This is NPR's life kit, a Mary L. Segarra.

I think if my dread could talk, she would sound kind of high-pitched.

Like, it would be just like a buzzzy little bee.

You know what? Next to my ear.

Oh, I love that. I love that. It's so distinct because in my head my dread is actually if I do a voice, it's like,

Hey, Seleme, you're probably gonna mess this up.

I'm talking to Seleme Rushamwalla and we're not just acting out our dread for fun.

Although, it is kind of fun.

Yeah, and mine would be like, you know, you're probably gonna mess this all up.

I'm like, go away.

Very carcassity pairing, yeah.

Seleme is the host of more than a feeling, a podcast that dives deep into emotions.

And he's doing a whole series about the feeling of dread.

So, in this episode of Life Kit, I talked to Seleme about how we can all dread better.

One quick note before we jump in here.

We're about to share a lot of ideas and exercises, but these are in no way a substitute for working with a mental health professional.

If you or someone you love is struggling with difficult emotions, we want to remind you that the suicide in crisis lifeline is available 24 hours a day.

Just dial 988 to connect directly with support. That's 988.

So, the dread project started when Seleme and his show got an email from a listener who was thinking about the concept of dread.

It makes me wonder how many of us there are and if everyone feels it and just doesn't talk about it,

or is it an anomaly to wake up in the middle of the night feeling like you fall into the endless space between stars.

I wonder if dread is a universal feeling or if it's different for everyone.

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