The Evergreen Rx

Today I’m joined by artist and author Meera Lee Patel, whose work centers on self-reflection, emotional awareness, and intentional living. Through her illustrations and writing, Meera helps people ask better questions and develop a deeper relationship with themselves.

Her newest journal, Learn to Let Go, was inspired by her own journey of accepting where you are, embracing change, and finding the courage to release what no longer serves you — which made her the perfect person to help answer today’s listener question.

Dear Evergreen,I’ve been trying to live more mindfully, but part of me feels guilty for letting go of ambition and the pressure to “do more.” How do you find peace with simply being when the world keeps telling you to become more?

In this conversation, we explore:

• Letting go of ambition and redefining what a meaningful life looks like
• The tension between mindful living and productivity culture
• Identity, belonging, and living in alignment with your values
• Developing an authentic voice and expression over time
• Learning to accept where you are while still growing

A thoughtful conversation about prioritizing yourself, listening inward, and creating a life that feels true. 

FIND MEERA: 

WEBSITE: https://www.meeralee.com

SUBSTACK: https://meeraleepatel.substack.com

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/meeraleepatel

FIND ME: 

INSTAGRAM: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

TIKTOK: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

YOUTUBE: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

WEBSITE:⁠ theevergreenrx.com⁠

For submitting questions or business inquiries, please email me at ⁠[email protected]

Disclaimer: Everything posted here is for educational or entertainment purposes only and is not a replacement for individualized medical or mental health treatment. Please reach out to a professional therapist or doctor if you are in need of assistance. Listener questions may be specific to one individuals life or an amalgamation of common experiences and dilemmas.

In this episode, I’m unpacking how insecurity quietly shapes our choices, relationships, and sense of self — from people-pleasing and overthinking to shrinking ourselves to avoid judgment. We talk about fear-based decision-making, the difference between knowing something intellectually vs. actually trusting yourself, and how self-trust is built through lived experience, not affirmations. 

We’ll cover:

• How insecurity subtly informs everyday decisions
• People-pleasing, overthinking, and shrinking to avoid judgment
• Fear-based motivation vs. self-trust
• Head knowledge vs. embodied knowing
• Why self-trust is built through experience, not affirmations
• Dealing with a fear of perception 

A grounded, honest conversation about where I am at in my growth journey and the insights I have gained along the way. Also, here’s to 99 episodes and an end to season 5! Follow along so you don’t miss everything that is coming for you next season. 

FIND ME: 

INSTAGRAM: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

TIKTOK: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

YOUTUBE: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

WEBSITE:⁠ theevergreenrx.com⁠

For submitting questions or business inquiries, please email me at ⁠[email protected]

Disclaimer: Everything posted here is for educational or entertainment purposes only and is not a replacement for individualized medical or mental health treatment. Please reach out to a professional therapist or doctor if you are in need of assistance. Listener questions may be specific to one individuals life or an amalgamation of common experiences and dilemmas.

Ever notice that a friendship that once felt electric can start to feel… quieter? Less exciting? Less intense? That doesn’t automatically mean something’s wrong — but it can bring up a lot of questions about whether you’re drifting apart or just settling into a new phase of connection.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why friendships can lose their “spark” over time (and why that’s normal)
• How the honeymoon phase shows up in friendships, not just romantic relationships
• The difference between infatuation with a person vs. building real connection
• How attachment patterns can shape who we feel drawn to 
• What to look for once the initial intensity fades
• When it’s worth staying curious vs. when it might be okay to let go
• Why depth often comes after the spark, not during it
• Why you don’t have to figure it out alone (yes, you can talk to them)

Not every friendship is meant to stay intense forever — but some are meant to deepen once the initial excitement fades. 

