Feminism is having a political moment, but sometimes when something you care about is all over social media, it can detract from the importance of living these values in small, everyday ways. The personal decisions we make on a daily basis can empower us to live more fully, and change the cultural assumptions that are at play around gender. These ideas will help you introduce feminist practices to your life in subtle but powerful ways.

Speak Up

It's an unfortunate yet pervasive cultural norm for girls to grow up feeling that they have to "be nice" even when they are not being truthful. Politeness shouldn't come at the expense of your own integrity, but unfortunately, many women feel the pressure to stay silent on an issue, even if they don't agree with the prevailing opinion and attitude. One of the strongest feminist statements you can make is to speak out even when you know you might cause some offence by voicing your opinion. Whether you decide to speak up in meetings, launch a blog, or invest in podcast services to get your own podcast up and running, you'll be doing your bit for feminism by making your voice heard. 

Go Out On Your Lonesome

In the olden days, young ladies needed to be chaperoned around if they wanted to leave the house. That is no longer the case, of course, but then why do so many women struggle to feel entitled to go out on their own? Men are viewed as independent and care-free if they head out alone, while many women fear being thought of as desperate or lonely. This is an unfair gender stereotype, so being a feminist means doing your best to undermine this attitude, rather than being controlled by it. Go wherever you want to go, whenever you want, and with whom. Sometimes that will mean heading out with friends. Sometimes that will mean a solo trip. What matters is choosing your own adventure. 

Stop Apologizing (and stop Apologizing for Apologizing!)

Women apologize more than men. This is a fact. If you aren't convinced, try counting how many times per day you say sorry. After a week of this, you might be a little alarmed. Why all the apologies? For doing things like stepping through a door at the same time as someone else, eating a piece of cake, hanging up the phone because you have something important to do, reading your book when you feel like reading, or not going to the gym because you'd rather chill on the couch. Perhaps you even say sorry for crying when you're hurt, or showing anger when you're angry. You're perfectly within your rights to do what you want to do with your time and your body, and to show how you feel. As a feminist, you can make a powerful statement by only apologizing when you were actually in the wrong.

Whether you are a vocal feminist, or you prefer to keep a low profile in life, these tips will help you build subtle yet important feminist practices into your everyday life.