Feb was a bit hard for me to be honest. I had loads of back pain randomly out of nowhere (lasted a week ISH and thankfully went away) so I definitely feel you on the amazing feeling of being able to go and do even something as simple as get on the tube! So I was very frustrated. But the end of the month was really meaningful, I threw myself wholeheartedly into supporting my activisty friends running in the SU elections on our campus and campaigning for them, and we managed to win every single position! which puts organising on our campus in an amazing place. This year the SU has been really lukewarm on Palestine but the four winners are so committed on this (+ other issues like disability rights!) that a better future feels really possible. And doing stuff in person is just so much more fulfilling than scrolling, although I've been doing a lot of that too. Idk, February has been weird, but it turned out all right in the end. Hope your March goes better than it started!
edit: and through my friends I also discovered the incredible song Ana Dami Falastini which I highly recommend listening to. It's soulful and determined and hopeful and sad all at the same time but it gets me ready to do good things for Palestine whenever I listen to it (which this week looks like getting my mum chocolate covered Palestinian dates for Mother's Day which supports farmers in the West Bank and 50% of the profits go to supporting aid for Gazan kids)
Thank you for the honest update Stella! Pain out of nowhere sounds very frustrating and worrying - I'm glad it passed 💜 and the campaigning work sounds so rewarding!! You're right about in person stuff feeling 10 times more impactful, but it's hard to resist the scroll isn't it. Wishing you a good March! 💖
Congratulations on the elections! Those are always so much work, and it's really rewarding to see people who have good values be put into positions where they can help to make an even bigger impact!
Glad you’re feeling better. Food poisoning is the worst.
I definitely feel the guilt and sense of dystopia and injustice hard and think of Gaza several times a day. But I’ve realised a lot of my guilt and shame spirals were being specifically triggered by non-Palestinians on Instagram making me feel like I should be doing more and that if I’m not heartbroken and miserable 24/7 I don’t care.
As such, I’ve started implementing specific boundaries around social media. 30 mins to keep up to date, and be aware of actions, and then I log off.
I then do more offline- and am subscribed to email for Palestine Solidarity etc to keep aware of new actions. I’ve found that’s helped me keep so much more regulated and charged to keep going.
Plus, someone wise once told me, joy is resistance for anyone switched on to social justice of any description, and in finding joy for ourselves, we can use that to strengthen our resolve to fight for joy for everyone.
Gemma this is such a useful share, thank you 💜 and you're absolutely right - I think a lot of people online fall into that shaming type of activism to cover their own back and feel like they're doing the MOST, when actually shame is an unsustainable method of action and a lot of those people could better use that energy focusing on real world community action. Well done for finding your balance and still taking care of yourself 💖💖
Thank you for this comment - I have been trying to work out how to navigate social media and you are so right about guilt and shame from non-Palestinians berating others. I have found that in person stuff is much easier to navigate and also does more practically! Love to you ❤️
Feb felt like a bit of a slog here too, the weather didn’t help!! I’ve had to switch off the news for now, as whilst I want to stay informed I think it was causing me more anxiety than anything else. It’s good to know I wasn’t the only one who found it tough, and I’m glad that you still had a good time-the BAFTAs look was stunning!!
News limitation is essential! Actually that's probably the most difficult part about being at Gemma's - she likes to have the news in the background all day and I can maybe stomach 20 mins before I start feeling catastrophic about the world and existence and bleh - I've started wearing loops though so that helps 😅💜
What a beautiful update. It seems like February was a month of big ups and downs for a lot of people. I’m so glad you’re recovering from your food poisoning. That sounds so terrible. LOVE the pic of you and Gemma. So frickin cute. Char did indeed look handsome af in that suit! Y’all are always giving with the fashion. I loved seeing your BAFTAs experience, and you know I haven’t stopped thinking about that makeup with that dress ever since I saw it on insta! It was art.
