Been There Done That

Table of Contents

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Strike a Pose

If my door could talk- Aryaveer Sehrawat (III-A)

Grief- Navya Chauhan (VIII-C)

My Lovely School -Sarthak Tyagi (IV-C)

A Guide to Mental Health During the Pandemic -Diva Vaid (XC)

A FRIEND I WILL NEVER FORGET -A NIitya Naren(VIII - B)

Been there done that ……. And now stuck with nostalgia -Yana Sansanwal (X-C)

Lockdown- My Experience -Vidit Pathak (II-C)

Fear of the dawn - Medhini and Anjali (VIII-A)

Random things we miss about THSVK -The Editorial Board

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been there done that.pdf

Strike a Pose

If my door could talk
- Aryaveer Sehrawat (III-A)

I went to my room
And heard a voice
That I didn’t rejoice
“Hello Aryaveer” my door said
Shocked and amazed I fell on the bed
If my door could talk
It would’ve been so strange
But a little fun
Because we all need a change

Grief
- Navya Chauhan (VIII-C)

On the laptop everyday
Sitting like a zombie
Losing people we love day by day
Not having a chance of saying goodbye
Crying our hearts out
Thinking about
Things we took for granted
The life and bond we planted
Thinking it is just a dream
The world is not going down the stream
Losing people love like water continuously flowing
All because of the pandemic ongoing
Grief like a shadow
Taking over my life
Forgetting everything that I know
In this new world, it is hard to survive

My Lovely School
-Sarthak Tyagi (IV-C)

In this school, I've been learning for six years. I believe that this school is truly the best, and I hope that most people in this school feel the same way. Before Covid-19, I remember how when we entered the class in the morning, the school prayer began on the announcement speaker and our minds used to become unanimously peaceful afterwards. After the prayer, I always used to wait for the break period to begin or for the sports period, as both were my favourite periods in which I would have fun while playing with my friends. When school got over, we always ran over, we always ran over to the 1st-grade classroom for attendance during dispersal, and all the teachers used to arrive immediately after to announce our name from the ID card for our parents or van bhaiyas to pick us up for us to go back home.

A Guide to Mental Health During the Pandemic
-Diva Vaid (XC)

They told me all of my cages were mental

So I got wasted like all my potential

And my words shoot to kill when I'm mad

I have a lot of regrets about that

I was so ahead of the curve, the curve became a sphere

Fell behind on my classmates, and I ended up here

Pouring out my heart to a stranger” - Taylor Swift (this is me trying)

Mental health, i.e our psychological, emotional, and social well-being. It has an impact on how we think, feel and act. It also influences how we deal with stress, interact with others, and make decisions. We’ve all seen all those overly toxic Instagram posts from extremely uninformed “influencers” which just end up invalidating every single one of us who is struggling. In the last two years, I've seen my mental health deteriorate, but I've also dealt with issues that I'd denied for the longest time. From trauma to dubious events that have occurred with me and around me, everything that I unconsciously chose to ignore and, well, consciously decided to "move on" from because "the past is the past and you will only be happy if you move forward." Don't get me wrong: moving on is necessary; in fact, it's a brave thing to do; but there's a difference between moving on and choosing to bury everything inside this one corner of your head and then throw away the keys.

I had rooms and rooms full of things that I had left behind without accepting or resolving. Covid-19 ended up bringing it all out. It didn't cause any of the things I'd been oblivious to for so long; instead, it just pushed it all out, like the waves flushing out the trash it had received and swallowed back onto the shore.

It felt strange and unsettling to feel the way I did (and still do), and it didn't make sense because I had moved on, hadn't I? I'd left everything behind. However, the truth was that I had only succeeded in running away from my own reality and imagining that everything was fine, that my sky was purple rather than blue. The pandemic and being away from everything that I had subconsciously used as a coping mechanism revealed a side of myself that I had never known existed, and I know I'm not alone. I know a lot of people who used to come to school as an escape, but when that was taken away for obvious reasons, everything seemed to fall apart a little. Where were you supposed to go at this point? When you couldn't even leave the house? Then comes the second escape, friends. When covid robbed us of our "normalcy," it also robbed us of our relationships, not only with ourselves but also with others. Things became more difficult, standards rose, and you were constantly expected to perform better because, after all... You are simply sitting at home.

I took a survey because I know a lot of readers are wondering if the author of this piece (a.k.a me) is exaggerating and it can't be that bad, right? Here's a reality check: 98 per cent of respondents said their mental health had deteriorated, affecting everything around them. Individuals must recognise that mental health is not defined by motivational posts on social media or by remaining optimistic. We can no longer expect people to always see the bright side of things. We must stop expecting 100 per cent from everyone, whether an adult or a child, a teacher or a student.

