.png)
Wellness Thru Reading
Greetings and salutations book lovers. Welcome to Wellness Thru Reading. A podcast dedicated to keeping reading a daily habit as a form of self care.
Wellness Thru Reading
Finding Peace: Self-Care Strategies Post-Election
After a whirlwind of emotions in the wake of the recent U.S. presidential election, this episode offers a comforting refuge. Dive into a space where you can learn practical self-care strategies to navigate these emotionally charged times effectively. We'll start with a soothing breathing exercise, setting the stage for a discussion on the power of stepping back from the constant noise of social media. Discover meaningful ways to protect your peace, nurture community ties, and create a positive online environment that supports your mental health. Personal stories and experiences offer real-life insights into maintaining balance and well-being, both at work and in personal life.
Beyond the immediate, we explore the profound impact of taking a break from social media, touching upon improved sleep, reduced anxiety, and enhanced productivity. Reclaim your time for hobbies, face-to-face interactions, and personal growth. The episode wraps up with a reflection on the universal message of the Serenity Prayer, offering guidance on finding acceptance and courage through spirituality or positive thinking. Whether you seek solace through prayer or simply mindful living, this episode encourages you to embrace moments of tranquility and joy amid life's unpredictable challenges.
All right To start this episode. I want us all to just do some breathing exercises Just to calm our nervous system down, so that way we can just be at peace for a minute. So take a deep breath in Hold for two counts and out. Deep breath in hold and out. Last time, deep breath in, okay. So I definitely feel like we needed to start with that today, because it's been roughly a week since we found out the results of the us presidential election.
Speaker 1:For those of us who live in the united states, half of us are celebrating. The other half are just scared and worried about the future, and if you're listening across these as well too, I know you're looking at the United States like what the F. A lot of us feel that way, and you know what America has spoken. That's all we can do. I truly, as an American, I don't believe that the results were rigged and I'm not even going to go into detail about it, because that's not what this podcast is about. We are about health and wellness and I want to stay focused and be positive and think, think, positive thoughts. That's what I'm doing. Not gonna lie.
Speaker 1:I took a total social media ban for a little bit. For a little bit just to get off social media, because I didn't want to hear it. I didn't want to hear the political commentaries, I didn't want to hear about the finger pointing, I didn't want to hear about who voted for who and I voted for them. For this reason, xyz, and all that booty clatter, I did not want to hear it. I just needed to take care of my own psyche and to really sit in the idea of what the next four years are going to look like for my country, and so that is why, originally, I was going to do a book review on a book that I just read, but you know what? I'm gonna put that off for next week. Book reviews I'll put off for next week because I feel like this is an episode not only that I need, but I feel like you, my listener, if you're living in the United States or you're just worried in general, this is for you.
Speaker 1:This is self-care post-election. Honestly, I'm not even posting like self-care during uncertain times, so let's get into it. It is crucial that we, after a major turning event, especially world events like an election, it is critical that we take care of ourselves, especially our emotional well-being. Emotions can be, elections can be emotionally charged experiences, often leading to stress, anxiety and just overall uncertainty about what the future might hold. Engaging in self-care helps individuals process their feelings and also maintain an emotional balance. Now, after an election, individuals may feel a renewed sense of purpose or disillusionment. Like I said, 50% of the country are happy, the other are not, and self-care can provide the necessary mental space to reflect on personal values, goals and enabling more effective civic engagement moving forward.
Speaker 1:Now, one of the main reasons why I wanted to do this episode was on my TikTok. I got a comment from someone saying that because I had posted something positive saying you know how's everybody doing. And then she just posted a comment that stated I feeling very sad, I'm feeling very vulnerable, I'm at an office space and they don't understand why I'm being quiet today. So I responded to it and I just said you know what? You protect your peace. Essentially, that's what I posted. I'm on TikTok, so follow me on there if you like. But, coming back into this, I just said you know what protect your peace says don't let anyone or anything make you feel bad about anything. And if that harassment continues, then it's time to find a new job, because life is too short to work anywhere or be around. People who treat you like you are less than because those who did vote. You contributed to the American system, action system and you voted, so I applaud you for that and moving forward.
