In this episode of At Ease: In the Shutdown, Cristin Candice gets real about something too many Black women are carrying in silence during the government shutdown: shame.

Not the kind that comes from doing something wrong, but the quiet, creeping kind that says you should have done more.

More savings. More planning. More hustling.

Cristin invites listeners to lay down the guilt and see the truth: this isn’t a personal failure, it’s a systemic one.

Through reflection, research, and grace, she explores how shame shows up, why it’s misplaced, and what it looks like to choose self-compassion and community care instead.

Reflection Prompts

What stories have I been told, or told myself, about money and worth?

How has shame shown up for me during this shutdown?

What is one thing I can forgive myself for today?

How can I show myself grace right now, not later?