Born on this day!! Actor James Darren is 84. Singer Nancy Sinatra is 80. Singer Chuck Negron (Three Dog Night) is 78. Singer Boz Scaggs is 76. Actress Sonia Braga is 70. Actress Kathy Baker (“Picket Fences”) is 70. Country guitarist Tony Rice is 69. Singer Bonnie Tyler is 69. Actor Griffin Dunne is 65. “Dilbert” cartoonist Scott Adams is 63. Actor-director Keenan Ivory Wayans is 62. Singer Mick Hucknall of Simply Red is 60. Keyboardist Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran is 58. Singer Doris Pearson of Five Star is 54. Actress Julianna Margulies (“The Good Wife,” ″ER”) is 53. Actor Dan Futterman (“Judging Amy”) is 53. Actor David Sutcliffe (“Private Practice,” “Gilmore Girls”) is 51. Actor Kent Faulcon (“Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse”) is 50. Singer Nicci Gilbert of Brownstone is 50. Actress Kelli Williams (“The Practice”) is 50. Actor Mark Feuerstein (“West Wing,” ″Good Morning, Miami”) is 49. Guitarist Mike Scheuchzer of MercyMe is 45. Actor Eion Bailey (“Once Upon A Time”) is 44. Rapper Kanye West is 43. Singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson is 42. Guitarist Derek Trucks (Allman Brother Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band) is 41. Singer Alex Band of The Calling is 39. Fiddler Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek is 39. Actress Torrey DeVitto (“Pretty Little Liars”) is 36.
THIS DAY IN GENIUS HISTORY
632 – The prophet Muhammad died.
1845 – Andrew Jackson, the 7th president of the United States, died in Tennessee.
1861 – Tennessee became the 11th and last state to secede from the Union.
1968 – James Earl Ray, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, assassin, was arrested.
1982 – President Reagan became the first American president to address a joint session of Britain’s Parliament.
1983 – Negro Baseball League great Satchel Paige died.
2001 – Tony Blair and his Labour Party won a second term, overwhelming the opposition at the polls.
Today Is: Ghostbusters Day, National Caribbean American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Shavout, Upsy Daisy Day, World Oceans Day
TODAY ON TV!
Primetime TV (All Times Eastern)
CBS – 8:00 – The Neighborhood / 8:30 – Bob (Hearts) Abishola / 9:00 – All Rise / 10:00 – Bull
NBC – 8:00 – Titan Games / 9:00 – The Wall / 10:00 – Songland
ABC – 8:00 – The Bachelor Greatest Seasons
FOX – 8:00 – 911 / 9:00 – 911 Lone Star
CW – 8:00 – Whose Line / 8:30 – Whose Line / 9:00 – Roswell New Mexico
TV Talk Shows
Jimmy Kimmel: Kerry Washington
Jimmy Fallon: John Oliver, Spike Lee, Benne featuring Gus Dapperton
Stephen Colbert: Joe Biden (R 5/21/20)
Seth Meyers: JJ Watt, Nicole Byer
James Corden: Matthew Macfadyen, Josh Groban
Lilly Singh: Jay Shetty, Humble the Poet, Subhah Agarwal (R 4/28/20)
Daily Show: The Daily Social Distancing Show
Conan: TBA
The View: Sen. Kamala Harris
Live with Kelly and Ryan: Josh Duhamel, Dr. Greg Yapalater
Ellen DeGeneres: Ava DuVernay, John Lewis, Ryan Tedder, Shane McAnally, Ester Dean
Wendy Williams: Da’Vine Joy Randolph (R 2/20/20)
The Real: Galen Gering, Michael Mealor, Lawrence Saint-Victor, Donnell Turner, guest co-host Amanda Seales (R 10/21/19)
Kelly Clarkson: LL Cool J, Christian Siriano, Joel McHale, Octavia Spencer (R 4/23/20)
Tamron Hall: Rosie O’Donnell, Reggie Bullock, Matt Lynch, Danny Burstein, Rob McClure
WHAT ARE YOU TALKIN’ ABOUT? Here are today’s PPM-Friendly Topics!
