But For Real Episode 19: Help, I’m Spiritually Curious But Existentially Exhausted 🙏🫠

Spirituality, religion, and being “woo-woo” are all hot topics these days – especially here in Nashville!

In this episode, Val and Emerson tackle WTF spirituality actually means, how it differs from religion, how it intertwines with existentialism, and low-stakes ways to engage with it while also avoiding spiritual bypassing.

And, as always, we get into other good stuff, including a spooky airBNB story from Val’s cousin (and The Gaia Center’s Director of Operations) Rebecca 👻

This episode covers:

Tea & Crumpets

Valerie is currently loving prioritizing cooking and meal planning. She’s been going through her multitude of cookbooks and picking a few recipes for the week with her schedule in mind, so things are manageable and not too overwhelming! Her fave task management app TickTick has also been super helpful for making sure she actually keeps up with buying the ingredients and making the recipes.

Emerson is currently loving Swig, a soda shop that originally started in Utah but recently opened two locations in the Nashville area. Her go-to order is the Island Time. It’s the perfect afternoon pick me up with the best summer vibes!

The Lore

This week, Rebecca Mosley, The Gaia Center’s Director of Operations was live for the recording and she shared a story of a spooky airBNB experience – you’ll have to tune into the full episode to hear more 👻

The DSM: The Spirituality, Religion + Woo Woo Conundrum

Emerson starts out the episode by breaking down the differences between spirituality and religion. Spirituality  can be defined as an individual's personal journey – so think about personal growth, focus on self-discovery, and really parsing out personal meaning in life.  Now, can all of those elements fit into religion? Yes, absolutely! Where some of the main differences between that is religion is to typically emphasizing organized institutions with focuses on rituals, traditions being centered around a specific higher power.

Then, both Val and Em dive into existential burnout which is defined as a prolonged state of emotional and psychological depletion caused by chronic survival mode, relentless emotional labor, and a loss of personal meaning. They also explore the ways that late-stage capitalism plays into spirituality, including how commodified forms can often do more harm than good.

The segment closes out with Emerson sharing the ways that Irvin Yalom, existential therapy OG, suggests we cope with existential burnout, as well as tangible ways to incorporate spirituality in your life in a way that works for your unique needs.

Now That’s What I Call…OKAAAAY

Val’s pick for the week was Goose Snow Cone by Aimee Mann. The song was written in Ireland on a cold, snowy day when Mann was feeling homesick, and it’s all about loneliness.

Emerson’s pick for the week was Older by Lizzy McAlpine. It’s a nostalgic, super emotional song all about growing up and getting older.

Fire Dumpster Phoenix

Val’s find for this episode was a piece on South African grannies taking the soccer field for kicks and camaraderie. Beka Ntsanwisi, a former gospel radio DJ, is the creator of the league and has helped bring these women together to care for themselves and their soccer teammates.

Emerson’s find for this episode was about how deep brain stimulation at the Cleveland Clinic has helped Rand Laycock, a music conductor, successfully deal with Parkinson’s disease symptoms and reclaim the work he loves.

If you want to learn more about any (or all) of these topics, click the podcast player at the top of this post or the YouTube video down below to listen to the full episode and dive in with us.

Resources + Stuff Mentioned in This Episode:

• Pew Research on Millennials and Religion

• John Welwood (spiritual bypassing)

• Goose Snow Cone by Aimee Mann

• Older by Lizzy McAlpine

• Conductor with Parkinson’s Gets Brain Stimulation Device to Stop Shakes so He Can Lead Orchestra Once Again

• South Africa’s ‘soccer grannies’ take the field for kicks and camaraderie

• Beyond Burnout: The Silent Crisis of Existential Exhaustion

Connect with Us:

• Send a story or ask for advice: butforrealpod@gmail.com 

• But For Real on IG: @butforrealpod

• Now That's What I Call... OKAAAAY Playlist

• The Gaia Center on IG: @thegaiacenter

• Val on IG: @valkaymartin

• The Gaia Center website: www.gaiacenter.co 

DISCLAIMER: But For Real Podcast is not a substitute for individualized mental health treatment or healthcare. This podcast is solely for entertainment and educational purposes. If you are in crisis, please utilize crisis support services, such as the Crisis Text Line (Text START to 741741 in the US) or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: (Call 988 in the US), or visit www.findahelpline.com for international resources.