Make Your Damn Bed

Latest Episodes:

what can we do? || 11 : MICROREVOLUTIONS May 28, 2025

Show notes

Most of us don't have the time, energy, or bandwidth to do anything extra right now, but I hope these guides can be a reminder that there are lots of different ways to engage on a practical level, on any scale.

As long as you're alive, you're engagingand that's truly enough. BUT, if you have been feeling the same kind of "listless" that I have, ideally one of these tactics can motivate you (and me) to engage more enthusiastically because there are people are already out there doing the thing, and once you start to create WITH them, you'll start to feel less listless (and less defeated).

There are limitless opportunities + countless ways to engage. Find one. Start small, but start somewhere.

Do a "force field analysis" and act with intention, so you can feel more courageous when it comes to larger actions.

Practice microrevolutions in your day to day life, and remember: We are not cooked, chat.

The Sources:

Daniel Hunter's Article: https://wagingnonviolence.org/2025/05/dont-let-the-news-overwhelm-you-use-this-tool-to-stay-engaged/

Useful Trainings in a Trump Era: https://choosedemocracy.us/trainings-in-a-trump-era/

See if local actions are happening near you: https://www.mobilize.us/

Indivisible is doing some cool work + has great action items: https://indivisible.org/coup

https://indivisible.org/resources

We should be calling our representatives (+ reminding them they work for us): https://5calls.org/

GET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com

TUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcast

OR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcast

OR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica

The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Read Julie's Medium Blog.

Support JULIE (and the show!)

Support + get some bonus stuff over on PATREON.

Get an occasional personal email from me: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com

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what can we do? || 10 : TAKE ONE TINY ACTION May 27, 2025

Show notes

There are limitless opportunities + countless ways to engage. Find one. Start small, but start somewhere.

The Main Source: https://choosedemocracy.us/what-can-i-do/

Other Sources:

Useful Trainings in a Trump Era: https://choosedemocracy.us/trainings-in-a-trump-era/

See if local actions are happening near you: https://www.mobilize.us/

Indivisible is doing some cool work + has great action items: https://indivisible.org/coup

https://indivisible.org/resources

We should be calling our representatives (+ reminding them they work for us): https://5calls.org/

Billionaire resistance: https://www.teslatakedown.com/ AND https://www.change.org/p/dear-t-mobile-ditch-the-starlink-partnership

For Security Forces: https://www.nonviolent-conflict.org/blog_post/for-members-of-security-forces-a-guide-to-supporting-pro-democracy-movements/

Deep Canvass https://deepcanvass.org/

Tax Resistance: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/we-will-not-give-money-to-a-king/

GET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com

TUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcast

OR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcast

OR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica

Read Julie's Medium Blog.

Support JULIE (and the show!)

Support + get some bonus stuff over on PATREON.

Get an occasional personal email from me: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com

Tune in on INSTAGRAM ANDYOUTUBE or TIKTOK

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bed.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

what can we do? || 9: GROUP ACTION PLAN May 26, 2025

Show notes

Action Plan for affinity groups:

Choose an action
Make a plan
Support each other
Make decision on actions
Debrief + evaluate

Affinity Group guide: https://www.seedsforchange.org.uk/affinitygroups

What can I do? Choose Democracy Resource: https://choosedemocracy.us/what-can-i-do/

Counseling for Social Change: https://www.counsellingforsocialchange.org.uk/activists/

Activist Trauma Resources: https://www.activist-trauma.net/

How to get a quick consensus: https://www.seedsforchange.org.uk/quickconsensus

Donate to Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund::www.pcrf.net

Donate to Mutual Aid Funds: https://www.folxhealth.com/library/mutual-aid-funds

GET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com

TUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcast

OR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcast

OR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica

Read Julie's Medium Blog.

Support JULIE (and the show!)

Support + get some bonus stuff over on PATREON.

Get an occasional personal email from me: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com

Tune in on INSTAGRAM ANDYOUTUBE or TIKTOK

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bed.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

what can we do? || 8: START AN AFFINITY GROUP || patreon May 25, 2025

Show notes

An affinity group is a small group of people who come together to prepare for and take direct action. They make decisions together, and support each other during and after action. Sometimes these groups are formed just for one action, but often they are ongoing groups that organise and take part in actions over a number of years.