QUESTION: How much money does JEFF BEZOS have?? If you stacked it in $1 bills, it would HIT THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION… 30 TIMES!!!!!!
QUESTION: Wanna know how the women of the royal family KEEP THEIR COOL during public appearances?!! ‘Course you do! Click here for 6 ROYAL TIPS!!!!
QUESTION: Will JOE EXOTIC strike back??? His “band,” the one that sings all the songs he lip-synced, have a new deal! First single: “KILLER CAROLE!”
QUESTION: Is it good to have new hand rails on the GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE?? Sure it is… but the wind is making them HUM so loud, the city can’t sleep!!!!!!!
QUESTION: Is ANOTHER ONE about to bite the dust?? Your opinion can GET YOU FIRED, and this one is risky! Clemson coach says, “FOOTBALL MATTERS!!”
Highest Paid Celebrities
Kylie Jenner has been ranked as the world’s highest-paid celebrity for 2020 by Forbes. Her brother-in-law, Kanye West, came in second, followed by tennis star Roger Federer. The Forbes list, released Thursday, ranks 100 celebrities including musicians, film stars, athletes and comedians. Jenner tops the list with a pre-tax income of $590 million after she sold a 51 percent stake in her cosmetics company to Coty in January. West earned $170 million over the past year, primarily from his Yeezy sneaker line with Adidas. Federer is in third with $106.3 million, making him the world’s highest-paid athlete. The tennis player’s income comes from his endorsement deals which include Japanese apparel brand Uniqlo. Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo with $105 million, soccer star Lionel Messi with $104 million, filmmaker Tyler Perry with $97 million, soccer star Neymar with $95.5 million, radio host Howard Stern with $90 million, NBA star LeBron James with $88.2 million and actor Dwayne Johnson with $87.5 million round out the Top 10. Taylor Swift topped the list last year with $185 million, followed by Jenner in second place and West in third.
*****Wait. Kylie Jenner is a “celebrity?” We thought she was just a thing!!
*****What does she do, besides put on makeup and stick her butt out?? Can she play drums?? Make a balloon animals??
*****We’re very impressed that she found a way to knock Taylor Swift out of the top ten!!!
*****Kanye also set a record as the man who has lived the longest with a Kardashian without being destroyed!!
Joe Exotic Responds To Baskin Taking The Zoo
Joe Exotic on Thursday weighed in on a ruling that handed the zoo at the center of the Netflix documentary to his rival Carole Baskin. The management team for Joe Exotic, born Joe Maldonado-Passage, issued a statement regarding a judge’s ruling to give Baskin control of the G.W. Zoo in Oklahoma. He is serving a 22-year prison sentence for a murder-for-hire plot against Baskin, animal abuse and other charges. “This ruling is yet another emotional blow to an already fragile Joe, who has spent the past three straight months in solitary confinement,” his management team wrote. “He has been completely unable to defend himself.” Maldonado-Passage’s lawyers added that his legal team plans to file an appeal against the ruling. The ruling on Monday awarded Baskin’s Big Cat Rescue Corporation control of 16 acres of land in Garvin County, Okla., that hosts the zoo in addition to several cabins and vehicles. A judge ordered the Greater Wynnewood Development Group, LLC, formerly owned by Joe, to vacate the zoo land within 120 days and remove all animals.
