Hyde 2020 Edition 2 - Mindful

2 0 2 0 2 I S S U E

Hyde mindful edition

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF COUNTRY

Victoria University Student Union and Hyde Student Magazine acknowledges the Ancestors, Elders and families of the Boonwurrung, Woiwurrung (Wurundjeri) and Wathaurung (Wadawurrung) on our Melbourne campuses and the Gadigal and Guring-gai people of the Eaora Nation on our Sydney campus. These groups are the custodians of the University land and have been for many centuries. As we share our own knowledge practices within the University, may we pay respect to the deep knowledge embedded within the Aboriginal community and ownership of Country. We acknowledge that the land on which our campuses stand is the place of age old ceremonies and celebration, initiation and renewal. The Kulin and Eora people's living culture had, and has, a unique role in the life of these regions.

Victoria University supports the aim of Reconciliation Australia to build better relationships between the wider Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for the benefit of all Australians.

It is important that staff, students, and visitors understand and respect the significance of recognising the traditional owners of University land.

" Mental Health You are the most important thing in your life! Without looking after yourself, you can't look after anyone else. Self love, self care and self appreciate.

"

letter from the editor Welcome to the second edition of the Hyde Student Magazine for 2020; the mental health 'Mindful' edition!

The Hyde team was been working really hard to complete this magazine whilst we still manage our studies (has been a challenge), but we are committed to continue bringing you the best on-campus (and currently online) reading material.

We started the year with the bushfires and the talk of WW3 and now we are dealing with the COVID-19. 2020 we can say this; you have been interesting so far and look forward to see what the rest of the year has in store. We do fully encourage students in all of this to stay safe and stay home. If students are struggling at all please do not hesitate to use the help services that are within this issue and of course the VU counselling service (which has moved to online).

We at Hyde will continue our work and publish student contributions and keeping students informed with content relevant and interesting to them and can't wait to show you everything we have come up with.

Thanks for reading, We hope you enjoy Hyde 2020! xx Hannah Nadin ~ Editor in Chief

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35 what's inside

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18 page 7

page 15

A message from our VC

Dancing with Dragons

Professor Peter Dawkins

Joseph Dawson

page 8 A message from the VUSU Pres Will Penrose

page 18 'Well, this is Growing Up' A book written by a VU Alumni

page 10

page 19

COVID-19

5 ways to make somebody you love feel better

page 12 Love your mind & speak up today

page 14 The ocean does not apologise Becca Lee

Ron Chattaraj

page 23 Keeping fit in isolation Mughees Raza

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46 page 25

page 35

23 page 47

Death by Friendly Fire

Away From Home

Carmelina Monea

Samriddhi Bansal

page 27

page 40

Top 10 TV shows to binge in isolation on Stan

You control stress, it does not control you

page 31

Susie Helem

page 52

A Reflection of the Growth & Beauty of Mental Health Overtime

page 43

A Girl Loved by the Sun

Ruby Baker

The Secret Predicament of the Nonliving

Selfcare To Do List

page 50 We are Stronger Together Thelma N

April Joy Gaquit

page 33

April Joy Gaquit

page 54

Mental Health by a Country Bumpkin

page 45

Transference of Tangled thoughts on a blank paper

A Lost Fairytale

Fouzia Islam

Will Penrose

Hannah Nadin

page 7 | Mindful 2020

A message from our VC In this evolving COVID-19 situation, I understand that this is challenging and concerning for you and your families and taking care of each other is your priority.

The wellbeing and success of you, our students, is our focus at VU and we are working hard to minimise the disruption to your study and putting in place ways that enable you to continue your education and keep on learning.We have made changes to how we deliver our courses, with most classes now being available in a digital and remote delivery mode. I thank you for your patience and understanding, while we undertook this transition from face-to-face delivery for both higher education and vocational education students. I also thank those of you who have collaborated with us on this change and I am certain we have learnt a lot along the way.

With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have had opportunity to reflect more broadly on what this means for the world’s long-term planetary health. At VU we have made a whole-of-university commitment to planetary health across our core business, to prepare our students to be future-ready and to support our local and global communities. Now more than ever, we recognise how important it is to address the intersect between the health of the planet and communities and understand that one profoundly effects the other. At VU we believe that lifelong, real-world education with impact, in a university without boundaries, for any student from any background is the answer to this.

How we tackle the virus and engage with our planet is connected by the need to find sustainable solutions and you as students will play a role in that as your studies with VU continue.

Finally, I want to remind you to stay connected during this time, regularly monitor your student email for updates, actively partner with your teachers so you can work together, and stay in touch with each other by using the various platforms and chat rooms that are available to you.Thank you all for your patience and understanding and I extend my best wishes to all of you and your families.

Professor Peter Dawkins Vice-Chancellor and President

A message from our VUSU Pres In the light of the ongoing developments of the COVID-19 outbreak, I thought it would be a good idea to inform students what the Union and the University are doing about this.

As people know we have moved into stage 3 of lockdown procedures meaning that there is nobody on campus’ around VU. This also means that VUSU have had to postpone all immediate events for the foreseeable future. But does this mean VUSU stops catering for the needs of students and providing for all students at VU? No way!