RESOURCES MENTIONED: 

Friendship playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSb3KVICLbYTJUOCFrXnvzJEPocHbeZVD&si=MyOpaxfDHxHN1Eld 

Intro to Attachment: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4CHkSpPSr6M53Uu9UGGnNF?si=5abb12d730e74c5a 

FIND ME: 

INSTAGRAM: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

TIKTOK: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

YOUTUBE: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

WEBSITE:⁠ theevergreenrx.com⁠

For submitting questions or business inquiries, please email me at ⁠[email protected]

Disclaimer: Everything posted here is for educational or entertainment purposes only and is not a replacement for individualized medical or mental health treatment. Please reach out to a professional therapist or doctor if you are in need of assistance. Listener questions may be specific to one individuals life or an amalgamation of common experiences and dilemmas. 

In this episode, we’re talking about moral grandstanding — the tendency to use moral talk, social media posts, or public outrage to boost our own reputation rather than genuinely engage with a cause.

From pile-ons and one-upping to exaggerated emotional displays, the internet has created an environment where being seen as “morally right” can become its own form of status. But what does this do to our relationships, our mental health, and our ability to actually address real injustice?

This conversation explores the psychology behind moral grandstanding and how it shows up in current events like the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni case. 

We’ll get into:

• What moral grandstanding actually is
• The different types: piling on, ramping up, trumping up, and more
• Holier-than-thou attitudes on social media
• Why outrage can feel productive in times of powerlessness
• How constant moral signaling leads to exhaustion and disconnection
• Why we should condemn the behavior, not the person

A messy, nuanced conversation about morality, the internet, and how to stay grounded in public discourse.

RESOURCES MENTIONED: 

Ep. 74 AI is not your friend or your enemy…it’s a computer 

Grandstanding: The Use and Abuse of Moral Talk by Brandon Warmke and Justin Tosi 

Moral grandstanding articles referenced:

https://medium.com/curious/moral-grandstanding-23f6f113ced8

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/talking-about-health/202108/the-challenge-moral-grandstanding

https://thewalrus.ca/the-inescapable-rise-of-moral-superiority/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=referral

FIND ME: 

INSTAGRAM: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

TIKTOK: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

YOUTUBE: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

WEBSITE:⁠ theevergreenrx.com⁠

For submitting questions or business inquiries, please email me at ⁠[email protected]

Disclaimer: Everything posted here is for educational or entertainment purposes only and is not a replacement for individualized medical or mental health treatment. Please reach out to a professional therapist or doctor if you are in need of assistance. Listener questions may be specific to one individuals life or an amalgamation of common experiences and dilemmas. 

I use AI to help me with every podcast episode I make. Topic generation, writing descriptions, making titles — AI has been a big part of my podcast process for a long time. I was an early adopter, I’m not planning to quit, and no, this is not an episode telling you to cut AI out of your life. But lately… I’ve been feeling disillusioned.

In this episode, I sit in the gray area and talk through my evolving relationship with AI — what it offers, what it takes, and why something about it has started to feel unsettling. We’ll cover:

• Using AI as a therapist, expert, artist, and even a friend
• How confidently wrong AI can be — and why that matters
• The way AI can undermine critical thinking and creative struggle
• Outsourcing communication, ideas, and emotional labor
• Feeling skeptical of everything online and questioning what’s real
• How constant AI-generated content can flatten nuance and push us into black-and-white thinking
• Why you don’t have to be fully for or fully against it
• Staying open-minded, human, and intentional in a rapidly changing digital world

There’s no hot take or final answer here — just a real-time processing of how to stay thoughtful and grounded while engaging with a tool that’s not going anywhere.

FIND ME: 

INSTAGRAM: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

TIKTOK: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

YOUTUBE: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

WEBSITE:⁠ theevergreenrx.com⁠

For submitting questions or business inquiries, please email me at ⁠[email protected]

Disclaimer: Everything posted here is for educational or entertainment purposes only and is not a replacement for individualized medical or mental health treatment. Please reach out to a professional therapist or doctor if you are in need of assistance. Listener questions may be specific to one individuals life or an amalgamation of common experiences and dilemmas. 