*****On the bright side, it’s better to be in solitary confinement than to be ground up and fed to the tigers!!
******Joe is very fragile right now… he hasn’t been able to wear a pink shirt for months!!
********Putting an exhibitionist in solitary is worse than a death sentence!
Film Production Can Resume In California
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has given his blessing for film and TV production to resume Friday, subject to approval from county public health authorities. The state Department of Public Health also issued extensive guidelines for schools, day cares and casinos. But it put out just a single paragraph on music, film and TV production, essentially punting detailed rules to local health officials and labor-management negotiation. Production has been halted since early March, and it remains uncertain when it will actually restart. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers drafted a 22-page “white paper” on the topic, and submitted it on Monday for approval to officials in New York, California and Los Angeles County. But union officials have said that job-by-job protocols remain to be worked out. The industry report called for regular testing of crew members, six-foot physical distancing, and widespread use of face coverings. Industry sources have projected that the new protocols could increase production costs as much as 20 percent.
********WE HEAR Warner Bros studio will remain locked down until January!! (true) That’s where Ellen does her show.
******”Fuller House” got canceled at just the right time!!
*****Actors are the most paranoid, hysterical people on the planet. They may never go back to work!!
Prince William On Crisis Hotline
Prince William has revealed that he has been anonymously helping out on a crisis helpline during the coronavirus lockdown. His work with Shout 85258 — an around-the-clock text messaging helpline developed by the Royal Foundation — was made public to mark Volunteers Week. Last month, he told fellow volunteers in a video call that was shared on social media late Friday: “I’m going to share a little secret with you guys, but I’m actually on the platform volunteering.” William is one of more than 2,000 volunteers who have been formally trained to help those in need. More than 300,000 text conversations have taken place between volunteers and people needing mental health support, with around 65% of those texting aged under 25. Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, has also been helping others by taking part in “check in and chat” calls with people self-isolating or vulnerable during the pandemic.
********Have they called Prince Andrew?? He doesn’t seem to have any friends right now!!
******Someone reached out to the Queen and said, “I loved your song, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody!!'”
***It’s so nice that when the government drives us crazy, they set up a hotline to help us out!! Thanks!!
Lauren Sanchez Threw Her Brother Under The Bus
The brother of Amazon boss Jeff Bezos‘ fiancée says the power couple have “thrown him under the bus” after their sleazy selfie scandal. Michael Sanchez, whose sister Lauren has been dating Bezos since 2018, claims he’s been wrongly blamed for leaking nude pics the billionaire sent to Lauren in the early days of their relationship, and is suing the pair for defamation. The pics landed in the hands of the National Enquirer, whom Bezos then accused of trying to blackmail him. “I have protected and supported my sister 100 percent since the day she was born. And I’ve willingly taken the fall for her too many times to count. What’s different this time is our family has been ripped apart and Lauren doesn’t seem to care,” Michael Sanchez told the Daily Mail Saturday. Sanchez maintains he never had the illicit images to begin with, and claims federal investigators cleared him of wrongdoing. “Once the FBI and Amazon’s own investigators cleared me of ever possessing the pictures used to blackmail Jeff, I thought I’d get a private apology, at a minimum. “But Jeff and Lauren haven’t looked back. I’ve been thrown under the bus. Sadly, it’s likely the next time I see them will be in court,” he said.
********She has no time for you, dude!! She’s busy going through his fortune like a locust!!
*******We for got about the Bezos “dick picks,” but we’re sure it wasn’t a big deal, if you know what we mean!!
*****It was probably the smallest package Amazon ever delivered!!
Ryan Seacrest Might Ditch NYC
Ryan Seacrest has been shooting “Live with Kelly & Ryan” from his Los Angeles home since the spread of COVID-19 lead to quarantine orders. Following a recent on-air health scare, the television host is now considering moving back to his West Coast retreat permanently. “He has nothing against New York, but he feels that he was healthier in Los Angeles,” a source told Closer Weekly. “Ryan admitted he’s been exhausted since his health scare in mid-May.” During the “American Idol” season finale broadcast, Seacrest struggled with his words, seemed confused and had a visibly droopy right eye. Reps for the star denied he suffered a stroke, chalking up the incident to “adjusting to the new normal and finding work-home balance.” ABC insiders ‘extremely worried’ Ryan Seacrest is ‘overdoing it’
