(The full transcript of this episode can be found by hitting the ‘Transcript’ tab at the top of this post (but please note it’s AI-generated so accuracy will vary).
Welcome to Episode 8 of The Tortoise, the podcast (plodcast!) that digs deep into the possibilities of slow.
You can listen to the podcast right here, or if you’d prefer, subscribe via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favourite pod-dealing platform.
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The Topic: Hard times
Today we’re talking about hard times. Or more specifically, how to deal with the emotional heaviness that comes from living through really difficult things.
At the moment, no matter where in the world you live, there’s really hard stuff going on. War, destruction, division, pain, loss, suffering. No-one is immune to it, and on top of it all, everyone has their own challenges. It adds up, and throughout life, there are times (now is one of them for me) where it just feels so heavy. Difficult to know how to move forward. Difficult to find hope.
In this episode Ben and I dig into this feeling of heaviness and talk about the practical ways each of us is trying to accept and acknowledge it while allowing ourselves to move forward. We cover a lot of ground, including:
Practical ways to protect ourselves when things feel hard
How to access our senses as both a way to reflect on our emotions and redirect our attention to the present moment
Our fraught relationship with hope
The power of gentle activism
Why it’s okay to feel bad
Why it’s okay to feel good in amongst it
The tools we use to help process our anger and frustration (rage-cleaning, rage-golfing, rage-journalling all get a mention)
Why ‘sleeping on it’ is such a helpful tool
The rebelliousness of finding joy
What we plan to do (and why doing something is an important part of reclaiming hope).
Sometimes it feels so hard to find and hold hope. I think that’s okay. I think that’s very human. I think it shows us that we have the capacity to feel and care deeply, and that should never be something we wish away.
Hopefully this conversation also shows that it’s okay to look for and hold onto joy in amongst the difficult times. There’s a rebelliousness to it that I love, and when paired with action, it makes me feel like change is possible.
The Reflection: What are we clinging to?
We finish the episode with a reflection on a comment left on this post. Lovely reader Wendy shared a quote from poet James Baldwin, and I’ve carried it around in my heart ever since reading it:
“The sea rises, the light fails, lovers cling to each other, and children cling to us. The moment we cease to hold each other, the moment we break faith with one another, the sea engulfs us and the light goes out.”
—James Baldwin, Nothing Personal
Our hands are so often filled with things we cling to out of fear. I firmly believe that by learning to let go of some of them, we can reclaim space for the things that matter.
The Links
Below is a list of links discussed in today’s episode. If I’ve forgotten any, please let me know in the comments:
Coping with news and social media overwhelm - Episode 120 of The Slow Home Podcast
Subscribe to the podcast in your favourite app (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc)
That’s it for this month’s episode. I hope you’re doing okay. The comments are always open if you find yourself in need of a shoulder to lean on.
Until next week, take good care.
Brooke xx
Hard Times: Episode 8