Can This Get Any Crazier? PYL In-Flight: Feb 4, 2025
Welcome Back My Anxious Passengers:
Last week we spent two days on the California Coast whale watching in Monterey, kayaking with harbor seals and sea otters on the Elkhorn Slough, and observing elephant seals at Año Nuevo State Park, all for our Zeke and Terri Adventures travel channel and for our sanity. My anxiety level has been on a low boil as I watch the dismantling and destruction of the US democracy and government.
In my last PYL In-Flight I talked about how finding a creative outlet is good for reducing anxiety and creating (no pun intended) a safer place in our brains and bodies. I also mentioned the importance of having something to look forward to whether it’s a date, a trip, a nice meal, time with friends, or walking your dog. Looking forward to the nightly glass (or bottle…no judgment) of wine doesn’t really do the trick in my book.
I’ve been talking to some of the people I love in my life about ways to maintain our sanity right now and reduce our anxiety. Here’s a list of what I am doing right now:
- I’m limiting my news consumption to about twice a day and only from select sources (no mainstream/legacy media). I’ve even changed my browser so I don’t automatically see news every time I open a tab.
- I’ve downloaded the 5Calls app and I am calling my House Rep, Senators, and Governor once a day. If their mailboxes are full, I’m contacting them through their websites (as instructed by their voicemails). I saw a piece of data that said that conservatives contact their reps between 4 and 11 times as often as liberals. We need to get louder and pushier.
- For the rest of the day, I’m setting this all aside to live my life.
- I am seeking joy where and when I can.
- I am putting plans in place to have something to look forward to. The planning is joyful, and it feels good to know something exciting is coming up.
- We continue to be intentional with our spend and we shop locally and support small businesses, especially those owned by women, Black people, Brown people, and queer people when we can. We are also not shopping at Amazon, Whole Foods, Target, and we are using Goods Unite Us and Open Secrets to inform our decisions.
This is a lot, I know, but it also leaves me time to enjoy my life because I won’t let them steal my joy. I refuse to continue to feel paralyzed with indecision and therefore have detailed a plan that works for me right now.
I also see my work here with Piloting Your Life (the PYL In-Flight, social media) and my Stanford Continuing Studies Class as part of my activism and resistance in that my goal is to inspire and energize midlife women to dismantle the patriarchy by taking control of their lives and choosing what we want. Same goes for Zeke and Terri Adventures.
The more we women choose what works for us, and demand what we want and need, the less control the patriarchy has over us, and the greater chance we have to move towards a better society for all.
I’m also encouraging all women to read On Our Best Behavior so we can begin to recognize how we are contributing to the patriarchy and begin to unravel the fucked up ways we were conditioned that limit us. It’s a daily effort on my part. The conditioning is strong and persistent, and society (and some family/friends) are resistant to the de-conditioning, but I know it’s worth the effort.
It’s February, a month of reminders for us to focus on spreading love (which we should be doing every month, but the red and pink hearts are pretty cute reminders). As usual, I have cut out a bunch of construction paper hearts to write my “I love that you…” to my kids. With one in Paris and one here, and our trip to Portland tomorrow, it’s proving to be a little more complicated than previous years.
Everything is complicated right now but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to find joy, live our lives, and be democratic activists.
Find what works for you to save your sanity, decrease your anxiety, and live a joyful life. Let me know what you decide to do and what your plan is. I love learning from you.
May you find peace, acceptance, and love today as you navigate being human.
With much love and gratitude,
Terri
terrihansonmead.com
Piloting Your Life (the book)
Terri Mead YouTube Channel
Instagram: terrihansonmead
