Born on this day!! Actor Philip Baker Hall (“Bruce Almighty,” ″The Insider”) is 90. Actor Greg Mullavey (“Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman”) is 88. Jazz vibraphonist Roy Ayers is 81. Actor Tom Ligon (“Oz,” ″Another World”) is 81. Singer Danny Hutton of Three Dog Night is 79. Singer Jose Feliciano is 76. Actor Judy Geeson (“Mad About You”) is 73. Guitarist Joe Perry of Aerosmith is 71. Actor Amy Irving is 68. Actor Clark Johnson (“Homicide: Life on the Street”) is 67. Actor Kate Burton (“Scandal”) is 64. Director Chris Columbus is 63. Singer Siobhan Fahey of Bananarama is 63. Actor Colin Firth is 61. Singer-guitarist David Lowery of Cracker is 61. Actor Sean O’Bryan (“The Princess Diaries” films) is 58. Drummer Robin Goodridge of Bush is 56. Guitarist Stevie D. of Buckcherry is 55. Singer-guitarist Miles Zuniga of Fastball is 55. Rapper Big Daddy Kane is 53. Director Guy Ritchie is 53. Actor Johnathon Schaech (“To Appomattox,” ″That Thing You Do!”) is 52. Contemporary Christian singer Sara Groves is 49. Actor Ryan Phillippe is 47. Actor Jacob Young (“The Bold and the Beautiful,” ″All My Children”) is 42. Bassist Mikey Way of My Chemical Romance is 41. Ballerina Misty Copeland is 39. Guitarist Matthew Followill of Kings of Leon is 37. Singer Ashley Monroe of Pistol Annies is 35. Actor Hannah Hodson (“Hawthorne”) is 20.
THIS DAY IN GENIUS HISTORY
1813 – Oliver H. Perry sent his famous message, “We have met the enemy, and they are ours,” after defeating the British in the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812.
1846 – Elias Howe of Massachusetts received a patent for his sewing machine.
1939 – Canada declared war on Germany, entering WWII.
1963 – Twenty black students entered public schools in Birmingham, Mobile, and Tuskegee, Alabama, after President John F. Kennedy sent National Guardsman to end the standoff with Alabama Governor George Wallace.
1988 – Steffi Graf achieved tennis’ first Grand Slam since Margaret Court in 1970 by winning the U.S. Open women’s final.
2002 – Switzerland became the 190th member of the United Nations.
Today Is: Hug Your Boss Day, National Dog Walker Appreciation Day, National TV Dinner Day, Swap Ideas Day, (World) Suicide Prevention Day
TODAY ON TV!
Primetime TV (All Times Eastern)
CBS – 8:00 – The CIA Race Against Time / 10:00 – CBS News
NBC – 8:00 – American Ninja Warrior / 10:00 – Dateline NBC
ABC – 8:00 – Shark Tank / 9:00 – 2020 / 10:00 – 2020
FOX – 8:00 – Friday Night Smackdown
CW – 8:00 – Burden Of Truth / 9:00 – Dynasty
TV Talk Shows
Live with Kelly and Ryan: Jeff Daniels, Rachael Harris
Ellen DeGeneres: Exciting Moments from Season 18, featuring Adam Levine, Kevin Hart, Ayesha Curry
Wendy Williams: Joe Budden, Ashleigh Banfield, Nicole Ryan (R 5/14/21)
The Real: Tessica Brown, Dr. Michael Obeng (R 2/19/21)
Kelly Clarkson: Olivia Munn, Sarah Hyland, Amanda Seyfried, Meagan Good, Gina Torres, Cristin Milioti, Patty Griffin
Tamron Hall: Tam Fam Kindness Challenge
Drew Barrymore: Best Of Week: Hugh Grant, Marie Kondo
WHAT ARE YOU TALKIN’ ABOUT? Here are today’s PPM-Friendly Topics!
QUESTION: Wait. This REALLY HAPPENS?? A hospital is sued for $4.8 million after a DNA test reveals that two babies were switched at birth almost 20 YEARS AGO!!!!!
