Make Your Damn Bed

Julie Merica
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Nov 3, 2025 • 9min

1598 || a few more brain hacks

Feeling disconnected or unsure? Dr. Pat suggests: Body Check-In: When you consume news about social or political issues, what sensations do you notice in your body? Do you feel tense, numb, energized?Triggers and Ancestry: Think about a recent moment you felt fear or shut down in response to authority or conflict. How might this reaction connect to your community’s historical or ancestral experiences?Finding Ventral Vagal: What people, places, or practices help you feel safe and connected? How can you incorporate more of these in daily life, especially when fear in society is high?From Reaction to Response: Recall a time you reacted in anger or froze up around an authoritarian figure/stressor. With compassion for yourself, consider how, if you had felt more grounded or supported, you might have responded differently? What support or boundaries would help in future similar situations?Collective Care: How can you contribute to a sense of safety and solidarity in your community? Could you start a trauma-informed discussion group, a community care circle, or simply check on neighbors more often?SOURCE: https://everythingispolitical.com/readings/your-nervous-system-under-fascism-a-decolonial-polyvagal-explorationDr. Pat's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pat.radical.therapist/?hl=enDr. Pat's substack: https://patradicaltherapist.substack.com/Dr. Pat's original post: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1281714603957641&set=pcb.1281714660624302Resources for Resisting a Coup: https://makeyourdamnbed.medium.com/practical-guides-to-resisting-a-coup-b44571b9ad66SUPPORT JULIE (and the show!): https://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bedDONATE to the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund: www.pcrf.netGET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.comTUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcastOR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcastOR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Nov 2, 2025 • 9min

1597 || easy brain hacks

Did you know you can "hack your brain" for things beyond your productivity? You can become more resilient, more conscious, more in control, through a few simple practices. It's not about avoiding anything that makes us feel sad, but it's about becoming conscious of the process of engaging with it. It's not about the content, but the process. Empowering vs. Disempowering yourself. INSPIRED BY: https://adriennemareebrown.net/ and https://everythingispolitical.com/readings/your-nervous-system-under-fascism-a-decolonial-polyvagal-explorationVery Well Mind on Brain plasticity: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-brain-plasticity-2794886#:~:text=Strengthening%20existing%20pathways:%20Neurons%20that,adapt%20to%20the%20changing%20environment.Resources for Resisting a Coup: https://makeyourdamnbed.medium.com/practical-guides-to-resisting-a-coup-b44571b9ad66SUPPORT JULIE (and the show!): https://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bedDONATE to the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund: www.pcrf.netGET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.comTUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcastOR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcastOR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Nov 1, 2025 • 10min

1596 || your brain is play-doh

Our brains are malleable, and we can actually enrich our experiences to encourage more "plasticity" or adaptability in our own heads - if we know what to look for. Very Well Mind on Brain plasticity: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-brain-plasticity-2794886#:~:text=Strengthening%20existing%20pathways:%20Neurons%20that,adapt%20to%20the%20changing%20environment.Resources for Resisting a Coup: https://makeyourdamnbed.medium.com/practical-guides-to-resisting-a-coup-b44571b9ad66SUPPORT JULIE (and the show!): https://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bedDONATE to the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund: www.pcrf.netGET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.comTUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcastOR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcastOR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Oct 31, 2025 • 10min

1595 || brains are lazy, we are not

Think about a good joke. If you knew the punchline right away? It's less funny. If you had to have the punchline explained? Less funny. But if you understood the punchline within a few moments, and got the satisfaction of "realization" in real time? That makes a BANGER of a joke. It's all about the appropriate level of challenge and thinking. According to Daniel Willingham's book, "Why Students Don’t Like School?" Curiosity is fragile. Learning is difficult as hell. Our brains are built for efficiency, not thinking. We can trick our brains into motivation by worrying about the difficulty of the challenge, rather than the topic or the content. We rely on our memories more than our thinking brain.SOURCES:Read Daniel's article for yourself, here: https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/WILLINGHAM%282%29.pdfCheck out his website + other work: http://www.danielwillingham.com/books.htmlOr read this synopsis of the book: https://classteaching.wordpress.com/2014/04/24/why-dont-students-like-school/Resources for Resisting a Coup: https://makeyourdamnbed.medium.com/practical-guides-to-resisting-a-coup-b44571b9ad66SUPPORT JULIE (and the show!): https://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bedDONATE to the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund: www.pcrf.netGET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.comTUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcastOR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcastOR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Oct 30, 2025 • 10min

1594 || dropping the cognitive load

It's not about spinning all the plates, it's about setting most of them down so you can actually focus on the spinning process. THE SOURCES: Reducing cognitive load to learn: https://theelearningcoach.com/learning/reduce-cognitive-load/Getting into flow state: https://rts-1988.medium.com/getting-to-flow-state-while-studying-simulating-mental-effort-while-reading-543eecdee6caResources for Resisting a Coup: https://makeyourdamnbed.medium.com/practical-guides-to-resisting-a-coup-b44571b9ad66SUPPORT JULIE (and the show!): https://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bedDONATE to the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund: www.pcrf.netGET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.comTUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcastOR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcastOR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Oct 29, 2025 • 10min

