Saturday the 10th marked this year’s Mental Health Day, and although in recent years things have improved with increased openness and awareness about mental health, I am always surprised when my old school friends open up about their struggles with mental health when they were teenagers. As people grow more comfortable talking about their experiences, the more I realise how many people around me suffer with mental health issues without me being aware. It’s essential to keep connected and check in with friends, even if you can’t see them physically, but it’s equally important to take time for yourself and make sure you don’t burn out.
With a growing number of households being forced to self-isolate and the announcement of further lockdown possibly imminent, now is an especially important time to prioritise your mental health. After recently watching The Social Dilemma on Netflix, I’ve confronted my social media usage and its effect on my mental health. If, like me, you are trying to cut down on your social media usage, why not try Chloe Waugh’s scone recipe to pass the time or have a read of some of Lily Webber’s recommendations for books which have helped ease her depression and anxiety. Here are my picks for this week, whether you need something to help pass the time in lockdown, or some uplifting news to get you through the week, or just a look back at changes to the school curriculum to feel grateful that you are not still there.
A literary tribute to world mental health day by Lily Webber
Image: From Wikimedia Commons, licensed under Creative Commons License CC0 0.1
“Maybe self-help books are your bag, or distraction through escapist fantasy. Either way, the next time you feel the deadlines starting to get you down, or your relationships to be causing more anguish than serenity, try finding comfort in books – it might be hard to carve out the time, but it’ll be worth it.'”
Embracing autumn with home-made apple scones by Chloe Waugh
Image: Chloe Waugh
“Although I will miss the warm(ish) summer months, I have high hopes to make the most of this coming autumn. For me, this means staying in, drinking tea, watching movies, reading, and, perhaps most importantly, baking.”
Tenet: Nolan’s secret project revealed by Magali O’Brien
Image: Christopher Nolan on Flickr.
“Despite this secrecy and the fact that it came out during the pandemic, Tenet has managed to become the 4th highest grossing film of 2020 so far. And it’s not a surprise why. Nolan has succeeded yet again in creating a fascinating original work. This time in the spy genre.”
Climate change: the good news by Lucy Lloyd
Image: Lucy Lloyd
“These days it can be easy to become preoccupied with all the negative impacts humans are having on the environment and forget about the small, everyday successes which many environmental organisations are also achieving.”
‘We Cannot Edit Our Past’: The Dangers of Removing Political Debate from Schools by Ciaran Picker
Image: From Wikimedia Commons
“History is a debate. It requires multiple opinions. Boris is wrong, we can edit our past, but that does not mean we should.”
Image: Sarah Kilian on Unsplash