CW: health anxiety, menstruation Let me start off this article by taking you through a particular, very recent, day. I wake up with a start, fresh off a nightmare, where one of the many, many imagined scenarios that terrify me becomes a reality. I sit up, breathing shallow breaths, feeling the panic from my dream flow through me in a horrible, nauseating wave, and wonder if … [Read more...]
10 Strategies for Surviving Christmas Season With Family
Note: I am writing this article from my perspective of the holiday season, which is very Christmas-centric. Having said that, I believe that at least some of these hints can be applied to other holiday celebrations. The holidays are promoted, to an almost obnoxious level, as being a time of great joy and merriment. Families come around, delicious food is eaten, presents are … [Read more...]
A Heartbreaking Vote: The Implications of #Brexit For Equality and Social Justice
Editor's note: In light of the December 2019 Conservative electoral landslide in the UK and its impact on the future of Britain, Brexit, and the EU, we are re-publishing this article -- originally written July 3, 2016 -- to provide important context about what Brexit means today. Thursday 72% of the adult population of the UK voted in what has been dubbed one of the most … [Read more...]
10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Being an Immigrant
In the past year or so it has come to my attention just how little non-immigrants know about what being an immigrant is like. This is a serious problem, and its repercussions are becoming more clear as the world, fuelled by events like Brexit and the election of Donald Trump, becomes more blatant in its anti-immigration sentiments. But knowledge is power, and I want to do … [Read more...]
10 consejos para navegar el amor propio radical y la cultura del ejercicio
El ejercicio puede ser una herramienta valiosa para el amor propio. A través del ejercicio, podemos aprender sobre nuestro cuerpo, podemos hacernos más fuertes y más agiles, y disfrutar de incontables beneficios tanto físicos como mentales. Desafortunadamente, para muchos de nosotros, el ejercicio se siente mas como una herramienta para el odio a una misma que para el amor … [Read more...]
“Tomate tu tiempo:” 10 cosas que le podes decir a una persona con ansiedad
Si soy completamente honesta, no tengo idea de cuando empezaron mis problemas de ansiedad. Me diagnosticaron con problemas de ansiedad hace aproximadamente cinco años, pero ya venía experimentando síntomas desde hacía años. Quizás es algo que tengo desde que nací. Cuando sea que haya empezado, siento que ya tengo la experiencia suficiente luego de tantos años de sufrir ansiedad … [Read more...]
Gordofobia 101: 6 herramientas para desmontar los estigmas sobre el peso
Yo, como gorda de toda la vida, he sido el blanco de estigmas sobre el peso y gordofobia desde que tengo uso de razón, solo que no sabía que lo que estaba viviendo era una forma de discriminación. Supuse que me lo merecía porque estaba gorda y punto. Entonces, hace pocos años, me introdujeron en el mundo del activismo contra la gordofobia y la aceptación del cuerpo. Ahí aprendí … [Read more...]
“Normal” Bodies Don’t Exist: Celebrating Your Body in the Face of Fatphobia
I remember once when I was thirteen years old in the middle of PE class. A teacher came along and told us that we would soon be having swimming lessons over at a nearby private school’s swimming facilities. At first, I was excited. I like swimming, I had a swimming pool at home, and my standard swimming costume of a one-piece, a rash shirt, and board shorts was something I … [Read more...]
7 Ways Anxiety Can Affect a Person (That You Might Not Know)
I have dealt with anxiety since I was a teenager. As it is a chronic condition, the severity of it comes and goes. Sometimes I feel fine; the anxiety is quietly humming away in the background and I can carry on as normal. Other times, I feel so unwell that I can’t do much more than get out of bed. It is not unheard of for me to take a day off from work or cancel an … [Read more...]
Healing the Wounds of Growing Up in a Fat-Shaming Family
In the immortal words of Brianna in the classic film Bring It On: All or Nothing, "I've always had a big ass. It runs in my family. We're a big-assed family." My family never used to do “thin” well. My father hovered between “normal” and “more to love,” my mother had a substantially emphasised hourglass shape, and both of my younger brothers were noticeably chubby. As for me? … [Read more...]
Exercise Isn’t Just About Weight Loss: 10 Tips To Navigate Radical Self-Love and Exercise Culture
Exercise can be a valuable tool for self love. Through exercise, we can learn about our bodies, we can become stronger and more agile, and we can enjoy myriad physical and mental health benefits. Unfortunately, for many of us, exercise feels more like a tool for self hate than for self love, and I blame this on how strongly exercise is associated with weight loss. I spent most … [Read more...]
Crecer en una familia gordofóbica
En palabras inmortales de Brianna en la película clásica A por todas: Todo o Nada: “Siempre he tenido un culo grande. Viene de familia. Somos una familia culona”. Mi familia nunca hizo a los “delgados” bien. Mi padre siempre ha estado entre “normal” y “achuchable”, mi madre tenía una considerable y marcada figura de reloj de arena, y mis dos hermanos … [Read more...]
This New Year, Resolve To Be Kind to Yourself
This New Year what if you resolved to deepen your radical self love journey? When you become a #NoBodiesInvisible subscriber at the $19.99/mo Radical Investor level you will receive our 10 Tools to Radical Self-Love 4-week e-course. You don’t need a new you. You need a YOU you love more! Visit www.tbinaa.com/subscriber to find out more details. My personal thoughts on … [Read more...]
New Year, Same You: An Anti-Resolution To Lose the Weight of Body Shame
For the past two years, I have worked in Online Marketing for a company that sells fast-moving consumer goods (grocery foods and small gifts, mostly). Every January, my company pushes so-called ‘diet’ items, and I am normally one of the people who does the copywriting for the relevant promotions. As my fingers tap out words like ‘detox’, ‘healthy’, and ‘new start,’ I feel a … [Read more...]