QUESTION: Why did these RUSSIAN COSMONAUTS take a five-hour space walk?? NASA told them to get out of the space station when a SMOKE ALARM went off!!!!
QUESTION: Ready to GO DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE again?? The new trailer for “The Matrix: Resurrections” looks like a tantalizing trip into the alternate reality!!!!!!!!!
QUESTION: Where were YOU on that fateful day?? Tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of 9/11, and this New York fire chief says “It’s a wound that will never heal!!”
QUESTION: Did an INTERNET SLEUTH track down Matt Damon’s “very private” Instagram account? He revealed he has 76 followers and 40 posts, and they found it!!!!!!!!
No Changes At The Wheel Of Fortune
Wheel of Fortune hosts Pat Sajak and Vanna White will remain on the show through 2024. Variety reported Wednesday that Sajak, 74, and White, 64, signed a new deal to host the game show through at least the 2023-2024 television season. They have hosted Wheel of Fortune together since 1983. The show will return for a 39th season Sept. 13th. Under the new deal, Sajak will also become a consulting producer on the series, while Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton will get an expanded on-screen presence beginning with Season 13. In addition, Deadline said Sajak’s daughter, Maggie Sajak, will join Wheel of Fortune as the show’s social correspondent on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, and that the show’s set and music have been refreshed for Season 39. Other changes include Sajak no longer doing the “final spin” of the game. More money will be up for grabs in each episode, and the “Secret Santa Holiday Giveaway” sweepstakes for Wheel Watchers Club members will return. “If you think about it, by doing the ‘final spin’ I, as host, had an impact on the outcome of the game and that has always bothered me because it just didn’t feel right,” Sajak said. “With this change, only the contestants determine the outcome of the game and the host does not impose themself in any way.” Sajak and White’s contract renewal follows news that Mike Richards has exited Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! as executive producer. Richards previously stepped down as Jeopardy! host following controversy over his past remarks.
*******We’re nervous!!! What are we gonna find out about Pat and Vanna’s pasts???
******After what happened to Alex, Pat wants to put off his “Final Spin” as long as possible!!!
*******Pat will be spinning long after the world stops!!! Spinning!!
Phil Collins Can No Longer Play Drums
Phil Collins detailed the extent to which his health has declined in recent years, noting that he can no longer physically play the drums. He will hit the road with his band, Genesis, again later this month, reuniting with Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford. Although he’ll be singing on the tour, he’ll no longer play the drums. His health has been in decline in recent years after suffering nerve damage from a spinal injury in 2007 that left him with damage to his vertebrae that’s forced him to be seen in a wheelchair occasionally, according to NME. He appeared on the BBC Breakfast show on Thursday where he discussed the upcoming Genesis tour in which his son, Nicholas, will take over drumming duties due to his dad’s declining health. Speaking on the chat show, Collins revealed that his drumming days are unfortunately behind him now.
*********Yes, but is he vaccinated?? That’s all that counts!!
******What’s next?? Will Eric Clapton’s fingers fall off??
JLaw Is Having A Baby
Jennifer Lawrence and her husband, Cooke Maroney, are expecting their first child together. They got married in 2019 in a star-studded ceremony in Newport, Rhode Island at Belcourt Castle in front of reportedly 150 friends and family. The guest list included the likes of Adele, Kris Jenner, Nicole Richie and her husband Joel Madden, Cameron Diaz, and Sienna Miller. Emma Stone and Ashley Olsen were also in attendance. Lawrence and Maroney were first linked in 2018 and got engaged in February 2019 and then celebrated with a party three months later in New York City. In September 2019, the two were spotted obtaining a marriage license.