The whole VUSU team is working tirelessly to come up with new ways to cater for the student body at VU. At this stage we are looking into different events, activities and services we can roll out from an online capacity. So please watch this space for an exciting new aspect of your Student Union.

Victoria University Student Union has been working very closely with the staff at VU to ensure that no student is left behind during this transition to remote learning. All of the posts on Stalk Spaces, private messages and emails to our team have not been left behind. We are taking everything, all of your issues, concerns and feedback to the University and ensuring we get answers and issues are resolved as this is an incredibly strange and tough time for all of our students.

This being said it has also brought out the best in people, we are seeing more acts of kindness, people checking in on each other and looking out for their mates and peers. This is fantastic to see and I encourage everyone to continue championing these positive values, in the virtual classroom and in the wider community where possible.

Finally, VUSU will continue to support all students during this time, by listening to feedback and concerns. Please get in contact with any of our team members if you feel the need. At VUSU we always have your back!

I look forward to reading this HYDE edition “mindful”. It’ll be great to check out the awesome content and maybe find some fun stuff to do to pass the time as well.

Thanks everyone, stay safe!

Will Penrose VU Student Union President

page 10 | Mindful 2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19) ‘The COVID-19 disease is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus’ (World Health Organisation [WHO], 2020). As everyone is aware of the current situation regarding the COVID-19, all non-essential services have been told to close until further notice, including university on-campus services; which means our learning has been moved to online. We thought that during this time we would do some research and find some information about the virus to keep all students informed and aware of the virus itself.

According to WHO, ‘Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness. The best way to prevent and slow down transmission is be well informed about the COVID-19 virus, the disease it causes and how it spreads.

'Protect yourself and others from infection by washing your hands or using an alcohol based rub frequently and not touching your face. The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it’s important that you also practice respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow).At this time, there are no specific vaccines or treatments for COVID-19. However, there are many ongoing clinical trials evaluating potential treatments. WHO will continue to provide updated information as soon as clinical findings become available’ (WHO, 2020).

To stay updated and further informed of the disease go to: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/events-as-they-happen Please stay home and stay safe during this time, and of course be kind to all those around as it is stressful and we need to be considerate of others.

Photo Credit: Emma Whitbread' 'Tranquility'

page 12 | Mindful 2020

page 14 | Mindful 2020

the ocean does not apologise for its depth and the mountains do not seek forgiveness for the space they take and so, neither shall I - Becca Lee

page 15 | Mindful 2020

Dancing with Dragons Of the Motley Mountains, folks rarely speak, So too for the creatures living in their prismatic peaks.

Red, orange, yellow, and green, Occasionally, even bursts of blue can be seen.

A storm of swirling colour makes the mountain range its home, Casting down on those surrounding it a light of polychrome.

Most of those folk live in fear and awe, Yet amongst them was one whose imagination soared.

No more would Violet let her fear hold her back, At dusk she would follow the illuminated track.

She packed her provisions, then left them behind, For she could not prepare for what she had yet to find.

With the moon overhead, its white light shifting, A blank canvas to be passed between artists ever-drifting.

She strode through the night with the light as her guide, Across the open plains with nowhere to hide.

A rough stone path lead to the range’s heart, Each quaking step forward threatened to tear the road apart.

Vibrance grew as she drew nearer the peaks, Ruby red dispelled her dread, then settled in her cheeks.

Coral and gold swirled about her as she climbed, Flashing in movements perfectly timed.

Emerald matched their twirling with a heavenly tune, Violet pressed on toward the azure moon.

She reached the peak as night did the same, There she found the reason she came.

Her arrival proclaimed in blazing light, Choreographed fires expressing delight.

Suddenly, darkness, awaiting her name.

So, she introduced herself with a breath of violet flame. ~ Joseph Dawson

"

You may have to look at your experiences and problems upside-down, inside out, back-to-front, from a birds eye view, from below the ground or even from a diagonal view to see the blessing in the storm, but I PROMISE you, it exists! ~ Megan Street

'Well, this is Growing Up'

page 18 | Mindful 2020

A book writtern by a VU Alumni Megan Street is a 25-year-old Melbourne author who began her journey at VU studying a Bachelor of Education (P-12) and Creative Arts and graduated in 2017. A few years ago, Megan lost a friend of hers to suicide and since has felt inspired to help as many young women as possible and decided to write a self-help book for todays-youth (aimed at young women).

Megan got offered a book deal after completing her book 'Well, this is Growing Up' and sending it to a wellknown publishing company.

'Well, This Is Growing Up' is out now and covers some of the stuff girls deal with when growing up and in a nutshell, it helps girls turn 'shit into sugar', and helps teenagers and young woman to see so called 'negative' situations differently. It includes topics such as friends/bitching, bullying, kindness (the one thing that will instantly make you more beautiful), social media, heartbreak, unrequited love, sex and many more while incorporating Megan's personal stories and words of wisdom to help girls get through whatever it is they may be that they are going through!