Now, I don't expect everyone to understand what to do; we're constantly learning and unlearning, and it's okay to be unsure what to do when someone isn't feeling well (to say the least). So, as someone who has significantly poor mental health, here are some things you can do to assist someone. In the end, it's all about the details.

STOP invalidating us and start listening, open your ears and maybe shut off your mouth for once.
Don’t tell us that we’re “over-reacting” or that it’s “all in our head”.
Acknowledge that the reason we can’t do something isn’t that we’re “lazy”, it’s because we just need time to reset and because we’re drained from the demon in our head. Your nagging won’t help us one bit. Instead, it’ll just make us feel worse and probably trigger us.
Celebrate the little wins, even if it means just getting out of bed or going for a walk.
Understand that you’re not going to always be the main character, sometimes, you have to take a step back and acknowledge that it’s not about you.
Give out random hugs (Trust me, it helps way more than you can imagine).
Refrain from pointing out how we’re always thinking of the negatives, it’s not in our hands.
Send a random text saying how you’re proud of them and that they’re loved and cared for.
Recognize that we’re trying our best to be better constantly but sometimes, it just gets bad and intolerable.
Quit making mental health such a taboo, it’s real. Accept it.
Don’t guilt-trip us for our behaviour. Trust me, we already feel bad enough for it.
Be compassionate, the world already has too much hate. Loving and being kind won’t cause you damage.
Educate yourself about various mental health issues.
Take time and put in the effort to learn someone’s triggers.
Treat us how you’d treat someone else, you don’t have to be “extra-careful”
We don’t need sympathy, please keep your “oh I’m so sorry for you” to yourself.
Leave random sticky notes with affirmations or even random doodles to remind them that they’re not alone.
Watch our comfort shows with us (nothing will make us love you more).
Give us space and time to confide in you, again, it’s nothing against you. We just need a little time to process everything and put it into words.
Realize that we live in survival mode so while everyone is developing, we’re focused on how to survive and make it through each day. Don’t undermine us, we’re as capable as you are but we just need a little push here and there. It gets tough to survive, don’t expect us to do extraordinary things when we can’t even do the ordinary at times.
Don’t push us to be social or to show up at events, we’re drained and it takes a lot of effort to interact with people. Again, we’re programmed a little differently.
Be patient with us, I promise, we’re trying

These are just a few examples of what you can do; there are numerous others.

It is critical to understand that mental health issues and the people who experience them are not works of modern art worthy of a pedestal. We may only have half a heart to give you at times, but we will give it all to you.

A little tenderness can go a long way.

And hey, don't forget that while you're taking care of others, you're also important. Don't forget to put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others with theirs.

Love,

A survivor

A FRIEND I WILL NEVER FORGET
-A NIitya Naren(VIII - B)

The Coronavirus has turned everybody’s lives upside down. A caseload and death toll that is increasing on a day to day basis, everybody is at home due to lockdown, people losing their jobs and millions disconnected from their families and relatives has changed the world completely. But I was privileged to just stay at home and attend online classes as we had devices, a stable network connection and my father working from home. So, money was guaranteed.

But the only problem was that a lockdown meant I couldn't go and visit my grandmothers and other relatives who are more than 2,000 km away from Delhi in South India. So, I missed them a lot. Before the pandemic, every year during the Summer break, we would eagerly wait to go to South India to visit our grandparents and other relatives. I enjoy every bit of it. I meet all the relatives and talk a lot with them and also go to lots of beaches, temples and parks.

I spend a lot of time with my grandmothers playing board games, talking about my school life, homework, friends and have fun with both my younger and elder cousins. Also, it is a great escape from the heat and pollution of summers in Delhi as the climate is a bit cooler and breezier in South India than in the North. Moreover, I love travelling by air. I miss all that fun. But the main thing I miss is my grandmothers.

Not only me, but my grandmothers also miss us very much and were a bit worried when we would meet. But as the cases skyrocketed during the first wave, our chances of going there plummeted. First international travel got closed. Soon after, domestic travel also got closed and a complete nationwide lockdown was imposed, which reduced our chances of going to South India to zero.

As days passed, the caseload and death toll also steadily increased last year and the unlock plans failed, which led to the massive first wave that India overcame eventually. But the second wave hit India with much greater force and despite not going out unnecessarily, most of the people somehow got infected and recovered after struggling a lot with the infection.

Due to all these reasons, we couldn’t go to South India to meet our grandmothers and it has been more than 2 years since we met them. As a result, my maternal grandmother, 83 years old, was very upset. She is my best friend after my parents themselves. We talk and laugh together about my school, friends, many funny incidents, TV programs and many more. We play board games together, we go outside together, we talk a lot on the phone and she teaches me a lot of things.