*******His dad, Boney Maroney, is very proud!!
*****The only problem with her having a baby is that we’re not the father!!
*******In Hollywood, we always ask: “Who’s the lucky baster???”
Jennifer Aniston Gives Awkward Interview
Jennifer Aniston had an awkward exchange on a British TV show when the host made her visibly upset by clumsily interrupting her comments and accusing her of not being a morning person. She was on “The One Show” Wednesday discussing what it was like filming Season 2 of her Apple TV+ drama, “The Morning Show” — in which she stars alongside Reese Witherspoon — when she got cut off by presenter Jermaine Jenas. The look Aniston gave him could have stopped a clock — and it also brought social media to a standstill as people debated whether Jenas was in the wrong or Aniston was overreacting. The cringe-fest began as Aniston appeared remotely on the chat program with Witherspoon and got to talking about what it was like to film scenes in the early-bird hours of the morning. “I learned the slow burn that it is. It’s a very vampire state of life and mind that you guys live in. Everybody comes alive in the middle of the night, and it’s a slow-moving train,” Aniston said. “I got there at 5 in the morning and the hallways were quiet and people are just slowly waking up, and then all of a sudden, the train starts moving and it gets crazier and crazier. It’s utter chaos.” That’s when Jenas interrupted Aniston to ask Witherspoon a question while insinuating that Aniston doesn’t like getting up early. “Reese, I’ve got to be honest with you, Jennifer’s pretty much sold it to me that she’s not a morning person,” he said, to which Aniston appeared stunned. “Did I sell that to you?’” Aniston uncomfortably asked, to which Jenas responded, “A little bit, a little bit.” “Did I get a good deal?” the actress snapped back. Some viewers quickly took to Twitter to rip into Aniston for the way she responded to Jenas’ comments. See the video HERE.
******You have to see the video to get the side-eye she was throwing his way!!!
***This is what happens when you get old and cranky!!
******Reese looked like she wanted to be somewhere else!!!!
*******Jen was in the middle of her “wake and bake” when she got on the call!!
Leonardo DiCaprio Gets New Spread
Leonardo DiCaprio listed his longtime Carbon Beach house for $10 million Tuesday after securing a bigger, more expensive Malibu spread in July, according to reports. He also upgraded one of his parents to a $7.1 million Los Feliz abode and listed his father’s $5.75 million LA house for sale this summer. He recently earned millions for his performance in Netflix’s “Don’t Look Up” alongside Jennifer Lawrence, Ariana Grande, Chris Evans and Timothée Chalamet. As for his new a $13.75 million Malibu pad, it was built in 2005 with four bedrooms and five bathrooms — a step up compared to his old 1950-built house’s three bedrooms and two bathrooms, according to the Los Angeles assessor’s portal. The new Malibu beach house is 3,268 square feet on a 0.33-acre lot, double the size of his old 1,765-square-foot home on a 0.16-acre lot, according to Realtor.com.
********He’s looking for a space big enough to store all his old girlfriends!!
********That’s right: L.A. real estate is not for the faint-hearted!!!
*****$10 million in Malibu buys you a “fixer-upper!!!”
Nick Cannon Will Continue To Have More Babies
Nick Cannon, the father of seven children with multiple women, vows to keep sharing his potent powers if “God sees it that way.” Despite just welcoming his fourth baby in six months in June, he might not be slowing down anytime soon: he said that he will sire even more if the man upstairs allows it. He dropped the bombshell Tuesday while touring Harlem with rapper Jim Jones, his co-star in the upcoming flick “Miracles Across 125th Street.” “God willing, if God sees it that way — then that’s what I’m gonna keep doing,” Cannon told told TMZ’s street crew when asked if he planned to have any more kids. When the outlet asked for the secret to his sexcess, Cannon joked that he’s gonna launch his own “sperm bank.”
********Does it seem like he’s practicing his own kind of polygamy???
******He should be forced to buy one big house and put all his baby mamas together!!!
******It’s all good until he has to pay for everyone’s college!!
Ripping The Tabloids (Throughout the week, we’ll give you the stories from that weeks tabs!)