10% of all profits go to Beyond Blue, magazines and media sources who have been involved including Girlfriend Magazine, Fashion Journal Magazine, Mindfood Magazine, Supre' clothing shop, Wink Models, Frenchy Blog, Eat Pray Love Blog, GoodHealth Magazine and more!

The book is definitely well worth a read and is only trying to help people get through the struggles of growing up and all that we have to deal with. With the increasing rates of depression and mental illness in today's society Megan Street wants to help reach as many people as she can who struggle with anxiety, depression and even thoughts of suicide. It's a great book with a great message and definitely inspiring.

page 19 | Mindful 2020

ways to... make somebody you love feel better Honour their feelings Speaking up can be intimidating.

Sometimes we are nervous that our sadness isn’t warranted, when so many horrifically sad circumstances are taking place all around the world. It’s important to remind your loved one that it isn’t criminal to feel sad, regardless of whether or not they think it’s “okay” to feel that way. They are entitled to be sad, to get, like, really, really sad and cry for 24 hours straight. They can put their face in a pillow and scream. Eat a Halloween size bag of Snickers. Do whatever they need to do to get that sadness out.

You know what happens to sadness that doesn’t ever get out of your chest? It grows. And grows. And grows. Until one day your heart and lungs live in a river inside your body of sadness you didn’t let go of. Being sad isn’t weak. Crying isn’t weak. Everyone should own their feelings and watch how much easier it becomes to let go of some of those darker ones.

Make life easier for them.

When a friend is experiencing something that hurts them deeply, it can be difficult to do even the most basic activities. Let them know that you're here to help by taking on some of those tasks and making life easier for them.· You can offer to cook meals or help clean the house.

Housework, especially, tends to fall by the wayside when someone is upset.· You can offer to go shopping or drive them to a doctor's appointment.· Think about ways to help that will be most helpful to your friend and bring them some cheer.· Always ask your friend how you can help instead of assuming that something will make them feel better. Don't make assumptions when you are there to help.

Remind them they’re not alone.

Life is really, really difficult, and despite having things like handmade quilts, Netflix, and oceans, it can be full of tragedy, sadness, and darkness. This doesn’t mean the darkness wins, or even that it’s more important, it means that we aren’t alone in our determination to feel better and live happily. We all make mistakes; we all stumble around like nervous idiots and we definitely all get down now and again.

Remind someone you love to be kind to themselves and not to judge or compare themselves to other people who they perceive are “happier” or “better” than them. Those other people may seem to have “everything” and be so happy and perfect and everything is fine, but they are just as human as the rest of us. Finding the beauty in humanity is so much more rewarding than the dark games of comparison and competition.

Play every Adele song EVER Adele does with her voice what few can in words. She commands the seriousness that life requires and finds a way to hold it gently and sternly. She speaks to the saddest part of our bellies and is able to reach the highest parts of our gratitude. She is a force, and reminds us to live bravely and vulnerably, even in times of sadness.

Offer to help them make a list of everything they like They shouldn’t over-think it too much, but instead, just sit down and write down anything that comes to mind. They should do it until they start to feel that little lift gratitude brings to a heavy heart.

Here are some things that just make me happy.

Soccer Display pastries made of paper mâché Lollies Bruno Mars Winters Cold sheets Clean hair Puppies Good hugs Iced Tea Socialising Composing music Passing through the town of sadness is healthy and part of being alive, just make sure you or your loved ones don’t move into that town. None of us are broken. Stretch out those sad muscles and start reminding yourself and your loved ones of how many things are right there in front of us to embrace, enjoy and love.

It's a kind of stillness that's peaceful, pleasant.

One that makes being by yourself kind of nice.

page 23 | Mindful 2020 High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) describes any workout that alternates between intense bursts of activity and fixed periods of lessintense activity or even complete rest. It is without question one of the most effective and efficient ways to burn fat and boost aerobic capacity, but what most people don't realise is that it doesn't have to be high impact. If you're nursing an injury (or want to prevent injury), you can still reap the fat-burning, metabolismboosting benefits of a HIIT workout, but with low impact moves.

This HIIT workout routine that you can do at home was designed to help you push to your max without pounding your joints. You don't need a single piece of equipment or a lot of space (and you won’t be bothering your neighbours with loud, thumping jumps), so this at routine is perfect for a hotel room or small apartment.

Keeping Fit in Isolation FEW WORKOUTS REQUIRING NO EQUIPMENT

How it works: Three days per week, do 1 set of every exercise in the circuit, performing each move at maximum intensity for 45 seconds, followed by 15 seconds of active recovery (step side to side or walk around the room to catch your breath). Complete 2 to 4 total rounds, depending on how much time and energy you have.

Total Time: up to 15 minutes You will need: No equipment

The demonstrated exercises do not require any equipment so you can easily do them at home. start from exercise 1 and build your way up to the last exercise which will be your twelfth.

You can always decrease the active time if 45 seconds feel like a bit much. For example, start with 15 seconds of active time and 45 seconds of rest in between rounds and once you feel comfortable increase your active time and decrease the rest period.

