{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Episode 160: March Slump","description":"On today\u2019s episode of Uniquely Brilliant, Diana Bader and Becky Berry discuss the March Slump.&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Diana begins this episode by reminding us that two years ago at this time the whole world was shut down because of COVID, and our feeling that we\u2019re in a slump could be a trauma response. &amp;nbsp; The pandemic and the response to it are different now, but not completely different. Masks, boosters, quarantines - change constantly. Becky and Diana point out that everyone has a different comfort level with how to approach the world today. While Covid is still a big threat, Diana points out that there are equal threats to those who are immunocompromised that are rarely mentioned.&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Becky points out that because of the strangeness of our last two Marchs plus&amp;nbsp; now, it\u2019s easy to lose our sense of agency. We can forget that we can impact our own lives by the choices that we make.&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; The unpredictability of the weather in March adds to the slump. The temperatures and weather are all over the place: it can be 80 degrees one day and snow the next day.&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Diana and Becky share their strategies for maintaining their equilibrium. The overarching strategy is to go with the flow of the weather. Diana takes advantage of sunny weather by pursuing outdoor activities. When it\u2019s cold, she stays inside and cooks.&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; They also touch on the power of doing activities that soothe you. They go deeper into the power of soothing in  Episode 146.&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Full link to 146: https:\/\/uniquelybrilliant.libsyn.com\/episode-146-soothe-yourself-by-grounding   We can empower ourselves by:  Picking our battles by choosing what we think about and focus on Looking our emotions in the face and accepting them and choosing whether to surrender to the current circumstance or rise above them Staying in the moment Distracting ourselves with something that makes us feel lighter - listening to music, watching tv, reading, or cooking Changing scenery - going outside, taking a drive, taking a walk  &amp;nbsp; When we purposefully choose what we focus on, we feel a greater sense of agency.      \u00a92022 Cronecast Podcast Network | Music \u00a92015 Max Brodie ","author_name":"Uniquely Brilliant Podcast","author_url":"https:\/\/uniquelybrilliant.libsyn.com\/","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/22900391\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/88AA3C\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/content\/126267905"}