**Please Credit Publication!
Gavin Rocks On With a New Gwen-(National Enquirer)
Rocker Gavin Rossdale, 55, is dating model Gwen Singer, who is a dead ringer for his ex-wife, Gwen Stefani-and six years younger than his 32-year-old daughter, Daisy Lowe, sources dished. The Bush frontman’s relationship with the social media sensation is still in its early days but the pair are “having fun,” sources added.
Rebecca’s Weird Kiss of Death-(Globe)
Rebecca Hall insists kissing a vapid movie phantom isn’t all that fun. For her new scary flick, “The Night House,” about a grieving young widow seemingly uncovering supernatural shenanigans, the 39-year-old had to make out with an invisible apparition! “It’s definitely one of the weirder and more awkward things that I’ve ever had to do in my career,” says the British beauty.
Loose Talk-(Us Weekly)
“Sometimes I don’t feel like the perfect role model….I’m a mom and I’m imperfect, [and] I need [their] songs to help remind me that it’s OK to be vulnerable and fallible.”-On relating to her characters from the musicals Wicked and Frozen, Idina Menzel.
“Remember, we are just animals who were meant to be roaming around the forest eating, pooping and making babies. Overwork is literally killing us.”-On why she makes sure to take time to rest and reset, Camila Cabello.
“You were like, ‘Congratulations, Lizzo, you’re smashing it.’ And I was like, ‘I’ll smash you!’”-Flirting with Nial Horan during an interview, Lizzo.
Is Britney OK?-(Star)
While the #FreeBritney community continues to fight for Britney to be released from her conservatorship-insisting that if she’s well enough to perform, she’s well enough to make her own decisions-some fans are genuinely worried about the star’s state of mind. And recent Instagram posts in which the singer is posing topless and doing strange dance moves only add to the growing concern. “People are noticing that her social-media posts show a side of Britney that isn’t necessarily healthy,” says a source, adding “there are plenty of red flags.” A second insider says that aside from her boyfriend of nearly five years, 27-year-old trainer Sam Asghari, and her attorney, Britney doesn’t have a huge support system. “She has no one to tell her that maybe she shouldn’t post certain videos or pose topless,” the insider says. “Her mental state,” the insider adds, “is still in question.”
Sunny Vibes-(Life & Style)
Porto Cervo, Italy, Aug. 22
From Fast and Furious to rested and relaxed! After wrapping up work on 2023’s Dungeons & Dragons movie, action star Michelle Rodriguez, 43, took time from her hectic schedule for a day of yachting with a group of friends that included Italian TV presenter Raffaella Zardo. Displaying a bright smile and an enviable set of abs, a bikini-clad Michelle looked as though she was making the most of her vacation time as she soaked up those Mediterranean rays.
Kacey Musgraves & Cole Schafer: Going Public-(People)
Days after becoming Instagram official, the Grammy winner, 33, broke her silence on her relationship with the writer, 27, in an Aug. 26 piece, revealing Schafer “did not know who I was, which I love.” The pair were first linked in June.
Host of the Week-(In Touch)
David Spade
“Doing barely anything was a lot harder than I thought.”
-on taking over for Chris Harrison on Bachelor in Paradise.
STUPID NEWS
Lost Dog Found Riding The Bus
A lost dog in England was reunited with his owner after climbing aboard a city bus, where passengers soon realized the canine was riding solo. Passengers aboard a Plymouth CityBus on Tuesday said the dog followed a human passenger onto the vehicle, and it was a short time later when they discovered the human was not accompanying the canine. Concerned riders posted pictures of the dog to social media in the hopes of finding his owner, and an administrator on the “Plymouth (UK) pets lost & found” group later confirmed the dog had been reunited with his family. Plymouth CityBus shared the story of the dog, named Patch, on its Facebook page. See the pic HERE.
********Patch was thinking, “Leave me alone!! I’m trying to run away from home!!”
******Dogs love busses!! They can go around sniffing all the seats!!!
Zebras On The Loose!