For more great workouts, VU Sport have created 'Thrive'! Thrive is an active living program online that you can join, they run programs Monday-Friday. Go to their Facebook page and register or just for more information go to https://www.facebook.com/vusport

Photo credit: Jim Zapsalis Professional photographer

page 26 | Mindful 2020

Death by Friendly Fire carelessly cold words ricochet between us until defences are worn and the word sorry falls within the trenches formed and continues to fall until swallowed by the callous darkness we are left as nothing but the shell of our former selves with a bruised ego and broken heart yet unable to surrender or disarm we remain disabled by the scars left behind

~ Carmelina Monea

page 27 | Mindful 2020

top 10...

tv shows to binge in isolation on Stan

Veronica Mars

The Office

Seasons: 3 original, 1 movie, 1 follow up (s4) released in 2019 Hours: 24h 27min

Seasons: 9 Hours: 72h 27min

If you’ve fallen in love with Kristen Bell thanks to The Good Place, head back to where it all began for Bell: Her cult-favourite role as high-school detective Veronica Mars.Veronica Mars could be easily dismissed as just another high-school genre piece but its cracking dialogue and clever mystery arcs make it well worth your time.

The debate over which version of The Office is best (the US reboot or UK original) continues over 6 years after the final US episode aired.Whether you’re more Dunder-Mifflin than Wernham-Hogg, more Tim than Jim, or despise Dwight more than you do Gareth, both versions are available to stream on Stan.

Ru Paul's Drag Race Seasons: 13 Hours: 125h 20min One of the most entertaining reality/competition television shows in history.A lesson in reading, lip-syncing and hustling , RPDR has amassed a monumental following in its 11-season run, as well as a number of spin-offs (all available on Stan).

Grey's Anatomy

Scrubs

Seasons: 13 Hours: 205h 27min

Seasons: 9 Hours: 65h 45min

If you could only watch one medical drama, how could it be anything but Grey’s Anatomy? For 14 years and running, loyal fans of the series haven’t stopped tuning in for another episode with Dr Meredith Grey and her colleagues. While we don’t know when we’ll get access to Season 16 in Australia (and see Sarah Rafferty swap her suit pants for scrubs), you can still binge-watch Seasons 1 to 13 of Grey’ s Anatomy on Stan.

The best remedy for the lingering migraine left by Scrubs Season 9 is a heavy dose of Seasons 1 to 8.There’s simply no placebo that can replace the potent chemistry between Sacred Heart’s most lovable personalities: JD, Elliot, Carla, Turk, Dr. Cox, Kelso, and, of course, The Todd.

How I Met Your Mother Seasons: 9 Hours: 68h 56min

Another long-running sitcom favourite, you can stream all 9 seasons of How I Met Your Mother on Stan to your heart’s content. Whether you still feel let down by its controversial finale, by the time you’re a few episodes in, you’ll forget all your grumbles about the ending anyway. HIMYM fan from the beginning or not, this iconic comedy deserves a place on your rewatch list.

Friends Seasons: 10 Hours: 68h 56min Friends leaving Netflix US broke the internet this week, but lucky for us, the beloved sitcom is here to stay on Stan in Australia thanks to its exclusive deal with Warner Bros.

You can watch every single episode of Friend’s 10 seasons on Stan, so get excited.

Luther Seasons: 4 Hours: 14h 30min

Lost Seasons: 6 Hours: 85h 10min If, like us, you devoured the first few seasons of Lost before falling off the grid, struggling to keep track of all the loose threads, the entire series is now available on Stan.So you can watch it at your own pace and just Google every unanswered question as you go.

Most folks first witness the imposing on-screen power of Idris Elba in The Wire but BBC One’s Luther is where he really got the chance to flex.Everything you know about the action superstar can be tracked back to his performance as the hard-nosed detective John Luther.

Family Guy Seasons: 16 Hours: 112h 53min Unless you’re willing to pay about $30 per season of Family Guy from the Apple iTunes Store or Google Play Store (which would be a whopping $510 for all 17 seasons), the only way you can currently access most of the much-loved Seth MacFarlane animated comedy series is via Stan. While you can’t watch Season 17 on Stan, you can still enjoy every single episode from Seasons 1 to 16.

page 31 | Mindful 2020

A Reflection of the Growth & Beauty of Mental Health Overtime Ruby Baker

page 33 | Mindful 2020

Mental Health by a country bumpkin

~ Will Penrose

Everyone from country/regional towns will tell you that mental health is not a thing discussed much, if at all. As a fellow country 'bumpkin' I’m gonna tell you why it should be.

This stigma needs to be put to rest, before another one of our mates are.

"They have issues" or "they're messed up" or even "it's in their head" are some of the pretty common things you’d hear if you brought up anything about mental health, including the struggles that go with it.

It can go from playing footy with someone every weekend and feeling like you know this bloke so well and everything is fine; to standing at his funeral wondering why he didn’t come to you or why you didn’t see the signs. That’s the shit that keeps you up at night.