Every year we stay at my grandmother’s place for a minimum of 3 weeks and we both are waiting for a very long time for that to happen. Even though she knew that the virus is lurking out there and we are better off staying in Delhi, still those expectations made her upset. Day by day, she got more upset as my grandfather died 5 years ago before the pandemic and she is living there alone.

She is a very strong lady and overcomes even the toughest of times with a smile on her face and is a professor in yoga too. She has practised a lot of exercises, meditations and is healthy even today.

But her mind still longed for us and we were not able to go there either. To compensate for not going there physically, we speak to her every day and video call her lots of times. But even video calls can never replace the experience of meeting face to face with her. Both of us are missing each other terribly.

She is a very positive person and in the first lockdown somehow, she managed it. But in the second one, she was missing her loved ones even more and she also started negatively viewing everything. She got skinnier than before and didn’t eat properly.

When she got to know about the vaccines, she wasn’t completely back to normal but was a bit relaxed and it seemed like she was coming out of her stressful days. Some meditation and exercises worked well for her and her stress levels decreased by a massive amount.

This was when I realized how difficult it is to live alone even for a very strong person like my grandmother. I’m also upset about not being able to go to South India to meet my grandmothers but I felt very gloomy when my grandmother went into a lot of stress about which I have not even thought of in my dreams. Infection is more likely with all these mutations present out there and she should not get infected due to us.

I don’t know in detail how many ways families around the world got directly or indirectly affected by the pandemic but my grandmother got excruciatingly affected mentally and that stress led to her rapid slimming. So, this is where we really need to be careful and should always take care of both our mental and physical health.

We should also take care of all our relatives and loved ones and should try our best to prevent any kinds of mental deterioration and depression occurring to them because depression not only affects the mind but the physical body too. We have to spend more time on positive things and it will give more energy for people to be happy and healthy.

Even though now the cases are much fewer, it is better to take the necessary precautions and safety protocols to avoid a third wave, especially in the near future.

I hope to meet my grandmothers as soon as the situation improves. My grandmother and I are waiting to meet each other and we want our fun-filled days to come back again.

Hoping for the Best!

Been there done that ……. And now stuck with nostalgia
-Yana Sansanwal (X-C)

I am sure we all miss the pre-covid life. I myself miss all these activities from my pre-covid life, such as going to school and hanging out with friends. Pre-covid life is now what we perceive as “picture perfect”. Now, we all hope for that to come back, and it surely will, but it will take some more time. I personally really miss being on the school premises — the carnival, the interactions I used to have with teachers and friends, and so much more. I miss being around my friends, teachers, the corridor, the classes and the science labs. In short, mostly everything. When I think about these things, I get nostalgic. Participating in competitions in offline mode is much better, more fun, and inclusive of all activities. Also, the sports and co-scholastic classes were way more interactive and better offline. I hope for things to get back to as they were as soon as possible. Until then, I will cherish all the fruitful memories I made in school.

Lockdown- My Experience
-Vidit Pathak (II-C)

Initially, I was very happy when the lockdown was announced. I had finally gotten a long break from school. No more classes! Yay! Both of my parents were working from home. We used to play board games, watch movies. They were available 24×7.

But, a month in, I got bored. I wanted to step out of my house & be able to play with my friends. I wanted to cycle, I wanted to visit new places, but I was told that everything was closed. I saw small kids being carried on on their parents’ backs / walking barefoot. It made me feel sad that these children were forced to go hungry. I was thankful that even in this tough time, my plate was full and that I had shelter and a place to call my home.

We saw the first and second waves of COVID, wreaking havoc in our lives. My grandmother and father also tested positive for COVID. We all need to be careful and follow the appropriate COVID protocol.

I see people roaming around without masks, not social distancing. Slowly, we are getting acclimatized to the current situation, but that does not mean that we can violate the COVID guidelines. Most of the time, we put the burden of the situation on our leaders/politicians, but, the onus also lies on us. We need to keep ourselves safe and follow COVID guidelines in the best possible way.

Let us pledge together to fight the Virus and keep our spirits alive. Let’s reach out to each other & ask about our well beings and whether we need any help. COVID might be fatal, but it cannot kill our spirits & humanity.

Fear of the dawn
- Medhini and Anjali (VIII-A)

One and a half years ago, we weren't constantly held up inside. We could go to the park whenever we wanted, meet up with people whenever we were bored, and interact or socialize with people better. As many have been saying, we supposedly adapted to online life and are perfectly fine indoors. But, are we?

