What to Do When Things Are Hard: Real Self-Care for Uncertain Times

Send Mara a quick text love note here!Hey friend, welcome back to Even Here, Even Now.I have been talking to clients all week. I have been hearing from friends. And I know that so many of us are in it right now.And I also know that when things get hard, most of us decide that our needs are the thing we can most afford to put on hold. We tell ourselves we will get back to ourselves when the to-do list is cleared, when things settle, when it gets easier. We tell ourselves we are fine.This episode is a little bit of tough love about that pattern and a lot of real, honest support for what it actually looks like to tend to yourself when everything is hard.I talk about why sitting in uncertainty is a skill we have to practice and how most of us have been using doing as a strategy to avoid feeling. I share the story of telling my nine-year-old she could bring her bad mood to the library, and what that has to do with you. And I get into the actual, practical, human-sized ways to show up for your most foundational needs when you are running on empty.Not a four course meal. Not a complete overhaul. Scrambled eggs. A glass of water. Putting yourself in the room.You are allowed to feel everything you are feeling and still show up for yourself. Those two things can be true at the same time. That is what we are talking about today.I am so glad you are here.xMaraEpisode Timestamps: 00:00 Why hard times are the exact moment we abandon ourselves most 02:21 The pattern of putting your needs on the other side of something more important 04:49 Using doing as a strategy to avoid the discomfort of feeling 06:58 Burnout, uncertainty, and why this skill matters so much right now 09:21 What happens in your body when your mental body exits the building 11:24 Coming back into your body: one step forward, just one 13:48 You are allowed to make mistakes and not have all the answers 16:21 Bring your bad mood to the library (a story about my daughter and also about you) 20:34 What tending to discomfort actually looks like in practice 25:18 Getting clear on what can be cleared away during a hard time 27:41 Human-sizing your expectations of yourself when the world is a lotMy BEST tools, matched to exactly what you need. Take the [free] needs quiz: needsquiz.com