It’s someone you used to be best mates with at school that headed down a different path, you two drifted apart and you didn’t try to stop it; she’s gone now and you wonder “I should’ve messaged” and “how did we get to this point”. That’s the shit that keeps you up at night.

It can be pretty daunting reaching out to services when you’re having a tough time or even telling your mates that you’re struggling from fear of being judged and not taken seriously. I strongly suggest against this, and I’m sure your mates would if they know how bad it really was.

The time for being “strong” and “tough” is over.

Everyone please start talking to each other and taking care of each other. I’m sure your mates would rather have you chew their ear off for an hour than listen to an hour eulogy of the life you lived.

The stats are too high and frightening, they need to be swung in our favour.

Do yourself a favour, talk to each other and seek help if you think you might need it. If you think your buddy is toughing it out and staying quiet, be the first to act. Ask them if they are okay, it could just save their life.

Photo credit: Jim Zapsalis Professional photographer 'The Garden State'

page 35 | Mindful 2020

Away From Home the journey of an international student Life turned upside down on the day I decided to leave home and travel to a foreign land. It never remained the same as I realized that I wouldn’t wake up to the same noise of my mother doing chores and the aroma of brewing tea, every morning. I wouldn’t have the comfort of the familiar faces and friends that I kept close for years and years that went by. Instead I would have to start fresh with new people, new habits and perhaps, a whole new me…

These thoughts of newness left me grief-stricken and sad with no one to turn to, as I couldn’t put these feelings into words. The only choices left were of reflection and contemplation: Should I go or should I stay? What I would leave behind, perhaps forever, haunted me for so many nights in a row. Didn’t I spend years cultivating my friendships? Did I not put enough time into planning my future in the place where I had lived all my life? Did my childhood memories mean nothing now? After all, it is my life and solely my decision which could take me either way.

To my surprise, I sensed a hint of hope and excitement as soon as the clouds of sadness cleared. There came a gush of every emotion I had ever felt and a flood of every tear I had ever shed, all directing me to embrace this opportunity. My past selves nudged me and begged me to move away, away from my insecurities, away from every person who belittled me, away from the demons which dragged me down every morning that I woke with a burst of hope.

I asked her: but what about the people I will no longer have in my life? The reply was “Do you really not see it? It isn’t the loved ones you will abandon. You will only separate from your dark side. Your ties will only become stronger and unbreakable. And never grieve over what is gone from you, it was only temporary.” With much apprehension, I made the final decision to move away, across the globe. I would live alone for the first time ever. What if everything that can go wrong, really does?

Then… What happened to my train of thought? I took a leap of faith and moved to Melbourne in the winter of 2018. I found people from over 15 nations, with the same values and my own. I met a girl from Malaysia, who loved libraries and museums, like I did. And a boy, who struggled with English every day, but still turned up and tried, just like I did. I also met a stranger who offered me a coffee on-the-house when I had the worst day. And then there was the lady who smiled at me from across the road and made my day. I don’t know where some of them moved to, but I still speak to these people every now and then, which reminds me of the day I decided to go for all of this.

I just want to send a note of gratitude to that version of me, to the one who was so brave to gift me this blessed life and a new perception.

- Samriddhi Bansal

(from left to right) Rashmi Rathnathunga Bhavika Patel Nisha Karmur

vustudentunion.com/volunteer

(from left to right) Narasimha Murty (Ashok) James Louloudakis Tanveer Sadhu Amanpriya Pal

vustudentunion.com

Jarrad Pryor Jennifer Russo

The 2020 VUSUteer program is jam packed with lots of opportunities for all students!

The VUSUteer program includes not only volunteering at all the different events running throughout the year, but this year we are running workshops, social nights, community work and giving you the opportunity to meet new people, make new friends and learn new skills!

Narasimha Murty (Ashok)

vusuteers@vustudentunion.com

just stay sunny side up

and keep going ~ Mughees Hassan Raza

page 40 | Mindful 2020

You control stress, it does not control you How many times have you thought ‘If only there were more of me’, or ‘If only I had more hands’ or how about; ‘There’s not enough hours in the day’.

I know these thoughts all too well. I work at a non-for-profit organisation that only has the best for their clients but it’s incredibly time consuming and I never feel like I could get through my list of jobs to do for the day. My job is incredibly rewarding and I get a lot of personal and professional satisfaction from doing it but these thoughts run through my head all the time. I am constantly stressed, not because of the work (because it’s such a great job) but because of the work load and never enough time.

After about a year of stress I got really sick. Stress has never been a friend of mine and honestly caused me more harm then help majority of the time.

I thought after a period of time of dealing with this stress but not managing it, I should do something about it. So I decided to see someone to actually manage it.

I went, I listened and I started to implement the strategies I was given and it started to work. My stress started to decrease and my work got easier. I told myself everyday I could control my stress, if i can’t do it today, I can do it tomorrow, I started to prioritise for the day and only do the most important, everything else could wait.

