outside of these things, and I'm sure it can be related to inside of those things as well, my typical tendencies for anything tend to be like initial outrage, and usually out of any kind of rage, automatically want to go into some sort of like problem solving, slash fix it, slash research mode. And I'll spend a lot of time like obsessively doing lots of research on the internet, scrolling through social media, again, kind of like you, lot of doomscrolling. And often, what usually happens, that's what kind of distracts me from actually doing anything productive. But my tendency from the get go is to want to be as informed as I can be, while also being as mad as I can be about it. And, you know, it was kind of weird, last week, I was in such a weird brain cloud- brain fog- anyway. We hadn't talked about this on the podcast, but I was coming off of, like, the height of my COVID symptoms- which, you know, was a whole nother thing, like in- in combination of everything that's going on in the world. And when the Supreme Court rulings were announced, I was just scrolling on my phone and happened to come across it. And I was like, this- you know, it felt, like, unreal. Like, we knew this was probably coming, but it still didn't feel like it was a thing that could actually happen. And it just- I don't know- it just felt like this like weird, cloudy, like day-dreamy thing that just- I don't know- it just didn't seem real. And then again, like after doomscrolling, and researching, and feeling just kind of helpless, and just really overwhelmed, that's when kind of I went into shutdown mode. And that's a normal tendency for anything like that. Like, I will be really like outraged and obsessively research, and then I'll just completely shut down, and that's when I kind of go into like reverting back to a comfort movie, or a comfort TV show. Vegas Vacation and Christmas Vacation just happened to be put back on Netflix a couple of weeks ago, so I was pretty pleased to be able to watch Vegas Vacation, which is something I hadn't seen in a while.

Naomi Katz: 9:44

I note that you don't include European Vacation in this, and I feel like

Sadie Simpson: 9:48

Oh my gosh.

Naomi Katz: 9:49

I feel like there's a reason for that. Ben and I-

Sadie Simpson: 9:52

I freaking love European Vacation.

Naomi Katz: 9:54

Do you?

Sadie Simpson: 9:55

I just- I don't know if it's on Netflix. I need to go see if it's on there.

Naomi Katz: 9:58

Excellent.

Sadie Simpson: 10:00

Yeah, side note, funny story- we had European Vacation back in the day. We used to record movies from TV onto VHS tapes. And like one time we had a free HBO or free Cinemax weekend- they used to do that back in the day. And whenever we would have these free premium cable channels for a couple of days, we would record movies on VHS, and watch it over and over and over again. And European Vacation was like one of my movies. And thinking back on that, I watched that when I was really young, and there's some like really questionable scenes in that movie, that like a young child probably shouldn't have been watching. But yeah, I've watched European Vacation probably more than I've seen any of the others.

Naomi Katz: 10:40

Oh, that's so funny. So now I have to ask about the original, Family Vacation.

Sadie Simpson: 10:45

Oh, yeah.

Naomi Katz: 10:46

Yeah, that's obviously the best. Well- so personally, I think Christmas Vacation is the best one, with Family Vacation as a close second.

Sadie Simpson: 10:54

Oh my gosh. Well, I've seen European Vacation probably the most. But I think the reason why I was so excited to see Vegas Vacation on Netflix was because we watched all of the other Vacations like as a child, but Vegas Vacation came out when I was older, so I was able to kind of understand what was happening a little bit more, and more like the adult themes and stuff. But yeah.

Naomi Katz: 11:18

Excellent.

Sadie Simpson: 11:18

This is now a Chevy Chase Vacation episode.

Naomi Katz: 11:23

Fantastic.

