Category: Lifestyle

When it’s Time to Say Buh-Bye to a Toxic Workplace

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By Erin Gabriel
Art by Sarah Forgey

We spend at least 40 hours a week at work. And if that environment isn’t healthy or supportive, the negative impacts of a toxic workplace bleed into our everyday lives. 

But how do you gain the courage to leave a work environment that isn’t working for you? 

That’s the question that got our gears turning when an anonymous Catcall reader reached out to ask for advice on their toxic workplace story. In this reader’s case, their managers weren’t following COVID protocols set in place—putting them and their coworkers at risk. And while that’s a very clearly toxic and unsafe environment—and a loud reason to walk away from a job—not every toxic workplace looks so obvious. So how do you leave?

See, the problem isn’t that there’s not enough guidance out there, but that there’s way too much—which can be overwhelming. According to research conducted by MIT Sloan School of Management, around 30 million US workers—or one in nine—experience their workplace as toxic. 

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We love snacks. Period. (No Literally, They’re Period Snacks.)

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By The Catcall Team
Photos by Whitney Young

When the period monster comes for its monthly visit, having the perfect range of snacks is an absolute must. Afterall, shedding the lining of your uterus is exhausting—not to mention the draining mood swings, cramps, sore boobs, and other symptoms that go along with the “joys” of menstruating.

In times of dire need, it can be helpful to have pre-planned snacks at your disposal—or a list you can hand your significant other so they can go shopping for you. So, we rounded up a mixture of satisfying, healthy, delicious, and guilty-pleasure bites that make for the perfect period snacks—eat up.

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Emily Kate on Facing Addiction and Opening an Alcohol-Free Bar One Step At a Time

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By Nicole Mitchell
Photos by Whitney Young

When Emily Kate started bartending at 21, it didn’t take long for her to start dreaming of opening her own bar one day. Years later, she’s journeyed to sobriety, but that didn’t squash her dreams to open a bar—instead, those dreams morphed into a concept that matched an alcohol-free lifestyle.

Thousands of people participate in annual Dry Januarys, lent, sober springs, and the occasional “cleanse” from alcohol, but for many, sobriety is more than a month without bar trips and post-work happy hours. It’s no secret that the service industry and alcoholism are closely intertwined.

According to Alcohol Rehab Guide, an informational online guide that provides properly researched resources for anyone battling addiction, the service industry has some of the highest rates of alcohol abuse and addiction of any profession. This includes workers in the hospitality and tourism industry, automotive services, retail workers, and those who work in food services—including servers, hosts, cooks, bartenders, etc.

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What I Keep in My On-the-Go Anxiety Kit 

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By Emily Laptad

Picture this: You’re out and about, maybe you’re grabbing coffee with a group of pals or maybe you’re at the office getting ready for a meeting. Then out of nowhere, your heart rate goes up. You start to get a wee bit fidgety. Impending doom is suddenly all you can think about. 

There’s a name for that, it’s anxiety, and it loves to creep up at the most inconvenient moments—especially if you’re neurodivergent like I am (hi, I’m Emily!). That’s why I created an on-the-go anxiety kit that I carry with me everywhere. 

So, the minute I feel that little anxiety monster sneaking up on me, I know I’m covered. I just have to pull out the kit and use any of the sensory-based tools I’ve stocked to both prevent anxiety and panic attacks and to move me out of one after it’s started. 

I decided to make my anxiety kit after seeing a TikToker who did the same, and now I never leave the house without it. (Also proud to report that my therapist was 100% on board when I told her about it the following week).

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Instagram Influencer and Model Katya Karlova on Body Dysmorphia and Learning to Love Yourself

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By Sophia-Joelle Oswald

According to Mayo Clinic, body dysmorphic disorder is a mental health condition that causes the person affected to carry endless thoughts about what they believe to be flaws in their appearance. These “flaws” tend to be small or non-existent to others, but in their own minds they are constantly feeling defeated, embarrassed, anxious, or even unlovable for those same things.  

Body dysmorphia is different from person to person, but it tends to suck up so much life out of those affected. Some people avoid social events and spend hours in front of the mirror focusing on what they don’t like about themselves. Others may spend tons of money on products designed to cover these perceived flaws, sometimes even seeking surgery. 

Body dysmorphia doesn’t discriminate based on gender, race, age, or other factors. Sadly enough, it has been found in children as young as 5 and in adults as old as 80. Studies find that BDD impacts between 7% and 2.3% of the general population. 

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