In this episode, we talk about the reality of wanting meaningful connection and wanting spaciousness, solitude, and time that isn’t accounted for. Especially in adulthood. Especially when your life is full. Especially when your job already requires you to be “on” all day.

We explore:

• Why there is no perfect recipe for friendship 
• Misperceptions of time and why one hour actually counts
• Choosing activities with clear start and end points
• Knowing who energizes you vs. who drains you
• What your guilt might actually be trying to tell you
• Why clear, honest communication matters more than frequency
• A practical way to keep friendships warm without burning yourself out

If you love your friends but also love being alone…If a text asking to hang out next week fills you with dread and longing…If you’re trying to reconcile who you used to be with who you are now…

You’re in the right place. This episode is about releasing unrealistic expectations, honoring your current capacity, and finding ways to stay connected without abandoning yourself. 

RESOURCES MENTIONED: 

Ep. 45 Outgrowing friendships & learning how to say goodbye (https://open.spotify.com/episode/1dsUnDxyBCklO9Mtu5n518?si=59a289a5b6d4425d) 

Ep. 48 FOMO, spiraling, & saying how you feel (https://open.spotify.com/episode/3jRLCqWHw3gamVWxzmsaaX?si=4e2a1185808846f8) 

Ep. 6 Navigating Friend Break Ups (https://open.spotify.com/episode/0r1VdAhFpXGfIc7bNolPlj?si=c693da213a024b1a) 

FIND ME: 

INSTAGRAM: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

TIKTOK: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

YOUTUBE: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

WEBSITE:⁠ theevergreenrx.com⁠

For submitting questions or business inquiries, please email me at ⁠[email protected]

Disclaimer: Everything posted here is for educational or entertainment purposes only and is not a replacement for individualized medical or mental health treatment. Please reach out to a professional therapist or doctor if you are in need of assistance. Listener questions may be specific to one individuals life or an amalgamation of common experiences and dilemmas. 

In this episode, we unpack the psychology of texting and how digital communication can quietly reinforce anxious, avoidant, or disorganized attachment patterns — especially when there are no facial cues, tone, or real-time context to ground us.

We talk about:

• Why texting feels so emotionally charged 
• How anxious, avoidant, and disorganized attachment show up in texting behaviors
• Long silences, delayed replies, over-texting, under-texting, and “reading into it”
• How constant contact can blur boundaries and imitate intimacy that isn’t actually there
• Why always being “on” robs us of self-soothing and distress tolerance skills
• When texting supports secure attachment — and when it undermines it
• Why calling and in-person connection matter more than we think

I also share how my own relationship to texting has changed — from using it as a way to create closeness and reassurance, to letting connection develop without forcing constant contact.

If you’ve ever spiraled over a text, avoided replying altogether, or felt like your phone had way too much power over your mood — this episode is for you.

FIND ME: 

INSTAGRAM: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

TIKTOK: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

YOUTUBE: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

WEBSITE:⁠ theevergreenrx.com⁠

For submitting questions or business inquiries, please email me at ⁠[email protected]

Disclaimer: Everything posted here is for educational or entertainment purposes only and is not a replacement for individualized medical or mental health treatment. Please reach out to a professional therapist or doctor if you are in need of assistance. Listener questions may be specific to one individuals life or an amalgamation of common experiences and dilemmas. 

At the start of every new year, there’s pressure to lock back in — rebuild routines, double down on habits, and become a more consistent version of yourself. But what happens when the version of you that feels best… doesn’t want to be structured the way she used to be?

In this Dear Evergreen episode, I explore the tension between flow and structure, especially after a season of deep flexibility and self-listening. I share my own quiet identity shift — from being someone who thrived on rigid routines to someone who started to resent them — and what it’s been like to loosen the reins without losing myself.

We talk about:

• When routines support your wellbeing vs. when they start to feel restrictive
• Why consistency isn’t always the same as sustainability
• The fear of “falling off” or burning out when you stop pushing yourself
• Honoring natural rhythms, cycles, and changing needs
• Letting equilibrium emerge instead of forcing it

This episode is for anyone who doesn’t need more discipline, but more permission — to change, to fluctuate, and to trust that different seasons call for different medicine.