Sadie Simpson: 11:26

But you know, anyway, like, it's interesting that whenever you were talking about how you processed all of this, that you mentioned All Bodies Movement and Wellness. Because, since last Friday, I've met with multiple clients one on one that I work with at All Bodies, too. And some of those folks are virtual, some of those folks are in person. And it's been really refreshing, actually, that when I've had conversations with folks during our sessions about what all is going on in the world, and how my clients are feeling about it, and being able to share with them how I feel about it- it's almost like a bright spot in all of this doom that's going on, because it just makes me feel really grateful that I can be a part of a place- I can work in a place- where I can have open conversations with people about their fears, and their frustrations, and other feelings, and I don't have a fear that I'm gonna get in trouble, or that I'm going to be fired for talking about, quote unquote, controversial topics in a work situation. And I'm just really grateful to have a place like that- and work for a place like that- that's supportive of having deep discussions around topics like the recent Supreme Court rulings.

Naomi Katz: 12:44

Yeah. Wow. That's huge.

Sadie Simpson: 12:47

Yeah.

Naomi Katz: 12:47

And I mean, it's definitely not something that many of us have access to. I can tell you for sure that my day job is not having these conversations. So it's nice to feel connected to that stuff. Definitely.

Sadie Simpson: 13:04

Yeah.

Naomi Katz: 13:04

Self care, processing, all of these things are very individual. But we wanted to talk a little bit about just some possible ways that we might be able to honor our needs right now, in case you are feeling like you're having a hard time doing that right now, which I think is true for a lot of us, honestly. As always, jumping off points, right? Like, things that we can, like, just keep in mind, if

Sadie Simpson: 13:28

Yes. we're able to recognize that we're not meeting our needs, but maybe not entirely sure how to identify what those needs are. So, it's funny, because I think, first and foremost, eating food- like regularly feeding ourselves- is one of the ways that we honor our needs. And like, I know, okay, that's really obvious coming from Intuitive Eating coaches, and stuff like that. But honestly, I think just from a human perspective, this is just one of our primary needs that it's important to continue to meet when we're in times of stress. We talked a little bit, in our careful eater episode in the eating personas, about how very often we see dieting, and like controlling our food intake, as a way of like trying to control the world when it feels really out of control. But we also talked about why that very much does not work. And like, if anything, it makes that feeling of being out of control worse because of that binge restrict cycle. This is one of the reasons why knowing our eating persona can be helpful, because it can help us to be aware of those tendencies, and then to like actively make sure that we're taking care of ourselves, and like addressing those narratives as they as they come up, and stuff like that. Another reason why food is super important is, like, to paraphrase Christy Harrison in her book Anti-Diet, you can't fight the patriarchy on an empty stomach. Yep, amen to that.

Naomi Katz: 15:08

We need fuel. We can't be hungry, and distracted by food and body thoughts, and all of that stuff, if we're gonna stay in this for the long haul, both mentally and emotionally, and even physically. Like we- we need the fuel to keep going through this. And so, you know, if you're not hungry- which is understandable- like, we've talked before about how sometimes in times of stress, like our stress hormones can like dull our physical hunger cues- now might be a good time to set some reminders for yourself to eat because you know that you need that fuel.

Sadie Simpson: 15:46

That's a great point and a great tip, especially for folks who might tend to forget to eat just due to chaos, and life, and stress, and everything else.

Naomi Katz: 15:56

Definitely. And then, you know, remembering that food itself is self care- even- maybe especially- I don't really know- emotional eating. You know, we've talked before about how food is a very valid coping mechanism, that we're wired to feel comfort and safety from food, and so now is not the time to be judging our coping mechanisms.

Sadie Simpson: 16:20

I think it's time that we reclaim comfort meals, because when we're living in diet culture, we're always under this assumption that comfort eating is bad. But thinking about what foods give us comfort, and actually making a point to eat those foods, during times of distress can be a really great way to take care of ourselves. I know Trey and I have a friend, and his whole, like, running joke or whatever, whenever he was stressed out, he would always say I need a feel good meal, I need a feel good meal. And so Trey and I have also adopted that. Anytime, like, we're really stressed out and feel like we need food as comfort, we'll say that to each other. Like, man, I just I need a feel good meal right now. And usually that means something- for me anyway- something very southern home cooking, like macaroni and cheese, something from like Bojangles, like fried chicken and biscuits- just something very homey feeling is a feel good meal for me, for sure.