Affinity groups are often organised along the principles of non-hierarchy and autonomy. This means that decisions are made directly within the group by all its members, and responsibility and power is shared so that everyone has an equal voice.

Affinity group guide: https://www.seedsforchange.org.uk/affinitygroups

What can I do? Choose Democracy Resource: https://choosedemocracy.us/what-can-i-do/

Daniel Hunter's Analysis on Staying Grounded: https://wagingnonviolence.org/2024/11/10-things-to-do-if-trump-wins/?utm_source=Climate+Advocacy+Lab+Members&utm_campaign=8cf646d623-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2025_01_22_04_22&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-8cf646d623-547145900

Democracy is a verb: Interview series: https://wagingnonviolence.org/2024/07/democracy-is-a-verb/#interviews

Wisdom from the Fight for Democracy in Serbia. https://wagingnonviolence.org/2024/05/overcoming-despair-apathy-win-democracy-otpor-serbia-ivan-marovic/

Donate to Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund::www.pcrf.net

Donate to Mutual Aid Funds: https://www.folxhealth.com/library/mutual-aid-funds

GET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com

TUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcast

OR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcast

OR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica

Read Julie's Medium Blog.

Support JULIE (and the show!)

Support + get some bonus stuff over on PATREON.

Get an occasional personal email from me: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com

Tune in on INSTAGRAM ANDYOUTUBE or TIKTOK

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bed.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

what can we do? || 8: START AN AFFINITY GROUP May 25, 2025

Show notes

Affinity group guide: https://www.seedsforchange.org.uk/affinitygroups

What can I do? Choose Democracy Resource: https://choosedemocracy.us/what-can-i-do/

Democracy is a verb: Interview series: https://wagingnonviolence.org/2024/07/democracy-is-a-verb/#interviews

Wisdom from the Fight for Democracy in Serbia. https://wagingnonviolence.org/2024/05/overcoming-despair-apathy-win-democracy-otpor-serbia-ivan-marovic/

Donate to Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund::www.pcrf.net

Donate to Mutual Aid Funds: https://www.folxhealth.com/library/mutual-aid-funds

GET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com

TUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcast

OR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcast

OR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica

Read Julie's Medium Blog.

Support JULIE (and the show!)

Support + get some bonus stuff over on PATREON.

Get an occasional personal email from me: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com

Tune in on INSTAGRAM ANDYOUTUBE or TIKTOK

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bed.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

what can we do? || 7: MAKE POLITICAL VIOLENCE BACKFIRE May 24, 2025

Show notes

The HOPE-PV guide offers us some tactics in safely + effectively pushing back against perpetrators of political violence.

Combat the cover-up with the Reveal – Expose the injustice.
Combat devaluation + Redeem – Validate the target.
Combat reinterpretation + Reframe – Interpret the event as an injustice.
Combat official channels + Redirect – Mobilize support and avoid official channels.
Combat intimidation or rewards + Resist – Resist intimidation and bribes.

RESOURCES:

The Free HOPE-PV Guide to ending Political Violence: https://www.endpoliticalviolence.org/guide

What can I do? Choose Democracy Resource: https://choosedemocracy.us/what-can-i-do/

Democracy is a verb: Interview series: https://wagingnonviolence.org/2024/07/democracy-is-a-verb/#interviews

Wisdom from the Fight for Democracy in Serbia. https://wagingnonviolence.org/2024/05/overcoming-despair-apathy-win-democracy-otpor-serbia-ivan-marovic/

Donate to Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund::www.pcrf.net

Donate to Mutual Aid Funds: https://www.folxhealth.com/library/mutual-aid-funds

GET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com

TUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcast

OR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcast

OR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica

Read Julie's Medium Blog.

Support JULIE (and the show!)

Support + get some bonus stuff over on PATREON.

Get an occasional personal email from me: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com

Tune in on INSTAGRAM ANDYOUTUBE or TIKTOK

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bed.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

what can we do? || 6: COMBAT POLITICAL VIOLENCE May 23, 2025

Show notes

Today we're talking about how to combat the common tactics that perpetrators of political violence rely on from the HOPE guide (linked below):

Combat the cover-up with the Reveal – Expose the injustice.
Combat devaluation + Redeem – Validate the target.
Combat reinterpretation + Reframe – Interpret the event as an injustice.
Combat official channels + Redirect – Mobilize support and avoid official channels.
Combat intimidation or rewards + Resist – Resist intimidation and bribes.

