It’s no secret (or surprise) that a global pandemic would create anxiety - we’re only human after all. But the ways in which people have been experiencing that anxiety varies a great deal, including the unexpected anxiety setting in as people contemplate finding their way back to “normal.” This has been a somewhat new experience for many people, but for the both of us the pandemic is one incident among many when our anxiety over physical health has crashed into the other, and vice versa. This episode is the first in a series about how our emotional and physical health are interconnected. To start, we both open up and share how the pandemic has individually impacted our health, our own histories with this topic, and the shame and frustration that comes along with it. We hope in talking about our experiences, we can be a part of normalizing these struggles.

Trigger warnings abound in this episode about grief, childbirth, and trauma from violence. Be kind to yourself and listen with extreme care.

Discussed in this episode, and worth way more attention:

We reference this a few times, but as difficult as our own stories are, as white women we have enormous privilege when it comes to all forms of healthcare. Please take a moment and learn about the efforts at Loveland Foundation which supports the healing of women of color, and especially Black women and girls. If you’re so moved, please donate to their therapy fund.