I definitely feel you in the heaviness about world events right now. For me personally things are actually quite good at the moment, and it can be so hard to reconcile that when knowing how hard things are for so many, not just in Palestine, but even amongst my own friend group. It’s hard being human. I so admire your compassionate heart, and all the things you do to make the world a better place. Never forget how many lives you’ve touched already. You’ve changed more people than you know. Sending you the warmest, kindest wishes for March ❤️
Sophie I'm starting to feel like no matter what I share here I know that you will absolutely understand and resonate and that is so beautiful 💜 thank you for always making the effort to share thoughtfully and authentically so I never feel like I'm just shouting into the void 🤗
I know it's hard to feel, but you are allowed your good times. In fact, even if you had nothing but good times from now until the end of your life that would actually be ok. It would be beautiful, in fact. You don't owe any more sadness or down times, you're allowed to be ok now 💖
Hey now, no need to make me cry at 9:00 in the morning. “You don’t owe any more sadness or down times, you’re allowed to be okay now” 😭 Thank you, thank you, thank you
Love reading your updates and so grateful for you sharing how you’re navigating the world right now, it is so helpful to read 💖 February has been one of my most challenging patches for a while, still going through it a bit, but the worst of the heaviness has lifted, and started slowly working towards a big change that I think will help a lot in dealing with the underlying stuff. Thank you again for sharing your highs, lows and everything in between, it definitely helps me feel more normal in all my ups & downs xxx
Glad to hear the heaviness is lifting Helen! Looking forward to your next update where you can hopefully tell us more about the big change and how helpful it's been 😘 sending love 💜
Thank you Megan. I’m new to your mailing list and I’m so grateful to be on it. I cannot get enough of how you’re authentically and unapologetically yourself. I’ve recently finished listening to your audio book and it’s prompted me to do something ambitious! P.S. Your outfit for the book launch was amazing! I love how you wear pink and orange together - bold and beautiful 🤩
So glad you're feeling better! The few days of feeling mostly-healthy right after being sick are kind of amazing... I'm rarely that thankful for my nose to be un-stuffed, my throat to be un-scratchy, and my muscles to be un-sore! :)
I can't wait to find a copy of this book! Congratulations!
And yes -- I am definitely also feeling the guilt, but having some lovely conversations about how it's not our job to do EVERYTHING in support of EVERY cause, and that, as much as it feels like opting-out in the age of the Social Media Warrior, finding your one or two special passions in healing the world is actually really impactful in the long run! Sending many hugs or fist bumps, whichever you prefer!
I will gratefully accept hugs, thank you Jenna! And yes absolutely - I know you're right on the (limited but still powerful) ways we can impact the world but whew it is hard to hold onto each time you go online isn't it. I appreciate the reminder! 💖
So sorry to hear that you've been down with food poisoning, I know it can be especially triggering when one experienced EDs so I hope that you were extra gentle with yourself this past few days.
I always love how you balance different topics in your newsletter, and your effortlessly comforting way of writing.
I'm sending you lots of love to fight the guilt that you're not doing enough, and thanks for sharing Char's wise words.
This is a LOVELY comment thank you Coline! Nice to know this space feels comforting, that's exactly how I want it to feel 🤗 all good over here on the recovery side of things - excited to be able to eat all the good things again! Plain toast gets real boring after a couple of days 😅 wishing you a peaceful March 💖
Sending love to that dear tum,food poisoning is grimmmm
Well done for checking in with how much external news you can cope with without it making you feel hopeless and helpless 👏👏,
My February was immobile - I did a mischief to my hip while roller-skating and couldn’t walk for a month. The enforced stillness was actually wonderful - I noticed the sparrows nesting and the magnolia blooming like never before
My hip’s healing now but I’m trying to harvest the learning from my month of stillness xxxx
What a gorgeous way to spend valentines day! Your family time and that book of essays also sound absolutely brill. How awesome that you and others are bringing more awareness to eating disorder struggles in communities where they might be overlooked. A couple words to describe my Feb would be: coursework and blue skies. Sending love to everyone for March <3
It's so funny how life looks from the outside esp on SM and how it feels on the inside. They don't always reflect each other. Sending you lots of health! I'm struggling in a world where we're watching a genocide - the world is run globally by pyschos. Every action we take amounts collectively but doesn't protect any of those lives. Lifes wild! X
Oh Megan! Food poisoning is on my top five most hated experiences-so glad you’re feeling better.
Still unemployed over here (shared the shitty circumstances on last month’s newsletter), but I have an interview TODAY for a position I would adore, so any and all vibes would be appreciated! ❤️ {red heart emoji}.
February always feels like such a weird month. As a February birthday, it’s often the time of sickness and grumps, January’s new year enthusiasm has settled, and spring feels forever away. I hope everyone found their moments of joy in Feb, and that those moments grow and envelop you in good things during March.