Animal control officials in a Maryland county said they are trying to locate three zebras that have been on the loose for several days. Prince George’s County Animal Control chief Rodney Taylor said the zebras have been repeatedly sighted in the Upper Marlboro area of Prince George’s County after escaping from a farm at which several other zebras live. Upper Marlboro resident Davon Bennett said he spotted the three striped equines outside his home early Wednesday. Neighbor Layla Curling captured video of the zebras behind her house on Thursday, the same day the animals are believed to have escaped. “I thought it was a deer for a second and then I saw it was a zebra — a whole zebra right next to our playground right next to the fence,” Curling told WRC-TV. “So, I ran upstairs to get a better look up there and then I said, ‘Mom, there’s a zebra outside our playground, and she didn’t believe me and said I was crazy.” See the video HERE.
********People are spotting zebras… and football kicks off this weekend!! Coincidence??
*****Zebras are smart… they know that vertical stripes make them look thinner!!
******They could be horses that escaped from prison!!!!!
Elvis Presley’s Hairball Sold
A baseball-sized clump of hair that came from the head of Elvis Presley sold for $72,500 in an auction. Kruse GWS Auctions, based in Los Angeles, said the “Elvis Presley jar of hair with extensive documentation” sold for $72,500 in an auction that also included the sale of the performer’s iconic jumpsuit from his 1972 Madison Square Garden performance for $1,012,500. The auction house said the baseball-sized clump of hair was collected over the course of multiple haircuts by Homer Gilleland, Presley’s personal barber for more than two decades. The hair was kept in a plastic bag by Gilleland, who gifted it to Thomas Morgan, a close friend of both the barber and the singer. The “extensive documentation” included with the hair, which has since been transferred to a sealed jar, includes plane tickets from occasions when Presley brought Gilleland on the road with him to cut his hair and a certificate of authenticity signed by John Reznikoff of University Archives, “the world’s most trusted authority in the field of hair collecting.”
*********They know it’s from Elvis, because it smells like bacon!!
********Wait a minute… “hair collecting” is an industry???
********We’d love to buy Elton John’s hair…. or maybe he’ll just it off and give it to us!!
Giant Hemp Maze
A Minnesota farmer is foregoing the corn and inviting visitors to test their wits in a 2-acre hemp maze. Ted Galaty, owner and operator of Hemp Maze Minnesota at Willow’s Keep Farm, situated just south of Zumbrota, said he wants to use the maze to educate the public about industrial hemp, which is distinct from its cousin, marijuana. “Industrial hemp is usually grown for its food, its fiber or it’s grown for the medicinal side of it,” Galaty told WCCO-TV, “not to get people high.” The maze was created in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. “As far as I know it’s the only hemp maze in Minnesota and probably in the United States,” he said. The maze is open from 11 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. CDT on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 30. See the video HERE.
*********We had a “hemp maze” one weekend!!! We got stoned and couldn’t find the bathroom through the living room furniture!!
*******Some people go in and don’t WANT to come out!!!
STUFF THAT’S COOL AND VIRAL
VIDEO: SHOCKING FOOTAGE OF 9/11 FROM A FEW BLOCKS AWAY
VIDEO: MONKEY GETS HURT AND STARTS CRYING!
A LIST FOR FRIDAY
12 Ways Therapists Are Personally Coping With COVID Anxiety (Again)
HUFFINGTON POST
I remind myself this isn’t my first COVID rodeo.
“In times like these, I remind myself: I am not a pro at living through a pandemic, but I am not a novice, either. I remind myself that I can take precaution and maintain the way I have been for over a year. I can do the best that I can. My best is enough.” ― Akua Boateng, a psychotherapist in Philadelphia
I practice gratitude.