For the entire time that we had been locked up indoors due to the pandemic, we have tried to make the best out of the situation. Almost everything is available on the internet. Everything is structured either through Zoom or other online platforms, from school to birthday celebrations. Even if everything seems to be going well at the time and practically everyone has adjusted to their life online, it is tough not to miss the old days.

Reminiscing about the days before the pandemic brings back school memories of planning for a special event or occasion or trying to do something unique for our teachers on Teachers’ Day. It reminds us of how much easier it was to interact with our classmates and teachers before the pandemic when we wandered through the school corridors with our friends. We have spent a considerable amount of time talking to one another via text or email, and it has genuinely started to become hard to talk to people face to face again.

We have been caged up indoors for the past year and a half and can finally go out. Restrictions are lifting, malls and shopping complexes have reopened, outdoor activities and offline events with real people have resumed (with precautions in place, of course), and even schools have started to invite students back.

Random things we miss about THSVK -The Editorial Board

Throwing the I-D Card over the wall near Gate No. 3, so our friends who forgot theirs could enter the school
Missing the first period because the bus was late
Stay backs
Run-throughs in the amphi
People inside amphi/basement shouting at us to be quiet during run-throughs
Kalaatmak, and begging the teachers to let us do its work at the back of the classroom and then eventually ending up doing none of the said work because you were too busy talking with the other students.
Fresca, donut, brownies, and pizza from the canteen
Convincing teachers for taking us to the field during their subject period
Doing the homework in class, whilst the teacher was teaching
Pen fights
Going to the washroom in the middle of class, and taking a trip of the whole school
Silence Time
Fire drills (that never ended on time, and were always extended)
Painting on the walls of the 3rd floor
Fighting over the playlist during the art period
Melodramatic acting in the theatre period
Veena ma'am's stories
Jeffies ma'am's terrible aim
Anandita ma'am making us finish all our food
Ishwar sir stopping us in the hall because the prayer was going on
Udayan sir looking at a different kid, but calling on a different kid to answer
Going to school late and passing through the guards unnoticed (and stamps on our almanacs when you did get noticed)
The substitution chart (and teachers scolding us for crowding around it because 'jab period hoga pata chal jayega konsa subsi hai')
Getting confused between Ankita ma'am and Ankita ma'am
Norms of Collaboration, and the million charts we made for it
Dodging bird poop in the amphi
Hiding 'things' in the new cubicles
The tune that played in the morning, that reminded us of the Titanic sinking
Getting OD and returning in the middle of a class like some god
The reception's AC
Playing football in the field and watching people celebrate a goal like they're the winner in a Fifa Final
Kicking someone with a football (or, in some cases, being hit by a football)
The kittens on campus
The water leaking from the bus when it was raining, and the seats getting absolutely soaked (also trying to figure out if the seats are a little wet or just cold from the AC)
Watching the people who live near the school do their daily chores on their balconies
Celebration days when you got ice cream/ laddoos/ 5 star chocolate
The computer lab always being cold and playing MangaHigh on the laptops
Being in the art room OD when classes were going on because you were completing your 'project'
Changing the computer wallpapers (sorry Tanu ma’am)
Watching Youtube when you were done with all your work during computer period (sorry Tanu ma'am)
Carrying your device during Behes and WSC and flexing
Getting told off by the teacher in the library for talking
Rainy days in school!! Everything would be dark and quiet, it was kind of creepy but so peaceful and pretty (until the preschool kids came running down the hallway)
We don't know how to explain this but like running down the amphi's steps
Principal ma’am and us shouting “JAI HIND” at the end of every assembly
The long and stretched “GOOODDD MOOORRNNIINGGG MAAAAMM/SIIRRRRR’’ (tell us you didn’t sing it in your brain)
Saying good morning instead of good afternoon and then being told “DO YOU NOT KNOW HOW TO SEE THE TIME, WHY DO WE HAVE A CLOCK HERE HUH?”
Whole school announcements through the speaker and feeling like a celebrity when your name gets called out
ONCE A WEEK MORNING ZUMBA (ok no, we really don’t miss it)
Forming an alliance when the substitute teacher doesn’t come and choosing to not report it...until... that one traitor quietly goes to the reception (why do you do that?!)
Having designated seats in the bus and if someone dared to sit on your seat then the whole us turning into an episode of ‘Hunger Games’
Bus swaps
Playing dumbcharades in the bus and getting scolded by every single adult for being “tOo lOuD” but then them eventually joining in the chaos
ISHWAR SIR!!! WE MISS YOU A LOT. WE KNOW YOU RETIRED BUT YOU WERE THE BEST AND WE LOVE YOU AND WE MISS YOU SO MUCH

Kindly also count this as a desperate request to the school authorities to please bring back fries in the canteen on Tuesdays. Please. We loved it. We beg you.