I’m on my honeymoon right now (this email comes to you from chilly Edinburgh), which means it’s the first time this year that I’ve felt sort of disconnected from the news. We’re having a lovely time, but I’m also grappling with uncomfortable feelings that a lot of you are too. It’s hard to describe – a guilt-like sadness, brain and body struggling to process the happiness and ease of my life right now while a young Gazan woman the exact same age as me is numb from the chaos and terror. How is it possible that nothing but the chance and circumstance of life placed me here and her there in this moment?

Guilt, or whatever we’re calling this feeling?, is ours to grapple with. I don’t agree with people who say “guilt is a wasted emotion!” No, it’s very informative and telling – we’re supposed to listen to it. We’re supposed to bundle it up with the outrage and anger and frustration and use those fires to fuel productive actions. Protests & rallies; petitions (you can sign this Parliamentary petition to call for a ceasefire); letter writing, email and phone call campaigns; amplifying the firsthand evidence Gazans are risking their lives to show the world; people using their knowledge of specific topics to debunk propaganda; joining or supporting action groups. Guilt is only wasted if it’s felt and ignored.

It is undeniably true, though, that bearing witness to horrific injustice day in, day out takes a toll (not just talking about the Middle East here, but most news). I’ve been riding this relentless wave for the past three years and it really does erodes your mind, body and spirit. Prolonged anxiety increases your risk of heart disease, Alzheimer’s, a whole list of other things I try my best to ignore. Selfishly, I’ve been doing some personal research in the past few months about how to prevent these things happening to me. It’s all pretty straightforward stuff: exercise, good diet, maintaining social connections, finding your preferred strategies for managing mental illness.

But there was one tip that resonated most and feels very relevant to this specific moment: Actively seek out moments of joy. Laughing and smiling have physiological benefits – it’s not only about alleviating emotional pain or stress but contributing to the longevity of your heart, lungs and brain too.

We need joy in the diet of our lives. Regular moments of happiness and levity to protect us from the impact of long term anxiety and pessimism (for me, what would that be? A deadened heart, deep cynicism and dying of stress, probably). To make us strong enough to bear witness to awful things and still find the energy to put towards the productive actions that come after despair or guilt. The fight for justice requires emotional, mental and physical resilience. It requires endurance, and a refusal to let our souls harden. 

So I’m refusing to let guilt rob me of the goodness I need to keep going. I’m making a dedicated effort to incorporate moments of pleasure, lightness and glee wherever I can get them. Mostly it’s little hits – I swear by listening to LMFAO whenever it all starts to feel too much. It’s very, very hard to feel anxious when you are listening to Party Rock Anthem (N.B: might only work for Millennials.) This holiday is like a full course that I’m going to do my very best to savour. It’s as much a preventative health measure as good fats, vaccinations, exercise. 

It also means I’m going to take a break from the newsletter for the next two weeks. You’ll still get content recommendations, but I’m going to let myself soak up as much goodness as I can before coming back to write the last few editions of the year. 

Talk to you on the other side!

– Crystal
Founder & Chief of Everything at Zee Feed
Follow me on Instagram or TikTok

Good stuff on Zee Feed rn:

This summer we’re running a series of bigger feature interviews with very cool people and this first one with Elikia Cardot is so dreamy. Elikia hosts strangers at her apartment for dinner – handpicking guests from a waitlist who she thinks should be friends with each other. And it’s working!!! CLICK HERE TO READ.

Smart stuff on the Internet 💭

All the stuff I found on the web that made me think, smile, or have an ‘aha!’ moment. Spend your Sunday reading them – you'll be better off for it:

The Oversexualization of Trans Bodies on TIME
“Society teaches men that being with trans women is an attack on their masculinity. They feel loved, desired, nurtured, and cared for by us while simultaneously feeling emasculated, disempowered, and shameful by dating us. They “loved” us until they could no longer have us and then they abused us.”

We’re All Burning Ourselves Out to Keep Money Flowing Up to the Rich on Jacobin
“Increased productivity has failed to translate into fair compensation, and we’re all working ourselves to death. Not having time to rest or think is not just terrible for human beings — it’s terrible for democracy.”

We Won’t Get Real Equality Until We Price Breastmilk, and Treat Breastfeeding as Work on Women’s Agenda
“Breastfeeding ought to be counted as non-market production in the national accounts so that when assessments are made of productivity, or of what increases or decreases in gross domestic product, breastfeeding is seen as productive.”

If you found this email thought-provoking, will you share it with a friend? Sharing helps us grow 🌱 and makes you look really smart.