How is your mental health? What do you do for self-care?
Sunny Side Updates || Week #15
Is it only the first week of 2021? It feels like a lifetime has passed. As some have discussed, the changing of the number that appears on our calendars doesn’t automatically change the circumstances, systems we live within that need to be changed. This week was a reminder of that.
This week is a reminder that we can do so, so much better. Are you ready to start?
Shortform Theme of the Week
This week’s shortform theme is: mental health. In what ways do you take care of yourself and your mental health? What ways do you want to try out? What worked and what didn’t work? What do you do for self-care?
This is just a guideline for inspiration! You may submit shortforms related to other concepts if other ideas come to you! :)
The Brain is a Noodle*
*This is factually incorrect. Please absolutely do not go out and eat brains.
🍜 Piping Hot New(dle) Pieces of the Week
Challenge: *highlight* the ones you bookmarked/ read and make sure everyone gets highlighted at least once! ❤
how aptly this describes the past year by Jac Gautreau
can I classify this under dark humour? by James G Brennan
how beautifully love and surrender intertwine by Ruchi Thalwal
“Embrace your nonconformity — not to be a rebel — because it is who you are.” by Yohanan Marcus
“ It sent me on a creative loop to reflect on myself and reimagine myself. And I loved where it took me in the end.” by Telling You Something
thank you for being a part of the medium & noodle family ❤ by Dr. Fatima Imam
how aptly this describes my transition between 2020 and 2021 by Baye Amina
Dr. Fatima Imam’s words of wisdom for today’s 16-year-olds! by Dr. Fatima Imam
what a piece!!! by Dr. Fatima Imam
do you resonate with these reasons for writing? by Tom Fenske
a heartbreaking piece! 💔 by Julia Appa
do you feel connected? — a haiku by R. Rangan PhD
organic or inorganic? which squad are you? by Yohanan Marcus
what a gorgeous personification of sleep! by Julia Appa
well… not with a podcast! by Yohanan Marcus
the perfect poem to welcome the new year by Imad
This poem is for those who are excited for a time in 2021 where we can safely gather, have board game nights, potlucks! by Dr. Preeti Singh
this heart simultaneously breaks my heart and validates it 💔💗 by Julia Appa
in which Greg protests the concept of chain prompts 🤣 by Yohanan Marcus
one of my favourite grounding/mindfulness techniques envisioned as a poem! by Ntathu Allen
“As a prayer to the Universe to water the thirsty souls of humanity.” by Jenine Bsharah Baines
Thank you for laying down the groundwork so that other BIPOC women in academia can follow in your footsteps 👣 by Dr. Preeti Singh
“without me, life is doing its job perfectly” ~ to treat each day as its own new beginning, with the world functionally turning about its axis without our intentional interference. LOVE THIS SENTIMENT! by Ruchi Thalwal
To connect, to take care of mental health — both things I also want to focus on! by Dr. Fatima Imam
such an empowering notion!!! by Niru
a poem that is particular pertinent in these covid times by James G Brennan
something to uplift your spirits by Sruthi Korlakunta
a heartbreaking piece 💔 by Julia Appa
what a great portmanteau! by Not quite Steve Fisher
JUICY is the only word I have in mind for this piece ! by Yohanan Marcus
I was very much the same in terms of being THIS kind of book snob! :.) by Lori Lamothe
do you drink night time teas? by Dr. Jackie Greenwood
What a raw piece that illustrates this internal conflict! Thank you for sharing this with us ! ❤ by Julia Appa
Guinness has always been my beer of choice but never knew there were … nutrients in it??? 🍻🍺 by James G Brennan
you had me at chocolate nibs 🍫🧡 by Yohanan Marcus
this poem is about scents but here’s my challenge: try not to salivate while reading this! 😛😜😝 by Caroline de Braganza
✍ Weekly Poetry Prompts
Try your hand at these!
what do you feel when you look at the sky? from @rochellesilva418
Your budget. Do you have a clear picture of where your finances are?
do you ever look back on all you’ve written in a year and notice any themes?
Do you have foods you partially hate and will only consume in certain forms?
🔊 Amazing Voices to Amplify
We don’t have to let the algorithm decide what we get to read. Here are my manually saved faves!
Thank you to Anangsha Alammyan, Vijini Mallawaarachchi, Rochelle Silva, Paroma Sen, Arturo Dominguez for these pieces! 🙏
The Eggcademic Corner
🥓 Quick brEGGfast Bites
What I’m watching: The Good Place!!!!!!!!!!!!
What I’m reading: (class syllabi, haven’t gotten back into a book reading groove yet)
What I’m listening to: Amy Landino’s podcast #DetailsTherapy on creating your own “personal board of directors”
Pl🍳t Developments
- For three consecutive days, I thought it was January 7, 2021.
- Wrote a resume for a volunteer position and realized how much about project management, data analysis, communication in a myriad of ways we really learn to do as graduate students, even though it just feels like we’re sinking into an infinite hole of workload that doesn’t ever feel like it’s moving anywhere.
- Got these ADORABLE wasabi peas that were halloween themed but surprisingly uh, not past best before date 👀
🎊 Top 3 articles of the week
Celebrate with me!
😭 Flop 3 articles of the week
Give these a little love, will ya?
🧠🍜 Thank you to the Noodle Team!
challenge: pick 3 writers you haven’t met yet and get acquainted with their pieces!
New writers: Zeno Faber | Maziar Ghaderi
Julia Appa | Campbell Christensen | Allison Gaines | Lori Lamothe | Tima Loku | Kim McKinney | Baye Amina | SOULutionMan, aka Yohanan Gregorius | Tom Fenske | Johannes Mudi | Kasun Ranasinghe | Just a Slytherin hissing | Dr. Fatima Imam | Ntathu Allen | Somsubhra Banerjee | Veronica Georgieva | Life is Amazing with Books and Writers | Dandy Lioness | Bola Kwame | Haider Jamal Abbasi | Michael Ranjitsingh | Telling You Something | Krupesh Raikar | Muda El Masry | Rusty Alderson | Jennifer S. | Dr. Preeti Singh | Punch Drunk Cola | Melissa Speed | Ntathu Allen | Denise G | Carolyn Hastings | Tej | Vijini Mallawaarachchi | Amy Marley | Jac Gautreau | Caroline de Braganza | Roz Warren | Melissa Bee | Pretheesh Presannan | Erivaldo Ricardo | Daniel A. Teo | Anuradha Wickramarachchi | Niru | Priyanka Mane | Em Hoccane | Synthia Satkuna, MA Candidate | Alexandra Forsyth | R. Rangan PhD | Sruthi Korlakunta | Connie Song | Fathiyah Zb | Not quite Steve Fisher | Amna Asif | Jacobo the First | Aimée Gramblin | A Fresh Pot of Coffee | Rebecca Stevens A. | Imad | James G Brennan | Mary Keating | Jay Avery | h.a wadi | Pablo Pereyra | Isaac | Jenine Bsharah Baines | Rochelle Silva | Jade-Ceres Violet D. Munoz | Ruchi Thalwal | Clare Almand | Dana Sanford | Naomi Leilani Acosta | Dr. Jackie Greenwood | Fathiyah Zb | Amna Asif | Not quite Steve Fisher
🧠🍜 Join us at The Brain is a Noodle! 🧠🍜
Behold, an egg