Two really important lessons I learnt in all of this was that one, I’m one person; I do not have multiple arms, I can not do everything all at once, it is not within my power to complete everything in one day and if you can’t control it stop trying to; and two, if you are struggling see someone, get some help and listen to the advice you are given. ~ Susie Helem

page 43 | Mindful 2020

The Secret Predicament of the Non-living There was a click on the door and sound of footstep receding. An eerie silence filled the room. Cold air curled like mist and then, there was a slight rustle. Inanimate objects sprung to life. A whole new world hummed with excitement within the four corners of the old room in an indistinct building.

“Man, it is kind of damp today”, the bath towel commented and wriggled in its hook. The face towel shifted uncomfortably, wrinkling its imaginary nose. She was hanging on the next hook.

“Bath towel, you are fated to be damp for all your life because you are a bath towel”, the mirror said, a slice of blinding light reflecting from its surface.

“Well, if we are talking about damp, talk about how our human cried before she slept last night. I was so soaked”, one of the pillows moaned. “That makes it 8 nights in a row. She cries every night and I have to keep that depressing sound from being heard in the next room”, the wall said. “I think she must talk to someone about what is making her cry. She should not close her doors to someone who is willing to listen to her”, that was the door. “That sounds very partial, because you are the door”, the carpet pointed out the lame quip.

“I am running out of ammunition”, the tissue box complained. “She pulled out my tissues one after the other.

How come she never run out of that salty liquid?”, the poor box sighed and counted how many sheets it still got. “I’ll be filled with so much crumpled tissues”, the trash bin was delighted with the fulfilment of its existence.

“What do you think is making her feel so down?” the face towel finally got to ask after avoiding the bath towel’s wet hem.

“Oh, you know how human thoughts and feelings are like.

Those things make them human”, the blanket said while it cuddled close to one of the pillows.

“She looks so sad though, whenever she looks at me. She got this strange look in her eyes. It is like… she is one step from falling apart. I wish I can show her how radiant she looks when she smiles. But I cannot reflect happiness unless it is from her, right?”, the mirror said.

There was a murmur of agreement between them.

“It is not easy as it sounds though. There is a lot of gray areas if we are talking about how she feels. She has a long list of things that are making her unhappy. Her thoughts are never linear, they are like scribbles than actual words”, a battered, dog-eared journal lying on top of the table provided a more intimate perspective.

“It is painful to watch her passed out on the floor after breaking down. I mean, she can sit on me”, the chair chimed in.

“Is there any way we can help her?”, the curtains asked and added, “She never opened my windows again and this room can grow mushrooms, being so humid. I cannot let a ray of sunshine in”.

“What do we know? We are things, we do not have the ability to feel human emotions”, the carpet replied.

“Well, I can hug her whenever she feels cold and alone”, the blanket murmured sleepily. “And I can still give her the pillow to cry on if she still wants to bawl her eyes out”, the pillow added.

“She can always tell me how she feels. We are never enough to replace the touch and warmth of humans, but in our little ways, we can ease her pain a bit”, the journal offered its thought.

“I can remind her that her greatest friend, the one that can give her understanding is herself. I hope she sees that and not a person that looks like her but she does not recognise anymore”, the mirror told all the chattering objects, each clamouring the things that they can do for their human.

“She is back! Quick, pretend you are dead!”, the door warned between its non-existent teeth.

“We are not alive in the first place!”, the carpet shot back but its words were distorted as all the objects started to become still, like sucked into a vortex, pulled back from reality to the realm of dreams. The room was once again claimed by silence then by the rattle of keys on the doorknob. ~ April Joy Gaquit

page 45 | Mindful 2020

A Lost Fairytale 'Once upon a time' is how each fairy tale begins, but this is not a fairy tale, or at least it didn't start and end like one... not a typical one anyway.

In a town far far away (or however it goes) there was a girl who was full of life, she had it all; started school, met a boy, had amazing friends (you know all that happy fairytale stuff).

Slowly, the boy she met had started to distance himself and find companionship in other girls. Her heart broke (or so she thought), she was lonely (or so she thought) and started to become sad and distancing herself from those closest to her.

This overwhelming sadness didn't last, her best friend comforted her. He tried with all he had to always put a smile on her face. He did everything in his power to make her happy. He picked roses from the garden to make her smile and wrote her notes.

She didn't see it to start, but it soon came to realisation that the feelings she always knew were there came to light.

Her first love, her best friend, her prince; he was everything to her.

Things started looking better for her, she was happy, happier than she had ever been.

Soon after there was a man she believed could never cause her heartache who broke her; her father. Her father broke her heart by breaking her mothers; he too, just as her first boyfriend did, found companionship in other women.

Even being with her prince, she started losing faith that men could be nothing more than this, she started to believe that she could not trust any man when this was all she knew.

She was angry, confused, betrayed, she felt as though she could not trust even though this was someone who had only ever done right by her, she could not see further than the past.

She pushed her prince away, she was angry at him all the time. None of her past was his fault but she took it out on him. He stayed by her side and he did not leave her. He battled the tough times with her and only continued to prove his love for her.

Years had passed and they were still together and happy, she still struggled to trust but he never gave her a reason not to. They planned their lives together; their future, they had it all set out. It looked as if it was a happily ever after, after all.

