Recently I read Elif Shafak’s How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division, a short essay which commented on our increasingly polarised world, and spoke of the things we could do to ground ourselves. But the thing is, I didn’t need to read an award-winning author’s take on the subject to know that as a collective, we face lots of insecurity nowadays. The anxieties, which have become particularly heightened in the last month, seem to endlessly rise. Especially at this stage, where we are navigating our career journeys, and trying to secure employment post-university. This is why I thought I would dedicate this newsletter to insecurity - the thing that terrifies me the most, and likely others as well.
This newsletter reflects March Madness, and so we have a mix of things, but no deadlines! Only tasty things to eat at the end. First, an article on apathy - a common but not great reaction to insecurity, then a piece about the recent body image bill, then some coping mechanisms for insecurity. We have our seasonal ingredients list, some podcast recommendations then comfort food recipes with added tips to upgrade them.
GUFAB AGM
Message from our president, Thalia
Before we get started on the rest of the newsletter content, we just wanted to flag that the GUFAB AGM will be happening on the 19th April at 5pm on Zoom. If you’ve enjoyed reading these newsletters and would like to get more involved in the body liberation movement, we’d love to have you on board. Our committee is very flexible, so if you’d like to have a role on the committee, you can sign up on this Google Form and then we’ll confirm everyone’s roles at the AGM. If you can’t make it along to the AGM, don’t worry, just sign up on the Google Form and let us know why you’d like to be involved. Keep an eye out for the exam de-stress events we’ll be running in May too!
“The greatest danger to our future is apathy” - Jane Goodall
It is easier than you think to disengage from the news. Stay off social media, don’t go near the television and stick to small talk and gossip. It is more detrimental than you realise though. Apathy is a common reaction to anxiety-inducing conditions where people disengage, but on important issues it is the first step for letting danger in.
When the world around you feels as though the walls are closing in, it is natural to want to curl up, hide or immerse yourself in your small circle. When we hide ourselves though, we can’t see. And if we can’t see, we can’t make a difference.
Jane Goodall believes apathy is dangerous, and I wholeheartedly agree with her. Shutting down feels good in insecurity. But facing our fears, removing apprehension and tackling things head-on feels one hundred times better.
What happens, then, when the situation is beyond our control? Is it better to resign yourself, tell yourself nothing can be done and move on?
Taking control of things within our power, and exercising our power to the greatest extent we can is the opposite of reacting with apathy.
You may be worried about Ukraine right now - hearing endless stories on the news, seeing images of refugees, cold statements from Putin and courageous statements from Zelensky. You might decide to switch off and accept that Kyiv, being 1,800 miles away, is not your concern, even though you are sad for Ukrainians. However, it is a great privilege that we can even think of doing that. Many people are affected by the war, and it has severe political implications. When you feel helpless and that you are drowning in the news without any way of mitigating it, know this: you can always do something.
It could be a donation to a fund supporting Ukrainians.
It can be a letter to your MP, or the Lords, calling for tougher sanctions on Russian oligarchs and state-linked businesses, and for a humanitarian response to the refugees.
It might be finding trusted news sources for the conflict, and only sharing them. Learning a bit about Ukrainian-Russian history also helps. It may be combating the divisiveness that is surely to occur during the war - with messages of togetherness, solidarity and kindness. Every ounce of positivity you inject to the world, counters some of the negative poison that swims around. Wartime is a time of anxiety but we should be grateful we are in a position that is a) safe and b) can be used to help people. Collective action makes a difference.
Showing apathy during a crisis is natural, it is forgivable. But will it soothe the negative emotions that cause it? Nope - action can combat anxiety more effectively. It is natural and important to accept how situations are, then even better if you can help. Switching off completely doesn’t help your anxiety, or what you are anxious about.
Digitally Altered Bodies Bill
Trigger warnings: discussions on body dysmorphia and insecurity
If the walls aren’t closing in on you from external events, it can be the inside that crushes you instead. One study found that the percentage of adolescents dissatisfied with their body image can be as high as 71%. Is this shocking?
Perhaps not - it linked the dissatisfaction rates with social media, self esteem and social pressures. Body insecurity has existed long before instagram, but the prevalence of it now may be due to internet culture, which only perpetuates it.
In the age of the internet, joy does exist (you can receive online newsletters ;) but it is also a ripe breeding ground for comparison, dissatisfaction and envy. This environment does not really allow for depth, genuineness and gratitude - necessary items for humanity. By staying in it for too long, we can find ourselves trapped, in a scroll or in a popularity contest. Social media apps, interpreted by some as a meaningful way to connect, became for others, a measurement. The likes, the followers, the retweets - all contributing to self-worth, or rather low self worth. Because the thing about social media is that there’s no A grade that you see if you are doing well by, only other people. The only way to assess your success is by looking at other people.
