The Recommended Dosage
A weekly prescription for morale: music, books, food, and media.
The way I try to redesign my entire life every other week is, frankly, unwell. In the last fourteen days, I’ve considered moving to Italy, quitting my career, and rotating my living room into a different quadrant of the house. I also briefly revisited the idea of having another baby. It’s a no. (Mom, I’m sorry.)
I tend to hyper-fixate on a “total life reset” every seven to ten business days, and it’s usually something dramatic and logistically hellish. When the world feels too broken to fix, my brain tries to compensate by fixing everything else at once, controlling whatever small corners of life I can. Lately, it’s hard not to feel shocked and heartbroken by the decisions being made by people in power, and the total lack of accountability. Luckily, my husband is excellent at bringing me back to reality. Thank God.
But some seasons only require a better lip gloss. A rediscovered song. Or making sure to schedule that massage.
This is that season, for me at the moment.
These are the things currently keeping me regulated and generally pleasant to be around while the world outside feels so heavy.
Consider this a controlled substance for morale. Take as directed.
Media Intake
Songs currently on repeat
Delicate Steve — Baby & Yesterday
Instrumental and calm. Good background music for everyday things. I often play this in my classroom when my students are working.
Olivia Dean — I’ve Seen It, Dive, The Hardest Part, & Password Change.
I’ve been listening to her while driving and cooking. She is like a mix of Norah Jones and Sade. So good, smooth, moody, and down-to-earth.
Sade — By Your Side & Be That Easy
Always good. Especially in the evenings when the house finally quiets down, or during my Monday evening baths.
Cardi B — Outside
Sometimes I need to temporarily suspend my emotional maturity and make my inner teenager happy. Cardi or Nicki can normally do the job.
Articles/Essays
I’ve been thinking about these two articles often. They aren’t exactly “light” reading, but they are very well-written and informative. I love a good reflection and argument.
We Are Being Governed by Unserious People by Frank Bruni
Frank Bruni explores the state of our current administration’s lack of tact, sense, and professionalism. It is a validating read if you’ve been feeling similar. It’s embarrassing to be an American with these people in power.
“I’m sure these administration officials deem professionalism overrated, outdated, an enemy of necessary disruption, a brake on real genius. It’s for slowpokes and prudes. It’s fussiness for fussiness’s sake. Wrong. Professionalism recognizes that your job is bigger than you are. It rightly regards teamwork and discipline as handmaidens of accomplishment. It understands that a sturdy institution requires a code of conduct. And it sweats details, because if you get enough of those wrong, you get nothing at all right” (Bruni).
Why bioethics cannot help doctors in actual medical practice | Aeon Essays
This introduces the concept of “moral distress”—a specific PTSD-adjacent feeling we get when our conscience feels violated by the systems we work in. It is Doctor Ronald W. Dworkin’s reflection on what ethics asks of him when his job can require him to cause people physical pain.
“Bioethics has paid more attention to what it calls ‘moral distress’, a concept created with the launch of clinical bioethics to capture what doctors experience when their consciences feel violated, comparable to post-traumatic stress disorder” (Dworkin).
Books
This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper — I hated this. I read it in one sitting, mostly because I’m behind on my reading goals, but it felt like the author tried to engineer the messiest family dysfunction possible and cram it into 300 pages. The protagonist was self-absorbed, judgmental, and honestly, a bit of a misogynist. His constant commentary on every character’s body was exhausting. It mostly just confirmed my worst suspicions about how some men think. So… no
I just started Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. It’s a post-apocalyptic story. It’s about what remains and what we value when the world as we know it is stripped away. I’m kind of hoping for a hopeful study of survival. I’ll let you know how it is.
T.V. & Movies
Love Is Blind on Netflix
This show is so messy. It’s a good escape if you need it. I love a little trash TV here and there.
11.22.63 on Netflix
A good time-traveling mini-series with James Franco based on the novel 11/22/63 by Stephen King, so you know it’s good. It’s a slightly raw thriller in that signature-eerie Stephen King way, and an interesting exploration of what might have really happened if JFK survived, and it’s just good TV.
Environmental Support
Plants and a Target candle
I am not motivated to clean my house unless I know I have a good candle to light. This is the one I love.
A new kitchen rug
You know when you buy a new piece of decor, and it feels like it always belonged? That’s how this rug has felt, and that’s when I know I made the right choice.
A rechargeable lamp on my coffee table
It’s cute and gold, makes the room feel moody and romantic, and I like that I can move it around. Last week when I was journaling, I took it to my dining room table and it felt like I was back in the library writing a paper.
Personal Audit / Administrative Work
Journal Prompts
Trying to put thoughts somewhere besides my head.
Morning prompt: How do I want to feel today?
Evening: Specific gratefulness.
What parts of life feel heavy or light even if it doesn’t make sense yet?
What do I need more of: connection, rest, freedom, direction?
Prepped for an interview & got a different job!
Took some time to think about what I actually want next, and made a change!
Made a doctor’s appointment I’ve been avoiding.
One of those things that feels so hard but actually takes five minutes.
Nutritional Support (food/recipes)
Simple and reliable. This is the whole list of ingredients: garlic, anchovies, olive oil, grape tomatoes, and fresh basil. I like to finish it with parmesan, of course. It’s easy, and my kids love it. Linked here:
Green Tea
Trying to drink something that feels better for me. Green tea has so many benefits ranging from skin to immunity. I have trained myself to love the taste when it’s plain, but I also love it with lemon or lime!
White Popcorn with Kosher Salt and Parmesan
You have to make this on the stove with oil, like the grandmas used to. I’ve grown up eating this! It’s so comforting and a good salty snack for evening activities. My kids request it often, and it’s fun because you can customize it. I’ve also switched the seasoning from Parmesan to Old Vienna Red Hot Riplets, and I’ve also done the ranch seasoning from Penzey's.
Classic Puttanesca
Salty and fast to make. If you are an olive and caper person, try it! I like this recipe.
French Onion Soup & Crusty Bread
Comfort food in its most literal form. The onions are a labor of love, so make this when you’re ready to spend some time in the kitchen with some white wine in hand. I’d recommend a dry Vermentino. Yum. I use this classic one.
Two Easy Dinners in the Freezer
This helps me so much during the week when I don’t feel like cooking or being creative. I try to choose things that are easy to throw in the oven, so I can relax with a good book, tea or wine, while it cooks.
Practical Improvements (Cosmetic Enhancements)
NYX Fat Oil Lip Drip
Good color options and it stays on for a long time, so I’m not constantly reapplying.
Trader Joe’s lip mask
Surprisingly good. It reminds me of Laneige.
Medeca cream
This stuff is so moisturizing, supports the skin barrier, and smells kind of like a spa, but not in an overwhelming way. It’s so good for nights when you aren’t using retinol. I got mine on Amazon.
Baby oil to take off eye makeup
I wear a waterproof mascara every day, so this is the easiest way to remove it, plus it moisturizes my lashes. Simple, cheap, and works every time.
One Thing I’m Trying This Week:
A 20-minute walk after dinner. It turns out that twenty minutes of cold air is good for me, and significantly cheaper than moving to Italy.
There is moral distress in trying to stay professional and regulated when the world feels increasingly hostile and chaotic. We look for substance in our books and logic in our leaders, and when we don’t find it, we try to over-control our surroundings. But I can’t optimize my way out of a season that requires endurance. This week, the “controlled substance” is choosing smaller, better things. If the big institutions are failing, at least the kitchen rug is soft, and the pasta is reliable. Here’s to surviving.
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