1593 || parenting yourself with love + logic

When I’m having a rough time, trying to treat myself like I liked to treat my students, with empathy, compassion, patience, kindness, attention, care, time, etc. and in an effort to build muscles that can provide them with that empathy, compassion, patience, kindness, attention, time, care, etc. for themselves? I feel like the everyday things that I sometimes struggle with, are more doable. More approachable. The original source: https://www.loveandlogic.com/Powerpoint of the main points of Teaching with Love and Logic: https://aae.lewiscenter.org/documents/AAE/Love%20and%20Logic/Teaching/Teaching%20With%20Love%20-%20Logic.pdfPDF version of Parenting with Love and Logic: https://repository.poltekkes-kaltim.ac.id/645/1/Parenting%20With%20Love%20and%20Logic_%20Teaching%20Children%20Responsibility%20(%20PDFDrive.com%20).pdfResources for Resisting a Coup: https://makeyourdamnbed.medium.com/practical-guides-to-resisting-a-coup-b44571b9ad66SUPPORT JULIE (and the show!): https://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bedDONATE to the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund: www.pcrf.netGET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.comTUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcastOR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcastOR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Oct 28, 2025 • 9min

1592 || consulting with love + logic

Instead of trying to control others, become a consultant. "Children need thoughtful guidance and firm, enforceable limits. We set those limits based on the safety of the child and how the child’s behavior affects others. Then we must maintain those limits to help children understand that they are responsible for their actions and will suffer reasonable consequences for actions that are inappropriate. However, while the parents are drawing and holding these limits, it is important for them to continue encouraging their children to think about their behavior and help them feel in control of their actions by giving choices within those limits. This is where the consultant parent comes in." The original source: https://www.loveandlogic.com/Powerpoint of the main points of Teaching with Love and Logic: https://aae.lewiscenter.org/documents/AAE/Love%20and%20Logic/Teaching/Teaching%20With%20Love%20-%20Logic.pdfPDF version of Parenting with Love and Logic: https://repository.poltekkes-kaltim.ac.id/645/1/Parenting%20With%20Love%20and%20Logic_%20Teaching%20Children%20Responsibility%20(%20PDFDrive.com%20).pdfResources for Resisting a Coup: https://makeyourdamnbed.medium.com/practical-guides-to-resisting-a-coup-b44571b9ad66SUPPORT JULIE (and the show!): https://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bedDONATE to the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund: www.pcrf.netGET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.comTUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcastOR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcastOR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Oct 27, 2025 • 8min

1591 || micromanager vs. drill sargent

"Effective parenting centers around love: love that is not permissive, love that doesn’t tolerate disrespect, but also love that is powerful enough to allow kids to make mistakes and permit them to live with the consequences of those mistakes. Most mistakes do have logical consequences. And those consequences, when accompanied by empathy — our compassionate understanding of the child’s disappointment, frustration, and pain — hit home with mind-changing power." The original source: https://www.loveandlogic.com/Powerpoint of the main points of Teaching with Love and Logic: https://aae.lewiscenter.org/documents/AAE/Love%20and%20Logic/Teaching/Teaching%20With%20Love%20-%20Logic.pdfPDF version of Parenting with Love and Logic: https://repository.poltekkes-kaltim.ac.id/645/1/Parenting%20With%20Love%20and%20Logic_%20Teaching%20Children%20Responsibility%20(%20PDFDrive.com%20).pdfResources for Resisting a Coup: https://makeyourdamnbed.medium.com/practical-guides-to-resisting-a-coup-b44571b9ad66SUPPORT JULIE (and the show!): https://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bedDONATE to the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund: www.pcrf.netGET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.comTUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcastOR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcastOR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Oct 26, 2025 • 7min

1590 || tools for skeptical thinking || throwback

Enjoy this throwback episode (from day 872) before the new series drops on Monday! "There's a sucker born every minute." - P.T. BarnumCarl Sagan shares guidelines with us for how to critically think. Today, I share them with you! Critical thinking never goes out of style. especially when we consider how MUCH information we are forced to take in on a daily basis.Historically speaking, Never have people had so much information FORCED upon them - we gotta be diligent about how we learn new information so we’re not falling victim to the Riff-raff. RESOURCES: https://stimpunks.org/glossary/critical-thinking/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Demon-Haunted_WorldGET A MONTHLY NOTE FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.comTUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcastOR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcastThe opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Oct 25, 2025 • 6min

1589 || the list for getting unstuck || throwback

ENJOY THIS THROWBACK EPISODE FROM DAY 751, BEFORE THE NEW SERIES DROPS ON MONDAY - Make a list of all the shit you're good at + a list of all the good shit in your life + all the shit that bothers you about your life.Using the first two lists, attempt to solve the last list and bingo-bango you've got yourself a lil action plan template.WATCH: www.youtube.com/juliemericaGET A MONTHLY NOTE FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.comBUY SOME MERCH: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/make-your-damn-bed-podcast?ref_id=27657TUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcastOR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcastThe opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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