And it doesn’t value your happiness either - because if it did, negative comments and hate speech wouldn’t take ages to come down. It would be a positive place for social connections. Some argue that the internet is simply reflecting what occurs in real life. Cyberbullying - real life bullying. ‘Perfect’ bodies in instagrams - pretty bodies in real life. The lack of accountability is shocking though - and leads people to doing things can could not be done in real life. Pictures are edited, angles are captured, filters applied, and sometimes photoshop too. People hide behind the mask of online anonymity when they post hateful comments on Instagram and disinformation on facebook. The negativity and falseness of social media does not exist as much in day-to-day life. We could not get away with some of the things if they happened in front of us.
Recently, the Digitally Altered Bodies Bill was announced, which requires people to label edited photographs on social media. Hopefully, it will combat the false reality that social media apps are often platform to, by notifying users that altered images do not reflect reality. The core issue of people feeling unhappy in their bodies, looking to a trendy ideal, and being depressed when they don’t fit it still remains. Only people will know that someone has altered their image on social media now. The problem is that images aren’t the only thing being altered - plastic surgery is on the rise since lockdown. It is difficult to see the solution to the issue of body insecurity when it pervades so much of our life, and current media.
What do you think? Will labelling images as altered make people feel less insecure about their bodies, or will people aspire to modified body ideals despite knowing they don’t reflect reality? Does the prevalence of plastic surgery make digitally edited bodies more attainable and so less ignorable?
Let us know your thoughts on this in the comments below!
Adapting to changes which cause uncertainty
Some handy techniques to cope with all that’s going on and whatever comes next.
Talk about the issues that are causing you uncertainty, not just what you feel about them. This can help you pinpoint and figure out what to do next.
Focus on what you can control and watch your fears reduce. Sometimes we wish we could control certain things but we just can’t, so there’s no use beating ourselves up about them. If you concentrate on what’s in your scope, it’ll ground you in reality and help your focus. Write them down - it’ll help.
Don’t beat yourself up for feeling the way you do. We all feel bad sometimes, and if you make yourself feel bad for doing so, it’s almost implying to yourself that you’re not human.
Going over the past - sometimes dwelling on things too much can lead to thinking about where we’ve gone wrong and how we could’ve planned better. It is better to accept the past, learn lessons or mistakes you don’t want to repeat, then move on.
Accept that the world is full of change and there is literally nothing we can do about it! We can’t change the fact that our universe is constantly changing. It may be hard, it may sound impossible, but to get proper peace we just have to accept it.
Seasonal Ingredients (March/April)
Broad beans
Peas
Spring onions
Courgettes
Apricot
Cauliflower
Podcast recs
These have been specially chosen to help you connect, calm your mind, or at least engage it, to combat anxiety from insecurity.
Reasons to be Cheerful, by Ed Miliband and Geoff Lloyd
The Thrive Global podcast, by Arianna Huffington
The Intelligence, by the Economist
Soul Music, by BBC Radio 4
Eat the Rules, by Summer Innanen
Comfort cooks (and small tips for the ultimate taste)
Staying grounded through the trusty apron and spoon. Here are some tried-and-tested recipes to get you through uncertain times, but also some tips and ideas on how to elevate them, for maximum comfort.
Chocolate Brownies
Dark chocolate works best for that richness.
Add a pinch of salt as it helps make them fuller.
Check them five minutes before the oven beeps, they might be ready by then!
Ingredients
185g unsalted butter
185g best dark chocolate
85g plain flour
40g cocoa powder
50g white chocolate
50g milk chocolate
3 large eggs
275g golden caster sugar
Method
Cut 185g unsalted butter into small cubes and tip into a medium bowl. Break 185g dark chocolate into small pieces and drop into the bowl.
Fill a small saucepan about a quarter full with hot water, then sit the bowl on top so it rests on the rim of the pan, not touching the water. Put over a low heat until the butter and chocolate have melted, stirring occasionally to mix them.
Remove the bowl from the pan. Alternatively, cover the bowl loosely with cling film and put in the microwave for 2 minutes on High. Leave the melted mixture to cool to room temperature.
While you wait for the chocolate to cool, position a shelf in the middle of your oven and turn the oven on to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
Using a shallow 20cm square tin, cut out a square of non-stick baking parchment to line the base. Tip 85g plain flour and 40g cocoa powder into a sieve held over a medium bowl. Tap and shake the sieve so they run through together and you get rid of any lumps.
Chop 50g white chocolate and 50g milk chocolate into chunks on a board.
Break 3 large eggs into a large bowl and tip in 275g golden caster sugar. With an electric mixer on maximum speed, whisk the eggs and sugar. They will look thick and creamy, like a milk shake. This can take 3-8 minutes, depending on how powerful your mixer is. You’ll know it’s ready when the mixture becomes really pale and about double its original volume. Another check is to turn off the mixer, lift out the beaters and wiggle them from side to side. If the mixture that runs off the beaters leaves a trail on the surface of the mixture in the bowl for a second or two, you’re there.
