Surviving Is Enough: 8 Reminders to Not Be So Hard On Ourselves August 19, 2019 by Philippe Leonard Fradet 1 Comment I'm willing to bet that you're reading this in the middle of a million other tasks you feel you need to do in order to feel “normal.” Or maybe you're reading this in an attempt to get yourself out of a rut or improve your state of mind while feeling depressed. Either way, I'm here to help! A lot of times, we (meaning you, me, and everyone we know) feel like if we aren’t doing … [Read more...]
How To Dig a Ditch With a Spoon: Finding Productivity After Falling Apart August 7, 2019 by Delisile Godeffroy-Taylor, Guest Writer Leave a Comment Content note: This article contains references to suicidal ideation and a suicide attempt. I have always lived one step away from suicide. Or more specifically, the way I manage my suicidal thoughts is through imagery. Suicide sits in a cage in my brain. The cage is locked. I have the key but I won’t use it because of my son. I made that decision after my first and only … [Read more...]
Tú no existes para ser usada. Desmantelando conceptos de productividad como propósito vital July 7, 2019 by Gillian Giles Leave a Comment Mi infancia fue marcada por mi discapacidad. A edad muy temprana fui diagnosticada con ADHD, pérdida de audición, enfermedad neuromuscular que más tarde fue identificada como miastenia gravis. Desde luego fue especialmente en la escuela donde experimenté las mayores dificultades, porque precisamente era el centro de productividad. Aunque yo era todavía capaz de asistir a clase, … [Read more...]
“You Do Not Exist To Be Used”: Why Your Life Purpose Is Bigger Than Capitalist Productivity May 20, 2019 by Gillian Giles Leave a Comment My childhood was colored by my experiences navigating my disabilities. At an early age I was diagnosed with ADHD, hearing loss, and dealt with a neuromuscular disease that was later in life diagnosed as myasthenia gravis. Ever since the age I was able to attend school, academia has been a primary source of stress and poor self-worth for me. The school system was by far the … [Read more...]
Smiling Under Capitalism: 14 Ways LGBTQ+ Workers Face Discrimination in the Service Industry April 23, 2019 by Aiko Fukuchi Leave a Comment Lately I’ve been puzzled by the number of people who seem to think it’s possible to have a conversation about gender equality and transgender liberation without discussing economic injustice and racialized experiences. One reason this thought is so common is because of mainstream media. While media engaging with certain transgender bodies and experiences has become more … [Read more...]
The Politics of Productivity: 7 Ways To Undo Societal Pressure to Constantly Perform August 29, 2018 by Mary Robinson Leave a Comment When my therapist first told me that my value wasn’t linked to how productive or accomplished I was, I actually laughed out loud. Not a little giggle either, but a full-on belly laugh like she had just told me the funniest joke I had ever heard. She repeated it again, with a straight face and I quieted down. We spent many months on this concept, and it is still something that I … [Read more...]
The Pressure of Productivity: What Unemployment Taught Me About Mental Health July 26, 2018 by Dawy Rkasnuam 1 Comment As someone who struggles with anxiety and depression, I am all too familiar with how on-the-job stress can affect your mental health, and vice versa. What I didn’t realize, however, was how much worse not having a job would be for my mental health—until I had to live through several months of being unemployed myself. With unemployment, of course there’s the obvious stressor: … [Read more...]
It’s Okay If The Only Thing You Did Today Was Breathe March 2, 2018 by Gillian Giles Leave a Comment At the beginning of my depressive episode, I had this distinct memory right of surrender. Of feeling this tug that drew me down into my bed and of feeling this mental shift of, disaster, defeat and general disappointment. A sort of hopelessness slipped in. An illusion of control broke down and any confidence I felt in my ability to control my body, my mind and the ways of which … [Read more...]