“It’s always helpful to focus on what we can control, but focusing on what we are grateful for is transformative. Practicing gratitude always helps my anxious worries melt away. When the world feels uncertain, I love to physically write down on paper all the things I’m grateful for that come to mind, no matter how big or small. This small gratitude practice helps me shift my thinking away from ‘powerless’ to ‘powerful,’ from feeling like a victim to feeling like a victor. (As a mental health professional, I know that gratitude rewires our brains’ thought patterns for the better!) And in the moments my mind seems to want to cling extra-hard to anxiety, I take the opportunity to call a friend and share what’s on my mind. Connecting with another human being for a little compassion and empathy is always a good idea!” ― Therese Mascardo, a psychologist and founder of Exploring Therapy
I let myself process all my emotions about COVID: the good, the bad and the ugly.
“I personally give myself permission to name and experience the wide range of emotions stemming from the current pandemic and new variant; these feelings range anywhere from grief, anger, helplessness to hope. I let these feelings run through me and also share my thoughts and feelings with my support system of family and friends. This reminds me that I’m not alone with what I am experiencing.” –– Alyssa Mancao, a licensed clinical social worker in Los Angeles
“I practice regular self-validation and self-compassion, meaning that I allow and accept the emotions that show up with kindness, and without allowing self-judgment and self-criticism to prevail. Emphasis on ‘practice’ here, not perfection. At the end of the day, we’re all humans going through a shared traumatic experience together. I allow myself space to take time for myself, consider what I’m capable of, workload-wise (aware that I have the privilege to do that), and recalibrate and adjust as these times ahead change.” ― Brooke Huminski, a psychotherapist in Providence, Rhode Island
I limit the amount of COVID news I consume.
“What helps me to manage my COVID anxiety is to set limits and boundaries around the information that I am consuming. That can look like only watching the news for 10 minutes per day and not constantly refreshing my feeds. It is also helpful to set boundaries with friends and family in terms of sharing news stories, fatality rates and other information that can affect my mood. Simply stating, ‘Hey, I appreciate you wanting to keep me in the loop of what is going on, but these articles are creating more anxiety for me.’ Especially since we are all managing a climate in which there are so many opinions and an influx of false information spreading, it is important to filter what you are consuming and set boundaries.” ― Aaliyah Nurideen, a licensed clinical social worker in New Jersey
I ground myself in nature.
“Even though all I want to do after a long day of sessions is collapse on my couch and eat Cheez-Its, I force myself once or twice a week to the beach where I can put my feet in the sand and listen to the waves. Take an evening walk or sit on my back patio and listen to the birds chirping.” ― Jennifer Chappell Marsh, a marriage and family therapist in San Diego
With so much out of my control, I’m focusing on what I can control.
“To me, the key to handling worry (whether it’s about COVID or anything else) is to make decisions about what I can actually control and then redirect my attention to what I’m actually doing with my time in the present moment. So if worry comes up about the latest COVID news, for instance, I might take some brief time to decide if I want to update any personal decisions I’ve made about activities or precautions in my life related to COVID. That should be a relatively quick thing (lingering for too long in decision-making mode is bad for anxiety), and then I try not to analyze questions I can’t actually answer, like ‘When will this end?’ or ‘Will I get COVID?’ Those questions are impossible to answer with certainty, so instead of trying to eliminate the uncertainty, I allow the uncertainty to exist and redirect my attention towards whatever activity I am actually doing with my time in that moment. Basically what I’ve just described there is mindfulness and acceptance of uncertainty, which are proven effective strategies for anxiety and worry.” ― Michael Stein, a psychologist in Denver specializing in anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder
“In grappling with my own COVID anxiety, I’ve worked on more actively accepting uncertainty. This means recognizing when things are outside of my control, and gently encouraging myself to release any attempts I’m making to control those things. At the same time, I’m also staying mindful of the things that are still within my control ― even if they feel small. We all make numerous decisions throughout the day ― from what we eat, to what we wear, to who we interact with ― and reminding myself that I have choice in all of those things helps me to stay connected to my sense of agency in the world and my own capacity as a human being.” ― Madison McCullough, a psychotherapist in New York City
I try to meditate every day.