Naomi Katz: 17:21

Yeah. Oh my god, I love the wording you chose for

Sadie Simpson: 17:22

Yeah. Well, and another thing, too, is just that- that like homey feeling- because it really- like really reflects why we find food to be comforting, is because it conjures those feelings of home, and safety, and stuff like that. So yeah, I love that. ordering takeout instead of cooking and not feeling guilty about it. Because I know, years ago, I went through this phase where I was like, we're not going out to eat, I'm cooking everything at home. It was more of, like, from a financial, let's save money, sort of way. And I've carried a lot of that with me, even since then, of like eating out is bad, from both a financial standpoint, and then, from like years ago, from dieting- eating fast food is bad, or eating fast food is unhealthy. And I think even- you know, I just said reclaim comfort meals- but also, like, reclaim ordering takeout, and going out to eat, and letting somebody else do the cooking, and cleaning, and not feeling guilty at all about it. Especially during times of just stress, and anger, and other just sad negative emotions.

Naomi Katz: 18:37

Yeah, absolutely. And I mean, we'll talk about this in a second. But like, just honoring our need for like, rest. Like this takes a lot out of us. And so yeah, sometimes that means we just don't have the energy to cook a whole meal, and takeout is going to do it.

Sadie Simpson: 18:52

Yep.

Naomi Katz: 18:52

You know, you also spoke a little bit to this- like the idea of just like having food that you want to eat and stuff like that. Within the Intuitive Eating framework, something in the workbook actually shows up, it's called nutrition 911, and the whole idea is to come up with things that, like, you know that you can eat when you're not feeling hungry, when you're feeling really stressed out, when you can't think about food, when eating food doesn't sound good because you're upset and you're, you know, feeling that in your body, and stuff like that. And so, like, this is a really good time to take stock of those things, and- and make sure that those things are on hand. And those could be anything. Like, obviously that's going to be different for every- for everybody. You know, Sadie, you said a lot of yours are like kind of southern homey type feeling type foods. Some people it's like pop tarts. And like, you know, some people it's like grilled cheese and soup. And you know, it could be anything, but just knowing what those things are can be really helpful. And then, yeah, part of this practice of taking care of ourselves, and honoring our needs when we're super stressed, is making sure that we have those things on hand. And then, you know, lastly, we always talk about how this stuff aligns with our values, right? And so, if feeding ourselves right now feels really hard to manage, it might be worth reminding ourselves that diet culture and dieting is rooted in the same oppressive systems that are showing up in these rulings- especially in the Roe ruling. I guess it's actually- Dobbs is the name of the case, but I'm just gonna keep calling it Roe. It's a fight against our autonomy. You know, it's about controlling us, it's about controlling our bodies. And if that doesn't align with our values, then maybe restricting our food doesn't align with our values, either. Maybe recognizing how those systems come into play together and show up in these similar ways is a way for us to motivate ourselves to lean into our comfort foods, and like make sure that we're eating regularly, and like set those reminders to do that if we need them, and stuff like that. You know, maybe we can see this as a small act of rebellion against the systems that are at play here. Obviously, it's not going to change the world, but it might actually change how we feel in the moment. And that's important right now, too. Which brings us to kind of the next thing that's worth tuning into right now, which is in how we're allowing ourselves to rest. So like, yes, like actual literal sleep- that's definitely part of it. But also just giving ourselves space, and honoring our energy capacity. Maybe taking a break from social media or the internet when we need it. I don't remember where I learned this- I'm inclined to say it was during personal trainer certification, but that also doesn't sound right because it's way too human for anything that I learned in that certification- but the body can't tell the difference between physical stress and emotional stress. Like, it just reads it all as stress. To put that in perspective, imagine that you ran a marathon, right? You probably wouldn't have a ton of leftover energy to do other things. And you probably would need to maybe skip some stuff, like maybe additional workouts, right? Or, you know, high level mental tasks, or, you know, whatever. So your body can't tell that this is an emotional marathon instead of a physical marathon.

