Self-Care During Hard Times: How to Stay Emotionally Regulated
Thu Feb 05 2026
When the external world feels heavy, your internal world must stay regulated. Self-care is not about escaping reality. It’s about standing steadily inside it. This conversation is about how to stay emotionally regulated when the noise feels constant and the news cycle never ends.
We’ll talk about protecting your energy, being intentional with your attention, and practicing self-care through boundaries with yourself. If your mental health has felt stretched thin by the state of the world, this episode offers perspective and encouragement.
You will learn about…
how social media functions similarly to propagandawhy energy management might be better than time managementhow I approach giving and charitable contributionthe idea of “joy stacking” as a form of self carewhy eye contact is a form of resistancesmall rituals that help you come back home to yourselfRemember: self-care is not disengagement from the world, it is how you stay resourced enough to meet it. Real self-care supports your mental health AND lets you contribute to causes you care about.
If you’re enjoying our self love podcast, share it with the women in your life! Your support expands our self-love circle and shows others that mental health matters.
Deepen your self love journey with Mary’s books:
The Gift of Self-Love, an interactive workbook to help you build confidence, recognize your worth, and learn to finally love yourself.100 Days of Self-Love, a guided journal with 100 prompts for calming self-criticism and learning to love yourself.Follow Mary's self care journey on IG: @maryscupofteaa and @maryspodcast
Mentioned In This Episode...
A Small Light series on Prime Video“I’m Russian. Here’s how propaganda really works” by Silent East
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
More
When the external world feels heavy, your internal world must stay regulated. Self-care is not about escaping reality. It’s about standing steadily inside it. This conversation is about how to stay emotionally regulated when the noise feels constant and the news cycle never ends. We’ll talk about protecting your energy, being intentional with your attention, and practicing self-care through boundaries with yourself. If your mental health has felt stretched thin by the state of the world, this episode offers perspective and encouragement. You will learn about… how social media functions similarly to propagandawhy energy management might be better than time managementhow I approach giving and charitable contributionthe idea of “joy stacking” as a form of self carewhy eye contact is a form of resistancesmall rituals that help you come back home to yourselfRemember: self-care is not disengagement from the world, it is how you stay resourced enough to meet it. Real self-care supports your mental health AND lets you contribute to causes you care about. If you’re enjoying our self love podcast, share it with the women in your life! Your support expands our self-love circle and shows others that mental health matters. Deepen your self love journey with Mary’s books: The Gift of Self-Love, an interactive workbook to help you build confidence, recognize your worth, and learn to finally love yourself.100 Days of Self-Love, a guided journal with 100 prompts for calming self-criticism and learning to love yourself.Follow Mary's self care journey on IG: @maryscupofteaa and @maryspodcast Mentioned In This Episode... A Small Light series on Prime Video“I’m Russian. Here’s how propaganda really works” by Silent East Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.