In this blog, we shall talk about gratitude, the antidote to mental illness. But what is this gratitude? How it is different from thankfulness? Gratitude is a feeling which comes from within and it can come for the benefits received by you or for nothing. Thankfulness is an act from the person who received the benefits. Gratitude can be expressed in thankfulness. A ‘Thank You’ with the feeling of gratitude has the power to transform your life and change its course towards positivity. It is a powerful cure to your mental block and illness. How? We shall talk about it further in the blog. Since the coronavirus pandemic has struck the entire world, thousands of people have been finding it difficult to keep a control on their emotions of hopelessness and agony. The necessary evil, i.e. the lockdown has also pushed many people into solitude and without human touch, most of them are finding it difficult to maintain a high life state. However, in such situations we often forget that no matter what the situation, one has numerous things they can be thankful for. Why should one be thankful for everything they have? Let me answer that question with a short example.

Mike, a young lad, had recently been offered his dream job. He was extremely excited as he joined the firm and wanted to display his potential to his best. Suddenly his company had some issues and to support his company he started shouldering more responsibilities beyond his job specifications. Everything worked in his favour, he was in constant touch with his manager, and he was being appreciated at great lengths as he worked at his best for a few months. However, gradually, he began to feel that the levels of appreciation have reduced. He began to feel as if he is working for no gains. He started to lose his interest and began to feel that his company and manager has probably taken him for granted. He felt as if he isn’t being respected and this eventually became evident in his quality of work.  “I am taken for granted in this company!”, “Everyone here is thankless!” This is what he thought. On the other hand, his manager had begun to believe that Mike had reduced his dialogue with him and has stopped respecting him. “I think he has taken me for granted. He is not feeling gratitude towards how well I trained him. Maybe he forgot how well I trained him at the start!”, his manager thought.

One factor became the sole reason for the dispute in Mike’s work life, i.e. Lack of Gratitude. One cannot feel the zeal to do well at a place where there’s lack of appreciation. It is a vicious cycle of negative energy. You attract what you believe in. Overload of fear, lack of appreciation, and negative energy swarms your life and seizes the functions of your mind. This in turn leads to mental illness. However, basing your actions on gratitude and thanking your surroundings for what you have instead of focusing on what you don’t, leads you towards abundance!

How does gratitude cure mental illness?

1) Improved Sleep: Balanced and sufficient sleep is a must for a peaceful state of mind. People who realise the importance of gratitude in their lives end their day by thanking the universe for everything they have. This creates a focus on things that are positive in life. Sleeping on positive and happy thoughts results in a satisfying sleep. Gratitude also releases stress and helps relieve anxiety and depression which results in better sleep. Gratitude in this manner improves sleep, thus, in turn, maintaining the balance of mind.
2) Self-love: Once you realize that you are fortunate to have a healthy body and mind, which are the key ingredients for success, and you’re fortunate in numerous terms for your life, your gratitude towards your life increases. This will reduce your self-criticism and will increase your self-love. You love what you have, and you begin to accept yourself the way you are. Focus on ‘what is’ than ‘what is not’ shoots up self-love and makes way for positivity in life.
3) Building effective social relationships: Gratitude is the key to building effective and fruitful relationships with society. Man, being a social animal, depends on society to a great extent for his well-being. When you begin appreciating and paying gratitude to the person next to you, you build harmonious relationships. Harmony and goodwill help an individual in maintaining mental health.

Begin paying gratitude in your daily life in the following manner:

1) Appreciate and accept yourself, the way you look, the way you think, your achievements as well as your failures. Begin by writing what you really love about yourself and meditate on those positive thoughts. Be thankful for what you have and begin focusing on working upon yourself to grow in life each day.

2) Appreciate your family, your friends, the society you live in. Pay gratitude to the person in front of you. It is not necessary to always show to them that you’re thankful. Being grateful at heart is conveyed through positive energy.

3) Pay gratitude to the universe for all the materialistic things you possess.

Where there’s gratitude, there’s abundance. Use the power of gratitude to fill your life with positivity.

Stay Grateful, Happy, and  Stress-free!