******He was confused with a droopy eye!! Just like Jeff Bezos!!
*****Maybe when you get enough money, your eye starts drooping!! Which means we have nothing to worry about!!
*****If Ryan cuts back on his workload, that’ll lead to a lot of openings!!
Queen’s Corgis Are Spoiled
It’s good to be one of Queen Elizabeth’s corgis, who get their own menu. “I didn’t expect to be cooking for the Queen’s dogs, when I started working at Buckingham Palace. I thought I was going to be cooking for kings, queens and presidents. I did eventually, but one of the first jobs I had was cooking for the corgis – the Royal Corgis – making fresh food every day. [The corgis had] their own menu,” Darren McGrady, who worked as a chef for Buckingham Palace for 15 years, said in a video posted to YouTube this week. The dogs were treated like little royalty by Her Majesty. “They sleep in like little wicker baskets in the corgi room and looked after by two footman called Doggie 1 and Doggie 2, that’s what they called them,” McGrady said. On the elaborate menu was rabbit, chicken, liver, beef, cabbage and rice. “The most important part of the meat was everything had to be cut into a fine dice … to be sure there were no bones at all in the meat,” McGrady said. “Imagine if any of the dogs were to choke on the — I’d be in real trouble.” After the food was prepared, Doggie 1 or Doggie 2 would deliver it to the Queen who would often feed the corgis herself. See the video HERE.
******If Prince Phillip pissed her off, he’d have to eat from the same dishes!!
****Prince Andrew complained: “You treated those dogs better than me!!” The Queen said, “They didn’t spend as much time humping as you do!!”
UPDATE: The U.S. just demanded that Andrew be turned over to give info in the Jeffery Epstein case!! Oops!
Ripping The Tabloids (Throughout the week, we’ll give you the stories from that weeks tabs!)
**Please Credit Publication!
Lili & Cole’s Breakup News Spreads Beyond “Riverdale”-(National Enquirer)
Lili Reinhart and Cole Sprouse tried to keep a lid on it-but their “Riverdale” co-star Skeet Ulrich spilled the beans about the couple’s split! Skeet let everyone in on the end of the three-year relationship when a fan asked online whether he thought the two “are a cute couple.” Responded Skeet: “I think they WERE a very cute couple!” Cole, 27, and Lili, 23, “remain good friends,” said a source.
Babies…..and More!-(Globe)
Busy Jude Law is going to be a pop again, thanks to second wife Phillipa Coan, 32, who’s pregnant with their first baby after a year of marriage.
No time to waste for married “Bachelor in Paradise” pair Jade Roper and Tanner Tolbert, both 33, who await their third bundle of joy! “Oops we did it again!” posts the proud pop online about the latest addition.
Aussie singer Sia has revealed she adopted two 18-year-old boys last year. The “Cheap Thrills” hitmaker, 44, says her new sons were “aging out of the foster care system.”
Loose Talk-(Us Weekly)
“I definitely lock myself in my parked car in front of my house and cry sometimes, just like everyone else does.”-On being pregnant during the pandemic, Katy Perry.
“Pants wanted in on social distancing I guess……”-On his wardrobe malfunction at a charity golf tournament, Tom Brady.
“After, you know, 2,000 live shows, where I’m jumping around for two hours, I finally fractured my ankle. In the kitchen. At my house.”-Recalling how she tripped over her dishwasher door in a freak accident, Halsey.
Sunshine On A Cloudy Day-(Star)
May 23
David Beckham and 8-year-old daughter Harper were stylishly in sync for a walk with their dogs, Sage, Fig and Olive, near their Cotswolds estate. The soccer star, 45, wife Victoria Beckham and their family-minus son Brooklyn, who’s currently in New York-have passed the days in quarantine by keeping busy at their rustic $7.5 million country home. Though David and the former Spice Girl, 46, own properties in London Miami and Dubai, their retreat in the U.K.-which boasts a sauna, a tennis court and picturesque views-has been a favorite escape for important milestones like birthdays and holidays.