But then one morning she woke to hearing the sound of complete despair; her prince had died tragically not 20 minutes after leaving the bed they slept in that night together.

I told you at the beginning, this story was not your typical fairytale but let me tell you one thing... her story is not yet over.

She knew real heartbreak after this as you could imagine but it changed her life in a way she did not understand. It was not the life she had foreseen but it was still one worth living as he lived within her.

She learnt many lessons from her past; one, don't live in it because you can't change it; two, just because it happened before, doesn't mean it will happen again and again; and three, treasure what's in front of you because it might not be there tomorrow.

~ Hannah Nadin

page 47 | Mindful 2020

Self-care To Do List:

take a bath, maybe with some candles and bubbles

read a book

facetime your friends or family go for a walk or get outside listen to music watch a new movie or start a new tv show

have a shower, wash the stress away

give yourself a facial get creative

start a new hobby; exercise or planting

page 50 | Mindful 2020

WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER ~ Thelma Nascimento

I wasn’t a happy person. I didn’t know why, but I would literally follow Pink’s words and think every night “I wanna be somebody else”.

When I was finally able to pick up my bags and move to Australia, I thought this would change my life and I would finally be happy. Yeah, that did not happen. Coming to Australia did change my life completely, but things got much worse before they got better.

I had 10+ years of experience in teaching, but I just didn’t want to be a teacher anymore. I didn’t know what I wanted. I got a job as a front office receptionist in a school and a month later I found out I was pregnant.

Having a baby was always my biggest goal in life, I had a great husband who had a stable job, we had our permanent resident visa, but I just couldn’t feel happy. My mental health was getting worse by the second and I didn’t know what to do.

My mother, who is a psychologist, tried to help me from the other side of the world, telling me to put one picture per day on my wall. Every time I put at least one, I felt a sense of accomplishment. But here’s the thing, there were days that I just couldn’t get out of bed. I kept thinking about all the things I could do, that I used to enjoy doing, but I didn’t have the strength.

On my first appointment with the midwife I told her about what I was feeling, and she simply dismissed it, saying I should be grateful and happy for I was privileged to be living in the country I chose, I had my partner, a job, and now I was pregnant. What was I complaining about? Yeah, well… that did not make me feel better.

My pregnancy went on, my baby was healthy, I was healthy, life went on.

The day my son was born was the best day of my life. I know I enjoyed some moments with him, but I can’t remember much from that time. What I can’t forget is the time I accepted I was getting crazy, for real, when he was around 4 months old. I left him with my mother-in-law and went to the hospital. I almost demanded to be admitted. A social worker spent hours talking to me, we made some decisions together, she sent me home, but continued to check up on me. She not only saved my life, but also made me want to become a social worker as well and help others.

Starting uni was great for my mental health. After 2 years as a stay-athome mum, it was refreshing to think about me for a change. I made friends, went to events, started volunteering… life was finally great and I was finally happy!

Until I started noticing I wasn’t able to write my assessments anymore. I knew what I was supposed to write, but when I sat down to do it, I just couldn’t. Sometimes I managed to type stuff, only to read and find out it made absolutely no sense or was too repetitive. There was an assessment that I needed to upload until 11.59pm and at around 11.30pm I started sobbing, feeling desolated. I knew then that I was going crazy.

I had an appointment with my GP to check my knee and when I got there my mouth began vomiting words without my consent. I started crying. I knew I suffered from anxiety, but there was never a diagnosis. I finally understood. I was diagnosed with Adjustment Disorder and ObsessiveCompulsive Disorder. I started taking some pill to help and started seeing a psychologist.

The biggest lesson I learned from all of this is that no one needs to suffer alone. By taking it all in and pretending that I was the strongest person and didn’t need help from anyone for anything, I just made my brain and body collapse. It actually takes a lot of strength to ask for help.

You are not alone. We are stronger together.

page 52 | Mindful 2020

The Girl Loved By The Sun (a nursery poem for adults) ~ April Joy Gaquit

Little

The

Lily

sun

lived

by

follows

Everywhere

the

Little

she

Grown

lake

Lily

went

up

And

the

The

dark

Of

her

Lily

went

world

to

uni

became

forest

childhood

fairytales

She glows, like most children are Poison apples, evil witches abound Like

a

candle

burns

inside

her And

An

inner

No

one

monsters

Under can

snuff

stop

her

smiling,

my

inside

Mother

cry,

Reminded

So

not

From

a

my

daughter”

Father

elfish

bear

not

a

little

drop

face

She

Lily

is

Brave

grows

not

so

pretty

little

thing

she

wrong

cannot

She

always

She

never

But

she

Like

An

Little

is

dear

frown,

her

head

child”,

That “Never

longer

bed

her

Something Said

no

out But

“Never

were

light

a

cries

barely

stump

inner

And

is

The

sun

understand

smiles

fire

now

glows

melted

she

inside

her

forgot

burning

her

to

ash

anymore

she

no

longer

follows

Lily

is Nowhere

she

went

Even if school was no magic land Her And

friends

were

lips

And And

hands

Still

she

give

in

a

permanent

curve

rare

no

stormy

eyes

so

dry

care “Smile

when

your

heart

says

so”,

glows To a smile that never reaches the eyes

Like a burning candle Is inside her “Cry “Never

Mother

“Never

stop

dear

cry,

smiling,

said

so

my

girl”,

clear

lass”,

Father bear with knuckles brass

To

when

tears

Little

That

And

you

that

are

were

hurt”,

never

Lily

looked

for

once

loved

her

waited

by

the

the

lake.

shed

sun

page 53 | Mindful 2020

Fouzia Islam 'Transference of tangled thoughts on a blank paper'

Hyde has a challenge for you...

