Type
Topic
Country
COVID-19 Lockdown: My Experience
When the lockdown started, I was ecstatic. My final year of school had finished early, exams were cancelled, the sun was shining. I was happy, and confident I would be OK. After all, how hard could staying at home possibly be? After a while, the reality of the situation started to sink in. The novelty of being at home wore off and I started to struggle. I suffered from regular panic attacks, frozen on the floor in my room, unable to move or speak. I had nightmares most nights, and struggled to sleep. It was as if I was stuck, trapped in my house and in my own head. I didn't know how to cope...
How My Education Has Been Affected By the Coronavirus
In the UK, GCSEs and A level exams have been cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Several other countries have also cancelled their exams for the same reason. Many of us didn't expect to be upset over the cancellation of exams; there was a time when that would have been every student’s dream. However at this moment in time, many young people including me, are left uncertain about our next steps which may be connected to our academic achievements. A lot of us have been feeling like we are no longer in control of our future, which can understandably make us anxious. For the most part...
Coronavirus: the positives - how we can find happiness in hardship and why we must
Optimism cannot solve every problem, but a smile always helps. At the moment there is little escape from COVID-19. It is a tragedy and disaster to all of us across the world - so many have died and so many are struggling. It dominates the news, social media and our lives; we can barely blink without thinking about the pandemic. I am a member of the Unicef UK Youth Advisory Board, and this coronavirus story began after we were sent advice and information by Unicef. This led us to discuss what we could do to help, and ways to raise awareness of the crisis. We’ve written an open letter calling...
COVID-19: What I Experienced
Perhaps symbolically, on Friday the 13th of March I started self-isolating with my sister as we both had symptoms of COVID 19. It was a full 10 days before the UK went into lockdown and whilst we were stuck inside, the world I knew was being ground to a historic halt. Being detached from everyone, even my family, was surreal. The 14 day period we spent in quarantine was exhausting. At the start we didn’t know much, information on the situation was being drip fed via newspaper articles and columns. The guidance was geared towards older people and I was constantly left with more questions than...
waiting for that day.
Personally, every single time I leave my house; whether it is to go into town, to college, for a run or just to go to a party, one thing always crosses my mind- is what I'm wearing too 'risky'? I don't use the term 'risky' in the context of is this too 'outgoing'? - I wish I did! instead, I am constantly concerned to whether I will be sexualised or objectified in any outfit I decide to wear, whether its a dress, a skirt, shorts or even skinny jeans. And that scares me... so much. I have been raised in a society where it is your clothing that determines your consent, your clothing is a symbol...
Happiness
The clouds are dark, The sun is gone, Like a spark, It moves on. Sitting here, lonely but alive, rather than standing there, happy but dead. The roof shelters me from the rain, The sky shelters me from the space, The bed shelters me from the cold, and my skin shelters me from it all I lay here, and I don’t move an inch, thinking I’ll disappear, When I am still really here Strong yet fragile, Big yet small, Dead yet alive, Happy but sad. When the clouds clear up, And the sun shows up, When the children stop their cries And the adults stop their lies. Happiness will come, Sadness will go Joy...
Stay close to me forever
There's not a day that goes by Where I don't think about you Your personality, your inspiration Your advice on what to do You are the sunrise in the morning The twinkle in the stars at night The robin who comes to my window The brightness of the moon's shining light Thank you for your wisdom Your stories and unconditional love Thank you for your knowledge Your support and warming hugs Because of you my heart is grateful I look for happiness in every woe I search for friendship in all strangers Spreading kindness everywhere I go And when difficulties arise When times start getting tough Let me...
World Mental Health Day: Coping with anxiety
What we gain when we lose
We aren’t taught to lose. Not at all. No matter how trivial, it seems that the art of losing has become entrenched as something so wrong, something to fear, something to avoid. Upon even contemplating the thought of losing, those unwelcome feelings of disappointment, sadness, and panic begin to circulate, accompanied by a deep sense of deflation. Perhaps it was a game we lost, a competition, a tournament. Perhaps it was a special object, something we can never replace. Perhaps it was a loved one. Losing somebody who meant so much to us is an ache like no other, a combination of sadness, anger...
Coping and Discussing Mental Wellbeing in a Global Pandemic
Now more than ever, it's vital to discuss mental health openly and without judgment. This year, we have all been affected in some way by the several tragic events that have taken place, from the Australian bushfires to the COVID-19 pandemic. Feelings of grief, anxiety and loneliness have become more frequent for millions of people, and receiving support has become more difficult due to social distancing restrictions. Despite this, mental health is still unbelievably stigmatised and is seen as a taboo topic in many cultures and societies. In order to break this barrier, we must welcome...