Jaime: Husband From Hell?-(Life & Style)
Jaime King has filed for divorce from Kyle Newman, 44, claiming that she has “experienced repeated abuse” from the filmmaker since 2013. “[He] isolated me from friends, professional contacts….staged a fake intervention to force me into confinement,” Jaime, 41, wrote. “He has systematically made me feel inadequate, insecure, unsafe and traumatized.” Although a judge granted her a “partial” temporary restraining order, Kyle denies the allegations.
Joanna & Chip Gaines: Happy Anniversary!-(People)
The Fixer Upper stars celebrated their 17th wedding anniversary on May 31. “After all these years Joanna Lea Stevens, you really are the girl of my dreams,” Chip, 45, wrote of his wife, 42, on Instagram. The HGTV alums have five children.
Number of the Week-(In Touch)
51,000
-emails Chris Pratt accidentally deleted in an Instagram Live video.
STUPID NEWS
Lost Wallet Returned With $5,000
A British Columbia woman said she was overwhelmed with relief when a wallet she lost at a Walmart store was returned with its contents — more than $5,000 in cash — still intact. River Johnson of Enderby said she returned home from taking her elderly parents shopping at the Walmart store in Vernon before she realized she no longer had the wallet, which contained $7,000 in Canadian currency — U.S. $5,211 — from her two cannabis stores. “I was losing it,” Johnson told iNFOnews.ca. “There was a lot of fear and hopelessness thinking I’m never going to see it again.” Johnson said she called the store, even though it was closed at the time, and was relieved when an employee answered the phone. “He said ‘don’t you worry, now you can sleep tonight, it’s in our safe,'” Johnson said. Johnson returned the following day and was told that a manager, Ralph Buisine, had found the wallet and stored it in the safe in the hopes of its owner returning to claim it.
********Hey, come to think of it, WE dropped our wallet in that store!!
TOPIC: Ever find something valuable and track down the owner???
Snakes Found In AC Unit
An India resident who noticed baby snakes inside his home opened up his air conditioning unit and found about 40 snakes slithering around inside. Shradhanand, a farmer from the village of Pavli Khurd, Meerut district, said he spotted a snake on the floor of his bedroom Monday night and released the reptile outside. The man said he returned to his bedroom and found three more snakes in his bed. He searched for the source of the serpent invasion and ended up discovering about 40 snakes living inside his air conditioner. Shradhanand said he was able to extract the snakes with the help of neighbors and released the reptiles in a nearby wooded area.
********Hey, snakes like air conditioning, too!!
******The snakes are in the woods, asking each other: “Where we goin’ next?? That was FUN!”
******TOPIC: Wild animals you’ve found in your home!!
Ring Found In Bag Of Green Beans
A gold ring found in a package of beans was returned to its grocery store worker owner after taking a journey of nearly 125 miles. Sandra Hendren of Mulgildie, Queensland, said she bought the package of fresh green beans at Start Fresh Fruit Market during a recent visit to Bundaberg and found a gold ring at the bottom of the bag while she was making curry. “At first I thought it was one of my rings, until I had a closer look and found there was an inscription on the back,” Hendren told Bundaberg Now. “It was just lucky that I liked the beans so much that I ripped the bag right open instead of just opening it the normal way, as I definitely wouldn’t have seen it if I did that,” she said. “I’m just glad I ate them all straight away and came across the ring and it didn’t get thrown out.” Hendren contacted Start Fresh Fruit Market and soon learned employee Nien Galang had been searching for the ring. It had been an 18th birthday gift from his mother and was inscribed with his birthday and the words, “my life.”
*******Hey, better than finding the usual frog in the bag!!
TOPIC: Stuff you’ve found in your food!!