It went great! So great that the manager (who is leaving) emailed me saying she would like to recommend me for HER role instead of the assistant manager gig I went for. Which is super flattering but also terrifying because I actually really liked the original role (its local government, and the manager has much less direct community engagement and a lot more sitting in meetings talking about budgets) and I don't know what this meeeeeaaans. It's possible they already have someone for the role I went for that they think is a better fit, so if I say no I get nothing. So...we've gone from no jobs to TOO MANY POSSIBLE JOBS which could also become no jobs again... I'm super grateful and excited but also I might pee my pants.
Oh my goodness... well, FIRSTLY, congratulations are definitely in order for a fantastic interview! No matter what happens, I hope you take some time to celebrate that!
And secondly, wow, talk about a potentially mixed blessing! Are you sure that you would have to pick one of the two roles to specifically focus on, and that you can't work with them to determine which is a better fit (assuming that they don't have another person for one of them)? Never feel bad about clarifying something like that or asking if possible changes can be made during the application process -- it's YOUR potential job, after all, and it sounds like they really want you! (Easy for me to say when emailing an interviewer can take me five hours of pacing around my room... but, you know, do as I say and not as I do :P). Whatever you decide to go for, I'm rooting for you and I hope that you find a really wonderful and fulfilling position!
Jenna! I got the job and tomorrow is my one year anniversary! I took the manager role and now have a fantastic team that I get to support every day and your vibes absolutely clinched it.
OMG THIS IS EXCELLENT!! This is the update I wanted!! I am so happy for you AND so excited that you were able to get a role with the opportunities that you both needed and deserved!
I feel like I should update and say that after spending six months hiking on the Appalachian Trail, I also came back to an old job, asked for a raise and a title change, and got it, so here’s to us out here, living our wonderful lives and reminding each other to ask for the good things we deserve!
Feb was a bit hard for me to be honest. I had loads of back pain randomly out of nowhere (lasted a week ISH and thankfully went away) so I definitely feel you on the amazing feeling of being able to go and do even something as simple as get on the tube! So I was very frustrated. But the end of the month was really meaningful, I threw myself wholeheartedly into supporting my activisty friends running in the SU elections on our campus and campaigning for them, and we managed to win every single position! which puts organising on our campus in an amazing place. This year the SU has been really lukewarm on Palestine but the four winners are so committed on this (+ other issues like disability rights!) that a better future feels really possible. And doing stuff in person is just so much more fulfilling than scrolling, although I've been doing a lot of that too. Idk, February has been weird, but it turned out all right in the end. Hope your March goes better than it started!
edit: and through my friends I also discovered the incredible song Ana Dami Falastini which I highly recommend listening to. It's soulful and determined and hopeful and sad all at the same time but it gets me ready to do good things for Palestine whenever I listen to it (which this week looks like getting my mum chocolate covered Palestinian dates for Mother's Day which supports farmers in the West Bank and 50% of the profits go to supporting aid for Gazan kids)
Thank you for the honest update Stella! Pain out of nowhere sounds very frustrating and worrying - I'm glad it passed 💜 and the campaigning work sounds so rewarding!! You're right about in person stuff feeling 10 times more impactful, but it's hard to resist the scroll isn't it. Wishing you a good March! 💖
Congratulations on the elections! Those are always so much work, and it's really rewarding to see people who have good values be put into positions where they can help to make an even bigger impact!
Glad you’re feeling better. Food poisoning is the worst.
I definitely feel the guilt and sense of dystopia and injustice hard and think of Gaza several times a day. But I’ve realised a lot of my guilt and shame spirals were being specifically triggered by non-Palestinians on Instagram making me feel like I should be doing more and that if I’m not heartbroken and miserable 24/7 I don’t care.
As such, I’ve started implementing specific boundaries around social media. 30 mins to keep up to date, and be aware of actions, and then I log off.
I then do more offline- and am subscribed to email for Palestine Solidarity etc to keep aware of new actions. I’ve found that’s helped me keep so much more regulated and charged to keep going.
Plus, someone wise once told me, joy is resistance for anyone switched on to social justice of any description, and in finding joy for ourselves, we can use that to strengthen our resolve to fight for joy for everyone.