Here at Hyde we love student contributions and we have a creative task for you for our next edition.

We are putting together a piece of photos, quotes, poems, drawings, paintings and more, of things that mean something to you. So, here's the challenge, choose one or more:

Take a photo on your phone of three of your favourite things

Get creative by painting or drawing

Find a poem that has meaning to you; and

Quote a line from a book or a movie that you can relate to

Send your challenge pieces to hyde@vustudentunion.com and have fun with it, get creative hyde readers, we will be putting these submissions in on the next edition in our new 'Hyde Challenge' pictorial.

vustudentunion.com/babh

page 56 | Mindful 2020

We’re encouraging everyone who is part

of

our

campus

community

to

take a moment and consider how we can ‘better’ our behaviour.

The general outline of this project is to

bring

in

including

materials

booklets,

on

education,

merchandise

(t-

shirts, pens, etc) as well as to hold a clubs

festival

space

where

the

information can be passed along to students This

in

a

would

personalised

include

Be

manner.

a

Better

In 2017, The Australian Human Rights

Human campaign info, student club

Commission

a

stalls,

performances

university

guest

speakers,

conducted

randomised

survey

of

and

free

special

food

and

students, including students here at

giveaways including awesome BaBH

Victoria University, and released the

shirts, pens and more!

National

Report

on

Sexual

Assault

and Sexual Harassment at Australian

Events

Universities. The report offered many

build a culture of respect, empathy

suggestions for Universities to adopt

and

and

staff.

while

we

think

those

like

the

consent

BaBH

for

all

festival

students

help

and

recommendations are fantastic, here “Victoria

at VU we want to do even better!

University

has

a

zero

tolerance approach to violence in This

initiative

was

created

with

a

any

form,

including

sexual

gender-based

ground up, to reflect campus culture

based violence is a serious social

and what we think everyone needs

issue

to

and

appreciate

and

–

empathy.

called

Be

a

consent, The

Better

respect

campaign Human

is

(BaBH),

driven

a

culture

of

about

empowered

want

it

to

shouldn’t be

about

improvement

for

when

‘everyone’,

we

say

do mean everyone.

do;

everyone. we

we selfAnd

really

gender

by

Gender-

inequality

sexist

attitudes

and behaviours. We work to build

where

we

by

enabled

because we don’t just want it to be what

violence.

and

group of Flinders students from the

safety

students to

and

and

respect,

staff

become

are

change

agents to help stop gender-based violence the

at

wider

the

University

community.”

Respect & Responsibility).

and

in

(VU

page 58 | Mindful 2020

De-stress Word Find Activity W

F

X

X

F W W

B X

W B L

G X

X

B

B G L F

B F

F G

F W

W B

G

X

B B

P

W W

WISE | APPRECIATE | BOLD | BRILLIANT | CALM | CHEERFUL | CLEAR COMFORTABLE | CONFIDENT | COURAGEOUS | CREATIVE | DECISIVE DELIGHTFUL | DYNAMIC | EMPOWERED | ENERGIZED | ENLIGHTENED ENTHUSIASTIC | EXQUISITE | EXTRAORDINARY | FREE | GLOWING HOPEFUL | INSPIRED | KIND | LOVING | MAGNIFICENT | MARVELOUS NOBLE | OPTIMISTIC | PASSIONATE | PEACEFUL | POSITIVE | LOVING POWERFUL | PRECIOUS | PROUD |Â RADIANT | RECEPTIVE | RESILIENT

Corona Virus Pandemic, Daylight Savings Time, Friday the 13th and a full moon all in the same week...

Who the hell is playing Jumanji? #stayhome #staysafe

CONTRIBUTORS the Hyde team could not have done this edition without the help of those who contributed Professor Peter Dawkins, VU Vice-Chancellor and President Will Penrose, VU Student Union President Ronish Chattaraj, VU Student Union VP Welfare Officer Emma Whitbread, VU Student Union VUSUteer Officer Mughees Hassan Raza, VU Student Union Media Officer Carmelina Monea, VU Student Union Women's Officer VU in the Community Megan Street, VU Graduate Samriddhi Bansal, VU Graduate Thelma Nascimento, VU Student Becca Lee, VU Student Joseph Dawson, VU Student Fouzia Islam, VU Student April Joy Gaquit, VU Student Ruby Baker, VU Student Susie Helem, VU Student Jim Zapsalis, Professional Photographer

Victoria University

STUDENT UNION