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always-over-analysing-blog · 7 years

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The orbit of Jupiter protects the Earth from asteroids.

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always-over-analysing-blog · 7 years

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Support women in STEM

Because they’ve advanced the success and growth of those fields for just as long as men, even when they weren’t afforded the opportunity, the recognition, or the grants. Onward:

Rosalind Franklin (July 25, 1920—April 16, 1958)

Rosalind Franklin was a chemist and, get this, X-ray crystallographer. As far as titles go, you can’t do much better than crystallographer. Her work in understanding the molecular structure of DNA laid the foundation for the discovery of the double helix. She also made significant contributions to understanding the structures of RNAs. And viruses. And coal. And graphite. Her work was not fully appreciated until after she passed away. Two teams of all-male scientists who used her work to discover great things later went on to win Nobel Prizes.

Rebecca Lee Crumpler (February 8, 1831—March 9, 1895)

Rebecca Lee Crumpler spent most of her professional life being the first at things. She was the very first Black woman to become a physician in the United States. The first (and only) Black woman to graduate from New England Female Medical College. She authored Book of Medical Discourses, one of the very first medical books written by a Black person. Every obstacle she powered through was done in an effort to provide care for other people. Hero.

Mary Anning (May 21, 1799—March 9, 1847)

Mary Anning discovered the first full Ichthyosaur skeleton at 11, the very first Plesiosaur at 22, and then opened up her own fossil store front a few years later. We repeat: She opened up her own fossil store. We could go on and on, but Rejected Princesses (@rejectedprincesses) already did it best in this biographical comic. While you’re over there, check out their whole archive and the dozens and dozens of women’s life stories within.

Follow these too:

She Thought It: Crossing Bodies in Sciences and Arts (@shethoughtit) is a database dedicated to shedding light on women making strides in both science and the arts. A whole bunch of great things.

Lady Scientists of Tumblr (@scientific-women) promises everything you could ever want from a feminist science round-up blog: intersectionality and equal representation of all scientists who identify as female. Hell yeah.

Math Brain (@ihaveamathbrain) backs the novel idea that women are indeed capable of understanding math. Shocking. With the perfect amount of sarcasm, they tackle the idea some bozos have that women just don’t have the mind for mathematics.

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always-over-analysing-blog · 7 years

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Lita Ford (The Runaways), Debbie Harry en Joan Jett

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THEY INCLUDED PLUTO YAY

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always-over-analysing-blog · 7 years

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Externalising Anxiety

I just came across this essay I wrote a forever ago. I never did anything with it at the time, but, now I have a Tumblr I guess I can post it here (even though no one actually follows me lmao).

No one is immune to anxiety. That voice in your head which unprovoked rears its ugly self on what seemingly was a fine day, only to tell you that you’re not good enough and how everything will go horribly wrong. When not dealt with, the anxiety can grow and take over. You’ll alter your plans and let your actions be determined by self-doubt and insecurity. You’ll let yourself weaken and regress in attempts of ever-building desperation to keep that rotten, vicious, discouraging voice shushed. Meanwhile, your anxiety only strengthens ceaselessly becoming a more prevalent, dark and unruly figure in your life.

I’ve named my anxiety. And, now when I hear her grating voice, I tell her:

“Mabel - shut the f*ck up!”

I learned this technique from Katya; a drag queen famed from RuPaul's Drag Race, where she won the title of ‘Miss Congeniality’ on season 7 and made the top three on the series’ latest All Stars season. Katya (who’s known as Brian when stripped of makeup, padding, fishnets, and wigs) names her anxiety Brenda.

I have suffered from pretty severe GAD and clinical depression all through my tween and teen years. And I’ve tried more than a few meditation and relaxation techniques and positive self-talk tools to battle that ugly voice, all to varying levels of success. However, it was not until trying this method of externalisation that I truly felt able to gain back control.

Giving your anxiety a name allows you to separate its identity from your true self. It's a very real way of distancing you from your mental disorder, allowing you to understand that your anxiety is not equivalent to who you are nor does it define you. I named my anxiety Mabel because it's a funny and unintimidating name. Suddenly, when your anxiety sounds like either the name of a grandmother or of a family pet, it no longer seems as frightening and formidable.

I first became a fan of Katya's on RPDR as I found her unique humour hysterically funny. As the competition progressed, I began to root for her because I related to the way she doubted herself. I wanted to see Katya, who suffered from anxiety in the same way I did, succeed in overcoming her mental health. If she could succeed, it's totally possible I can succeed too.

Admittedly, having a fake-Russian, ex-drug-addict, surreal humorist drag queen as a role model is, on paper, an odd choice for a teenage girl living in rural Scotland. But, I have my reasons. Watching Katya and her zany wit either on TV or her youtube series can sometimes be the only thing which will give me a moment of respite from crappy stuff going on in my life. She's a weird, goofy character who has been able to make me laugh whenever, whatever.

And it's not just her comedy I find inspiring. Katya uses her platform to speak out on important issues. In a series of late night live streams, she has discussed topical matters such as racism, feminism, politics, addiction, and anxiety. She's a passionate, intelligent, well-spoken advocate with a unique perspective who wants to make a positive impact on the world. Not bad for a man in a dress.

Externalising your anxiety is not much different from creating a drag persona. You get to chose their name, characteristics and how much attention you'll give them. You've probably come across the metaphor where you have an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other. Why not try counteracting the discouraging voice of your anxiety with the motivating voice of a fierce queen? I'll pay more credence to a glittery, unshakable, confident diva than I will to Mabel. And the more I consciously disregard the opinion of Mabel, the quieter her voice becomes.

This externalisation technique, for me, works far better than other methods of tackling anxiety have. Perhaps it's simply a technique that I click with. Maybe, because I learned it from someone I admire and not from a clinical, monotonous, counsellor's office pamphlet, I tried a little harder. It could be both these combined. I'm not sure. What I do know, however, is that I've become more self-assured and optimistic. I do still worry a lot, but I'm getting better at recognising when my fears are irrational, and when they are, I know not to allow them to deter me.

Dealing with anxiety will be something I'll likely face for decades to come. It's a process, and it's not going to go away overnight. I had my last panic attack just a week ago, and realistically, I doubt that will be my final one. Mabel will always be trash-talking in my ear, and there are going to be times when I'll give in and listen.

Over the past two years, I've seen Katya blossom from someone who was insecure into someone who believes in herself. Not only does she now take advantage of opportunities when they come her way, she'll also use her ingenuity to create her own opportunities. I can't say I'm this courageous yet, but reaching that level of spirit no longer seems an impossibility. If Katya can do it, so can I.

#anxiety #gad #katya #katya zamolodchikova #depression

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always-over-analysing-blog · 7 years

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