It can be hard to know what to do with pent-up anger over worldwide events, especially when it feels like you have little control. Here we explore ways to cope with this anger

There is a lot happening in the world right now. For some of us, the events unfolding are giving rise to some serious anger. Why isn’t more being done? What does our future look like? Why is change taking so long?

I spent a few minutes on Twitter this morning (ironically looking for article ideas) and, within a few minutes, I felt a familiar fire creeping up my torso (anger, not indigestion). This type of anger is difficult to handle. It’s broad and aimed at multiple people, systems and events. While a few calming breaths may take the edge off the intensity, it doesn’t quell it entirely. There’s also a lack of control fueling this anger, giving it a hopeless edge that sits heavy in your heart.

So, what can we do with this anger? What can we do when we’re not in a position to make the changes we want to see? I’m not going to claim to have all the answers, but I have some ideas to try. They might not eradicate the anger, but I hope they can help us channel it in a way that’s helpful, not harmful.

Allow yourself to feel the anger

We have to start by acknowledging our anger. It’s tempting to want to push it down, smothering it with positivity. But anger only grows when left unchecked. Instead, try to give yourself some space and time to look at the anger. This may be through a cathartic journaling session, or perhaps speaking to a friend, family member or therapist. Cry those tears of frustration.

Do you know what I really want to try? Going to a rage room. A space where you can smash stuff up and let that anger flow through your veins in a safe way.

However you do it, try not to fear this anger. It’s a human response and one we can experience and process in healthy ways. By giving it space, we let it move through us and dissipate, so we can think clearly and make our next move.

Take action

Remember that lack of control I mentioned? Something that can soften this edge is taking some sort of action. Of course, this will depend on what you’re feeling angry about, but there may be petitions you can sign, protests to attend or charities to donate to, fighting for change. And if you’re over the age of 18? Vote. Vote in local elections, vote in general elections - just make sure your voice is heard.

In this video, I chat to counsellor Carol-Anne Cowie about inequality, its effect on mental health and what more needs to be done.

Connect with your community

When we’re angry, we might feel a pull to isolate ourselves from others. Reaching out to others, however, is a helpful way of regaining a sense of peace and hope. Being around people we know and love can lead to laughs, smiles and deeper connections. Meeting new people can remind us of the good in the world and open our eyes to new perspectives.

In 2022, adult sites regularly outperform the likes of Netflix, and sexualised content is omnipresent on social media. So why is talking about it so taboo? Here, an ethical porn director and a clinical sexologist discuss why we need to examine, and educate ourselves on, the impact of porn

"My story is not that different from other young women’s stories. For me, porn was part of trying to figure out who I was. But it brings up mixed feelings. It’s both about watching images and feeling turned on, but at the same time the images, often, are representing scenarios that made me feel uncomfortable.

“Little by little, I realised that my male friends had a very, very easy time with pornography. They use it in their lives, they like it, they enjoy it, and they haven’t really thought much about it – whereas most of my female friends, they had a similar experience to mine.”

I’m speaking to Erica Lust, an award-winning erotic filmmaker whose cinematic films are starkly different to the clips that might first come to mind when you think of ‘porn’. These days, she heads a global business, and works with directors from the United States, the UK, Berlin, Finland, Colombia, Venezuela, Australia – the list goes on. But it all started in 2004 with her first indie erotic film, The Good Girl, a tongue-in-cheek take on the classic pizza boy trope and, she says, an experiment in breaking the mould for erotic stories. Since then, she hasn’t looked back.

If you’ve ever wondered what could qualify someone to direct pornography, consider this. Beyond her cinematic know-how, Erica has a degree in political science and gender studies, and she notes how this first prompted her to deconstruct and analyse the power imbalances that are so often present in pornography. As she sees it, porn is a discourse about sexuality, about masculinity and femininity, and the roles we each play sexually, so understanding who’s directing that discourse is key.

