My Top Binge-Watching Recommendations for COVID-19 Isolation

Photo by Josh Kahen on Unsplash

Today I got the email from my university that we will be transitioning to completely online, following the same decisions that many tertiary institutions across Australia and the world have made.

If you’re in the same boat, whether that be with your studies or work and are slowly spiralling into a bundle of stress, I’ve got you.

Binge-watching TV shows may only be a temporary distraction, but from someone who has been practising social isolation for years now it does the trick.

I’ve divided my recommendations into three categories for whatever headspace you might be in right now and where to find them (within Australia).

I Have Endometriosis and I’m Lucky

I’ve hesitated writing about endo for Endometriosis Awareness Month because I feel like I’ve said so much already.

But it’s important to talk about, and I want to talk about how lucky I am.

I still have endometriosis, I’m in some kind of pain most of the time and pursuing this diagnosis has not been easy, and comprehending living with chronic pain is an uphill battle.

Approaching Menstrual Education (part two)

In my previous post I started to speak about menstrual education, an area of schooling I think we can all agree that we’ve seen lacking.

I think that any dedicated session talking about menstruation and focusing on destigmatisation is fantastic, highlighting that this is normal and not shameful and is clearly going to have a huge impact on what is taken away from it.

The thing that is tricky after living with a period for so many years is that you sort of forget just how little you knew, things that sound glaringly obvious to us now were not always a given.

How Do We Approach Menstrual Education in 2020?

The only thing I remember about the period education I received in school is that we talked about giving our jumpers to girls who were having a leak, and then a teacher put a tampon in a clear vase of water.

These are both things I’ve carried into running these programs, they’re memorable and not horrific, which seems to be the most anyone I’ve spoken to could hope for.

In fact, most people I’ve spoken to about this remember their period education in one of three ways:

1. Periods were completely brushed over, hardly warranting a mention.
2. They left absolutely terrified, completely ashamed and unprepared.
3. The vital education was clouded by shame leaving the distinct impression that silence around menstruation was the expectation.

None of these are acceptable.

Neither is separating the cohort by gender, shuffling the girls into another room to whisper about the secret shames of our bodies.

Living With an Invisible Disability at 21

I turned 21 in November, and spent the following two days in bed.

I wasn’t hungover or recovering from some wild night, but so completely exhausted by my small dinner celebration in which I cooked for four of my friends and then sat at a kitchen table for a few hours.

It was absolutely lovely and I loved every part of it, but just the cooking and baking (which was not monumental by any means) had me in pain before the dishes were clean.

What would maybe be tiring for the average able bodied person, my disability makes beyond draining.

Yes, disability.