"We want the world to be better—kinder, more just, more merciful. We still yearn toward noblebright, toward an honest and desperate belief that love conquers all. Except, when the other guy has more guns and fewer moral objections than we do, it doesn’t. We forget, sometimes, that we have knives too in this empire. That we can unsheathe them, that we can turn our blades to the defense of an atom of justice and a molecule of mercy that might not even exist—except . . . except for where we make th...
Feb 28, 2025•11 min
Stage 1 – Honeymoon Initial commitment and excitement to engage in tasks. For example, when you first start your journey in a new activism group. Stage 2 – Onset of stress Common symptoms of stress start being felt, such as fatigue, lower productivity and sleep disturbances. Stage 3 – Chronic Stress Lack of motivation + more intense symptoms felt on a very frequent basis. At this stage, bad habits such as smoking, drinking etc may begin Stage 4 – Burnout Difficulty even to cope with the minimum ...
Feb 27, 2025•9 min
Horst and Webber's examples of wicked problems: There is no definitive formulation of a wicked problem. Wicked problems are often ongoing. Solutions to wicked problems are not true or false, good or bad. There is no immediate and no ultimate test of a solution to a wicked problem. All attempts to find solutions have effects that may not be reversable. Wicked problems do not have a set of solutions. Every wicked problem is essentially unique. Every wicked problem can be considered to be a symptom...
Feb 26, 2025•9 min
“I had to examine, in my dreams as well as in my immune-function tests, the devastating effects of overextension. Overextending myself is not stretching myself. I had to accept how difficult it is to monitor the difference. Necessary for me as cutting down on sugar. Crucial. Physically. Psychically. Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” - Audre Lord "The best actions are both expressive and instrumental, but it is more import...
Feb 25, 2025•10 min
“I had to examine, in my dreams as well as in my immune-function tests, the devastating effects of overextension. Overextending myself is not stretching myself. I had to accept how difficult it is to monitor the difference. Necessary for me as cutting down on sugar. Crucial. Physically. Psychically. Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” - Audre Lord TODAY'S RESOURCES: The article: https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2021/05/1049...
Feb 24, 2025•9 min
There are limitless ways people are showing up to resist the coup and protect democracy so today I want to share some more examples of ways we can personally show up as a part of the resistance. You can't do everything, but you can do something. Here's a lil compilation of somethings we can begin. RESOURCES: Choose Democracy "what can I do?": https://choosedemocracy.us/what-can-i-do/ Compilation of current stories of Resistance: https://choosedemocracy.us/resist-list/?ref=meditationsinanemergenc...
Feb 23, 2025•9 min
There are 4 pathways to resisting authoritarianism: 1. Protecting people. 2. Defending Civic Institutions, 3. Disrupting + Disobeying 4. Building alternatives. RESOURCES: The "Some actions to resist authoritarianism" Guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PnA86CvqKNo1le3TEczIBQftX6Pq1n7G5ROHxS_fj1E/edit?pli=1&tab=t.0 Choose Democracy "what can I do?": https://choosedemocracy.us/what-can-i-do/ Worth Fighting For: https://weareworthfightingfor.org/ Tax Resistance: https://nwtrcc.org/ and: ...
Feb 22, 2025•9 min
There are 4 pathways to resisting authoritarianism: 1. Protecting people. 2. Defending Civic Institutions, 3. Disrupting + Disobeying 4. Building alternatives. The "Some actions to resist authoritarianism" Guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PnA86CvqKNo1le3TEczIBQftX6Pq1n7G5ROHxS_fj1E/edit?pli=1&tab=t.0 Choose Democracy "what can I do?": https://choosedemocracy.us/what-can-i-do/ Civil Servant's Serve the People Doc: https://drive.proton.me/urls/4W0PN5CZQG#u3PMOGzXgZjT National Securit...
Feb 21, 2025•10 min
Some ways to opt out: Cancel superfluous subscriptions, Shop at local grocers and small ethnic markets for groceries. Reduce meat + dairy consumption. Boycott fast fashion. Digital detox. Avoid single use plastics. Opt out of all data tracking. Refuse to participate in "grind culture". Avoid trendy diets. Don't engage with trolls or trash content. Support worker strikes + boycotts. Reject overachieving + perfectionism. Cancel Amazon Prime. Buy secondhand or borrow. Rely on the library first. SOU...
