Calm it Down

Permission to have an interest that remains an interest, without turning enjoyment into a business or a bigger plan.

What did you do today? If the honest answer is "not much," you're not alone. The list hasn't moved since 8 a.m. Meanwhile someone online has journaled, cold-plunged and started a small business before breakfast. Good for them. This week is about the work that never makes the list: getting out of bed on the hard days, keeping your voice steady, not sending the text. Why we erase it, and why it might be the most important thing you did all day. I'm Chad Lawson and let's Calm it Down in 3...2...1.

Ever sit in the driveway for a minute before going inside?Sometimes we’re not avoiding home. We’re trying to figure out what version of ourselves is about to walk through the door.This week, we’re talking about what we carry home, what we hand to the people we love, and why “How was your day?” is rarely as simple as it sounds.I'm Chad Lawson and let's Calm it Down in 3...2...1.

An invitation to stop filling missing information with a frightening story and allow the blank to remain open.

At two in the morning, even the smallest worry can suddenly need its own microphone.This week, we look at why the things we carry get louder when everything else gets quiet, what happens when there’s nothing left to distract us, and why some feelings may need to be held for a while before they can be solved.Listen in as we Calm it Down. 

A reflection on the strange certainty of nighttime worries and the wisdom of letting morning reconsider them.

Last weekend, everyone was talking about mental health. The posts, the green ribbons, the reminders to check in. Now the feed has moved on. But whatever you were carrying is still here.This episode is for the days after, when the conversation gets quiet and you're still right in the middle of it. Come join me as we Calm it Down in 3...2...1.

A reflection on entering a room without turning your presence into an audition.

Have you ever finally sat down, only to immediately think of six things you should probably be doing instead? The laundry suddenly looks urgent. That email feels strangely important. Even the dishwasher starts making a compelling argument. For a lot of us, rest isn’t really rest. It’s something we allow ourselves once everything else is finished. Which, of course, means almost never. This week, we’re looking at why doing nothing can make us so uncomfortable, where that little voice saying “you should be productive” comes from, and what might happen if rest didn’t need to be earned at all. I’m Chad Lawson and let’s Calm it Down in 3...2...1.

A reflection on separating what fear predicts from what is actually happening right now.