 “Your Infected Mind Can Kill You Faster than the Virus!” Yes, you heard me right. Let me tell you why I am saying that! The current times are extremely stressful with the coronavirus outbreak taking hundreds and thousands of lives around the world. The fear of this infection has in turn affected humans both physically as well as emotionally. It has rendered us weak in spirit, and sadly, has had a bad influence on our lives. Let me ask you a question, do you think that the global panic is only a result of fear of the pandemic? Where does this fear come from? What if I tell you, that before our bodies, our minds have been infected already? Yes, my friends, we have come to a point where we suffer in our minds even if our bodies are safe from the virus.

If you look around yourself right now, you will find numerous things that arise fear in your heart. It can be an update on the pandemic, an unfinished task, or a post on social media. What is the cure of this infection of the mind? Is fear the only symptom of this infection? Let me elaborate more on this.

Infection of the Mind - Major Causes

What causes the mind to catch infection?  Let me elaborate on the causes:

Herd Mentality: I believe in the importance of good and fruitful relationships among human beings in a society. Society can make or break a man. Hence, cordial and collaborative relationships between people are necessary for them to be successful and happy in life. However, the most dangerous side effect of a collaborative society is the development of a herd mentality.

What do we refer to as herd mentality? When you keep your logic and thought aside to blindly believe in what the other person says to you, you’re a victim of herd mentality. A negative thought in the current times of difficulty spreads like wildfire. If you have a herd mentality, you easily give in to that negative thought, and hence plague your mind.

In the current times, taking actions wisely and spreading truthful information are two basic tenets of avoiding panic-like situations. Be aware of the decisions you make under the influence of others. Meditate, and use your own intelligence in order to develop better decision-making skills. Do not copy others and act in one direction because “everyone’s doing it.” Remember, as long as an idea is not criticized, its credibility and worth is not proven. Do not judge those who work differently, develop relationships with society based on effective communication and logical actions.

Neither a man nor a crowd nor a nation can be trusted to act humanely or to think sanely under the influence of a great fear.

Bertrand Russel

Belief on Rumours: What happens when you decide to believe in a mob? You end up believing in rumours and/or spreading the same. Fear and stress are the two foremost and direct outcomes of belief in fake news. Apart from these, making decisions based on rumours also leads to loss of compassion and appreciation.

Social media, especially in the current times, is the biggest spreader of fake news and rumours. If you dwell on the news spread on sources such as social media, you can subject your mind to perils as dangerous as clinical depression and anxiety. The emotions of hatred and fear arising out of fake news make you attract negative energy towards yourself. Run a fact check before you believe or forward anything on social media. Do not let the effects of technology and social media consume you and infect your mind.

Rumors are like germs. They spread and multiply almost in a breath and before you know it, everyone is contaminated.”

C.J.Tudor

Dwelling over Negativity: I have repeatedly talked about the strengths of the Law of Attraction in my previous blogs. Words have immense power and energy. Through repeated discussions of negative news, reacting to and spreading the same, you attract more negative energy. Negative thoughts can make you extremely stressful. Manage your thoughts by writing them down, and focusing on improving your physical as well as mental health.

Fear and stress arising from a belief on rumours lead to an imbalance of chakras as well as directly reduces the immunity of your body to fight against infections. If you let your mind get infected by fear, your body weakens and gets more susceptible to the infection you’re fearful of.

What are the outcomes of an infected mind?

In these difficult times, what we need is to support each other and infuse our life and environment with positivity. Instead of brooding over fearful thoughts, it is time to plan out your life better, improve your relationships and family life, bring your body clock on track, balance your chakras and take actions to incorporate wellness in life. An infected mind reduces your confidence levels, develops issues like brain fog, and hence keeps you from success. Herd mentality combined with the belief in rumours can lead to a panic-like situation. Panic and fear, as we read in our previous blog, kill you faster than any other infection. Appreciate and pay gratitude to what you “have” right now and focus on growth.

Keep your Minds Infection-Free! Stay Healthy and Happy!

