4 Tips for Sustainable Self-Care from Shrinking with Jason Segel
Jason Segel & Harrison Ford in Shrinking (S1E4), now streaming on Apple TV+.
Jason Segel is back as Jimmy, the messy but loveable dad and rogue therapist, in Season 2 of Apple TV+’s Shrinking. The show follows Jimmy as he navigates the grief of losing his wife, Tia (Lilan Bowden), and the impacts this has on his professional and personal life. It’s filled with healing and overcoming loss. Self-care is at the heart of this feel-good dramedy, with sustainable tips to indulge in much-needed pampering. Here are some of them:
1. Water Yourself
Step one of sustainable self-care is drinking lots of water and using the reusable water bottle when out of the house. Staying hydrated is the key to maintaining DAF - dewy as fuck - skin, as modelled by Gaby (Jessica Williams).
In Season 1, Episode 1, we see Gaby, Jimmy’s colleague, filling up her bottle at the office water refill station. She insists on living by example in front of their boss, Dr. Paul, who is played by the legendary Harrison Ford. Paul is diagnosed with Parkinson’s which sets Gaby into full protective mode, leaving a filled up blue reusable water bottle on his desk to ensure her mentor is well hydrated. By the next episodePaul finally accepts the gift. The sustainable act of drinking from a reusable bottle is a small and controllable lever in Paul’s health care.
Jessica Williams in Shrinking (S1E1) now streaming on Apple TV+.
Everyone gets on board the reusable water bottle train. In Season 1, Episode 3, while Jimmy’s hiking, he bumps into his patient Grace (Heidi Gardner), who is walking with the emotionally abusive husband she’s meant to have left. Grace bolts away from the confrontation, purple water bottle in hand.
2. Hike in Nature & More
Hiking in nature is another part of the wellness journey seen in Shrinking. It’s a self-care habit that many of the characters in Shrinking practice together. Appreciating the LA views from a height with the fresh air that comes with that or the rocks on the terrain in Liz (Christa Miller)’s case, boosts mental and physical well-being, which in turn can prolong longevity (unless you’re pushed off the cliff - a scenario Jimmy nightmarishly visualizes of Paul jolting him off the edge in Season 2, Episode 1).
Michael Urie, Jason Segel & Christa Miller in Shrinking (S2E9) now streaming on Apple TV+.
Outside of full-on hiking, walking is another healthy, readily available form of exercise. Jimmy’s very involved neighbors, Liz and Derek (Ted McGinley), have a relationship dynamic that works in part thanks to Derek’s enduring patience and onboarding of Liz’s rules. In Season 2, Episode 3, Liz borrows Derek’s car to get back from Jimmy and Gaby’s work and Derek happily informs his wife he’ll ‘Uber home’. But Liz forces her husband to walk home instead. Derek explains to Paul who’s standing by, ‘When I get steps, I get a treat. Has to be fruit though…’, continuing, ‘You can judge all you want, I’m happy’.
It’s not always easy to stick to exercise and healthy routines. So celebrate where you are and tap into the joy of life. Even if some people (aka Jimmy) think that ‘eating funnel cake sort of defeats the purpose of hiking’, indulge, live like Derek, who had a temporarily supportive wife for undisclosed spoilable reasons, ‘Eat whatever you want while you’re exercising’ (Season 2, Episode 9). The key is to find balance in your planet and self-care routine.
3. Try Therapy in the Park & Grieving in the Dark
Sometimes it’s hard to admit you want or need mental health support, so opting for creative alternatives like casual park therapy appointments or grieving in the dark can help with resetting and recharging while reconnecting with nature.
Luckily for Jimmy’s daughter Alice (Lukita Maxwell), Paul offers her outdoor “chats” in the park (in exchange for an elicit bag of Skittles - because of the Parkinson’s Paul’s no longer supposed to eat sugar). The two sit side by side on a bench in the fresh air, surrounded by greenery, and talk about life, family and mourning, as well as the tools to deal with all of the above - like 15 minutes of hard grieving to music a day (Season 1, Episode 3).
Liz also indulges in park therapy with Paul (Season 2, Episode 7). She can meditate and reflect on her inner self and relationship decisions.
Lukita Maxwell & Harrison Ford in Shrinking (S1E8) is now streaming on Apple TV+.
Grieving with the lights off is one way to process feelings of loss without the nagging thought of electricity being wasted. Alice sits in the darkness in a corner of the house, reminiscing about her mom. Her dad walks in and interrupts the reverie by switching on the lights. Alice says, ‘I can’t remember mom’s laugh’ (Season 1, Episode 10). Her dad relates to this painful elusiveness of parts of Tia, but Alice ultimately needs space to grieve on her own. When her dad leaves, Alice shouts after him, ‘Lights!’ This shout reminds him - and those watching - to switch off the lights and give the planet some love.
4. Nourish Yourself with Wholesome Ingredients
Mindful eating can have significant physical health benefits for you and the environment.
Paul’s daughter, Meg (Lily Rabe), tells her father that she’s trying to be vegan, adding, ‘Don’t judge.’ To which he replies, ‘That’s a big ask.’ He also swiftly and kindly offers, ‘Can I get you (...) something soy?’ (Season 1, Episode 7).
Lily Rabe, Wendie Malick, Kelly Bishop & Ryan Caltagirone in Shrinking (S2E5), now streaming on Apple TV+.
Derek’s love of fruit leads him to hack his wife’s system of steps for fruit, bribing his son, Connor (Gavin Lewis), in Season 2, Episode 3, to walk around the neighborhood wearing his dad’s watch to track his steps.
Unfortunately, Paul doesn't crave fruit and nutritious food as naturally. In a Parkinson’s medical check-up (Season 1, Episode 3), the stunning doctor and future love interest, Julie (EMA Board Member Wendie Malick), asks Paul, ‘Remember that talk we had about eating healthier?’. He casually answers, ‘I do; I ignored it.’ Luckily for Paul, he’s surrounded by interfering loved ones who look out for him. In Season 2, Episode 1, Alice brings Paul baby carrots for their outdoor therapy session, spilling, ‘I googled Parkinson’s. You’re supposed to be eating healthy. Paul’s response is less than enthralled, ‘Stupid fucking Internet’. Despite the baby carrot masquerading as Cheetos deception, Paul eventually acknowledges, ‘Maybe carrots are good for me’.
Self-care can look different for each person and moment in life. Diversifying your portfolio of personal growth investment and Earth protection is the surest way of looking after both. The small sustainable self-care rituals depicted in Shrinking, from watering yourself, hiking in nature, meditating in the dark, and eating well, reflect EMA’s mission of encouraging greener characters and plotlines in popular media. Find what sustainable self-care works for you going into 2025 and catch the finale of Shrinking season 2 on Apple TV+ this Christmas Eve.
Cassie Jo is an entertainment journalist specializing in sustainability on screen and is currently completing a master's in Environmental Policy at Sciences Po Paris.
This blog post was made possible by the EMA Creator Fund. Support our fund with a donation!