It's the start of hell week and my psoriasis is as agitated as my students. The formula is simple: test is equal to stress felt by the entire system including my scalp. The pressure comes from different sources, all blowing in multuple directions. My students have been complaining of stress and anxiety as I receive more requests to sit down with them and listen. Each has a different withholding power, capacity or threshold. And in this diversity, I sometimes find myself inundated, knowing there are standards to be reached and expectations to be met.

In the midst of this I find that we adults, (at least in my community) seem to forget of the nuances of stress threshold - that each person has an emotional or mental cup and that one's cup may be bigger or smaller than the others'.

It is at this period that I also nudge myself to remember very well of the diverse perspectives I face on a daily basis. Coming from an institution that values productivity, it has been my mission to crush the ubiquitous drawbacks of the capitalist mindset we have been brainwashed to believe.

My students seem to still be taken aback when they hear these...

'I feel you. There's a lot on your plate.'

'Your cup is not mine.'

'It's okay to vent.'

For we have been programmed to believe that 'everybody should fit the mould'.

It should not just be a counselor's job (my job) to bring this awareness, I know. We are all humans - colourful, unique and special in our own ways. In this fast paced corner of the world, we all need to recognise this and support each other. And wouldn't it be lovely to know that someone's holding your hand as you walk in hell weeks like this.

Best

Carla

A Moodscope member.