Why? Because worry masquerades as action. The fight-or-flight surge...adrenaline... alertness...FEELS productive. BUT...it’s a trick. It gives the sensation of movement...while delivering paralysis. Nothing meaningful gets done.
So so true!! I go out and slip and slide in the damn snow and I go out and play with my chickens.. collect the eggs and then I play Majong on my phone.. I ignore the news and ignore the Orange Shitstain blathering.. I’m sleeping much better.. and I watch movies..I usually check the news first thing in the morning then Substack then I ignore it all.. and make afghans quilts and sweaters.. for everyone cause I can’t go to very many places.. compromised immune system from COVID when the Orange Shitstain said it was just the flu..fucking dumbass Orange MFKR🖕🏽
Morgan, you’re doing exactly what works...and you figured it out the hard way. You changed the inputs...regulated your body...and reclaimed your day. That’s not avoidance. That’s self-preservation.
Snow...chickens...eggs...simple games...making things with your hands...THOSE are grounding behaviors. They tell your nervous system, “I’m here, I’m safe, I’m alive.” Of course you’re sleeping better!
Your routine is smart: quick scan for awareness...Substack for meaning...then back to living. That’s the balance most people never learn.
Given what COVID took from you, protecting your peace isn’t optional...it’s necessary.
#HOLDFAST isn’t about rage scrolling or white-knuckling reality. It’s about choosing life... creativity...and steadiness anyway.
You’re doing it right. 💪
-Jack
P.S. "the Orange Shitstain said it was just the flu..fucking dumbass Orange MFKR🖕🏽" Really made me smile. I'm very comfortable in that realm of communication...and speak it fluently. ;)
I can NOT not swear.. I’m getting closer to 60.. my kids are on their own now and the youngest is 13 from the hubby’s first marriage and he’s my 15 th kid I’ve raised.. When you have drug addict siblings someone has to make sure the kids are in a safe and stable home.. well that’s been me.. I’m tired of raising kids.. I want grand babies so I can sugar their asses up and give them back to the parents.. it’s called fucking pay back 🤗
Fantastic article Jack! I had to skim this one because I’m at immunotherapy treatment at KUCC today. I’ll re read it tonight after I get home. Already sent it to some friends! Thanks! You ROCK Jack! ❤️🥰#HOLDFAST
Elizabeth Gooden...that means a lot...especially knowing where you were reading it. 💪 (I finally figured out how to use emoticons with my laptop lol)
Take care of YOU today first. The article will still be there tonight...and I’m glad it already resonated enough to pass along. That tells me it landed where it needed to.
Holding fast isn’t just grit...it’s pacing yourself through real battles. You’ve got this.
By the way, I am very familiar with KUCC and think it is a fantastic place to be when needing to do what you're doing. I've spent a fair bit of time there over the years...visiting and spending time with close friends of mine.
What's that old saying? Worrying is like a Rocking chair, you go back and forth and don't get anywhere!! Terrific excersise for the mind and body. Since trump's first term, I've been on three different High Blood pressure medications 😩 Great article today, and will reStack ASAP 🙏
This tells it straight up. I have always been very analytical and I also use going outside to walk or bike ride to get my mind straight. I think my life experiences have taught me some of this but there are some things here that will help to calm myself in a pinch. Thanks for this Jack
You’ve already built the muscle: analysis + movement.
Walking and biking aren’t escapes...they’re regulation tools...that pull you out of fight-or-flight and back into clarity.
This just gives you a way to do it on demand...when there’s no time or space. Hold fast isn’t passive. It’s choosing STEADINESS...when panic wants the wheel.
Also, I never say, "I need to exercise." I simply say, "I'm going to go for a walk." The difference is night and day.
LOL Agree but yours is filled with knowledge I have never studied...former math teacher and then RN...left after shootings at a nearby school..no kevlar or sidearm no more teaching..and that was in the '80s
Thank you for this important information Jack. Worry does work on a loop. It can be paralyzing. It can affect your physical health also. The steps you list are invaluable.
Well...those two are as different as night and day, Mary. One feels weak, helpless, and submissive...the other feels energized, powerful, and overconfident.
Using that guide, you should be able to tell...in a second or less.
Of the two...hate is far more focusing than worry or anxiety. Still not optimal...mentally...emotionally...or physiologically...but if forced to choose? I’ll take hate over paralysis any day.
Hate itself isn’t the problem. What it’s aimed at...and the level it’s operating on...is.
When I’ve spoken with former gang members and ex-KKK members who truly changed...the turning point wasn’t denial. It was when they developed a hate OF/ABOUT their hate...of what it had made them believe and do.
That single move shifts cognition.
The moment someone asks, “How do I feel ABOUT my hatred of Blacks… rivals… women?” they enter a meta-state...a state about the state.
That higher level collapses the lower one.
The hate neutralizes itself.
The ones who don’t change do the opposite. They LOVE their hate. They feel righteous about it. That amplifies it. Hardens it. Turns it into identity. They feel love ABOUT their hate of women, people of color, etc.
So...for now...don’t try to erase hatred.
Just access acceptance ABOUT the fact that it’s there.
That alone softens it.
And once it softens…transformation becomes possible.
Excellent article, Jack. These actions we can take make us more effective in fighting back, and taking care of ourselves.
Keith...you're exactly right! Chronic worriers feel busy...but they’re stuck.
Why? Because worry masquerades as action. The fight-or-flight surge...adrenaline... alertness...FEELS productive. BUT...it’s a trick. It gives the sensation of movement...while delivering paralysis. Nothing meaningful gets done.
-Jack
So so true!! I go out and slip and slide in the damn snow and I go out and play with my chickens.. collect the eggs and then I play Majong on my phone.. I ignore the news and ignore the Orange Shitstain blathering.. I’m sleeping much better.. and I watch movies..I usually check the news first thing in the morning then Substack then I ignore it all.. and make afghans quilts and sweaters.. for everyone cause I can’t go to very many places.. compromised immune system from COVID when the Orange Shitstain said it was just the flu..fucking dumbass Orange MFKR🖕🏽
Morgan, you’re doing exactly what works...and you figured it out the hard way. You changed the inputs...regulated your body...and reclaimed your day. That’s not avoidance. That’s self-preservation.
Snow...chickens...eggs...simple games...making things with your hands...THOSE are grounding behaviors. They tell your nervous system, “I’m here, I’m safe, I’m alive.” Of course you’re sleeping better!
Your routine is smart: quick scan for awareness...Substack for meaning...then back to living. That’s the balance most people never learn.
Given what COVID took from you, protecting your peace isn’t optional...it’s necessary.
#HOLDFAST isn’t about rage scrolling or white-knuckling reality. It’s about choosing life... creativity...and steadiness anyway.
You’re doing it right. 💪
-Jack
P.S. "the Orange Shitstain said it was just the flu..fucking dumbass Orange MFKR🖕🏽" Really made me smile. I'm very comfortable in that realm of communication...and speak it fluently. ;)
I can NOT not swear.. I’m getting closer to 60.. my kids are on their own now and the youngest is 13 from the hubby’s first marriage and he’s my 15 th kid I’ve raised.. When you have drug addict siblings someone has to make sure the kids are in a safe and stable home.. well that’s been me.. I’m tired of raising kids.. I want grand babies so I can sugar their asses up and give them back to the parents.. it’s called fucking pay back 🤗
Fantastic article Jack! I had to skim this one because I’m at immunotherapy treatment at KUCC today. I’ll re read it tonight after I get home. Already sent it to some friends! Thanks! You ROCK Jack! ❤️🥰#HOLDFAST
Elizabeth Gooden...that means a lot...especially knowing where you were reading it. 💪 (I finally figured out how to use emoticons with my laptop lol)
Take care of YOU today first. The article will still be there tonight...and I’m glad it already resonated enough to pass along. That tells me it landed where it needed to.
Holding fast isn’t just grit...it’s pacing yourself through real battles. You’ve got this.