90-Year-Old Gamer
Every day, 90-year-old Japanese grandma Hamako Mori flexes her fingers to keep them nimble. Not for knitting or needlepoint, but to keep them in shape for playing video games. The “Gamer Grandma” spends three or more hours a day battling monsters and going on missions in the virtual worlds of her favorite games, and even has a popular YouTube channel for her fans. “I’m passionate about playing games every day,” the white-haired widow told AFP in an interview conducted by videochat. “Every day is an enjoyable day,” she said, describing eviscerating on-screen foes as a fantastic stress reliever.
********It also spices up her sex life!!
*****She’s been taking birth control pills since she was 25!! No one has the heart to tell her she doesn’t need ’em anymore!!
*******How would you like to be the 20-year-old guy who gets beaten by a 90-year-old grandma??
STUFF THAT’S COOL AND VIRAL
VIDEO: GUY PLAYS SAX INTO A STEEL PIPE!!
VIDEO: LEGO TRAIN IN THE FOREST.
A LIST FOR MONDAY
15 Things Therapists Do When They’re Worried About The Future
Huffington Post
Take a break
Angelle E. Richardson, assistant professor at the community and trauma counseling program at Thomas Jefferson University, said there’s nothing wrong with needing to take a step back if you’re feeling too overwhelmed.
Turn off the news and log off of social media for an hour or two so you can spend some time reading or doing another self-care activity. Nothing can change long-term if you don’t take care of yourself and give your mind space.
“If we stop, pause and step away from what we’re doing or worrying about, it gives us time to think and reflect, which may put things in perspective,” Richardson said.
Focus on what you can control
“It sounds simple, but I make a list of the things I can control and let go of the rest,” said Sean Davis, a marriage and family therapist and psychology professor at Alliant International University.
Identify what those control measures are for you, then take action. For example, you can wear a face mask outside; you can donate to organizations; you can have meaningful conversations with family and friends; you can apply for jobs as they become available; you can maintain a healthy routine that benefits your mental health. This will help ground you when your anxiety skyrockets.
Apply the AWARE technique
Zlatin Ivanov, a psychiatrist in New York City, uses the “AWARE” system to work through an anxious cycle:
Accept that you are feeling anxious and directly identify it as what you’re feeling. Watch the anxiety and grade it on a scale. Act normal as much as you possibly can through talking and your breath. Repeat the previous three steps if necessary. Expect the best. You are taking control of the fear instinct and taming and training it.
Try a grounding exercise
Erika Updegrove, a licensed clinical psychologist in New York City, said she engages in a grounding exercise when she feels anxious: “I put my feet firmly on the floor and I imagine that my feet are much like the roots of a tree. I envision that my ‘roots’ go way down below the street level and I am anchored into place, immovable.”
You can also focus on other tangible things around you. For example, prompt your mind to notice five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste.
Sit in your anxiety for a while
It sounds counterintuitive and uncomfortable, but the point is to normalize the feeling. Because anxiety is natural.
“I will tell myself to ‘sit’ with the anxiety and that it is OK that it is there,” said Jeffrey Kassinove, co-founder of Therapy West in New York City. “When you are afraid, it means there are too many unknowns for us to make a prediction. So, I sit tight and let time fill in those unknowns as the future becomes the present day.”
Instead of defaulting on the worst scenario, intentionally visualize the best
Jaime Bronstein, a psychotherapist and licensed clinical social worker in San Diego, California, recognizes her negative thoughts — then urges herself to think about positive ones.
“Instead of imagining something terrible happening, I create the most positive scenario I can think of,” she explained.
Seek lessons from ways you’ve dealt with uncertainty in the past
“I remind myself how I have coped with difficult transitions, or things that were out of my control in the past,” said Jennifer Chaiken, a licensed marriage and family therapist in at The West Chester Therapy Group in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
She added that we tend to forget how resilient we are and how much we have gotten through. Remind yourself of your strength, think back on how you have managed issues before and then consider how those methods could help you again.
