With Covid-19 putting entire countries on lockdown, social media has become a lifeline for millions. here are six inspiring Instagram accounts you need to follow

Exclusive | 5 min read

Even before the pandemic struck and social isolation became the new norm, my phone and social media accounts were my lifeline - a window to the outside world when my intense ‘hell-flares’ of chronic pain left me bed-bound.

Now with Covid-19 locking us all down, TikTok trends are making us laugh, Twitter has us comparing Zoom cock-ups, whilst Facebook provides endless memes, bread recipes and connects us with loved ones.

But even with the current social mood, many accounts are still perpetuating the ‘living my best life’ myth. I don’t know about you, but I find that emotionally damaging.

Personally, I can’t physically go out for a walk, or spend hours sprucing my garden. And if you’re not the one in five Brits suffering chronic pain like me, you might be juggling childcare with working full time, alone at home, choosing to self-isolate for 12 weeks with your extremely vulnerable parents, ill from this awful virus, working on the front line or praying your loved-one makes it out of ICU.

Seeing the seemingly glossy reality of other people’s lives can knock us off balance, especially when life is feeling tough.

That’s why I wanted to share with you six of my favourite Instagrammers, with followings large and small, covering everything from climate change activism to infertility and disability awareness - all of whom I really find inspiring.

Their causes, campaigns and content vary wildly, but just like our Lacuna Voices, they’re all passionate, honest and inclusive. Viewing these accounts leaves me laughing out loud, grateful for my life - even with my shitty, pain-filled body - and, most of all, thoroughly inspired.

These ‘Inspogrammers’ are not only providing momentary escapes from the suffocating reality of this stretched-out lockdown, but continuing to highlight issues that will long outlast Covid-19…

*All images and information have been used with permission, so a special thanks to this lovely lot for supporting Lacuna Voices.

The young climate activist

mikaela loach, 22, is an eco-activiSt studying Medicine in Edinburgh

Mikaela’s fascinating journey from half-hearted environmentalist to vegan eco-warrior has proven this crusade isn’t something you do just for the ‘gram. That’s not to say that her great snaps and content haven’t made for interesting and entertaining reading, both on Instagram and across her blog.

‘Top Tips for a Cheap and Easy Vegan Life’, ‘How to Shop Ethically in Five Easy Steps’ and ‘The Importance of Being Opinionated’ are just a few of her practical and helpful posts for anyone new to the cause.

I particularly like how Mikaela has been very honest about how, at the beginning, she lost her way, wasn’t giving climate campaigning her all and didn’t really know what she was trying to do.

But now, it’s very clear who Mikaela is and what she believes in. She goes to rallies, volunteers in refugee camps doing everything from chopping wood to cooking, and runs the risk of arrest to fight for the causes close to her heart.

She encourages followers who want to help with positive climate change to get off their butts and do something.

Eco-fashion conscious Mikaela also puts her money where her mouth is, wearing only ethical clothing brands - having ditched high street clothes three years ago - and second-hand items that reduce her fashion footprint on the planet to zero.

Before Covid-19 hit, Mikaela committed to a self-imposed 2020 flight ban, despite being a keen traveller (her blog posts about Ethiopia and Ghana are well worth checking out), in order to reduce her carbon footprint.

Her newest venture, The Yikes Podcast, is just the latest way this busy medical student is making climate activism accessible and inclusive. Mikaela and co-host Jo Becker do a cracking job of explaining terms like eco-fascism, before diving into the nitty-gritty of topical debates.

*You can follow Mikaela here

The inclusive beauty influencer

Tess Daly, 31, is a self-taught makeup blogger from Sheffield

This talented makeup obsessive has Spinal Muscular Atrophy type 2, a muscle wasting disorder. She has very limited mobility, and needs 24/7 care.

But despite her limitations - including having only minimal use of her hands - Tess produces the most amazing makeup video tutorials.

Tess is a funny, self-deprecating northern lass with real bite, whose love of makeup is clear. She’s also unafraid to show her vulnerabilities – whether feeling embarrassed to show her body to followers during a self-tan review, or discussing the help she needs with basic tasks most take for granted.

Tess chats about her life, including things outside of makeup, and no matter what she’s talking to her 200k+ followers about, she’s usually making me howl. In short, I adore her. 

Before the lockdown, Tess shot beauty campaigns with brands looking to be more inclusive, such as Rimmel London, and is doing wonderful work to promote disability awareness and how important it is that brands are inclusive of all - no doubt those will continue when life starts returning to normal.

For those who love beauty, appreciate inclusiveness and enjoy sassy humour, Tess is the gal to follow.

*You can join Tess' fans here

The midwife coping with baby loss and IVF

Sophie Martin, 30, is an Essex midwife who has been trying to start a family for four years

Sophie is suffering secondary infertility after the tragic loss of her beautiful twins - identical boys conceived through IVF. Sophie’s sons Cecil and Wilfred arrived prematurely at 21 weeks in 2019. She had a cervical insufficiency - when the cervix shortens and opens in the second or third trimester - and sadly nothing could be done to save her babies.

Sophie has charted her life after loss on Instagram, giving her followers a very honest day-to-day log of the steps she’s taking towards becoming a mum for a second time (and sometimes going backwards, too).

She’s talked her 10,000+ followers through how she and her husband James chose their new IVF clinic, the irony and mental anguish of a procedure to support her cervix in future pregnancies leaving her with a C-Section-like scar, and how she copes with being a midwife while surviving loss of her babies and infertility.