Feb 20, 2025•8 min
Sometimes, the most powerful form of protest isn’t about what you do, it's about what you don't do. The simplest way to fight back against a system that thrives on your consumption is to simply... opt out of it as much as humanly possible. It’s going to be super inconvenient at first, but once you get the hang of it you’ll realize the perks: it’s better for the environment, better for your wallet, and a surprisingly powerful tool to weaponize in a capitalist society. And the best part? You don’t...
Feb 19, 2025•12 min
@pat.radical.therapist asks: "What if dysregulation is a form of resistance?" and "What if liberation isn't in the perfect regulation of our nervous systems but in the deep, embodied permission to exist as we are - in movement, in mess, in rage, in laughter, in all the things that were never meant to be tamed?" - Patricia Trying to regulate our dysregulation the time, instead of really listening to it, can be counterintuitive. Maybe it's time we stop trying to ground ourselves in unstable soil. ...
Feb 18, 2025•9 min
You haven't heard about any major acts of resistance because they don't want you to think it's happening, but just because you can't see the helpers, doesn't meant they're not there. Look for them, and if you can't find any? Become one. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/02/14/federal-unions-resistance-trump-power/ https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/02/us/politics/democrats-trump.html https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jan/27/government-workers-trump https://www.nbcnews.com/po...
Feb 17, 2025•8 min
“Insist on doing everything through ‘channels.’ Never permit short-cuts to be taken in order to expedite decisions.” “Make ‘speeches.’ Talk as frequently as possible and at great length. Illustrate your ‘points’ by long anecdotes and accounts of personal experiences. Never hesitate to make a few appropriate ‘patriotic’ comments.” “Bring up irrelevant issues as frequently as possible.” “Haggle over precise wordings of communications, minutes, resolutions.” “‘Misunderstand’ orders. Ask endless que...
Feb 16, 2025•8 min
The 3 elements to a full and productive life are love, work, and play. Self initiated play nourishes our imaginations and our creativity, and they are like a muscle you must build through practice. David Elkin's writing for Museum of Play: https://www.museumofplay.org/app/uploads/2022/01/1-1-article-elkind-the-power-of-play.pdf Donate to Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund:: www.pcrf.net Donate to Mutual Aid Funds: https://www.folxhealth.com/library/mutual-aid-funds GET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMA...
Feb 15, 2025•9 min
Earlier this week I talked about the lessons I learned from moving, today I want to talk about how full of shit I was. Donate to Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund:: www.pcrf.net Donate to Mutual Aid Funds: https://www.folxhealth.com/library/mutual-aid-funds 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...
Feb 14, 2025•8 min
If you've ever said, "I'm not creative" or "I'm not good at that", I'm here to remind you that creativity is not a personality trait but a skill that you build. Museum of Play's Journal of Play: https://www.museumofplay.org/journalofplay/ STUDY: Dopamine + Art: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00283/full STUDY: Reducing Cortisol through Art: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07421656.2016.1166832 STUDY: Creativity as a skill: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pna...
Feb 13, 2025•9 min
"There will be more acts of repression, cruelty and abuses of power coming from federal, state and local officials in the weeks and months ahead. There is no formula for deciding how to respond to authoritarian attacks, and being constantly on the defensive is exhausting and demoralizing. Reclaiming agency in defining the terrain of struggle away from repressive control and towards individual and community empowerment is key to building and maintaining momentum, as well as hope." - Maria J Steph...
Feb 12, 2025•12 min
Doomscrolling feels like control but actually steals our energy, today we talk about how to take it back. Zeigernik Effect: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/zeigarnik-effect Dr. Rick Hanson's Website: https://rickhanson.com/writings/books/hardwiring-happiness/ Dr. Gloria Mark's website: https://gloriamark.com/ Dr. Anna Lembke's website: https://www.annalembke.com/dopamine-nation Donate to Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund:: www.pcrf.net Donate to Mutual Aid Funds: https://www.folxhealt...
Feb 11, 2025•8 min
I've been in the process of moving (again) and I've learned a lot about patience, flexibility, and acceptance. I have also learned that I have waaaaay too much shit. MUTUAL AID HUB: https://www.mutualaidhub.org/ DONATE: www.pcrf.net 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 opini...