 ‘How to conquer fear, our greatest enemy!’ you might be wondering about the title. So, let me ask you a question when was the last time you did not feel afraid of anything for an entire day? It is difficult to remember a day like this, am I right? Fear and anxiety are both human emotions, and no one can completely get rid of them. Fear is supposed to act as an alarm for situations which require sudden reactions and can be called a ‘saviour emotion’ in instances where sound decisions are a need of the hour. However, over-information, misinterpretation or overthinking may lead to an immense amount of fear, which can, in turn, overpower your mind and can lead to dire circumstances.

Fear, if not put under control can kill you faster than any disease. How is it so? Let me explain.

Uncontrolled and extreme fear is the direct cause of various health and personality disorders. However, where does fear come from?

We human being in our day-to-day lives experience various kinds of fear:

• Fear of Pain
• Fear of Loss
• Fear of Failure and Embarrassment

In general, we fear the unknown or the repetition of a painful scene in the past. As kids, we feared injections, why? Simply because the memory of pain is attached to that of an injection in our minds. We do not want to undergo painful situations, be it physical or emotional. Certain people do not wish to invest emotionally in anything or anyone. Why? Because they are often stuck in the clock and fear that attachment might cause pain.

Money, being one of the most vital elements of human life, comes along with a fear of loss. Certain people do not spend on themselves, fearing that it would lead to a loss of money. Fear of failure, of any sort, keeps us from taking a step forward into anything new. Fear of change goes hand-in-hand with the fear of failure.

Don’t quit even before you’ve started. Let us know the reasons why fear is the biggest killer of all!

Paulo Coelho

• Effects on Physical Health: It has been proven by the research studies conducted all over the globe that stress and anxiety can directly lead to a deterioration of human health at an extreme level. An external stimulus or a thought acts as a stimulus for the brain to release stress hormones, primarily, cortisol, which is responsible for various changes in the body. Stress and anxiety directly lead to an increase in blood pressure, in turn posing a high risk of heart disease. It also curbs the immunity of the body, and its tendency to heal. This directly makes the body more susceptible to infectious diseases. An Imbalanced sleep cycle is another stress-related disorder which has an adverse impact on mental health.

• Effects on Mental Health: Anxiety directly hits your brain cells and may also be an outcome of a condition known as ‘Brain Fog’, a block, as you may say, wherein you are unable to make any decisions whatsoever. Fear of the unknown, or fear of change gives way to negativity. As I’ve told earlier in my previous blogs about the Law of Attraction, you tend to attract what you strongly believe. Constant and overpowering fear pushes you toward the realisation of your fears.

“Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most.”

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

There are a few simple steps you need to follow in order to take control of your fear and anxiety:

• Know Your Fears and Face Them Head On: A clarity of vision is necessary for achieving that goal. In the same manner, clarity and identification of your fear is the first step to tackle it. Once you know exactly what you’re fearful of, it becomes easy for you to find the required solutions.

“If you try to get rid of fear and anger without knowing their meaning, they will grow stronger and return.”

Deepak Chopra

• Meditation Helps Clear the Clutter:Regular meditation helps you to slow down your thought process in order to develop a sense of clarity. Stress arising due to misinformation or confusion is the worst to tackle. Analyzing all the sides of your fear is one way to take control over it.
• Physical Exercise:Regular exercise releases ‘hormones of happiness’ in your body and hence helps to conquer conditions such as ‘brain fog’. Increased blood circulation and adequate supply of oxygen to the brain has been proven to reduce anxiety and cure depression.
• Visualize Success: Imagine your success before you take upon a new challenge. Make sure to remain clear in your imagination and work towards that goal without paying heed to the thoughts of failure. Focussing on success will give your brain lesser opportunities to entertain the thoughts of anxiety.
• Have Gratitude for What You Have:  The universe will only continue providing for you as long as you appreciate what you have. If you’re grateful for the people and the material wealth you have in your current state, you worry less about the next moment. Effective communication and positive relationships with people around you have always helped reduce the thoughts of fear, loneliness and anxiety.

Cherish your relationships and friendships amidst these times of crisis. Owing to the CoVID-19 pandemic, where people are fearful of the virus and depressed about the current situation, it is important for us to realise that our fear in such circumstances is our greatest enemy! Focus on what you have and learn about natural ways to create wellness in life.

