u/keyboardsmasher10000

Is this socially acceptable? Not "should it be" - because the answer is yeah of course - but is it going to cause any subconscious negative perceptions of me? As weak, not formal, treating the office like my home, etc.

I have always had pretty severe cramps. Midol helps take the edge off, but even then I usually have enough pain that I have to breathe out hard or squeeze a stress ball. A heating pad doesn't remove the pain entirely, especially on my worst days, but it sure helps! A few months ago, I was having particularly bad pain, and so I said fuck it, brought my heating pad to work, plugged it in at my cubicle and covered it pretty well with a sweater.

In a technical, legal, HR sense, is this allowed? Yes. In an egalitarian, just, feminist world is this allowed? Also yes. But as you're all no doubt aware, the project of feminism is always in progress. I'm worried that between my tough boss, my fast-paced sales office, and NYC work culture, I could be jeopardizing myself. (Please don't tell me I'm overthinking, should do what I need and say fuck the naysayers, etc etc. Because just like wearing makeup in the workplace because of unspoken professional expectations, this isn't a choice I can make in a vaccuum).

I especially want to hear the perspectives of fellow career women who have severe dysmenorrhea.