Thank you for bringing some of that joy to us ❤️
Gemma this is such a useful share, thank you 💜 and you're absolutely right - I think a lot of people online fall into that shaming type of activism to cover their own back and feel like they're doing the MOST, when actually shame is an unsustainable method of action and a lot of those people could better use that energy focusing on real world community action. Well done for finding your balance and still taking care of yourself 💖💖
Thank you for this comment - I have been trying to work out how to navigate social media and you are so right about guilt and shame from non-Palestinians berating others. I have found that in person stuff is much easier to navigate and also does more practically! Love to you ❤️
Feb felt like a bit of a slog here too, the weather didn’t help!! I’ve had to switch off the news for now, as whilst I want to stay informed I think it was causing me more anxiety than anything else. It’s good to know I wasn’t the only one who found it tough, and I’m glad that you still had a good time-the BAFTAs look was stunning!!
News limitation is essential! Actually that's probably the most difficult part about being at Gemma's - she likes to have the news in the background all day and I can maybe stomach 20 mins before I start feeling catastrophic about the world and existence and bleh - I've started wearing loops though so that helps 😅💜
I love my loops! They are so good 😊 and yes I’ve taken to just catching up in the evening and I get the essentials through the radio during the day!!
What a beautiful update. It seems like February was a month of big ups and downs for a lot of people. I’m so glad you’re recovering from your food poisoning. That sounds so terrible. LOVE the pic of you and Gemma. So frickin cute. Char did indeed look handsome af in that suit! Y’all are always giving with the fashion. I loved seeing your BAFTAs experience, and you know I haven’t stopped thinking about that makeup with that dress ever since I saw it on insta! It was art.
I definitely feel you in the heaviness about world events right now. For me personally things are actually quite good at the moment, and it can be so hard to reconcile that when knowing how hard things are for so many, not just in Palestine, but even amongst my own friend group. It’s hard being human. I so admire your compassionate heart, and all the things you do to make the world a better place. Never forget how many lives you’ve touched already. You’ve changed more people than you know. Sending you the warmest, kindest wishes for March ❤️
Sophie I'm starting to feel like no matter what I share here I know that you will absolutely understand and resonate and that is so beautiful 💜 thank you for always making the effort to share thoughtfully and authentically so I never feel like I'm just shouting into the void 🤗
I know it's hard to feel, but you are allowed your good times. In fact, even if you had nothing but good times from now until the end of your life that would actually be ok. It would be beautiful, in fact. You don't owe any more sadness or down times, you're allowed to be ok now 💖
Hey now, no need to make me cry at 9:00 in the morning. “You don’t owe any more sadness or down times, you’re allowed to be okay now” 😭 Thank you, thank you, thank you
Love reading your updates and so grateful for you sharing how you’re navigating the world right now, it is so helpful to read 💖 February has been one of my most challenging patches for a while, still going through it a bit, but the worst of the heaviness has lifted, and started slowly working towards a big change that I think will help a lot in dealing with the underlying stuff. Thank you again for sharing your highs, lows and everything in between, it definitely helps me feel more normal in all my ups & downs xxx
Glad to hear the heaviness is lifting Helen! Looking forward to your next update where you can hopefully tell us more about the big change and how helpful it's been 😘 sending love 💜
Good luck on whatever big change this may be! Sending you strength, boundaries, peace, joy... take your pick, whichever you need most!
Thank you 🥰
Thank you Megan. I’m new to your mailing list and I’m so grateful to be on it. I cannot get enough of how you’re authentically and unapologetically yourself. I’ve recently finished listening to your audio book and it’s prompted me to do something ambitious! P.S. Your outfit for the book launch was amazing! I love how you wear pink and orange together - bold and beautiful 🤩
Thank you Saskia! Happy to have you here 🤗 awh love that you've been listening to the audiobook and intrigued about what the ambitious thing is! 💖
So glad you're feeling better! The few days of feeling mostly-healthy right after being sick are kind of amazing... I'm rarely that thankful for my nose to be un-stuffed, my throat to be un-scratchy, and my muscles to be un-sore! :)
I can't wait to find a copy of this book! Congratulations!
And yes -- I am definitely also feeling the guilt, but having some lovely conversations about how it's not our job to do EVERYTHING in support of EVERY cause, and that, as much as it feels like opting-out in the age of the Social Media Warrior, finding your one or two special passions in healing the world is actually really impactful in the long run! Sending many hugs or fist bumps, whichever you prefer!
I will gratefully accept hugs, thank you Jenna! And yes absolutely - I know you're right on the (limited but still powerful) ways we can impact the world but whew it is hard to hold onto each time you go online isn't it. I appreciate the reminder! 💖
Hi Megan,
So sorry to hear that you've been down with food poisoning, I know it can be especially triggering when one experienced EDs so I hope that you were extra gentle with yourself this past few days.