Sadie Simpson: 22:42

Yes. Well, I remember specifically learning about this in a postnatal continuing education certification that I went through, specifically talking about, like, new parents, and movement, and not promoting things like mommy bootcamps, and get your pre baby body back bootcamp, and all this like high intensity exercise, especially for new parents who have just gone through like pregnancy, and birth, slash not getting any sleep. Just the importance of restorative movement in place of intense movement. And I think that's another thing that's really important to consider here. If you are experiencing stress, whether it's mental, or physical, or emotional stress, adding stress on top of that by doing a super intense workout may be really beneficial for some people, but for others, it may make things worse. So I think that's really important to remember, because a lot of times we see these cliche mantras like exercise is my therapy, and, you know, I'm gonna go run to burn off all the stress, or whatever, I'm gonna go run for my rage. Like, yes, that may be one avenue. But, one, exercise shouldn't replace therapy. And, two, we really need to recognize that it might be a more appropriate time for more restorative movement, if that feels supportive for us. So like, leisurely walking, or stretching, or yoga, or just doing some deep breathing exercises might be more supportive than going to go do like a five mile run and a high intensity CrossFit workout or something like that.

Naomi Katz: 24:35

Yeah, totally. Like, I know I mentioned, you know, going to like the personal trainer and, like, you know, lifting heavy weights, or whatever- which I did- but I did that after three days of like rest, and recovery, and stuff like that. Like, I totally threw all of my like workout plans out the window from like Friday through Saturday. And I had plans- like there was stuff that I was planning to do. But I was like, oh, that's not happening.

Sadie Simpson: 25:04

Yep.

Naomi Katz: 25:05

Like not until I'm actually- like, I've restored my energy enough that I can handle that. And then it did feel really good and cathartic, but like the rest had to happen first.

Sadie Simpson: 25:15

Yes.

Naomi Katz: 25:16

Maybe rest means skipping or adjusting our workouts to honor our energy needs and stuff like that. Sometimes it means taking things off of our plate, if we have the privilege to do so. Like, you know, I talked about pushing out my one to one launch. I don't know. Sadie, is there anything that you've shifted around? But, you know, it also might mean canceling plans with people if you're not up for it. Although we'll also talk about that maybe keeping plans is good. But, you know, obviously, this is- it's like we said, this is all very personal. It's very much about what feels good to you, personally, in the moment. But just knowing that you have permission- like allowing yourself to recognize, like, what is your capacity, and knowing that it's okay to honor that capacity.

Sadie Simpson: 26:05

Yeah, I like that. I think that's really important in this instance- and in other instances, even outside of stressful times- like really being conscious of what our capacity is, and then honoring that, saying no to things, or saying yes to things, like really recognizing that within ourselves.

Naomi Katz: 26:24

Absolutely. You know, then the other thing that can be an often overlooked part of self care, and processing, and all of this is pleasure. So like, sometimes we get in a place where things feel so hard- and especially if we're in a place of relative privilege compared to maybe other folks, so that, like, we know that as hard as it is for us, it's harder for other people, kind of a situation- and so we get in this place where we almost feel guilty for having fun or for doing things that give us pleasure. But, you know, when we think about it, that's really that narrative of pleasure being something we have to earn, or being something that's a luxury. But, you know, as we've discussed before on the podcast, pleasure is a human right. And since this whole thing is about honoring human rights, it seems worthwhile to acknowledge and honor this one, too. Plus, like, again, much like with food, much like with rest, allowing ourselves pleasure is how we avoid burnout, and it's how we managed to stay involved.

Sadie Simpson: 27:33

So is there anything you've done within the last week or so intentionally that gives you pleasure?

Naomi Katz: 27:40

Yeah, absolutely. On Sunday, Ben and I spent the day with friends doing a wine tasting, and then we went and we ate Detroit style pizza.

