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this month’s brilliant cover comes from from natrally. natrally is an australian artist based in the uk. original work includes paintings, sketches, digital art, murals, signage, portraits & illustration. check out her facebook @natrallycreative for her other amazing creations and shop. we salute you natrally.
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Happy Space 3
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lets start an epidemic of happiness
Welcome “It was only a sunny smile, and little it cost in the giving, but like morning light it scat tered the night and made the day worth living.� - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Christmas can be a tough time for someone who suffers from a mental health disorder. It can be a time of loneliness and despair for the upcoming year but we hope our fourth issue can bring happiness and help start an epidemic of happiness this festive season.
-Nader
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contents Vegan Banana PanCakes
overcoming loss
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Get a first hand account of what its really like to live with depression.
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What is Happy Space? Find out about who we are and what we do!
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Super simple and Tasty Vegan Banana Pancakes with a Spiced Glaze.
Happy Spacer of the month! Meet Mob Kitchen, feed 4 for a tenner - Student Budget worthy!
swimming in serenity Charlotte talks about how swimmming could chnage your life.
Overcoming Loss Elizabeth Georgiadi
Eli z abeth G eorg iad i a musician and a mental health professional (music therapist), curious about what it really takes to foster personal growth and creativity. In depth knowledge and understanding of basic human needs, healthy child development and the rules that govern human interaction. Interested in establishing projects that promote the idea of arts and culture as means of activating inner life, intellectual abilities and social change.
‘That is to say, any pain caused by unhappy experiences, whatever their nature, has something in common with mourning’ (Melanie Klein) Being aware of the mental and psychological mechanisms that operate sometimes unconsciously might offer to us a new perspective regarding our experiences. Although overcoming loss is usually a process without shortcuts, being aware and accepting our true feelings during this process might help us learn from this experience and instead gain strength and confidence. In some cases, according to Melanie Klein, the experience of the loss of a loved object is coloured by our feelings of aggression and hatred towards the loved object that we employ in order to control it and the power it exerts on us.
Those feelings in turn cause psychic confusion, chaos and sometimes feelings of persecution (e.g. suspicion, punishment, fear that the object left us because of our destructive fantasies). These prevent us from fully experiencing the reality that the loved object has gone, and the subsequence feelings of sorrow, sadness and depression. As the mind is occupied by fear and denial, the mourning phase may take a longer time to overcome; in some cases this is drowning us into a mental and psychological ‘death’. Only when we are ready to accept the goodness of the lost object (regardless of whether the object has gone forever or has rejected us), and our love for the object as well as our own goodness, are we able to experience feelings of loss, be in touch with our true self and thus prepare the ground to find peace, love and goodness within.
Recommended Reading: Klein, M. (1940). Mourning and its Relation to Manic-Depressive States1. Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 21:125-153 Related Links: http://www.melanie-klein-trust.org.uk/depressive-position Email: sharingisvital@gmail.com Website: https://sharingisvitalblog.wordpress.com www.musicalmovement.gr Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sharingisvital/
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Happy SPace
HQ
Managing Director Nader Dehdashti
Editorial Founders
Marketing and Branding Graphic Design Secretary Treasurer Issue 3 Writers
Model
Tegan Creedy Hugo Layard Horsfall Bethan Thomas Alexandra Reading Monica Leaver James Leaver Joshua Creedy Sonja Jost Elizabeth Georgiadi Charlotte Mintel Frankie Gandy
Digital Head of Digital Social Media Managers
Partners and Contributers
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Tom Pickup Abs Jacobs Lucy Taylor Vilson Beiqi Roxx London Issie Kinnier Alix Evans Nomad Books
what is happy space? We strive to support and educate young adults, predominantly university students. Our main aims include raising awareness and removing the prejudice surrounding mental illness, specifically depression and anxiety. Reducing the stigma surrounding mental health is of great importance in going some way to enabling open discussion. At Happy Space we believe that mental illness ought never to be fought alone and as such, this is key in the prevention of its onset. ‘Happy Space’ is a self-explanatory name for our organization. We aim to offer university students a space in which they can both freely discuss mental health issues and in which Happy Space nutritionists, psychotherapists and sleep therapists (to name a few of what we consider ‘target’ areas) can offer useful information and advice. To begin, Happy Space will utilise King’s College London as their main ‘hub’, as currently we are in the process of setting up the ‘Happy Space Society’. The Happy Space society will meet weekly. In attendance will be a Happy Space health professional (e.g. a certified nutritionist) whom will be briefed to answer any queries students may have and who it will be possible to have a private conversation with if requested. Furthermore, the Happy Space society will organise events such as free of charge yoga to enable students to partake in health-promoting, mood-lifting group activities. Please take the time to support us and Like us on our facebook and share us with all your friends. Let’s start an epidemic of happiness!
