If you live with that constant background hum of anxiety, you’ll understand the feeling of trying everything — therapy, routines, productivity hacks — and still feeling slightly on edge.
So today we’re trying something different.
This is a Mother’s Day anxiety special, featuring:
• two anxiety techniques from my mother (Old Ma)
• two techniques from a Harvard-trained life coach
• and a conversation that includes orgasms, existential philosophy, and a surprisingly detailed death plan.
In other words: a fairly normal episode.
In this episode we explore four very different ways of dealing with anxiety:
1️⃣ Old Ma’s technique #1: orgasm as emotional regulation
2️⃣ Old Ma’s technique #2: contemplating death (memento mori)
3️⃣ The “Sanity Quilt” method from Martha Beck
4️⃣ The Perfect Day exercise
Some of these are more sensible than others.
The Sanity Quilt idea comes from Martha Beck.
Imagine a patchwork blanket where each square is a small activity that reliably calms your nervous system.
Not big life changes.
Just tiny stabilisers you can rely on when things feel overwhelming.
Examples might include:
• a quick walk outside
• dancing to one song in the kitchen
• lighting a candle
• listening to music
• texting a friend
• reading a few pages of a book
• making a cup of tea
• eating a tiny cheeseboard (personal favourite)
The idea is to build a toolkit of small things that help you regulate before you spiral.
The Perfect Day exercise asks a different question:
Instead of chasing big life goals, what does a good ordinary Tuesday actually look like for you?
You imagine a realistic ideal day — from when you wake up to when you go to bed.
Not a fantasy billionaire life.
Just the kind of day your nervous system would actually enjoy living in.
Because life is basically thousands of Tuesdays in a row.
• how worrying brains invent problems that never happen
• why modern life might be fuelling anxiety
• why remembering death can sometimes make life easier
• Old Ma’s surprisingly detailed end-of-life plan
If you want Old Ma and I to attempt to solve your life problems, send us your dilemmas.
Relationship chaos, family drama, existential crises — we’ll take it all.
DM your questions to:
@rosehoneymorgan
@field.notes.pod
You can remain anonymous if you like.
Please follow the show, leave a review, or share it with someone who:
• worries about things that never happen
• enjoys slightly unhinged mother–daughter conversations
• or might benefit from a sanity quilt and a small cheeseboard
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