Sadie Simpson: 27:51

Ooh.

Naomi Katz: 27:51

Which- side note- yes, that's a thing. Like-

Sadie Simpson: 27:55

What's it like? Is it like deep dish? Flat? Like thin crust?

Naomi Katz: 27:59

Yeah, so it's square.

Sadie Simpson: 28:02

Huh.

Naomi Katz: 28:02

And it's kind of like pan pizza. Have you ever heard of Sicilian pizza?

Sadie Simpson: 28:08

Yeah.

Naomi Katz: 28:09

Okay. It's basically Sicilian pizza.

Sadie Simpson: 28:12

Okay.

Naomi Katz: 28:12

So it's square, and it's kind of like that pan pizza style crust. And then just like with the toppings on top-

Sadie Simpson: 28:20

Okay.

Naomi Katz: 28:20

-and stuff. It's really good. But yeah, I grew up calling it Sicilian pizza. I did not know that Detroit style pizza was a thing until like the past year, but like, over the past year, I've learned it from multiple people, which is weird.

Sadie Simpson: 28:35

The is the first time I've ever heard of it.

Naomi Katz: 28:38

Yeah.

Sadie Simpson: 28:38

And I consider myself to be pretty hip to pizza styles. But I don't know much about Detroit style pizza.

Naomi Katz: 28:44

It's good. Like it's- it's definitely good. And we actually have a really great place that serves it near us.

Sadie Simpson: 28:50

Oh.

Naomi Katz: 28:51

Yeah. And so yeah, we these are the things that we did on Sunday. And it was great. And it definitely helped me feel like I could return to the world after like all the disassociating that I had been doing up until that point. So yeah, it was great. How about you?

Sadie Simpson: 29:09

So because we have been kind of at the tail end of our COVID quarantine in my household, we haven't really been able to actively do much outside enjoyable activities, other than watching a lot of TV, which I do have to admit has been very enjoyable for me. But during the course of this stay at home period, I was able to sit down and spend some time kind of planning out the rest of our summer, and different little trips that we might go on- just day trips or short weekend trips. And just planning in advance for stuff- for fun stuff- always gives me pleasure, because I really like to plan. So that, you know, goes back to my whole research tendency. Researching hotels, and just different things to do, and places to go was something that I have recently done during the past week that is like giving me a lot of pleasure. And then also pre scheduling some times for my kid to go spend some time with his grandparents so that we can have childcare, because after being together for the last week and a half or so, it's- it's time for us to have a little bit of separate time. So that also might be a good segue into another way we can seek self care during these times of stress, is by getting support from other people. And that can look a lot of different ways. For me, very specifically, it looks like getting some child care.

Naomi Katz: 30:42

Yeah, support can look like a ton of different things. Like sometimes it's just talking to your partner about how you're feeling, right? Like sometimes it's, hey, I need help to do these things- I need help to- I need help with the dishes, I need help to manage meal planning, I need help to take care of my kid- like all of that stuff. Like, sometimes it's that kind of like day to day support. And sometimes it's seeking support from like a qualified mental health practitioner, or a counselor, or something like that. I think sometimes, when the world is on fire, it feels like, oh, like I shouldn't need therapy for this, like that's overreacting, or something like that. It is not overreacting. It is 100% not overreacting. And it's super valid to need some more formal support during these times. We don't all experience stress the same way because of trauma, lived experience, you know, marginalized identities we might hold, neurodiversity, like all kinds of stuff. And so for some of us, that might mean that we need more support than we can access through things like food, and rest, and pleasure, and stuff like that. And also more than just, you know, your day to day practical support. So just felt like that was an important thing to add in there, too.

Sadie Simpson: 32:07

Yes.