This is Penny the elephant, she is one of our mascots who strives to find her Happy Space. We hope to use Penny and the rest of her family to help add a little light to an area where a lot of people find dark. To meet the other members of the family, check out our website! Nader Dehdashti Managing Director
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Q&A
Happy Spacer of the Month
The Mob Kitchen
Mob Kitchen is Happy Space’s new favorite thing. It is an online food publishing company, and their first series of videos is called #4UNDER10. They are 1 minute “how to” recipe videos, shot from a birdseye point of view. Every recipe will feed 4 people for under £10. All they assume is you have salt, pepper, and olive oil in your kitchen. So, anyone with a tenner and these three things can cook them! This is perfect for any student on a budget! I met up with creator Ben Lebus to question him all about this new venture and asked him all about the links between good wholesome food and a positive mental state. Please check out their Facebook page here- www.facebook.com/ mobkitchen/
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1. So, Ben, you just launched your online food publishing company ‘Mob Kitchen.’ What is it all about? Young people aren’t cooking. The phrases “I can’t be bothered” or “its too expensive” are commonplace in the student kitchen. Across the social media sites on which we now spend all our time, students and young professionals have nowhere to go, no accessible videos to follow, which show them that cooking healthy, delicious food is both easy and affordable. They need a page showing them that by using simple, everyday ingredients in the right way, they can cook for their housemates, colleagues and friends. At the moment, this simply does not exist. Through real prices, real food, a real kitchen, real music and real imperfections, Mob Kitchen will fill this gap. By producing videos that the young can both relate and engage with, Mob Kitchen will drive the move away from the meal-deal, away from Deliveroo, away from processed food and the take-away, and back into the kitchen.
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What inspired you to get so into cooking?
My Father ran an Italian restaurant, Cibo, in Oxford for 15 years. It was through spending time there that my love for cooking flourished. 3. How important do you think it is for student to know how to cook whilst at university?
4. Why do you think good food is important for one’s mental health? If you maintain a balanced and healthy diet, consisting of fresh ingredients, you feel physically fit. You are ingesting the right nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, all of which contribute to a healthier body, which in turns leads to a healthier mind.
5. What do you make of people’s attitude towards mental health currently? Despite the emergence of a number of schemes to try and raise awareness for mental health issues, much more needs to be done. People need to feel comfortable and secure when revealing to their family and friends that they feel low or depressed. It is completely natural, and is nothing to be ashamed of.
6. What do you think needs to change about an universities approach to students with mental health? I think this is an important question. I think universities need to reach out to students more, especially in periods of high stress (during dissertations or finals). If students knew they had a university body looking out for them and their mental health, I believe some of the fears and anxieties linked to academic work would start to dissipate.
I think it is crucial. The art of good home cooking is something that is becoming lost with the emergence of the meal deal and Deliveroo, and this needs to change. Its more affordable, more sociable and more often than not more healthy than any takeaway or processed food option. 11
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Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must be. lieve that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained. - Marie Curie 13
Vegan Banana Pancakes
written by Sonja Jost
Makes: 12 Medium Cakes Prep: 10 Minutes Bakes in 20 minutes! Vegan Banana Cakes with a Spice Glaze Baking is a great way to get into the autumn spirit. Adding warm spices to different meals and cakes can really add a seasonal twist to your usual favourites! Here’s a simple recipe to tide you over when your sweet tooth kicks in!
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Ingredients For the cakes 280g all purpose flour 3 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 125g sugar 1 mashed banana 175ml soy milk 150ml sunflower oil 3 tsp cinnamon For the glaze 50g icing sugar 2 tbsp soy milk 2 tsp cinnamon
Directions 1. Pre-heat your oven to 180°C and grease your cake/cupcake tin. 2. In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar. 3. Using a seperate bowl, mash your banana with a fork. 4. Add in the mashed banana, milk and oil to the flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar and mix together. 5. Pour the batter into cake tin, distributing it evenly. 6. Put into the oven and bake for 20 minutes. 7. Whilst the cakes are cooking, start making the vanilla glaze by combining the icing sugar, soy milk and cinnamon in a bowl and mix well. For a thicker glaze add more icing sugar, for a runnier consistency, add more soy milk. 8. Once the cakes are out of the oven and have cooled, spoon the glaze over the muffins. 9. Leave the muffins to cool completely and the glaze to set for about 15 minutes. 10. (Optional) Mix a bit of icing sugar with a pinch of cinnamon and sieve over the top of cooled cakes. There we have it, it really is that simple! 15
Vegan Lentil Stew Recipe
written by Sonja Jost During the colder months a hearty stew can really be a game-changer. Yes, it’s a very traditional dish and isn’t anything particularly fancy but it’s a great thing to have up your sleeve when the weather cools down. This is a super simple recipe, inspired by a soup recipe from the cooking blog Cookie and Kate, which is a great source for healthy recipes. I’ve tweaked it so it’s slightly easier to make and has a little added sweetness, due to the addition of the corn. It uses healthy, wholesome ingredients and really fills you up. It takes a little while to simmer, but is very easy to make and the end result is well worth it!