Speaker 1:I think one of the ways that will really help us get through this is through community connection, and self-care promotes social wellness. I will say I mean reaching out to friends, family or community people, like people that you hear about on TikTok, instagram. All that can help to strengthen bonds and provide support for fostering a sense of belonging and collective resilience. And I will say that post that I posted reached a lot of group of people. They all liked it, they loved it and they're like you know what I'm moving forward? I am going to protect my peace and that's what I'm doing. I am protecting my peace.
Speaker 1:I am setting healthy boundaries with people, especially people that I work with or people that I just meet on the street. I'm not engaging in anything. Engaging in anything. I'm not interested in having conversations with anyone who wasn't truly interested in understanding my way of thinking or my culture or just me in general. I'm not interested in having conversations with people who are going into the conversation just to distort everything that I say. I'm not interested in that. I'm interested in having good, healthy relationships with people who may not know where I'm from, but in that I'm interested in having good, healthy relationships with people who may not know where I'm from but want to understand me.
Speaker 1:And so I definitely feel like I had to unfollow a lot of people on my Instagram. I had to unfollow all my social media accounts, and, honestly, I think that's what we need to do. If you see something that is bothering you or that is hurting you or that just doesn't agree with what you believe, then it's okay to block those people. The block button on my social media account is one of my favorite buttons, not only the block button, but the do not show this type of stuff to me ever again. And so I've been going through, especially on my youtube, facebook tick tock, instagram block, block, unfollow, unfollow, unfollow and just flooding my feed now with more positive messages. So sometimes you just got a clean house.
Speaker 1:Also, the stress of an election can take a toll on our physical health. Prioritizing those self-care such as exercise, nutrition, sleep, helps to medicate these effects and promotes overall well-being. So during my social media break, I've been doing a lot of sleeping, getting a lot of things done, working on habits, doing a lot of reading. So I'm catching up on that as well, too, and honestly just been focusing on me now. Taking time for self-care encourages mindfulness, allowing individuals to reflect on the election outcomes and their implications. This can foster a proactive mindset rather than a reactive one.
Speaker 1:It's very easy now to get onto our social media accounts, to get into people's faces and start yelling, screaming hoo-ha and all that pretty color, but I just want to be mindful that, for those of you who are listening because I think majority of my listeners, you are over the age of 18 I want to remind you you are an adult and you can and will be charged at one. Keep that in mind and honestly, not worth it. Honestly, I was on the bus I take the bus to and from my nine to five job and I was hearing two people arguing about the election results. I just turned on my music headphones and I just zoned out because, honestly, not my monkey, not my circus, not my problem. I'm sorry, I'm not engaging with this. I will not allow you to steal my energy because I am.
Speaker 1:What I'm doing is preventing burnout. Continuous engagement in political activities can lead to burnout, and political activities can lead to burnout, but our self-care practices can help to recharge our energy levels, make it easier to stay involved in meaningful ways without overwhelming oneself. So what we don't want is to burn ourselves out by this, because this is going to be a rough couple of years. But one thing that I would like to challenge you, my listener, to do is post-election is a great time to reassess personal and community goals. Self-care allows for clear thinking, planning for future actions that align with our values, essentially setting goals. What goals do you want to accomplish in the next couple of years? So think about that. So think about that. So self-care is vital for maintaining emotional and physical health, fostering community connections and ensuring that individuals can continue to engage constructively in our civic responsibilities post-election.
Speaker 1:All right, before we go on, we're going to talk about all the health benefits of taking a social media break. I'm going to talk to you guys real quick about some main health supplements. This one is for the ladies of the main health supplements, and this is one is for the ladies of the podcast. Also, this is for the men who have women in their lives as well, too. So some main health supplements are supplements that designed by women, for women, to help us get through all the walks of life. They have things. They have supplements to help with uh, menopausal also pms support and the support and the hormone balance. Those last two are the ones that I use on a daily basis. Really helps with dealing with cramping for your menstrual cycle. Also helps to deal with sugar cravings on a month-to-month basis. So you want to get your first bottle? Head on over to semainehealthcom. That's S-E-M-A-I-N-E healthcom. Use the promo code wellness through reading to get 15% off your next bottle. Thank you for listening.