Pour the cooled chocolate mixture over the eggy mousse, then gently fold together with a rubber spatula. Plunge the spatula in at one side, take it underneath and bring it up the opposite side and in again at the middle. Continue going under and over in a figure of eight, moving the bowl round after each folding so you can get at it from all sides, until the two mixtures are one and the colour is a mottled dark brown. The idea is to marry them without knocking out the air, so be as gentle and slow as you like.
Hold the sieve over the bowl of eggy chocolate mixture and resift the cocoa and flour mixture, shaking the sieve from side to side, to cover the top evenly.
Gently fold in this powder using the same figure of eight action as before. The mixture will look dry and dusty at first, and a bit unpromising, but if you keep going very gently and patiently, it will end up looking gungy and fudgy. Stop just before you feel you should, as you don’t want to overdo this mixing.
Finally, stir in the white and milk chocolate chunks until they’re dotted throughout.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, scraping every bit out of the bowl with the spatula. Gently ease the mixture into the corners of the tin and paddle the spatula from side to side across the top to level it.
Put in the oven and set your timer for 25 mins. When the buzzer goes, open the oven, pull the shelf out a bit and gently shake the tin. If the brownie wobbles in the middle, it’s not quite done, so slide it back in and bake for another 5 minutes until the top has a shiny, papery crust and the sides are just beginning to come away from the tin. Take out of the oven.
Leave the whole thing in the tin until completely cold, then, if you’re using the brownie tin, lift up the protruding rim slightly and slide the uncut brownie out on its base. If you’re using a normal tin, lift out the brownie with the foil. Cut into quarters, then cut each quarter into four squares and finally into triangles.
They’ll keep in an airtight container for a good two weeks and in the freezer for up to a month.
Noodles
Boil in stock instead of water, adding an aromatic quality. Can add sauteed garlic to enrich this further.
Throw in half a cup of kimchi (juice as well), after cooking your noodles for a spicy, more authentic experience.
Poach an egg straight into the noodles before they finish cooking.
Makes 4 portions, takes 30 minutes.
Ingredients
3 nests medium egg noodles
2 tbsp sunflower oil
100g tenderstem broccoli , stems sliced at an angle
1 red pepper , deseeded, quartered then cut into strips
85g baby corn , quartered lenthways
2 garlic cloves , shredded
1 red chilli , deseeded and chopped
thumb-sized piece fresh ginger , peeled and finely chopped
2 skinless chicken breasts , sliced
100g shelled raw king prawns
1 heaped tbsp Madras curry paste
2 tsp soy sauce
100g beansprouts
15g pack coriander , chopped
4 spring onions , shredded
lime wedges, for squeezing
Method
Pour boiling water over the noodles and leave to soften.
Heat half the oil in a large non-stick wok and stir-fry all the vegetables, except the beansprouts and onions, with the garlic, chilli and ginger until softened. If the broccoli won’t soften, add a splash of water to the wok and cover to create steam.
Tip the veg onto a plate, add the rest of the oil to the wok then briefly stir-fry the chicken and prawns until just cooked. Set aside with the vegetables and add the curry paste to the pan. Stir-fry for a few secs then add 150ml water and the soy sauce. Allow to bubble then add the drained, softened noodles and beansprouts, and toss together to coat.
Return the vegetables, chicken and prawns to the wok with the coriander and spring onions. Toss well over the heat and serve with lime wedges.
Omelette
2 or 3 fillings is the optimum, any more and it gets difficult to fold it
Use cold butter
Beat the eggs until you can’t see any white (aim for a very light and frothy consistency)
Ingredients
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp sunflower oil
1 tsp butter
Method
Season the beaten eggs well with salt and pepper. Heat the oil and butter in a non-stick frying pan over a medium-low heat until the butter has melted and is foaming.
Pour the eggs into the pan, tilt the pan ever so slightly from one side to another to allow the eggs to swirl and cover the surface of the pan completely. Let the mixture cook for about 20 seconds then scrape a line through the middle with a spatula.
Tilt the pan again to allow it to fill back up with the runny egg. Repeat once or twice more until the egg has just set.
At this point you can fill the omelette with whatever you like – some grated cheese, fresh herbs, sautéed mushrooms or smoked salmon all work well. Scatter the filling over the top of the omelette and fold gently in half with the spatula. Slide onto a plate to serve.
Let’s end with a piece of wisdom from Maya Angelou: “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” This may mean looking at something in a positive light, or acting as that positive light yourself. One disagreement I have with the statement is that not every situation can be fixed with an attitude change. Not everything has positives - toxic positivity and wishful optimism is more harmful in the long run. But we can be good forces ourselves, and it is always important to remember that. We have the power not to add to negativity, towards others and ourselves. It may be a word, an action or a hug - do what you can do to help the situation. Love may be the only security blanket we have sometimes.
Newsletter written by Aysha Sohail with a message from Thalia, our president.