A Family Affair
Family is a personal topic. One that is ultimately unique from one individual to the next: a real interpretative subject, not limited to blood but embodied by a feeling, I think. A feeling, as if light barrages out of your heart in laughter. Your smile extends the whole length of the globe: embracing the glow in your cheeks of interweaving concentric circles; tiny suns peering over the streets and alleys of your facial contours. In amongst that literary rubbish, is that family ambience. In short: a ‘cushdy’ feeling. The infamous phenomenon that is Michelle Obama, whom I can’t give a deserving...
Its okay not to be okay...
‘I want to just take a quick second to ask you, Are you really ok? It’s easy to just brush off the question And continue to go about your day. But I see the tiredness in your eyes. I guess it’s not something you need to say. I wish you would know that I am always here, Before it becomes too late.’ Me…Instagram – (@Words.Of.S) As humans, I guess we have the tendency to keep things to ourselves. However, with these exact thoughts, we unknowingly summon the feelings of loneliness and may eventually see ourselves as a burden to ourselves. Why? Why do we continue to inflict this pain upon ourselves...
A safer world for women
I once read an article, where they asked a few ladies what they would do if men were to disappear from the world for 24 hours. "I'd sleep with my windows open", "I'd walk home from work at night", "I'd have walks in the park after it gets dark in the summer"...were among the answers ,and if we look carefully at these answers, we notice all of them are things a female should be able to do what is her natural right regardless of the presence of men. It is almost impossible to walk past somewhere and not be catcalled by someone who finds it funny, who finds it totally normal to harass women in...
A glimpse into my life...
The sound of my daily alarm, Swooning over and crashing beneath my ear. Killing all aspects of my motivation for the Rest of time. These are how my days go. My alarm continues to play, All throughout the day. Underneath all the dirt, Somewhere beneath my barely made bed, Is the missing pair of my shoes for school. I walk for what feels like miles and miles To glide across the soft dirt and rubble. There is no class anymore. There is no classroom anymore. Just in my hand a piece of paper and a pencil, A mind full of ideas, and a body numb to the shock. There are too many ideas in my mind, none...
You are not alone
Why did that happen? Was it my fault? Maybe he didn’t hear me when I asked him to stop? Was that normal? If it was normal why do I feel scared? All of these questions flooded my 14 year old mind after it happened. I’m 23 now and as I reflect on my experiences with men over the years, all of the hurt and the trauma I know it stems from this point. I also know that I'm not alone, there are so many women walking around with the weight of the experiences they have had following them as they go through life. I feel I have neglected to fully realise the extent of the inequality and mistreatment of...
Burnout in the Age of Hustle Culture - A World Mental Health Day Tribute
Good mental health? I hold it hostage. Guardians of my mindset attempt reconcile – But remain limp in bondage. I know I’ve got this. Breathing in deep oxygen I haven’t earned – With nothing in return? I don’t deserve it. It’ll be worth it. Just a few more months running on hope A vision of the future a utopia wrote – I want it. No other option but to keep on slugging. Running on 1%, struggling, Too anxious to stop my mind from whirring, It’s hurting, I’m burning - Out. I’m running away from the dream as if hot coals scold my feet, Looking back at what I have achieved that I can no longer reach...
Changing the script: The gender problem in the tech industry
While the 20th and 21st century have seen massive improvement for gender equality, with previously unheard voices, perspectives and stories hitting the media. The #MeToo movement brought hidden issues to the surface and created the space to look at the reality of being a woman in the West despite the progress we’ve made. The UK’s mandatory gender pay disclosure brought to light how senior positions are still dominated by men. Every year it seems we learn more about inequality, but lack the ability to make real change happen quickly. This is understandable as change always takes time, but our...
The importance of expression
It starts as a gentle murmur at the base of your skull, and soon spreads upwards, quickly consuming your mind and filling your head with an unrelenting buzzing that cannot be halted. Your eyes blur over and the sound disorientates you, you feel light-headed yet at the same time like your head weighs a ton. I personally have always felt that I handle stress very well. Growing up I never got as overwhelmed as my friends seemed to when it came to exams or schoolwork, and I wouldn’t usually panic myself over results or achieving certain things. I used to think I was just a more laid-back and...