Speaker 1:Let's talk about a social media break and how it can benefit us. So one of the first reasons why I decided to take a social media break was to, number one, reduce my anxiety and stress. Constant exposure to social media can lead to feelings of inadequacy and anxiety. A break can help alleviate those feelings and overall stress levels. Not going to lie, once I saw the results of the election, I wanted to go on social media and just let it rip. But I'm like you know what? I am an adult. I'm not going to engage with strangers on a platform, so I'm just going to lock myself out of all my social media accounts and just take a break. And also one of the main things that I did during my social media break was sleep, and that is a second health benefit improved sleep quality. Excessive screen time, especially for a bed, can interfere with sleep patterns. Producing social media use can lead to better sleep quality and duration. Sometimes we just needed a nap and I gotta say I do feel so much better. So that's another reason why. And onward to the third reason enhanced focus and productivity. Being on your phone and being on Instagram or all the other platforms can be a significant distraction. Taking a break allows for improved concentration on tasks and goals, leading to increased productivity and an overall better mental health.
Speaker 1:Hiatus from social media can help reduce symptoms of depression, loneliness and decreasing negative comparison and fostering a more positive self-image. Negative comparison and fostering a more positive self-image. Human beings were designed to just look around. It's in our DNA to look and compare, so sometimes you just need to just cut it off. And, honestly, while social media has allowed us to connect to people across you know countries and what have you it doesn't always provide meaningful connection and you can't hug somebody on social media. You can send an emoji hug, but you can't physically hug, and that's why taking a break can lead to more meaningful connections.
Speaker 1:Number five stepping away from online interactions can encourage more face-to-face time, conversation and engaging in real life relationships. Having a conversation with your family members. Check in with them how are they doing? Check in with your co-workers how are they doing? Check in with your co-workers how are they doing Getting to know people. And also, number six increased mindfulness. Without the constant barrage of updates, individuals can become more present in their daily lives, fostering a greater sense of mindfulness and appreciation for the moment Essentially what that means, and appreciation for the moment Essentially what that means just living in the moment. Taking a break look around, go outside, go for a walk, look up and sit down at your phone, look up into the sky, taking a breath of fresh air, and also going on with that. Number seven you have more time for hobbies and interests. A break provides the opportunity to engage in offline activities and hobbies that may have neglected, promoting overall well-being.
Speaker 1:So I'm not going to lie, I wasn't really. I've been getting behind on my reading goals this year and I will say, since taking my social media break, I've been reading more. I'm caught up now on my reading goals. I'm also working here on the podcast, as you can clearly tell, and so I'm able to catch up on those things getting work done, getting laundry done, all that great jazz. And just the last one is number eight improved physical health. Less time spent on social media can lead to more physical activity, whether it's exercising, walking, walking or pursuing other interests contributing to a better physical health. I will say, since being off of social media, I have been walking more, I have been talking more. I have been able to get, if you have an Apple Watch, I have been able to close all those rings and just overall, just feel a little bit better. So you know what? This might be something that I continue, even post-election.
Speaker 1:I mean, sometimes you just need to unplug from the world. I mean, we still need to cope. I mean, maybe just my age the older that I get, the less and less I find myself on instagram and whatnot. Sometimes I just I just do it just because, obviously, for the podcast to promote, because you know I want more people to read daily, but also just because, oh, I don't have time to argue with random people, I don't know. I mean, book talk is a great place, but sometimes those arguments can escalate and I don't have time for that, and if you're a listener here, then you probably don't have time for that either. So taking a social media break can be a refreshing way to regain balance and improve your overall mental health and physical health. So yeah, there you go Eight reasons why taking a social media break can be good for your overall health care and taking care of yourself.
Speaker 1:Post-election Self-care what does self-care look like for you? Comment below what self-care looks like for you, because for me, it is doing a social media break reading more, taking a bath taking a bubble bath, because I'm a mesotic science cancer, so I love water, being around running water really helps. Going for a walk, talking to people about it, people that I trust and maybe on social media. Maybe the reasons why you need that break is because you just need to go through and start unfollowing people, blocking people, and maybe following more positive platforms that embrace what you embrace and are about what you're about. So there you go, all right.
Speaker 1:So I actually want to end this podcast episode with a quote, not necessarily a quote, but more like a prayer. So I mean, I'm a Christian, so I pray. That's what I do. If you don't, then just think happy thoughts. But I feel like this is a prayer that anyone, no matter what your religious belief can or non-belief, can understand. It is called the Serenity prayer, so it goes like this god, grab me the serenity to accept things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference, living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, taking, as j Jesus did, this simple world as it is, not as I would have it, trusting that you being the one upstairs, the creator, will make all things right if I surrender to your will, so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with you forever in the next. And the church said Amen.
