Like much of the world, I’ve been captivated by Alyssa Liu. She’s got piercings and hair art. She steps off the ice and yells, “that’s what I’m f*cking talking about!” and then giggles with her teammates about Netflix. But more than that, she’s a masterclass in boundaries—not rigid walls, but rhythms she sets herself.

It was the third most-watched halftime show in history. Many declared, “joy is a form of resistance.”

I’d go further: joy is the most underrated form of self-care.

I’d like to talk to you about slowing down and unwinding internalized capitalism, but “I aint got time for that now.” 

I’ve never played parkour, but I think we are all emotional parkourists now. Let me explain.

“Downshifting” is my somewhat clunky but thoughtful and deeply human attempt to wrestle with questions on how we slow down in a culture that demands us to speed up.