Naomi Katz: 32:07

And then, you know, the last thing is being in community, which we've, you know, touched on a little bit throughout this. It's just so important for us to be talking to each other right now, to be sharing our feelings, and our plans, and our goals, and all of that stuff, to be pooling our resources, and supporting each other. You know, when we have the capacity, it's important for us to be holding space for other people who need it. When we don't have the capacity, it's important for us to be being held in the space of others who have the capacity. Like we're just- we're not living through this alone. And social connection has a really big impact on our physical and mental health. And so, just finding places- it's like we were talking about, about All Bodies, right?- like, finding places where we can just feel safe and feel like we're on the same page. And, you know, and then also do all the plotting and planning.

Sadie Simpson: 33:03

Yeah. Well, and I think, even this podcast, and us having the space to have this conversation with each other- which, as a byproduct of this conversation being put out there in the world on various podcast streaming platforms, we're able to essentially have this conversation with other people- is an outlet for us to build community, and to have these conversations that other people may not have the opportunity to have with others. Like, I know, when I listen to podcasts sometimes, I literally feel like I'm sitting there talking to a friend. Sometimes they'll say stuff, and I just laugh out loud, and will talk back to them.

Naomi Katz: 33:38

Totally.

Sadie Simpson: 33:38

So feel free, if you're listening to this, talk back to us, you know, while you're in your car, out for a walk, or whenever you listen to podcasts. Like this is- you can talk back to us. We may not hear you, but we're there.

Naomi Katz: 33:51

Yeah, absolutely. And if you would like us to actually hear you, you can reach out to us on Instagram,@satisfactionfactorpod. We are there to be part of the community with you. Absolutely. You know, ultimately, all of this comes down to honoring our own needs, however they present for us as individuals. So, you know, like we said at the beginning, these are jumping off points. But most importantly, we want everybody to know that, whatever it is that you need right now, that's valid, and you deserve to meet that need. And also just that we're here with you. We're in this together. Our experiences may not be the same, and this might not impact us all in the same way, but, you know, we are here in community with you. Absolutely.

Sadie Simpson: 34:45

Yes.

Naomi Katz: 34:46

I do want to just clarify, since I mentioned it earlier, as part of honoring my needs, I did push out the opening up of spots for my one to one coaching. And so, as of the- the date that this airs, folks who are on the waitlist will be able to apply for coaching. And it'll open to the public next week. But as long as it's not open to the public, you can still go get on that waitlist, and apply through that, and get all the waitlist bonuses and stuff. So that will still be available as of the date this airs.

Sadie Simpson: 35:24

Nice. That's a really great service to be able to offer folks. I know you've done a lot of work revamping how you offer coaching, and I'm excited for both you and your future clients to be able to experience this type of work. It's very much needed. And yes, I'm excited.

Naomi Katz: 35:42

Thank you. I appreciate that. All right, Sadie, what is satisfying for you right now?

Sadie Simpson: 35:47

Well, we talked a little bit earlier about comfort foods and feel good meals. And last week when I was sick, I didn't have much of an appetite for anything. And I knew I needed to eat something- like, I was starting to feel kind of weak from not having much of an appetite. And once Trey, my husband, was able to leave the house, I sent him out to get me some ice cream, because that's really all that sounded good. And a couple of days prior, my cousin Sara texted me a picture of a new kind of ice cream that she found, and it was Ben and Jerry's topped ice cream. Have you seen any of those- the topped ice creams- the new Ben & Jerry's ones?

Naomi Katz: 36:27

No.

Sadie Simpson: 36:27

I haven't either, but let me tell you, there are, I think, like five or six different flavors, and it's the ice cream, but then it has like hard topping on the top of it- like just hard like shell chocolate and stuff. Yeah, with different flavors. Growing up,