Register for 15 minutes free Power Coaching Session to utilize this time of crises to its best and turn the direction of your life towards positivity. Stay tuned for my upcoming blogs.

Till then, Stay Fearless, Healthy and Stress-Free!

In this blog we will talk about - ‘ Is cooperation the reason behind the success of a company?’. Research and surveys have shown that the employees from most enterprises around the world do not believe that they are able to cooperate with each other. They face a disconnect in the team they work with. This, basically, becomes the reason behind their dissatisfaction, job stress, low productivity, unhealthy competition and in extreme scenarios, a desire to quit. What exactly makes cooperation such an important pillar for success? Let us discuss this corporate attribute in detail.

In my previous blog, I talked about the importance of collaboration for a productive work environment. The most important question here is “What is cooperation, and how is it different from collaboration?”

Collaboration refers to working together towards a shared vision or goal. Each department putting in efforts to compile a project can be referred to as collaborative working. However, cooperation refers to working with each other, helping each other in induvial goals and tasks, and building a healthy work environment. Cooperation and collaboration are interdependent, since on one hand, without the cooperation and with friction, the employees shall find it difficult to work in one direction. Where, on the other hand, a requirement to work towards a shared vision instils cooperative spirit and camaraderie among the employees.

What are the advantages of a co-operative environment in the workplace?

1. Improved Communication: Instilling a cooperative spirit is directly connected to enhancing communication amongst themselves. Effective communication, as we have discussed it in previous blogs, pushes the growth of an individual towards success. Effective communication with one’s teammate at work, in turn, builds confidence in clearly putting your thoughts across in every instance.
2.  Better Decision Making: When the employees cooperate with each other, understand each other better, decision making for a team becomes easier and more effective. Division of work becomes smoother and the conclusion is reached smoothly, without friction.
3. Reducing Unhealthy Competition: As we have always read in the past, that healthy competition is very necessary for one’s growth. There’s as much truth in this fact as it lies in the fact that jealousy or unhealthy competition may lead to one’s quick downfall. Cooperative teams manage their time well, investing in growing together, helping each other out, rather than wasting time devising ways to outgrow each other. Cooperation builds a healthy relationship among team members.
4. Growth and Learning: Sharing enhances knowledge; a team which helps each other in completing their goals, grows exponentially in terms of knowledge and confidence. We’ve often mistaken jealousy as envy and vice versa. Being envious of other’s knowledge pushes you towards growth. Cooperation in a team makes member help each other without being jealous of their intellect or growth.
5. Increased Job Satisfaction: What better than a workplace where you’re recognized among your team, and there are friendship and constant work support. Cooperative environment instils positivity, reduces work stress and anxiety, and increases job satisfaction.
6. Instilling Collaborative Spirit: ‘No one has to lose for you to win!’ We have already talked about the importance of collaboration at the workplace. Cooperation is the basis of collaboration. When employees work for each other, they are more likely to work as a team towards a common goal.

How do we achieve a cooperative environment in the workplace?

The leaders in an organization are responsible to a great extent to make or break a team. If you are a leader, make sure that you work upon the following to build camaraderie at work:

Different ways in which cooperative environment can be encouraged at work:

1. Encouraging Team Building Activities: Team building is a skill which good leaders must learn to practice! The more united yet open to ideas the team is, the better it will perform.
2. Peer Review: Team members should be open to criticism, ready for debate as well as guidance. Peer review responsibility for every team member can be a great way to instil trust and confidence in the team.
3. Instilling Motivation: Effective communication with the team and conducting motivational exercises on a regular basis is the responsibility of a leader. Motivation pushes employees towards personal as well as professional growth as a team.
4. Open Opportunities: The basis of cooperation as well as collaboration lies in the fact that whether or not their work is being recognized. No individual member should feel left out or given lesser opportunities as compared to others. Fair chance and opportunity to succeed to everyone directly brings a difference in their productivity.
5. Know your Teammates: Before acquiring every bit of knowledge about your client, about their likes and dislikes, ask yourself, ