Don’t Forget to Self-Regulate

I was watching an AOC Live the other day on Instagram – the one where she’s knitting – and she was talking about the importance of self-regulation and cultivating joy during these wild times we’re living through. For her, knitting is an antidote to despair. For me, I’ve taken to after-dinner walk most evenings. I started this habit in the early fall when a video of an energetic boomer woman with glowy skin espousing the benefits of a daily “fart walk” went viral. Benefits of an evening fart walk include improved protection against Type 2 Diabetes, and “aging wonderfully.” I have never farted once in my life – my husband can attest to that – but this daily evening walk still sounded like a good idea. If it could give me whatever it seemed to give this energetic lady with the glowy skin and didn’t require a prescription or a future stint in rehab, I wanted to try. It’s been nearly five months now and I guess it’s working because I have not developed Type 2 Diabetes and I also have not suffered a nervous breakdown even though we’re experiencing the collapse of society in real time, which is nerve-wracking, it turns out.

Usually on my walks I like to listen to music, but more recently I’ve started listening to podcasts occasionally, too, which until a few months ago is something I hadn’t gotten into and was secretly kind of proud that fact. Like, if I could avoid podcasts, I thought that meant I could avoid being influenced by anyone else, as if nearly eight hours online every day wasn’t having any effect on me. But then the election happened and suddenly, I needed answers I wasn’t finding in my usual places so I turned to podcasts – astrology and tarot podcasts mainly, and I got really into the Telepathy Tapes series too after a few friends recommended it. I’m not sure I have any more answers than I did before, but I can tell you all about Pluto in Aquarius and how the revolution is written in the stars, which gives me comfort for some reason, I don’t know why.

By far, my favorite thing to listen to on my evening walks is Siri reading my incoming text messages as they interrupt the sounds of Chappell Roan or Neko Case through my headphones. I had a text thread with friends get a little racy recently when someone shared a photo of a curved cocktail glass they spotted in a vintage shop in Louisville and someone else – maybe it was me and maybe it wasn’t – suggested an unlikely R-rated comparison and the responses started rolling in. Here’s a little pro-tip: it’s hard to despair when you’re listening to the sounds of Siri sexualizing a Tom Collins glass. “Yeah, I’d like to salt that rim with something spicy” hits different when a robot says it.

Another thing it seems people are doing in an effort to avoid breaking down is ignoring the Gregorian calendar. Is it just me or is everyone kind of free-balling time these days? Or, they’re at least free-balling a collectively-agreed upon schedule of events and their corresponding traditions and behavior. And that makes a lot of sense, actually. If we can’t collectively agree on the stuff that truly matters – like, healthcare is a basic human right, keeping kids fed is a top priority, and voting should be made easier not harder – why agree on the stuff that doesn’t matter, like when holidays begin and end? I noticed this in the last few days of January. Not only was everyone lamenting how many years long the month had already been, they were also leaving up their holiday decorations well past the time most people have boxed them up and gratefully packed them away.

It was January 31st and I was visiting friends in Chicago, and two minutes into our walk to get burgers and margaritas – cultivating joy! – I saw seven Christmas trees in people’s windows – still decorated with lights aglow and everything. Seven! These people with the trees weren’t even embarrassed by them on the last day on January, a full five and a half weeks past Christmas – a full 13 years into 2025. They were proud! They were…self-regulating. We’re all finding our ways, aren’t we?

If listening to podcasts is one of your ways, here are the ones I’ve enjoyed over the past few weeks:

Telepathy Tapes
This series explores telepathic communication among and between non-speaking people with autism. “This groundbreaking series challenges everything we think we know about communication and the human mind, inviting viewers to step into a reality where the impossible is not only possible but happening every day. Through emotional stories and undeniable evidence, The Telepathy Tapes offers a fresh perspective on the profound connections that exist beyond words.”

Cosmic Owl Astrology
I like this astrologer because she is interested in US politics and takes a close look at how astrology impacts the government. She, along with many others, is forecasting a wild March.

Revealing Light Tarot
Same deal as Cosmic Owl, but the host is a clairvoyant and uses tarot for insight on “global events, climate change, politics and future world trends and events.”
What are some ways you’ve been self-regulating and cultivating joy lately?