On Things That Taste Better Than Skinny Feels

My darling readers, things annoy me. (Wait, really?)

There's this phrase that floats around the thinspo students of the internet. Thinspo, in case you're unaware, is the process of people (usually girls) who are attempting to lose weight in either healthy or unhealthy ways (usually unhealthy) providing themselves with "thinspirational" images, quotes, and life advice to help keep them on track.

The quote is that











My problem with thinspo comes from not the idea itself, but from the ways in which it has been perverted to encourage girls to starve themselves to be some bizarre definition of perfect.

I've seen some pretty decent advice on how to keep yourself on track for a diet...and I've seen some disturbing things. Like "if you're hungry, eat naked in front of a mirror and see how much of an appetite you have then." A lot of the advice not only allows girls to hate themselves but encourages a sense of self-loathing as a motivator. Which is twisted.

There are times when I use thinspo on the internet...as a reminder to keep my body issues in check. I may not like my tummy and I may weigh a little more than I would like, but seeing images of girls who are verging on emaciated and reading advice that encourages me to despise the way I look and the person I am reminds me that I need to keep it in perspective.

And by the way, anyone who says nothing tastes as good as skinny feels has obviously never had bacon.

Deciding not to skip dessert,
Rachel Leigh

So I decided that I really hated the old color scheme for the blog. I'm still not particularly happy with the end result, but I had to revamp everything to get rid of that atrocious pink-and-green monstrosity.

I feel like the new design is slightly juvenile, but I'm currently going with it as a temporary solution to a lasting problem. I don't want anything to interfere with content, so I hope the redesign helps.

Love you all,
Rachel Leigh

P.S., I am SO hungry.

On College

Vague title is vague. I couldn't think of a better one.

Hello my darlings. As you probably are already aware, last year was my freshman year of college. Over the summer, I worked at a College and Career Adviser's office as an intern. Between that and the number of my friends who were just graduating and now headed off to their freshman years, I got a lot of questions about what advice I would give to incoming freshmen.

What I found funny was the fact that most people seemed surprised by the fact that my first two pieces of advice were "Do your homework between classes" and "Don't wear a lanyard."

But those two pieces of advice (and a few very similar rules) are what allowed me to survive my freshman year, and actually really enjoy it. So, I guess this post is about the rules of being a freshman. (Blame TheCollegeTownLife.com for the fact that I've been thinking about this.)

1. Do Your Homework Between Classes. Or on weekends. Or early in the afternoon. The point is, do it when you have time and are already on a roll. I very rarely get overwhelmed with my workload, and I can say I attribute that to getting my work done when I have time. Plus, if your work is already done by 5 o'clock in the afternoon, there's nothing stopping you from joining your friends downtown, going out for the night, or vegetating watching television later. You have the time if you're willing to make the time.
2. Reward Yourself. College is hard. Sometimes you need a little motivation. Many long hauls in the library or unpleasant assignments have been made a little easier by promising myself that "If I finish this, I can get sushi for dinner" or "I've been working so hard, I deserve a shopping trip." Small rewards tend to make a huge difference in my motivation to get things done.
3. Don't Wear A Lanyard. Or an absurd amount of school memorabilia. Don't walk around asking for directions. Basically, don't do things that make you stand out as a freshman. People tend to have a problem with freshmen. Honestly, most of us are jealous of how relatively easy your workload is and how much time you have ahead of you (also of the fact that pretty much any stupid decision can be explained away by letting people know you're a freshman). But people do tend to treat you differently as a freshman, and life is a lot easier when you don't do things that draw attention to the fact that you are one.
4. Do What Makes You Happy and the Rest Will Follow. Friends? Extra-curriculars? Going Greek or choosing not to? Major decisions? These all seem like major stress factors, and they're all certainly decisions and milestones you will have to reach. But if you start out by trying everything that sounds interesting and doing what makes you happy, then finding friends who have similar interests, joining clubs, rushing or not rushing, and declaring will all come a little bit easier (and will be a lot less stressful).
5. SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK. This is college. You're kidding yourself if you think something doesn't need to be thrown off the boat. There is only so much time in the day for eating, sleeping, studying, hanging out, working, getting involved, volunteering, and anything else you need to do. Something's gotta give. I suggest sleep. Full-on insomnia is never a good thing, but save the mid-day naps for breaks, weekends, and after exams.

I guess that's my tentative advice for freshmen.

Sophomorically Yours,
Rachel Leigh

On Stigma and Mean Girls

My darling readers.

I am a member of UR’s chapter of Active Minds, a national organization that seeks to reduce the stigma against mental illness and promote more mentally healthy campuses around the country. (Actually, I’m the co-president of the chapter, but that’s really not important).
What is important is that today is October 3rd.

Now, for Mean Girls fans out there, the fact that it’s October 3rd is important because it’s the day that Aaron Samuels will ask what day it is. It’s October 3rd.

On the other hand, the reason October 3rd matters in the context of Active Minds revolves around the fact that today is the National Day Without Stigma.

50 million people suffer from a mental illness every year (1 in 4), and of those who suffer, only 25% will seek treatment or therapy of some form. This all comes back to the stigma against mental illness. People who suffer from a mental health problem or mental health disorder are seen as “crazy,” and because people think they’re crazy, it prevents them from wanting to seek help.

1 in 4 people means that you probably have friends, family, coworkers, teachers, and peers who are suffering without your knowledge. And the persisting stigma against mental illness will prevent 75% of these people, people you care about, from seeking help because they worry that people will judge them. People worry that seeking mental help will prevent them from getting jobs, getting into good schools, forming personal relationships, or being respected. And it all comes back to stigma. People shouldn’t have to worry what people will think of them for seeking treatment for their mental illness, or even for having one. They should worry about learning to manage it so they can live happy and successful lives.

Today, as a national organization, we come together to spread awareness and fight the stigma. But one day’s worth of advocacy isn’t the solution. Every day, we, as a society, need to work towards making people feel safer, advocating self-awareness and treatment, and being good friends to the people we care about, particularly if they have the courage to admit they’re suffering.

Lovingly yours,
Rachel Leigh