There is perhaps no profession held more strictly to their own standards than healthcare workers. From shrewd passer-by gazes on scrub-wearing smokers, to light-hearted jibes at the dentist deliberating over the sugar-laden dessert menu, the expectation to walk the walk is evident.
The world’s population is 7.8 billion and every person has their mental health to care for, whether they are aware of this or not. Mental health is universal, transcending differences in age, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or profession. Simply put, even Beyoncé has mental health.
Today is the first day of spring. I see the perfectly serene meadow in front of me, the grass swaying gently in the breeze as sunlight glistens across the morning dew. And yet I am in a totally different ecosystem. I cannot hear the sweet chirps of the birds because my own inner monologue is shouting, screaming, shrieking thousands of different criticisms at me.
The solemn melancholy filling the air
Passing through mind, depressed the rays of light
That’s battling onwards into the night
Inner turmoil who tortures all that care
“Cause every moment is a fork in the road and all my roads lead back to you”
You are the source of all problems in my life
If I believed, you would be the antithesis of Christ.
And yet in some twisted way, I can’t stop loving you
In this sick, sadistic way that children do.
Having a panic attack is like shaving.
You're just getting on with it
Then you feel pain
The soft rustle of air amongst the leaves,
As the warm light cools its path
For one single ray breeches
And the mind straddles the indefinite line
And I feel…
Recently I’ve been thinking about the people, places and experiences that have nurtured my growth throughout dental school. Pulling it all together, a common thread comes to the forefront, having shaped not only the dental student I’ve come to be, but also the identity I’ve come to inhabit. This impact has been made by volunteering.
As an NHS doctor on the front line, the prospect of facing an indefinite Coronavirus crisis is one that fills me with terror. I have already seen colleague and patient alike succumb to this new threat, and have had many harrowing conversations with patients and their relatives. Fortunately, throughout the ongoing crisis, there has been one warm fuzzy comfort blanket for all us NHS workers in the country, and that is our delightful Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, and his Conservative Government already overdelivering on their promises.
Seeing as many of us have possibly more time on our hands right now, it seems like the perfect time to learn a new skill or get better at something you’ve always wanted to. In that vein, we thought this would be the perfect time to launch a new series of articles aimed at celebrating the skills that members of our community have and maybe teaching each other what they know!
Coronavirus got you down? Twiddling your thumbs at home wondering how on earth you can possibly complete Uni work when the world has gone mad? Well, we’ve got you covered here at the Circadian - here’s a handy list of pandemic themed things to do at home that may help you regain the sense of having any control over your life (although probably not).
Through the awfulness of the COVID outbreak, one positive of social distancing is to be able to catch up on all the TV shows we keep meaning to watch. Very quickly though, I found myself indecisively scrolling through Netflix and ending up loading the same Friends episode for the fifth time. So instead of continuing with my aimless scrolling, I thought I would compile a list of my favourite shows to make social distancing more entertaining.
In this time of doom, gloom and uncertainty, the need for positive content is more needed than ever. For your reading pleasure, here are 10 stories related to coronavirus that will (hopefully) make you smile!
The philosopher Albert Camus puts beautifully: “There were no longer any individual destinies, but a collective history that was the plague, and feeling shared by all. The greatest of these were feelings of separation and exile, with all that that involved of fear and rebellion.” This is certainly true for the international students at BL, many of whom are now torn on what is the best thing to do.
Considering the uncertainty around where and when students will be in the coming months, we shall be holding an online AGM - where any member paying subs can vote online during the voting period. There are only 3 positions available in this AGM, all other roles will be appointed via an application process after the AGM has been completed.
In the coming months, remember to take care of the health and the wellbeing of those around you. Check on your neighbours and the elderly, in the same way you would do for your loved ones.
In July 2019, I took a taxi from Whitechapel to Heathrow. My driver Rizwan and I sat in bleary 5am-silence for a while, before he opened with the customary “Where you off to then?”…