Having been through IVF myself, Sophie nails what it feels like to be infertile, needing fertility treatment. And her thoughts on the pain and isolation of coping with the loss of a child are candid and powerful.

Due to Covid-19, Sophie’s most recent IVF cycle was cancelled and she has been documenting the pain of this disappointment - something thousands of people are also coming to terms with around the world as IVF clinics cease treatment during the pandemic.

Infertility can be so lonely and yet Sophie’s account has brought together a lovely community of kind people all giving each other love and support during what is a notoriously rubbish time.

Sophie, we wish you and James all the best in your journey to bring Wilfred and Cecil’s little brother or sister into the world. From one IVF mama to another, I hope your rainbow is here in your arms as soon as possible.

*You can follow Sophie’s journey here

The anti-speciesism and trans champion

Emmett Genser, 25, is a full-time dementia carer in Toronto, Canada

I didn’t know what speciesism meant till I came across Emmett’s profile on Instagram, but it’s essentially a form of discrimination based on species membership. Emmett takes a deeply political stance against animals being used and treated as commodities and fights for their total liberation.

He is often found rescuing animals from slaughter houses, filming the inhumane transportation of livestock that often die in transit, and being front-and-centre in animal rights protests.

That in itself is enough for me to find Emmett a huge inspiration. His cause highlights the plight of all creatures that are subjected to the most awful living conditions and deaths for our meat-eating consumerism.

But Emmett is also a proud trans man who has kept his modest following of 800 fully up to speed with his transition. He was assigned female at birth and recently underwent ‘top’ surgery, proudly sharing the moment the bandages came off on Instagram. It was a profound, deeply personal point in his journey of transition and it made me choke up - one those struggling with their identity will no doubt find inspiring.

Emmett’s full time job is caring for patients with dementia and honestly, could he be any more perfect in heart and soul? Give him a follow and show your support for all the battles he fights on behalf of others.

*You can follow Emmett here

The equal healthcare for minority groups advocate

Neelam Heera, 30, is founder of reproductive health Charity, Cysters

Neelam started Cysters to stand up for minority groups she felt were being left out of vital conversations about reproductive health. She said that damaging misconceptions were being accepted as a result of this marginalisation.

Neelam found that most support groups for reproductive conditions such as endometriosis, PCOS and menorrhagia (heavy periods) were heavily focused on a single, white cultural narrative of what it’s like to live with them. The absence of proper representation in the research meant the experiences, thoughts and opinions of minority groups weren’t noted or later reflected in health policies. The research around reproductive wellbeing had consulted a low percentage of BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) individuals, for example.

Neelam wanted to create a safe space for individuals with reproductive, gynaecological and mental health conditions to make informed decisions on their healthcare. The Cysters website, blog and Instagram page all encourage empowerment through information and highlight issues such as why the outdated notion of virginity is so damaging.

Cysters’ inclusive philosophy doesn’t stop at culture, religion or heritage. Cysters recently rebranded, taking ‘women’ out of their tagline in order to be inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community, so that those who were assigned female at birth, but may not identity with that gender, feel included in the charity’s dialogues. 

I think this is a hugely important and progressive issue which Cysters has addressed beautifully, as failing to include the LGBTQ+ community in conversations and policies about gynae health is physically and mentally damaging.

As a heterosexual woman, I faced an 11-year delay in diagnosis for my endometriosis. The LGBTQ+ community have to often contend with medical professionals who make heteronormative assumptions (that being straight is the default or ‘normal’ sexual orientation). For all those people, gynae medical care can fall by the wayside, leaving a patient with mixed feelings of exclusion, shame or confusion.

So to Neelam and all your colleagues at Cysters, we salute you and your work to raise awareness of these important issues.

*You can follow Cysters or explore the website for help, information and support

The ‘bosslady’ supporting small businesses

Gemma Metcalfe-Bakers, 36, is the founder of Mutha Hood

Empowering women and girls through positive, strong and meaningful merchandise, all of Gemma’s products, including her gorgeous Strong Girls Club line for women and children, are manufactured under Fair Wear standards, ensuring fair wages are paid and work conditions are safe for those who make her products.

Gemma started the business from her Sussex home and is now phenomenally successful, but the background to why she set up Mutha.Hood gets me right in the feels.

Gemma suffered severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), post-natal depression (PND) and post-natal anxiety (PNA) after the traumatic birth of her children. Floored by the emotional aftermath, she made the decision to help others going through similar traumas by sharing the rebuilding of herself, as well as her desire to raise her girls to believe in their worth.

Her Strong Girls Club is not saying we all need to be the strongest version of ourselves, but recognising many of us have experienced things that have seriously impacted us and we’ve somehow found strength in the process of coming to terms with them.

Gemma’s content is so refreshing, inspiring, honest and valuable to women everywhere. Also, her beautiful merch makes us go goggly-eyed. Gemma is down-to-earth and hilarious to boot, so be prepared to procrastinate as you get sucked into her plentiful - but welcome - thread of daily IG stories.

Gemma’s now also launched a sister page to support and promote small businesses she loves. At a time when the self-employed and small businesses are being hit so hard, this is a marvellous way for Gemma to use her 110k Instagram reach. She’s a thoroughly good egg and my timeline wouldn’t be the same without her.

*You can follow Mutha.Hood or visit Gemma's shop

Like Gemma, we believe in backing small businesses. Here are three we adore…

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