Exploring the Cultural Impacts of Patriarchy with Elise Loehnen | #252 | Kelly LeVeque

Emotional Health

Elise Loehnen shares her personal journey of navigating emotional health, highlighting the internal struggles many face. She describes the exhaustion and stress that accompany the pursuit of perfection and security, questioning the origins of these feelings and their ties to systemic misogyny 1. Elise emphasizes the importance of identifying and understanding these internalized pressures to achieve a sense of safety and self-acceptance.

It's the thing in me, this thing in me that is driving me, that I can't identify, but it's whatever makes me. I'm a workaholic.

--- Elise Loehnen

The conversation also touches on the healing power of connection, as Elise and Kelly LeVeque discuss the impact of patriarchal structures on women's relationships with each other. They explore how societal pressures have historically torn women apart, yet emphasize the potential for healing through open dialogue and shared experiences 2.

   

Body & Food

The discussion transitions to the complex relationship between body image, food, and self-perception. Elise critiques the outdated food systems and societal norms that contribute to a sense of control and fear around food, highlighting the moralizing of eating habits and the pressure to conform to certain standards 3. She advocates for a reconnection with one's body and hunger, challenging the notion that women's appetites need to be controlled or restricted 4.

It's this, like, you know, spectrum of permitting and restricting where we think we're out of control. Always. It's like our first inclination.

--- Elise Loehnen

Elise's insights encourage a shift towards embracing women's hunger and understanding the historical context of these societal pressures, aiming to foster a healthier relationship with food and self-image 5.