Home
Cosmopolitan •

What it's like to go clothes shopping as a recovered bulimic

I found myself staring at the brightly coloured bikinis and gauzy cover-ups on the hanger, my naked body reflected in the mirror under unflattering lights. I was short of breath. Beads of sweat rolled down my lower back despite the frigid temperature of the store. It had been fifteen years since I last spent time in a dressing room, modelling unfamiliar clothes in a somewhat unfamiliar body. And yet, I still find myself overwhelmed by the seemingly simple act of picking out a bathing suit.

The
HuffPost UK •

My Illness Forced Me To Give Up Drinking. Here’s Why I’m Grateful.

The early morning light filtered through my bedroom windows. It was winter during my senior year of college at a small liberal arts college in the Midwest and I woke up the same way I had most mornings that year: fully dressed in clothes from the night before, my dirty waitressing apron draped across my legs, a queasiness settling in the back of my throat.

I rolled myself out of bed and hit the ground. My body shook, my back was wet with sweat, a heavy weight sat on my chest. I made my way to t
The Temper •

What I’ve Learned About the Power of Female Friendships in Sobriety

Once you quit drinking, it’s so easy to get stuck in the discomfort of new sobriety, new humility, new what the hell do I do now panic mixed with fresh grief and loneliness. My experience is that sharing openly about where you are has the potential to attract others who are feeling the same way.

Imagine this: You take the risk of being vulnerable and tell the truth on social media, to the people in your life, and to the local barista who always asks how you’re doing today. You say, “I’m not dri
Grok Nation •

How a week in Vancouver made me greener

Vancouver has an abundant history of grassroots environmental activism. Greenpeace was founded there in 1971 after a small group of activists set sail to the Amchitka island off Alaska to try to stop a U.S. nuclear weapons test. In 1990, Vancouver became the first city in North America to address climate change when it published its “Clouds of Change”, a report about how the city could take steps to deal with changes that were happening with the environment.

After a recent visit to the Canadian
Shape •

No, You Don't Need to Lose Weight for Your Wedding

"Let it out," I told the seamstress, pointing to the fabric seams running along my hips and thighs. "Let all of this out."

My wedding dress, an ivory, strapless trumpet gown with a sweetheart neckline,looked beautiful on my five-foot-four athletic frame — so long as I stood perfectly still and kept my breathing shallow. I tried lowering myself onto a nearby seat, only to discover that I couldn't hinge at my hips.I clumsily slid off the slick leather chair onto the floor of the tiny studio and b
Community Health •

Simple ways to start a social media detox and better your mental health

3.196 billion. That’s the number of social media users worldwide in 2018, which is up 13% according to The Global Digital Report. In today's culture of #followforfollow and #life4like it's as important as ever to interrupt the mindless scrolling and look up. Social media, which was designed as a tool for connection, has become a replacement.

Chamath Palihapitiya, a venture capitalist who once led Facebook’s efforts at global growth, told an audience at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, “T

My Mom's Cancer Diagnosis Changed My Perspective On Growing Up

Life Begins At. Refinery29 is proud to team up with AARP to bring you honest, intimate stories that aim to uncover all the unique experiences that come along with living — no matter your age. It’s time we shed the negative stereotypes, unconscious cultural bias, and misconceptions associated with age and get real about what aging really looks like for us. Because it’s not about how old you are; life begins when you decide to start living it. Have your own story to share about aging? Fill out Wel