Naomi Katz: 36:40

Oh. one of the main desserts my mom used to make for different functions, and parties, and family meals was dirt cake. So it's like cream cheese, cool whip, and milk, mixed with Oreos like crumbled in it. And it just all gets soggy, and it's just so delicious. And this new Ben and Jerry's flavor was topped dirt cake ice cream. And like, the second Sara, my cousin, texted me this, she was like, when was the last time you eat dirt cake? And it's been a while. She said, you've gotta get this ice cream. And oh my gosh, it- like, I'm just going to read you the description of it, so that way everyone can listen to how delectable this is. So it's a vanilla pudding ice cream, with chocolate sandwich cookies and chocolate cookie swirls, topped with milk chocolate ganache, and chocolate cookie crumble. And it was like the most satisfying ice cream treat that I've had in such a long time. And yes, Ben and Jerry's topped dirt cake ice cream is what is satisfying for me right now. Um, that sounds amazing. It's so funny, I have been having like such a craving lately for like a Dairy Queen like blizzard or something.

Sadie Simpson: 37:56

Oh man, yes.

Naomi Katz: 37:57

Which, literally, I don't know if I've ever had a Dairy Queen blizzard. Like, it's been so long that I literally don't even remember if it's ever happened. But for whatever reason- I think Ben said something to me the other night that reminded me that we literally have a Dairy Queen around the corner. And ever since I realized that, I've been like, do I want a blizzard? I think I want a blizzard. So I think that's- I think that's gonna happen this weekend, and I'm really excited. But that totally got me thinking about that.

Sadie Simpson: 38:28

Oh my gosh, it is just wild for me to hear you think that you may have never had a blizzard, because I went through this phase where like I had a blizzard obsession. Anytime we would go anywhere, I would be on the hunt for a Dairy Queen. Like I was kind of a blizzard fanatic. Like I was on the blizzard fanclub email list, and I still- I would get a blizzard email, and get a free blizzard on my birthday. Like I'm a- it's been probably a year since I've had one, because we don't have one convenient to our house. But, ugh, god, blizzards.

Naomi Katz: 38:58

Well, you'll have to come over and we'll eat blizzards together.

Sadie Simpson: 39:00

That sounds like fun. I am down for that trip.

Naomi Katz: 39:04

Awesome.

Sadie Simpson: 39:06

What's satisfying for you right now?

Naomi Katz: 39:08

Ugh. Nothing. What is satisfying for me right now? Oh, that's such a good question. I had the most satisfying twist of fate last week, where I- there's something for my business that I had been putting off forever. I was like super ultra putting it off because I just- I really didn't want to do it. And that's not even true. What I wanted was to do it with support. But, for various reasons, that hadn't been accessible. Like the person that I usually go to for support with that didn't have spots available- stuff like that. And so I was like, I'm gonna have to do this by myself. And so I think it was Thursday afternoon, I like sat down to do it by myself, to just like push through, and like overcome all the negative feelings about it. Which, PS, is not a thing that I generally believe in doing, but was like maybe going to be a necessity. And of course, before starting, I was procrastinating by watching Instagram stories. And the person that I usually go to for this stuff, who I'd been like hoping to work with, in her Instagram stories happened to mention that she was taking spots, and I was able to reach out to her, and get an appointment, and not have to do it all myself. And like the timing was just like the most satisfying and perfect thing in the world.

Sadie Simpson: 40:35

Oh my gosh, I love when stuff like that happens. It's like- it just- you're right place right time, the stars align, things work out like that. It's just the most satisfying thing ever.

Naomi Katz: 40:47

Yeah, seriously, it was. We- after we had our session, I told her I basically felt like I had just had a brain massage, because I was like so relieved about it. PS, just shout out, if you have any copywriting needs, Natalie Topalian, The Brand Copywriter, is amazing.

Sadie Simpson: 41:04

Yes. She- I've never worked with her- but I am a big fan of following her on Instagram. She has fun stories and posts. So yes, she's great.

Naomi Katz: 41:14

Well, that's it for us this week, everybody. If you enjoyed this podcast, if you got some value out of it. One thing that you can do to help support us is to leave us a rating or review on Apple or Spotify. That helps us to reach more people, which we are always very grateful for.

Sadie Simpson: 41:30

Okay, we'll see you next week.