I always love how you balance different topics in your newsletter, and your effortlessly comforting way of writing.
I'm sending you lots of love to fight the guilt that you're not doing enough, and thanks for sharing Char's wise words.
Hugs,
Coline
This is a LOVELY comment thank you Coline! Nice to know this space feels comforting, that's exactly how I want it to feel 🤗 all good over here on the recovery side of things - excited to be able to eat all the good things again! Plain toast gets real boring after a couple of days 😅 wishing you a peaceful March 💖
I love this so much! Super excited to read your book chapter. Will you be writing another book? 🙏🏼💜
Yay! Thanks Candace 🤗 I might be working on a lil something myself but it's top secret for now 😘💖
Sending love to that dear tum,food poisoning is grimmmm
Well done for checking in with how much external news you can cope with without it making you feel hopeless and helpless 👏👏,
My February was immobile - I did a mischief to my hip while roller-skating and couldn’t walk for a month. The enforced stillness was actually wonderful - I noticed the sparrows nesting and the magnolia blooming like never before
My hip’s healing now but I’m trying to harvest the learning from my month of stillness xxxx
What a gorgeous way to spend valentines day! Your family time and that book of essays also sound absolutely brill. How awesome that you and others are bringing more awareness to eating disorder struggles in communities where they might be overlooked. A couple words to describe my Feb would be: coursework and blue skies. Sending love to everyone for March <3
It's so funny how life looks from the outside esp on SM and how it feels on the inside. They don't always reflect each other. Sending you lots of health! I'm struggling in a world where we're watching a genocide - the world is run globally by pyschos. Every action we take amounts collectively but doesn't protect any of those lives. Lifes wild! X
Oh Megan! Food poisoning is on my top five most hated experiences-so glad you’re feeling better.
Still unemployed over here (shared the shitty circumstances on last month’s newsletter), but I have an interview TODAY for a position I would adore, so any and all vibes would be appreciated! ❤️ {red heart emoji}.
February always feels like such a weird month. As a February birthday, it’s often the time of sickness and grumps, January’s new year enthusiasm has settled, and spring feels forever away. I hope everyone found their moments of joy in Feb, and that those moments grow and envelop you in good things during March.
Sending those well wishes for March right back at you. (hope the interview went well! 🤞)
The absolute best of luck on your interview!! You got this!
It went great! So great that the manager (who is leaving) emailed me saying she would like to recommend me for HER role instead of the assistant manager gig I went for. Which is super flattering but also terrifying because I actually really liked the original role (its local government, and the manager has much less direct community engagement and a lot more sitting in meetings talking about budgets) and I don't know what this meeeeeaaans. It's possible they already have someone for the role I went for that they think is a better fit, so if I say no I get nothing. So...we've gone from no jobs to TOO MANY POSSIBLE JOBS which could also become no jobs again... I'm super grateful and excited but also I might pee my pants.
Oh my goodness... well, FIRSTLY, congratulations are definitely in order for a fantastic interview! No matter what happens, I hope you take some time to celebrate that!
And secondly, wow, talk about a potentially mixed blessing! Are you sure that you would have to pick one of the two roles to specifically focus on, and that you can't work with them to determine which is a better fit (assuming that they don't have another person for one of them)? Never feel bad about clarifying something like that or asking if possible changes can be made during the application process -- it's YOUR potential job, after all, and it sounds like they really want you! (Easy for me to say when emailing an interviewer can take me five hours of pacing around my room... but, you know, do as I say and not as I do :P). Whatever you decide to go for, I'm rooting for you and I hope that you find a really wonderful and fulfilling position!
Jenna! I got the job and tomorrow is my one year anniversary! I took the manager role and now have a fantastic team that I get to support every day and your vibes absolutely clinched it.
OMG THIS IS EXCELLENT!! This is the update I wanted!! I am so happy for you AND so excited that you were able to get a role with the opportunities that you both needed and deserved!
I feel like I should update and say that after spending six months hiking on the Appalachian Trail, I also came back to an old job, asked for a raise and a title change, and got it, so here’s to us out here, living our wonderful lives and reminding each other to ask for the good things we deserve!
That's such great advice, thank you! If I do get it, I'm fully crediting your vibes for tipping it over the edge.
Similar weekends! I also got food poisoning from seafood- holy fucking shit. Quite literally. I hope you’re feeling better! 💚
Oh no your poor body! Seafood food poisoning (both in the reverse and accelerated digestion categories) is the worst.