“The more I was thinking and learning about it, I came to understand that it’s all about the creators who are making it,” Erica says. “The stories we have seen in porn repeated time after time, it’s the white, middle-aged, fit, hetero man’s story, and his vision of sexuality and what he finds sexy. You know what that is – that is breasts, and butts, and fancy cars, and cigars. It doesn’t matter if he’s from Los Angeles, Stockholm, Barcelona, Budapest, or Sydney, it’s the same guy.”

In Erica’s films, performers practice safe sex, they communicate, they have conversations about consent, and – crucially – they behave in such a way that the viewer can see they respect one another. But it’s not just about creating an authentic film for the sheer pursuit of realism – many young people, and adults learn about sex from porn. Porn literacy – a framework for breaking down and understanding how, what, and why sexual images affect us – has, therefore, never been more necessary. In 2022, it’s a kind of virtual life jacket for teens and young people, but

We share everything you need to know about period poverty, where you can find free period products, and how you can support great organisations helping those in need

Periods. Nobody enjoys them. For people who menstruate, we can expect around 40 years worth of visits from aunt flow, expecting to spend around £5,000 on sanitary products. But with such varying experiences of menstruation (periods lasting anywhere from two to seven days on average, every 21 to 35 days in a typical cycle), it’s not only our physical experience that differs from person to person: it’s whether or not we can afford period products every month.

Scotland became the first country in the world from 15 August 2022 to provide free period products to everyone who needs them. It made us ask: how common is period poverty? What can we do if we’re experiencing financial difficulties and need access to free menstrual products? And how can we all help support accessible sanitary products for people who menstruate?

What is period poverty (and how common is it?)

The term ‘period poverty’ refers to problems or a lack of access to period products (pads, tampons, menstrual cups) due to the financial cost. This can impact girls, women, nonbinary individuals, and trans men, at any point in their lives.

The knock-on impact can be missed time at school, college or university; job insecurity due to missed days at work; as well as negatively impacting their sense of wellbeing and social connection. Some people may experience feelings of shame or self-blame, as they may feel embarrassed at their financial situation, or that it’s ‘their fault’ they cannot afford access to necessary sanitary products.

A report released in 2022 by Plan International UK revealed that more and more young people are struggling to afford period products. One in four (28%) of those who menstruate aged 14 to 21 struggle to afford period products, while nearly one in five (19%) have been unable to afford any period products since the start of 2022. One in 10 use food bands to access free period products. It’s not just young people who are struggling. Water Aid revealed that nearly one in four (24%) of those aged 14-50 who menstruate have struggled to afford sanitary products in the last year.

Results of a survey released in 2017 by Plan International UK revealed that one in 10 girls cannot afford sanitary products. One in seven have had to ask to borrow sanitary items from a friend due to the cost. One in 10 have had to improvise sanitary wear.

In the UK alone, it’s estimated that 137,000 children have missed school due to period poverty. While some small steps have been made forward, such as the removal of the 5% tampon tax in the UK from the start of 2021 (previously, 5% VAT was added to sanitary products), many are still relying on foodbanks, charities, and educational institutes to provide access to free sanitary products.

Period poverty can affect people at any age, and is not always income-based. Those leaving situations of domestic vi

Reaching milestones in our life can prompt us to think about where we are, where we thought we might be and what the future holds. As Life Coach Emma Wilson explains, turning thirty can be a moment for reflection and ensuring we’re living our lives as WE truly want to

Firstly, I want you to know that age is a number and there’s no magic (or tragic) event that will automatically occur the moment the clock takes you from 29 to 30, 39 to 40 and so on. Marketing agencies and the media have been creating a sense of urgency and worry around ageing for years in order to sell products, aspirational living, fertility consultations and to play upon our insecurities, for their own profit.

That being said, ‘milestone’ birthdays can still prompt a period of reflection for many of us, so how can you harness the energy around this occasion for your own development and an increasingly positive sense of self?

