🌷Sexism and its Impact On Our Mental Health and Daily Lives 🌷
🌷Hi everyone,👋
Today we had a great discussion about sexism and its impact on our mental health and daily lives in the Women's Circle Discussion Group. Let's keep the conversation going and open it up to everyone who was there and everyone who wasn't able to attend!
Sexism affects us in so many different ways. It doesn't just affect us in loud, obvious, dramatic ways it also affects us in more subtle everyday moments. The moments and experiences that add up. The moments and people that shape how we see ourselves, how we navigate our world, and how we feel in our own skin.
I've heard your frustration that it's not talked about enough.
I want to create a space here where we can talk openly about that.
How has sexism impacted your mental health and daily life? Maybe it's:
Anxiety that comes from navigating a workplace where your ideas are overlooked until a man says them.
Self-doubt that creeps in after being dismissed, having your experiences minimized or not believed.
The exhaustion of constantly having to prove your worth or having to work twice as hard and be twice as skilled as male counterparts only to get half the respect or credit.
The anger you're not "supposed" to feel or show
The pressure to be smaller, quieter, nicer so others feel comfortable.
The way you've internalized messages about what you "should" be and the inner conflict that can bring.
The isolation of carrying these experiences alone, not being heard, or being gaslit when you speak out.
Or maybe it's something else entirely.
Whatever it is, I want to hear it.
This is about holding space for one another; for your experiences and feelings. It's about solidarity and sisterhood. It's about saying: I see you. I believe you. You're not alone.
Please share as much or as little as feels comfortable. Your story matters. Your experience is valid. And your voice deserves to be heard. 💛
Looking forward to hearing your stories, lifting your voices, and connecting with you all,
– Faerie 🌸🧚♀️
@adventurousBranch3786 @ashleybell415
@SadHurtLadki3
Tagging because you expressed interest in this topic 💕
@ShadowFaerie
Thank you so much for creating space for this discussion. I have to think about what to say here, and I’ll be back.
@PatienceImpatiens
You're so welcome, and take your time. I often need to take a little time to gather and organize my thoughts before posting something. I really look forward to reading your post and value your voice, experience and insight 💕
@ShadowFaerie
Sexism has affected me many times over, from being disrespected, feeling uncomfortable to speak.
Being dismissed.
Minimized.
Told you were just being too much.
Not enough.
Nagging.
Weak.
Emotional.
But I never let it define me.
I'm equal to men in every way.
And if they don't like it, tough!
When I was at an old job, I was attacked one evening by a security guard I worked with.
He had been making inappropriate comments for a while at this point.
Thankfully a manager walked in.
I reported him and he claimed I was just racist.
But it came to light he had inappropriately touched female members of staff and made horrible comments.
Because I came forward, he was fired and they could all do their job safely, which they should have been able to do in the first place 🩷
@Amanda84
That's a lot of invisible weight from sexism that you never should've had to carry. No woman should. I love that you refused to let it define you even though it affected you.
I am so proud of the courage, bravery and strength you showed by speaking out and standing up for yourself! Doing that not o
nly protected the other women that worked there, it also gave those he had harassed or assaulted in the past a safer opportunity to speak up as well. This proves how one voice choosing not to take it anymore can affect so many beyond themselves!
You're amazing 🥰
@ShadowFaerie
Thank you for creating safe and kind spaces where we can always talk and be listened to, you are a compassionate, wonderful presence here on cups, we are lucky to have you 🩷
@Amanda84
thank you so much for sharing your story. it takes an incredible amount of strength to speak up about something so traumatic, especially when you have already been dealing with the exhaustion of being dismissed, minimized, and called "too much" or "emotional". those words are so often used as weapons to silence women, but i absolutely love your fierce mindset of knowing you are equal in every way and refusing to let their labels define you.
what happened to you with that security guard was completely unacceptable and horrifying. it is disgusting that he tried to weaponize accusations of racism to cover up his own predatory behaviour. your bravery in reporting him, despite the toxic environment and the pushback, literally protected the other women you worked with. you took a terrifying situation and used your voice to create a safe space for them, which is exactly what a workplace should be in the first place.
you should be so incredibly proud of yourself for standing your ground and not backing down. your resilience is truly inspiring, and i am so glad you are here sharing that power and strength with us today. <3
you rock keep rocking
yours warmly, snow <3
@ShadowFaerie
thank you so much for opening up this vital conversation, faerie. <3
the way you described those subtle, everyday moments adding up really hits home. it is incredibly draining to constantly have to prove your worth, whether you are trying to get an idea acknowledged in a meeting or trying to get your voice heard while troubleshooting complex code in a lab full of guys. that pressure to shrink ourselves and stay quiet just so others remain comfortable is a very heavy weight to carry around all day.
to anyone reading this and wondering if their story is "big enough" to share, please know that those small, quiet moments of being overlooked are just as valid and just as damaging. the self doubt and the exhaustion you feel are completely real, and you do not have to carry them alone anymore.
this is such a beautiful opportunity for us to stand together in solidarity. i am here to read, validate, and hold space for every single experience shared in this thread. your anger, your exhaustion, and your truth are completely safe here.
you rock keep rocking
yours warmly, snow <3
@ShadowFaerie
For me, I work in predominantly male dominated industries, and often feel "impostor syndrome", even though i may be more qualified and competent than my male counterparts. I also often recieve comments about how I may have gotten opportunities because of the way i dress or the way i look, sometimes even insinuating having given sexual favours to reach where i am today. Additionally i feel afraid to ask for accommodations, for even a serious illness I am afraid to take a sick leave because i feel like it would deter my credibility, while the men around me take off for the smallest of ailments. Thanks once again for providing this space for us. What about you Faerie, id love to hear your experience as well!
I’m compelled to speak generally since I agree that the sexism in the workplace is part of a power structure that has perpetuated itself for centuries. This doesn’t mean it cannot be dismantled, only that progress may seem slow, fits and starts as it were, since when threatened or uncomfortable, sexism will always seem more comfortable to men because it’s so familiar and ingrained as a part of how they may view the natural balance of things.
For me personally, the only ways I have been able to find peace have been to create alternative thriving structures. The strongest example of this is to start my own business as an entrepreneur.
Though I hope the effects of my work will be lasting, I recognize that life here on Earth is finite, and I don’t want to be miserable the whole time.
So, I’ve made conscious choices: to take in clients I truly think I can help, to hire people to work here who understand my work on a deep level and can relate to the clients, to promote a kinder and more compassionate way than the grind of capitalistic patriarchy.