Try to concentrate on the present moment
“Even if I have to remind myself each hour, I remind myself to stay present,” said Eliza Kingsford, a licensed psychotherapist and behavior change specialist in Boulder, Colorado.
When she feels inclined to worry, Kingsford said she works to consciously bring herself back to the present moment and asks herself questions like: “What is true right now?” “What do I know right now?” “What can I control right now?” “Am I OK right now?” “Are there decisions that need to be made right now?”
This, she said, helps to keep her “present focused” and work only with information that she has, not information that she is anticipating.
Act on your anxiety by moving your body
“When I feel the urge to roll over rather than face the day, I use a technique called opposite action,” said Heather Collins, a licensed clinical social worker in Berkeley, California. “So, rather than succumbing to that feeling of paralysis, I shift gears and psych myself up to get active.”
Moving your body in a way that feels good will help alleviate some of the physical effects of anxiety. “I know that once I get moving, some of those sinking feelings will begin to lift,” Collins said.
Spend some time acknowledging what you have right now
Kathryn Grace Zambetti, a psychotherapist and executive coach at Grace Consulting, said gratitude for what you have right now allows the brain to release thoughts tied to the future. It’s important to do this regularly, even when you aren’t in a time of crisis.
Reflect on three or four things you’re grateful for — the more specific, the better. You can acknowledge them quietly to yourself, she said, but advised that “a daily gratitude practice is also much more effective when it is said out loud or written down on paper.”
Create and stick to a schedule
Jerry Lynn Petty Jr., a licensed professional counselor in Denton, Texas, has found that consistency is key when everything in the word feels uncertain. And a great way to do this is to stick to a routine. Even if it’s a super basic one.
“I go to sleep at approximately the same time, wake up the same time, eat at the same times,” he said. “Keeping routines instills a sense of normalcy during very abnormal times.”
Remember a time when the outcome was positive
Kim Grevler, a licensed clinical social worker and founder of the mental health awareness brand selfishladies, thinks about all the times that she was worried about the future and the outcome turned out better than she had imagined.
“This busts the myths and assumption that are inherent in our minds when we worry about the future, which implies that there is something to be afraid of,” she explained. “By remembering a time when the outcome was better than what you anticipated, you are retraining the brain to worry less about the lack of control and have more confidence in the possibility of a positive outcome.”
Use a mantra
Having a phrase to come back to whenever things get stressful has been extremely helpful to Christi Solomon Zerega, founder of Aware Counseling in Charleston, South Carolina.
“When I am struggling, my mantra is ‘I am capable. I am competent. I am confident. I can handle anything that comes my way,’” she said. These empowering statements pull her back to what is within her control and help keep her in the present moment.
Turn to a support system
“If my level of worry feels overwhelming, I will vent to a friend,” said Pamela J. Garber, a therapist in New York. “If no one is available, I will vent out loud about it, but give myself a 30-minute time limit.”
During this time of venting, Gerber said she will work to find a new way of looking at the situation, a technique she calls basic cognitive reframing. She tries to find a silver lining, identify a benefit for herself or others that can come from the situation, or work on developing her tolerance for uncertainty.
If her worry continues to escalate, she will text the people in her friend network and continue reaching out for support.
Go to therapy
“Yes, it’s true! Therapists have their own therapist ― or they should ― because we also need a place to feel validated when we worry about the future, and we need a therapist to challenge us when our anxiety has gotten out of control,” explained Audrey Grunst, founder of Simply Bee Counseling.
She said the practice of talking to someone also helps therapists learn what it’s like to be on the other side of the chair and grow empathy for their clients, in addition to healing their own wounds.
“This type of work can protect us from anxiety about the future because we are not just giving advice every day, but we are also accepting someone else’s help. And that can go a long way in terms of coping with an uncertain future,” she said.
There’s nothing wrong with seeking professional advice if your anxiety becomes too difficult to manage. (Try one of these affordable mental health resources.) Your anxiety doesn’t have to control you, even when everything else feels so uncertain.
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.
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