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Ingredients 3 tbsp olive oil 1 tin of diced tomatoes 180g lentils 2 medium carrots, chopped and rinsed 1 onion, chopped 1 ear of corn, chopped off the cob 2 tsp curry powder 1tsp garlic powder 1 litre water 2 vegetable stock cubes A pinch of dried chilli flakes (optional)
Directions 1. Start by warming up the olive oil in a large pot. 2. Add the chopped onion and carrots and cook them until the carrots begin to soften. Stir regularly, so that the onions do not start to burn. After about five minutes add in the curry powder and the garlic powder, stir briefly before adding in the tomatoes and cooking for another few minutes. 3. Rinse the lentils before adding them into the stew mixture with along with the water. Allow the water to come to a simmer before crumbling the two stock cubes into the pot and stirring well. If you choose to include the chilli flakes, add those in and allow it to simmer for about 20 minutes. 4. Once the soup has been simmering for 20 minutes, add in the chopped corn and stir to mix with the other ingredients. 5. Cook until the lentils have reached your desired consistency and serve! Depending on whether or not you want your lentils to be a little harder or you prefer a softer texture, the cooking time may vary. I find that about forty-five minutes is enough for the lentils to be thoroughly cooked and for the rest of the flavours to develop. This keeps well in the fridge for a few days so you can cook up a big batch to last you a couple of meals. So there we have it: a hearty stew to warm up chilly winter nights!
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Swimming in S erenity Charlotte Mindel
A huge part of finding balance and serenity in my life has been realising that I am privileged to have the freedom of choice.
Exercise has been a constant topic of contention in my mind; there’s the part of me that became addicted to exercise as a form of disconnecting from reality, and the healthy part of me that knows exercise helps me feel good and process thoughts. Back in July I was a member of the gym I have been a member of for the last 5 years but I was not enjoying going, I was either forcing myself to go because I thought I ‘should’ or not going and feeling guilty about it. Along with that turmoil, it wasn’t providing me with anything positive, I found it vain, inconvenient, expensive and isolating - none of which made me feel happy. Having learnt how important it is to make responsible adult choices, I realised I didn’t HAVE to be a member of a gym - what a revelation!
I strongly believe that exercise is essential to a healthy lifestyle, which for me includes physical, mental and spiritual health. So I set about exploring other ways to exercise that would provide me with real pleasure and a sense of achievement. Starting with 30 days of yoga, which I entered into with the support of my brother who was more of a yoga novice than myself, we spurred each other on and both felt fantastic as a result. Then, one hot summer’s day at the end of August with the support of two friends at work I tried outdoor swimming. I instantly fell in
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love with the freedom I felt being outside in a huge mass of water, finding moments of peace whilst also having solitary time to process my ever-intrusive thoughts. 6 weeks later, it is now 10 degrees colder than it was when I first went; I am swimming up to 4 times a week reaping new benefits constantly.
Cold water swimming has been proven to have several health benefits including boosting your immune system, enhancing circulation, increasing libido, increasing general fitness and most importantly it has been proven to decrease stress and help treat depression. Getting into cold water the coldest I have swum in so far is 12C - puts you under physical and mental stress, forcing your body to react and thereby teaching your brain how to intuitively react to stress quickly, allowing for a calmer disposition in the long term. It may sound a bit sadistic but the pain of getting into extremely cold water is the reason it has been suggested to help with depression. Our bodies naturally release endorphins when we are in pain to help relieve us from that pain so, naturally, endorphins make us feel good. The overall outcome for me is a huge sense of achievement, that I have overcome something challenging by getting into a (nearly) freezing pool, I have had a peaceful, noncompetitive time for myself, I have exercised, my skin is fantastic due to all that blood rushing around my body and my circulation is better than ever. The greatest part of this is that I am only just beginning my journey to finding out what exercise I get really excited about and what choices I can make to allow me to feel fantastic.
Tips for Cold Water Swimming My Top Tips to Cold Water Swimming:
Don’t go alone - Though I do now, I needed the support of others initially to share the experience with and to encourage me to get out of bed and into the pool. Stay Safe - Cold water swimming can be considered extreme, if you can find someone experienced to go with the first few times that is great, otherwise for temperatures below 12C get yourself some scuba gloves and boots to keep your hands and feet warm. You must also go regularly to keep your body acclimatised. Don’t be put off the first time - Naturally the first time will be more of a shock than any time afterwards, so unless you really hate it give it a second go. Keep Warm - Ideally go somewhere with showers so you can warm up after and make sure you have warm cosy clothes to change into. I go to Parliament Hill Lido in North London. And finally, remember who you’re doing this for - finding what works for you is not about competition or validation, don’t get disheartened if cold water swimming is not for you. The most powerful thing to take from this is that you have the freedom to make choices that benefit you and to explore what they may be.
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“ No matter what people telll you, words and ideas can change the world � - Robin Williams
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