“I’ve committed to a morning and evening meditation practice. Even if I only have five minutes, it really grounds me as I enter the day and night. Insight Timer is a fantastic free app that provides a variety of meditations to meet your personal needs.” ― Aimee Martinez, a psychologist in Los Angeles
I try not to overextend myself.
“I’m a psychologist and a human: I have to contend with the same rush of emotions when I see the news stories involving loss, the politicization of the virus and vaccine, and ‘business as usual’ even in the face of crisis. What has helped me over the past 19 months is figuring out what is in the locus of my control: that is, how can I not take blame for national events and focus more on what is more proximal to me? For example, just because I do an interview urging vaccinations on CNN does not mean I should see a spike in appointments the next day. What I can do, however, is check in on the one person I had a conversation with about vaccinations, to see how I can support their decision with evidence and love. But sometimes even checking in [on] other people can be a big source of frustration. That means limiting my locus just to myself: Am I wearing a mask? Am I sleeping and eating right? Have I sent loving messages to those around me? Just those seemingly small check marks can reduce the anxiety I have about exposure, increased risk, or supporting my loved ones.” ― Riana Elyse Anderson, a psychologist and assistant professor at the University of Michigan School of Public Health
“I’ve committed to a morning and evening meditation practice,” one social worker says. “Even if I only have five minutes, it really grounds me as I enter the day and night.”
I’m practicing radical acceptance.
“Right now, I am practicing radical acceptance (a distress tolerance skill). I have accepted the uncertainty of the situation, which doesn’t mean I like it or want it, but means I have chosen to say to myself, ‘This just is what it is and I cannot control this situation. I am focusing on what I can control.’ I focus on having a relaxing morning routine and doing things that relieve stress every day.” ― Rebecca Leslie, a psychologist in Atlanta
I lean into my hobbies.
“Arkansas is a COVID hot spot, so my COVID policies are self-care via masking, doing only telehealth sessions with clients, being vaccinated, and going out only when necessary, though I walk in nature for an hour daily with my dogs. To stay challenged, I’m learning two new hobbies ― knitting and woodworking. Bottom line, there’s a lot of lemonade that can be made from pandemic lemons.” ― Becky Whetstone, a marriage and family therapist in Little Rock, Arkansas, and co-host of “Curly Girls Relationship Show”
I seek harmony.
“When COVID became a thing, my big focus was on creating balance in my life. I worked hard at balancing being a great therapist, being my most present self to my two toddler children, being a listening ear to my medical colleagues working on the front lines, being an anchor to my extended family as they grieved the loss of several family members and friends, and taking the baton from my husband as he took on the lion share of pandemic parenting. This time around, I seek harmony. I am striving to live in the flow of my life by establishing routines, permitting myself not to follow routines, creating structures in my life, and allowing myself room to move within those structures. Less abstractly, I am listening more to what I need to be there for others. I am also accepting the limitations to my excellence. I am not here to find balance in all the many responsibilities and goals I have. I am here to live my life to the fullest, which means living in the flow of the good, bad, and blah days.” ― Dana Crawford, a psychologist and cultural bias consultant in New York City
I remind myself I’m doing all I can to stay safe.
“When I begin to feel anxious, as we all do ― often triggered by something I heard on the news, or a notice from my child’s school about another infection ― I fall back on cognitive behavioral tools. I remind myself of the statistics with this virus. Despite the high infection rate and the virulence of the delta virus, the death rate is still low. I remind myself that I am doing all I can do by following medical advice. I choose to put the rest of my worry on a shelf. I also choose to enjoy this present moment and not allow my fear to steal it from me. I will often repeat this to myself a few times, add some deep breaths and distract myself with a healthier thought, and I’m on my way again.” ― Zoe Shaw, a psychotherapist, relationship coach and author of “A Year of Self-Care”
The preceding material was compiled and edited by Brandon Castillo. The Editor-In-Chief is Gary Bryan. The Radio Genius Show Prep Service is licensed for use on-air only by subscribing radio stations. Other means of redistribution is forbidden.
© 2020 – Radio Genius Show Prep