RESOURCES:

The Free HOPE-PV Guide to ending Political Violence: https://www.endpoliticalviolence.org/guide

What can I do? Choose Democracy Resource: https://choosedemocracy.us/what-can-i-do/

Democracy is a verb: Interview series: https://wagingnonviolence.org/2024/07/democracy-is-a-verb/#interviews

Wisdom from the Fight for Democracy in Serbia. https://wagingnonviolence.org/2024/05/overcoming-despair-apathy-win-democracy-otpor-serbia-ivan-marovic/

Donate to Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund::www.pcrf.net

Donate to Mutual Aid Funds: https://www.folxhealth.com/library/mutual-aid-funds

GET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com

TUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcast

OR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcast

OR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica

Read Julie's Medium Blog.

Support JULIE (and the show!)

Support + get some bonus stuff over on PATREON.

Get an occasional personal email from me: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com

Tune in on INSTAGRAM ANDYOUTUBE or TIKTOK

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bed.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

what can we do? || 5: UNDERSTAND POLITICAL VIOLENCE May 22, 2025

Show notes

The ideal of democracy is that it can contain ALL of our diversity and differences and channel into safe, institutionally protected representation without the use of threat and violence. Democracy depends on societal trust, free + fair elections, widespread participation, free + fair media, due process, etc. Democracy can be undermined by people using threat/violence so we must make the cost of political violence too high to enact. We must take offensive and defensive strategies when addressing political violence. Tomorrow, I'll share some of those historically effective strategies.

RESOURCES:

The Free HOPE-PV Guide to ending Political Violence: https://www.endpoliticalviolence.org/guide

What can I do? Choose Democracy Resource: https://choosedemocracy.us/what-can-i-do/

Democracy is a verb: Interview series: https://wagingnonviolence.org/2024/07/democracy-is-a-verb/#interviews

Wisdom from the Fight for Democracy in Serbia. https://wagingnonviolence.org/2024/05/overcoming-despair-apathy-win-democracy-otpor-serbia-ivan-marovic/

Donate to Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund::www.pcrf.net

Donate to Mutual Aid Funds: https://www.folxhealth.com/library/mutual-aid-funds

GET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com

TUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcast

OR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcast

OR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica

Read Julie's Medium Blog.

Support JULIE (and the show!)

Support + get some bonus stuff over on PATREON.

Get an occasional personal email from me: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com

Tune in on INSTAGRAM ANDYOUTUBE or TIKTOK

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bed.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

what can we do? || 4: REFRAME POWER May 21, 2025

Show notes

Thinking of power as an upside-down triangle is a great way to remember where power lies. Everyday individuals hold the structures of power up with their daily labor within the system. This is why mass noncooperation movements are so successful in toppling powerful dictatorships. We have to take back our power by demanding the system work for US, rather than us for it. Handling fear isn't about suppression, it's about redirection. Fear can paralyze you into submission, or fuel your demands for justice.

RESOURCES:

What can I do? Choose Democracy Resource: https://choosedemocracy.us/what-can-i-do/

Democracy is a verb: Interview series: https://wagingnonviolence.org/2024/07/democracy-is-a-verb/#interviews

Wisdom from the Fight for Democracy in Serbia. https://wagingnonviolence.org/2024/05/overcoming-despair-apathy-win-democracy-otpor-serbia-ivan-marovic/

Donate to Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund::www.pcrf.net

Donate to Mutual Aid Funds: https://www.folxhealth.com/library/mutual-aid-funds

GET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com

TUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcast

OR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcast

OR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica

Read Julie's Medium Blog.

Support JULIE (and the show!)

Support + get some bonus stuff over on PATREON.

Get an occasional personal email from me: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com

Tune in on INSTAGRAM ANDYOUTUBE or TIKTOK

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bed.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

what can we do? || 3: PICK A LANE May 20, 2025

Show notes

Things are chaotic (by design) so after we start to rebuild internal trust + social trust, we can start to address our own needs, and eventually our community's. Develop boundaries, coping skills, resilience strategies. Grieve, learn to accept reality + then address what is within your control. From there, you can pick a lane.

When we try to do too much, we get overwhelmed and don't accomplish half the stuff we could accomplish if we had just picked ONE thing to work on at a time.

HOW TO RESIST THE COUP?