I’ve suffered from pelvic nerve pain for five years now, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to pinpoint the feeling of being free from any form of mild discomfort or searing agony ever since I was a teenager. As a 25-year-old cisgender woman from Ireland, our healthcare services have had numerous scandals over the last few decades relating to treatments for people who identify as female.
Read MoreIf anything plagues social media it is the toxic combo of hustle culture and toxic positivity. The message of keep working towards your goals with a smile on your face until you drop thrives under the influencing world and influencers are the biggest culprits when it comes to projecting this message through their “inspirational” posts.
Read MoreI’ve always wanted children. In fact, when our time came to try, and we didn’t fall pregnant immediately, I was crushed. I will never forget the heartache of walking through the maternity clinic to get to our fertility appointment: bitterly jealous of every woman in there with a bump. Everyone apart from me.
Read MoreIn a recent discussion about gender identity, gender roles, and the general move towards a more accepting society I mentioned the concept of “Two-spirit” in Native Northern American culture. Once I got thinking I started reading, and in my exploration of texts about gender and culture, I have come across a wonderful world of diversity and history.
Read MoreYou can now buy Mindful Mayo from Whole Foods, paint your bedroom with a pot of Mindful Grey paint, drink excruciatingly expensive Mindful Tea, all whilst wearing your brand-new Mindful Motion leggings from Lululemon. Is there actually any benefit to this, or are we just being consumed by the latest capitalist fad?
Read MoreThere is something incredibly final about motherhood. You’re a mum forever and that brings with it huge expectations and responsibilities. During pregnancy well-meaning people tell you about how much love you’ll feel, about all the milestones which will make you beam with pride, and how you’ll never feel such purpose as you do once you become a mum. And this is where women are continually short-changed.
Read MoreThere are Instagram coaches for everything: your business, your health, your confidence, your style, etcetera, etcetera. But what do they actually do and are they to be trusted?
Read MoreAs someone who has experience of both bad mental health and a mental illness, I’m all too aware of the way in which my own struggles could have affected those who support me. I’ve also had multiple romantic and platonic relationships with people experiencing mental health problems. So, I’ve got a good idea of the internal struggle that arises when you love someone and want to be there for them but know that it’s starting to take a toll on you.
Read MoreHowever, there are some signs that can warn you when it’s time to say goodbye to your current company. Here are some of them.
Read MoreThere are times when we long for the physical presence of someone who cares, is ready to listen and maybe offer a hug. The current situation with restrictions around Covid 19 has prevented many bereaved people from receiving the comfort they so dearly need. The Good Grief Festival has all the answers.
Read MoreEvery industry has been affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. Usually, returning to work after a holiday, annual leave or even a long weekend can have an impact on your mental health and routine, so how are we supposed to prepare to return to the 9-5 seamlessly now?
Read MoreVegan and cruelty-free beauty is trendier than it’s ever been. The vegan cosmetics industry is predicted to be worth $20.8 billion by 2025, with millennials acting as the driving force, according to a report by Grand View Research. Yet despite these statistics, an alarmingly large group of us still don’t go vegan or cruelty-free when it comes to pampering ourselves. But why is this?
Read MoreYou don’t tell him how you can’t understand why you ‘forgot’ to revise for your GCSEs last summer, so only got 4 A’s when you were told you would get at least 9. That most days you physically freeze when the bus to college comes; your arm refuses to raise to stop the bus, so you watch it drive past your stop and disappear around the corner, then dejectedly walk home and watch Fresh Prince of Bel Air VHS’s all day, feeling really bad because you fucked up again. You care deep down, although your lecturers think you are a lost cause and there is talk of kicking you out of college.
Read MoreLiving in County Durham is a privilege in the way that there are so many different routes and walks nearby, particularly near my village which is an hour walk from Beamish woods. So, what has my experience with the ‘great’ outdoors been during lockdown?
Read MoreGardening has been a source of enjoyment, the joy it brings to the senses has meant I have experienced freedom from responsibilities in life.
Read MoreI always imagined that working from home would be the ultimate scenario. Snuggled on the sofa in my favourite pyjamas with a soft blanket slung over my shoulders, a hot cup of tea to my side and my laptop balanced on my knee firing off emails and getting everything ticked off from my work to-do list.
Read MoreOn the 23 March Boris Johnson put the UK into lockdown. Pubs, restaurants, offices, non-essential shops, non-essential everything, closed. This included gyms. For the first time in 5 years I didn’t have a gym membership (well, I did, but couldn’t use it). For the first time in 3 years, my go-to stress relief wasn’t available for use. I struggled through home workouts. Zoom HIIT classes are not my thing.
Read MoreBEAT, an eating disorder charity, has claimed a 50% increase in calls to their helpline since the start of lockdown. The increased focus on being fit and healthy is affecting those who are already struggling. The rise in workout regimes and diet pill social media ads makes it impossible to get away from the so-called ‘ideal body’ we should be aiming for.
Read MoreAs a woman growing up, I’ve rarely felt empowered in my own body. Its shape, its strength, its power, its intricacies. I have felt its weight, its fat, its rolls, its appearance to the eye of other’s. I’ve rarely felt ownership, pride and confidence in its beauty and everything it does to keep me alive.
Read More‘How do you feel about the pandemic and lockdown?’ Horrendous. Awful. Frustrated. Emotional. Angry. Fed up. Bored. Drained. Upset. Scared. Disappointed. Worried. Lost. Stuck. Sad. Annoyed. Anxious.
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