Search results for: self-care
Photoshop Phoniness: The Hall of Shame
Those who are familiar with the power and pervasiveness of the thin ideal may be surprised by “reverse retouching” – where editors now adding curves and inches to create more voluptuous figures. But there’s nothing new about it. It’s just more illusions to form a new standard of normal for women’s bodies and more unnatural and unachievable beauty ideals for real-life females to fall short of.
Read More7 Ways to Love Your Body (Through Thick And Thin)
As women, our relationships with our bodies are often dysfunctional. With a multibillion-dollar cosmetics industry and social pressures to be thin, loving our bodies is no stroll in the park. But when we don’t feel comfortable in our bodies, we miss out on all the joy that life offers. Here are seven ways to fight the pressure and practice loving your body, just the way it is.
Read MoreWhy Yoga Is A Lifestyle Choice For Me
Everyday I’m reminded that others see me as the caricature of a young single mother. Most days, these messages only fuel me to silently and efficiently demonstrate the falsehoods in these stereotypes. But sometimes, it sinks in and I can’t breathe. But somehow when I finish my yoga practice, I am able to overcome those thoughts and prevent an anxiety attack. I can breathe again and give thanks.
Read MoreHow To Talk To Friends And Loved Ones About Health And Weight
Myths and stereotypes about weight are so normalized. So it’s no wonder if you (person who is worried about a loved one) are invested in the idea that fat is bad or want them to be spared the pain of being fat in our society. And it’s no wonder that you (person who has gained weight or is fat) may have some mixed feelings about the “help” that people want to give. Here’s some ways to have this conversation.
Read More3 Tools To Handle Conflict and Stress In A Healthy Way
There isn’t a person on this planet who can say that they have never reacted on pure emotion when it may have been more appropriate to first take a deep breath and to calm down before reacting. But that takes a certain skill set that most of us haven’t yet mastered. Here are a few helpful acronyms to remember and to practice as we find the best ways to handle our emotions.
Read MoreTen Rules For Fat Girls
I’ve spent a lot of time and effort removing myself from body disparagement zones and have gotten comfortable with the idea that people can look like anything and it’s all good. Until I am reminded how many people out there live in a state of perpetual self-denial, self-denigration, and self-destruction just because of their fat. It is to those fat girls and to all of us who need a refresher course in body acceptance that I offer these Ten Rules.
Read MoreCurvy Is the New Skinny, Thanks To Photoshop Phoniness
Known as “reverse retouching,” editors are now adding strategically, meticulously placed curves to create idealized hourglass figures on otherwise small, thin frames. We’re all for breaking out of the trap of thin ideals being used to sell EVERYTHING. But is Photoshopping to add “curves” a step in the right direction? Absolutely, undoubtedly, without question, NO. Here’s why.
Read More5 Reasons Not to Bring Up ‘Health Concerns’ in Fat Acceptance Discussions
From magazines plastered with the latest stars’ weight gain, to diet ads featuring people grabbing and pinching their flesh, the message is clear: “Fat is bad and you better do something about it.” The way people justify this contempt is bringing up concerns about “health” and individual responsibility explanations. But these explanations fall flat. Here’s why.
Read MoreHow To Find The RIGHT Therapist For You (And Make It Work!)
Congratulations – you have decided to see a therapist and take control of your mental health! Now there’s just one major step you have to take – finding the right therapist to be your trusted ally on this journey. Unfortunately, due to society’s stigma of therapy, we aren’t told how to effectively access it. Luckily, it’s easier than you think. Here are some important things to keep in mind.
Read MoreWhy The Number Of People You’ve Slept With Isn’t Important
Even sex-positive, 21st century women sometimes still can’t help but care when their “number” goes up. Why? Because of centuries of discrimination against women, decades of sexual shaming, years of media indoctrination. Here’s some advice on ditching the scorecard.
Read MoreWhy Make-up Is a Waste of My Time
Some women (and men) derive tremendous joy from makeup, and to them I say, continue on your merry way. But if your make-up use is driven by fear that what you were born with is not enough, that if only your lashes were longer, or your lips pinker, then people would be better to you and good things would happen – to hell with that. You’re way too cool for that.
Read More“I Don’t Think of You As Fat!” – Raising Size Accepting Children
We can change the definition of fat to mean… well, just fat. Like blue and short. So that it won’t be necessary to remind someone that they are worthy. Then you can go ahead and think of me as fat without being uncomfortable about it.
Read MoreSurviving a Bad Reputation
Did the racy pictures get sent around the school? Did you hook-up with someone’s boyfriend and now the whole school hates you? Are you the victim of slut bashing and don’t even know why? The pain and embarrassment of being labeled a “slut’ or ‘ho” can be unbearable but there are steps you can take to navigate a bad reputation.
Read MoreHaving a Healthy Diet Out of Love and Not Fear
Why do we diet? The truth is people diet for various reasons. You can have a healthy diet out of fear or love. This is something that both larger and smaller people can do since just because someone is thinner doesn’t mean they’re necessarily healthy. Allow me to explain.
Read MoreTrying to Avoid Burnout and Still Help Others? How Intersectionality Is the Key
Do you ever feel like your activism is asking too much from you? Intersectional feminism can feel like a lot to take on, but this comic shows how it’s the key to balancing self-care with looking out for others.
Read MoreThe Neurobiology of a Break-Up: 5 Things to Expect (And How to Get Through)
In a society that rejects us, feminism gives us is the revolutionary practice of self-care as a vehicle toward self-acceptance. But in the midst of a break-up, we often forget to prioritize that. So here is what you need to know about what’s happening with your brain chemistry during a break-up and how best to nurture yourself over the process.
Read MoreIf Your Goal In Therapy Is To ‘be Happy,’ You Might Want To Rethink That. Here’s Why.
So if you’re not going to therapy or living life to become happy, what’s the point? I started asking the same thing. And what I learned along the way kind of blew my mind wide open.
Read More5 Things You Can Do Now to Prepare for the November Elections
While marches and protests are a great show of solidarity for marginalized individuals who have been and will continue to be the most at risk under the current administration, we must mobilize in more powerful ways in order to ensure this administration’s hopes do not become a reality.
Read MoreTransgender People Are Not Included In Mainstream History. Here Are 5 Ways For Anyone to Combat Trans Erasure Everyday.
Mainstream history has accepted the gender binary and cis-ness as natural and universal, which tends to filter out entire histories and identities.
Read More5 Things You Need To Know About Asian Fetishization & White Supremacy
The relationship of Asian fetishization to white supremacy is rarely explored or explained but is present in every corner of the space it creates.
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