Feb 10, 2025•8 min
Do not comply with transphobic policy or rhetoric. Give money, time, resources directly to people who need it. Build solidarity. Call your reps and voice your anger. Trans Mutual Funds: https://www.folxhealth.com/library/mutual-aid-funds 8 Things for Allies to do: https://www.instagram.com/p/DFnpQl-PVwz/?img_index=11&igsh=cjRxbjlycjZzMGNq Kai Cheng Thom's Post (What's at stake for Trans people): https://www.instagram.com/p/DFmLwRTOkJN/?img_index=1 Trans Equality Resource: https://transequali...
Feb 07, 2025•11 min
"But they are few and we are many. A coup, which is what we are having this week, is never the end of the story: all across the world we can find examples of how people resisted kings and dictators and wrote the next chapter themselves as civil society." - Rebecca Solnit "They do not understand that the reason they need to be authoritarian is because they are at war with the will of the people (not all the American people, of course, but a whole lot of us). Much of what they are doing is wildly ...
Feb 06, 2025•9 min
"No one can deal with every issue at once, and choosing which part of the problem to commit to is part of the work of resistance. Some of you are already doing important work on human rights or climate or criminal justice. Some of you can commit to addressing immigration or the underground railroads for abortions. Some of you will find your commitment or have skills and resources to bring to multiple issues. Daniel Berrigan, the Jesuit priest turned anti-war organiser, once wrote: “One cannot le...
Feb 05, 2025•11 min
"Some say that murmurations – those beautiful flights of thousands of starlings undulating and pulsating as they whirl through the sky together – create flocks that are hard for predators to attack. There’s safety in numbers, which is why a lot of prey animals move in herds and flocks and schools. For those who dissent from what this new administration intends to do, we may sometimes be able to surround an Ice van or march by the thousands, but every time we dissent we make room for others to di...
Feb 04, 2025•10 min
They are banking on us feeling so hopeless that we don’t fight back. This is why they constantly overload us with information about the constant threats and violence against humanity. It’s a tool meant to paralyze you to keep you from the work that needs to be done. You can’t focus on everything, but you can pick a lane and prepare to fight. "This is a strategic exploitation of our cognitive limits. " - Jennifer Walter "Move quickly through the shock and condemnation, into identifying what needs...
Feb 03, 2025•10 min
"Prove by your deeds that you think otherwise. A new war of liberation is about to begin. The better part of the nation will fight on our side. Cast off the cloak of indifference you have wrapped around you. Make the decision before it is too late ." LEAFLET 5: https://libcom.org/library/white-rose-leaflet-5 LEAFLET 6: https://libcom.org/library/white-rose-leaflet-6 DONATE to Palestine Children's Relief Fund: www.pcrf.net DONATE to American Civil Liberties Union: https://www.aclu.org/ GET AN OCC...
Jan 31, 2025•11 min
"We will not be silent. We are your bad conscience. The White Rose will not leave you in peace!" THE SOURCE: https://libcom.org/library/white-rose-leaflet-4 DONATE to Palestine Children's Relief Fund: www.pcrf.net DONATE to American Civil Liberties Union: https://www.aclu.org/ 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 Y...
Jan 30, 2025•8 min
"Every individual human being has a claim to a useful and just state, a state which secures freedom of the individual as well as the good of the whole. For, according to God's will, man is intended to pursue his natural goal, his earthly happiness, in self-reliance and self-chosen activity, freely and independently within the community of life and work of the nation. Is your spirit already so crushed by abuse that you forget it is your right - or rather, your moral duty - to eliminate this syste...
Jan 29, 2025•11 min
Nazi ideology cannot be engaged with on an intellectual level because it lacks the coherence, logic, and moral foundation required for meaningful debate. True intellectual discourse requires a shared commitment to truth, reason, and ethical principles . The Nazis, however, rejected these values in favor of propaganda, manipulation, and brute force. Sound familiar? THE SOURCE: https://libcom.org/library/white-rose-leaflet-2 DONATE: www.pcrf.net GET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyo...
Jan 28, 2025•10 min
Nothing is so unworthy of a civilised nation as allowing itself to be governed without opposition by an irresponsible clique that has yielded to base instinct. It is certain that today every honest German is ashamed of his government. Who among us has any conception of the dimensions of shame that will befall us and our children when one day the veil has fallen from our eyes and the most horrible of crimes - crimes that infinitely outdistance every human measure - reach the light of day? If the ...
Jan 27, 2025•12 min
Today is a re-release about HOPE because it still feels really important. DONATE: www.pcrf.net 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 Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is n...
Jan 26, 2025•8 min
