Hey there, it's Major.

Today's episode of The Slowdown is guests hosted by the poet and writer Maggie Smith.

I'll be back on Monday, February 17th.

I'm Maggie Smith, and this is the slowdown.

Years ago, during a time of intense grief and stress, my therapist said something to me, something that I've carried ever since.

She said, you can't think your way out of this. You need to find ways to process the stress in your body, not just in your mind.

I remember she asked if I'd ever screamed into a pillow.

I laughed. Would that actually help?

But I understood what she was suggesting.

I needed a physical release, a way to offload the stress I was carrying.

I started running, and lo and behold, it helped.

I felt better, clearer, more focused, less harried.

I slept better.

Part of what I've continued to do for my mental health is take care of my physical body.

I run or walk nearly every morning before the day has a chance to get at me, before the emails and the phone calls and the meetings.

I like breathing the fresh air and feeling the sun on my skin.

I like seeing my neighbors pushing their children in strollers or walking their dogs.

I like paying attention to my surroundings, leaf prints on the sidewalk, squirrels burying or digging up acorns, clouds sailing by like ships on a windy day.

Sensory experience grounds me. It gets me back into my body and out of my head.

Today's poem is an ode, a poem of praise or celebration. It reminds me that attention is a form

of love. If you love the world, give it the gift of your attention.

Don't be afraid to get up close, to look deeper, to go inside, to reach out and touch, to smell, to engage your senses.

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