Social Anxiety Variety Hour

Bestselling author and talented therapist Lori Gottlieb shares suggestions on how to deal with grief, fear and unproductive anxiety vs. productive anxiety. She also speaks movingly about not being permitted to sit shiva for her father, who recently passed away. Hopefully, this discussion of grief and boundaries will help you wherever you’re at these days. You can support the podcast at Patreon.com/SaraBenincasa.

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Here's the actual, full-length interview with Sam Bailey (Dear White People, Brown Girls, You're So Talented), a critically acclaimed writer, producer, director, once (and maybe future) actress, theatre veteran, and very cool human. She talks to Sara about her incredible career, the Black Lives Matter movement, creativity during the time of coronavirus, what it's like to often be the only Black woman on set, and a lot more. As always, Sara includes some basic breath work for listeners. You can support this podcast at Patreon.com/SaraBenincasa. And check out TheLovelandFoundation.org.

Meet Chelsea Connor, a young Black scientist and one of the cofounders of #BlackBirdersWeek. Chelsea is from Dominica (Sara pronounces it wrong right off the bat - it's an island country in the Caribbean), and she opens up about experiencing racism at school in the States, dealing with stress and learning differences while pursuing a rigorous academic program, and being a scientist as well as an artist. Check out her stickers at Redbubble.com/people/chelseaherps! There will be a Part II, this young woman is full of stories, life, and learning!

Sidney Woodruff, 25, does her doctoral studies at UC Davis and conducts research in Yosemite National Park. She talks to Sara about being a young, Black, queer scientist; how she's received as a minority in a lot of professional spaces; the harassment of Black wildlife conservationists; and the vitality of real self-care and checking in on friends and peers. At the end, Sara guides the audience in a basic relaxation exercise. Check out #blackbirdersweek on Twitter and Instagram to read more stories and learn about some excellent wildlife conservationists. Support this podcast at Patreon.com/SaraBenincasa. Many thanks to current and past patrons!

In this short episode, Sara shares some resources by people way smarter than her. She also talks about learning and unlearning racism, trying to be decent, admitting your flaws, working on your own stuff on your OWN time, and the value of listening. "If you need black people to be victims in order to love them, there is something wrong with you." Please donate to the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. Support this podcast at Patreon.com/SaraBenincasa.