Starting with being honest about how you’re feeling is a good place to begin, Emma Wilson, a Life Coach who specialises in conversations around turning 30, explains. “There can be something confronting about a round-figure birthday, be it 30, 40, 50, 60 or beyond. It’s become this big thing, created by society, that can make us go into panic mode.”

Comparison is the main thing people struggle with

“Specifically for women who are turning thirty, there appears to be something very loaded and charged about it,” she continues. “From my clients, I know that the biggest thing is a feeling of being left behind or that everyone else is in a different place to you and then you start to compare. Comparison is the main thing people struggle with.”

We internalise this 'instruction guide' on how our lives should look

To put these expectations and comparisons into context, Emma refers to them as the ‘turning 30 manuals’. “It’s as if we have an instruction manual on what our life should look like, how we should be and what we should feel by our thirties. This comes from many different areas - popular culture, familial expectations, cultural beliefs, songs - everything you can imagine. Then we internalise this 'instruction guide' on how our lives should look.

“The most common instructions  are that we should have a partner, be in a relationship - if not married - have children, be in the process of buying a property and in a stable career with prospects. They are the main things that people really worry about.”

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With the ASICS London 10k due to take place on 10th July, UN Women UK, Stylist Strong Women, and LimeLight Sports Club have partnered to campaign for safety, change, and freedom in London

UN Women UK’s 'Safe Spaces Now' initiative aims to redesign public spaces and people’s behaviours to free them from sexual harassment. Supporters of the campaign will take to the streets of Westminister to raise the funds needed to deliver the educational programmes to inspire change.

Already, solutions are being put in place across public transport, festivals, educational facilities and online platforms to teach the changes needed to prevent harassment, but are yet to tackle the issue faced by women who fear exercising outdoors.

Stylist Strong Women have been inundated with feedback from their readers about experiencing street harassment when out running alone. Collectively, with LimeLight Sports Club and UN Women UK, they are striving to make it safer for women to exercise in public. The goal is to move the conversation from ‘what women can do to stay safe’ to how we can bring about behavioural change as a society.

UN Women UK is aiming to train 10,000 people this year across schools, universities and local communities to prevent sexual harassment in public spaces, tackling the problem from the root cause and improving society’s understanding of consent and gender-based violence. LimeLight Sports Club will be donating £5 from the sale of each ASICS London 10k ticket to the Safe Spaces Now cause. Runners taking part will also be able to fundraise.

“I am so inspired by the passion and power of the thousands of people in the Safe Spaces Now community who are making this change possible. It will bring people together to reclaim the streets they deserve to feel safe in and gain the attention of decision-makers who, together, have the power to influence” - Claire Barnett, Executive Director of UN Women UK.

For more than 10 years, UN Women has worked in some of the most dangerous cities to reduce and prevent violence against women and girls, on a mission to make public spaces inclusive for everyone.

Sexual harassment relates to unwanted behaviours that encompass sexual touching, abusive language about someone’s gender, sharing explicit images without consent, sexual assault and rape. According to research, seven in 10 women in the UK have been sexually harassed and only 3% of 18-24-year-olds said they haven’t been sexually harassed.

The Mayor of London signed up and pledged to change these statistics through the ‘Women’s Night Safety Charter’ which has seen businesses committing to doing more. However, UN Women UK saw an urgent need to scale these commitments and offer guidance and monitoring to create successful long-term solutions. Taking part in the ASICS London 10k aims to increase awareness even further and make this possible.

ASICS London 10k
9:30am Sunday 10th July 2022
105 Piccadilly, London, W1J 7NJ

Hashtags: #ASICSLDN10K #safespacesnow
Social handles: @thelondon10k @unwomenuk @strongwomenuk

If you have been affected by or have been a victim of sexual harassment or abuse and are struggling, speaking with a counsellor or therapist can be really helpful.

To connect with a counsellor, visit