137. Activism Without Losing Yourself with Jax Anderson

When shit happens in life that we can’t control, we can sit back and be complacent or we can step up and take action. Not one to back down from a challenge, I’ve found myself struggling with how to handle the recent challenges we’re facing in the U.S.   I’ve spent a lot of time talking to both business and therapy clients and the conversations sound eerily similar: we’re distracted and unmotivated right now. So I turned to Jax Anderson, my friend and a fellow therapist, who continually impresses me with her activism and loud voice.   I wanted to have a conversation about where we are right now, where we can turn to for support, and what we can do to take care of ourselves. We talk about work ethic, our emotions, what self-care can look like, how to take productive action on social justice issues, and so much more.    It’s okay to feel your feelings and take time to sort out how you want to respond. And everyone’s form of activism might look different, and your activism might be different today than it will be next week. But the important thing is that we don’t rest, because that’s what they want and expect us to do.   Listen in to this powerful conversation about what to do next. About Jax Anderson: Jax is a psychotherapist in Wisconsin, where she owns a mental health clinic, raises her daughter and supports human rights and social justice.   She teaches parents about adolescence and the teen brain; as well as how to emotionally connect with their teens.   Links and Resources: Frederick Joseph (follow on Instagram) White Woman Whisperer (follow on Instagram) Follow Jax on Instagram Jax’s website Time Stamps: [1:20] - More about Jax [2:42] - Evolution of connections on social media [3:16] - There’s a mental health crisis right now [6:25] - How we take care of ourselves matters [7:29] - Checking your privilege [10:43] - Utilize your anger and transition it into activism [11:56] - Self care might be a bath but it can be so much more [13:20] - How Jax attended to her emotions [16:15] - We lean into our habits when things get tough but that might not be what you need at the moment [16:34] People understand physical health, but not mental health [19:38] - Emotions have an entity, where you can see the emotion [20:54] - Validation is free; give it away [22:23] - Taking care of yourself in the outrage and confusion [24:29] - Hustle culture started when we learned how to make money on social media [27:30] - Employees, contractors, customers are all hurting [28:55] - There’s a demand on energy with work, kids, partner, friends [31:44] - What do you need right now, give yourself more of that [32:10] - How Jax is taking care of herself emotionally [34:55] - When we’re confused and lost and just not sure, we’re in limbo [35:12] - Anger, confusion, hopelessness - we find a way to cope with that and just live with it [36:58] - Greed, power, control is toxic and we’ve been around long enough to know better [37:26] - Educating yourself helps out of confusion and hopelessness and will give you direction [41:40] - Feel your feels and it’s okay to feel overwhelmed [43:08] - Jax’s parting words of wisdom