FIND ME: 

INSTAGRAM: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

TIKTOK: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

YOUTUBE: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

WEBSITE:⁠ theevergreenrx.com⁠

For submitting questions or business inquiries, please email me at ⁠[email protected]

Disclaimer: Everything posted here is for educational or entertainment purposes only and is not a replacement for individualized medical or mental health treatment. Please reach out to a professional therapist or doctor if you are in need of assistance. Listener questions may be specific to one individuals life or an amalgamation of common experiences and dilemmas. 

“I’ve been in therapy for months and nothing’s fixed… am I doing this wrong, or is my therapist slacking?”

This question comes up all the time — online, in my personal life, and in my therapy office — and honestly, it makes me a little nervous to answer. Not because it’s wrong to ask, but because it touches on something tender, complicated, and often misunderstood about how therapy actually works.

In this episode, I’m leaning into the therapist side of me to talk openly about expectations, progress, and the therapeutic relationship itself — and why healing isn’t a service you purchase so much as a relationship you participate in.

We talk about:

• Why therapy is often framed as “I’m paying you, so fix me”
• How our results-oriented culture shapes unrealistic expectations of healing
• Why the relationship — not techniques or advice — is the biggest predictor of change
• Therapy as a surrogate attachment relationship (and what that stirs up)
• How idealizing or dehumanizing your therapist can stall progress
• What mutual respect looks like in a relationship with a power imbalance
• Why seeing your therapist as a real person can actually deepen safety and growth
• What this doesn’t mean (you’re not doing therapy wrong, and this isn’t therapist blame)

Even if you’ve never been in therapy, this episode applies to any relationship where growth happens slowly, imperfectly, and through connection.

FIND ME: 

INSTAGRAM: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

TIKTOK: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

YOUTUBE: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

WEBSITE:⁠ theevergreenrx.com⁠

For submitting questions or business inquiries, please email me at ⁠[email protected]

Disclaimer: Everything posted here is for educational or entertainment purposes only and is not a replacement for individualized medical or mental health treatment. Please reach out to a professional therapist or doctor if you are in need of assistance. Listener questions may be specific to one individuals life or an amalgamation of common experiences and dilemmas. 

If you feel that quiet pressure to “get your life together” now that the holidays are over — but can’t quite define what that even means — this one’s for you.

We talk about why the New Year so often turns into a fear-based self-improvement project, why motivating yourself through criticism and urgency rarely works, and how “having it all together” is often just another name for high-functioning disconnection.

In this episode, I explore:

• Why you’re not broken and don’t need a total reinvention
• The difference between growth and anxiety-driven self-fixing
• Why willpower, shame, and fear aren’t sustainable motivators
• Integration vs. hyper-functioning
• Choosing themes over rigid goals
• Building self-trust slowly instead of forcing dramatic change
• How self-compassion can actually move you forward

This is a softer, steadier approach to the New Year — one that prioritizes sustainability, self-trust, and the long game over urgency and burnout.

RESOURCES: 

Ep. 32 Self compassion will change your life (https://open.spotify.com/episode/5YIxYwjldPkp0gMBSuDVr9?si=e72ab15ac8a24dc3)

Minidose 19: How do I start fresh? (https://open.spotify.com/episode/6hAabXIcuNa3BsGfrigqf8?si=9ac30c03c96144b3) 

FIND ME: 

INSTAGRAM: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

TIKTOK: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

YOUTUBE: ⁠@theevergreenrx⁠

WEBSITE:⁠ theevergreenrx.com⁠

For submitting questions or business inquiries, please email me at ⁠[email protected]

Disclaimer: Everything posted here is for educational or entertainment purposes only and is not a replacement for individualized medical or mental health treatment. Please reach out to a professional therapist or doctor if you are in need of assistance. Listener questions may be specific to one individuals life or an amalgamation of common experiences and dilemmas.