So it's come to my attention (and believe me I'm not innocent in this) that women are starting to become more and more competitive with each other. What was once up to the men to fight it out for top dog, with the modern day advancements in women's rights and education, it seems the tables are starting to turn. Here's the thing; 50% of the world's population are women (shock horror! I know, I'm full of so many facts) so I think it's time to start working with each other, rather than against one another.
A recent rise in pop culture, social media and feminist awareness is highlighting the women who are starting to make a difference in the world. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating becoming the longest reigning monarch in British history this week, having spent 63 years on the throne. Taylor Swift is absolutely killing it on the music scene, whilst making her 'crew' some of the most admired and desired on the planet. The recent Netball World Cup showed everyone just how tough women are, with players continuing to perform despite sever injuries. Earlier this year, Emma Watson was named the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and delivered an incredible speech about gender equality and launched the 'heforshe' campaign. Even Bruce Jenner is transitioning into a woman and now goes by the name Caitlin!
Females have never had so much power in history and we are well on our way to being considered equal. But why are we still the bitchy, most envious gender? Don't get me wrong, guys are highly competitive, but they don't hide it. It's out there for the whole world to see. Women generally appear 'nice to your face and nasty behind your back' and I'm just sick of it. Either we all need to man up (pun intended) and say what we actually think of each other to our faces OR just embrace and motivate one another so we can all rise together. I think we all need to page out of T Swizzle's book and start celebrating our fellow females rather than judging them. We need to realise that everyone is different so to compare one woman to another is ridiculous. Obviously, we're not going to get along with every single person we meet, perhaps this is our chance to react maturely and keep our distance from such individuals. But I've seen girls verbally bash their besties behind there back, without so much of a flinch.
 |
| Who wouldn't want to be part of this squad? |
Firstly, physicality - women usually are smaller in stature, less muscular and therefore not as strong as men. We are also generally prettier than our male counterparts, which makes us feel more susceptible to negative and unwanted attention from our male counterparts (we are just SO irresitable to the opposite sex!). This can contribute to a deep rooted fear of not being physical enough to escape if any male or stronger female were to force their presence onto us.
Secondly, hormonal - due to our monthly cycles causing changes in levels of progesterone and oestrogen we can literally feel one way one day, and like a completely different person the next. It can cause all sorts of personality fluctuations (think PMS) and really, it's not even our fault! Men, have high levels of testosterone flowing through them, which makes them feel self-confident, superior and safe, and the safer you feel, the less likely you are to lash out. Oestrogen however can cause biochemical fluctuations that can make us feel flaky and less confident, which leads to the last comparison...
Biochemical changes occur in women's bodies due to our hormones. Oestrogen increases levels of copper and decreases levels of zinc in the body. Copper stimulates biogenic amines that accentuate emotions (how many guys do you know ball their eyes out watching the note book?) where as a higher level of zinc seems to calm and balance the emotions (you guessed it, guys have higher levels of zinc). Oestrogen also slows the oxidation rate in the body, causing glandular systems to become more sluggish making us lower reneger creatures than men. The lack of energy adds to the fear within us.
So what has fear got to do with it? Fear causes a person to project their negativity, in order to protect themselves. In terms of woman vs. woman, fear presents itself as insecurity. It is human instinct to compare oneself to another. It is also common for most women to highlight their negatives rather than their positives. So if you find someone is bitching about you, it usually means deep down they feel you are superior to them in some way.
So how to limit these reactions? The key is to improve our self-confidence. If we dwell less on the parts we don't like and instead, work on improving the parts we do like, our confidence will grow. We will feel less threatened by those around us who appear 'better', and instead use one another to motivate and learn from. Taking care of ourselves will improve our self confidence and reduce our insecurities. It's hard to feel badly about a body that we take care of. Exercising regularly, eating well, working hard but also enjoying life. I will develop my thoughts on self-confidence in another post, because there is so much to talk about. But basically, by keeping ourselves fit and healthy our physicality will improve, hormonal levels will balance, that in turn improves the biochemical balance in our bodies.
So if a good healthy strong body and peaceful mind aren't enough to get you looking after yourself, maybe the promise of being a little less bitchy will get you going!
Remember, nearly every other person we meet will be a female. The odds are in our favour. We are all in this together. So, in the great words of Ellen Degeneres "Be Kind To One Another".
V x
Biochemical changes occur in women's bodies due to our hormones. Oestrogen increases levels of copper and decreases levels of zinc in the body. Copper stimulates biogenic amines that accentuate emotions (how many guys do you know ball their eyes out watching the note book?) where as a higher level of zinc seems to calm and balance the emotions (you guessed it, guys have higher levels of zinc). Oestrogen also slows the oxidation rate in the body, causing glandular systems to become more sluggish making us lower reneger creatures than men. The lack of energy adds to the fear within us.
So what has fear got to do with it? Fear causes a person to project their negativity, in order to protect themselves. In terms of woman vs. woman, fear presents itself as insecurity. It is human instinct to compare oneself to another. It is also common for most women to highlight their negatives rather than their positives. So if you find someone is bitching about you, it usually means deep down they feel you are superior to them in some way.
So how to limit these reactions? The key is to improve our self-confidence. If we dwell less on the parts we don't like and instead, work on improving the parts we do like, our confidence will grow. We will feel less threatened by those around us who appear 'better', and instead use one another to motivate and learn from. Taking care of ourselves will improve our self confidence and reduce our insecurities. It's hard to feel badly about a body that we take care of. Exercising regularly, eating well, working hard but also enjoying life. I will develop my thoughts on self-confidence in another post, because there is so much to talk about. But basically, by keeping ourselves fit and healthy our physicality will improve, hormonal levels will balance, that in turn improves the biochemical balance in our bodies.
So if a good healthy strong body and peaceful mind aren't enough to get you looking after yourself, maybe the promise of being a little less bitchy will get you going!
V x