By the way, I am very familiar with KUCC and think it is a fantastic place to be when needing to do what you're doing. I've spent a fair bit of time there over the years...visiting and spending time with close friends of mine.
#HOLDFAST❤️
-Jack
What's that old saying? Worrying is like a Rocking chair, you go back and forth and don't get anywhere!! Terrific excersise for the mind and body. Since trump's first term, I've been on three different High Blood pressure medications 😩 Great article today, and will reStack ASAP 🙏
Karen Scofield...that saying nails it...and your body’s been paying the price for exactly that kind of endless motion with no traction.
Chronic worry keeps the engine revved...while going nowhere...and blood pressure is often the bill that comes due.
That’s why this matters so much: learning when to get out of the rocking chair and put your feet on the ground.
I’m really glad this one helped...and I appreciate the reStack more than you know.
#HOLDFAST isn’t about white-knuckling it. It’s about RE-CLAIMING your nervous system!
-Jack
This tells it straight up. I have always been very analytical and I also use going outside to walk or bike ride to get my mind straight. I think my life experiences have taught me some of this but there are some things here that will help to calm myself in a pinch. Thanks for this Jack
#HOLDFAST
Teri
Teri...that’s EXACTLY it.
You’ve already built the muscle: analysis + movement.
Walking and biking aren’t escapes...they’re regulation tools...that pull you out of fight-or-flight and back into clarity.
This just gives you a way to do it on demand...when there’s no time or space. Hold fast isn’t passive. It’s choosing STEADINESS...when panic wants the wheel.
Also, I never say, "I need to exercise." I simply say, "I'm going to go for a walk." The difference is night and day.
#HOLDFAST
-Jack
Funny, I also just say I am going for a walk or I am going for a bike ride...Thanks for responding
#HOLDFAST
Teri
Absolutely, Teri. "Great minds..." ;)
LOL Agree but yours is filled with knowledge I have never studied...former math teacher and then RN...left after shootings at a nearby school..no kevlar or sidearm no more teaching..and that was in the '80s
Thank you for this important information Jack. Worry does work on a loop. It can be paralyzing. It can affect your physical health also. The steps you list are invaluable.
Lori, you're so right. My pleasure!
-Jack
How do I know if I’m filled with worry or filled with hatred?
Well...those two are as different as night and day, Mary. One feels weak, helpless, and submissive...the other feels energized, powerful, and overconfident.
Using that guide, you should be able to tell...in a second or less.
#HoldFast
-Jack
I guess it’s hatred. I’m not sure I’m happy to learn I have that in me.
Of the two...hate is far more focusing than worry or anxiety. Still not optimal...mentally...emotionally...or physiologically...but if forced to choose? I’ll take hate over paralysis any day.
Hate itself isn’t the problem. What it’s aimed at...and the level it’s operating on...is.
When I’ve spoken with former gang members and ex-KKK members who truly changed...the turning point wasn’t denial. It was when they developed a hate OF/ABOUT their hate...of what it had made them believe and do.
That single move shifts cognition.
The moment someone asks, “How do I feel ABOUT my hatred of Blacks… rivals… women?” they enter a meta-state...a state about the state.
That higher level collapses the lower one.
The hate neutralizes itself.
The ones who don’t change do the opposite. They LOVE their hate. They feel righteous about it. That amplifies it. Hardens it. Turns it into identity. They feel love ABOUT their hate of women, people of color, etc.
So...for now...don’t try to erase hatred.
Just access acceptance ABOUT the fact that it’s there.
That alone softens it.
And once it softens…transformation becomes possible.
-Jack
When the trials and they are sentenced to death, I hope I feel a tinge of sympathy but I am fairly certain I won’t. Not good.
Admittedly, Mary...I likely won't either. But then again, when you try and steal my freedom...I'm a real asshole.
Hi Jack, not fully recovered, thank you will finish reading your incredible article later on. I needed to watch Jon Stewart (serious and laughter) 👇
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https://apple.news/A6P_1KtvPQ7itYZK1Jdzhsw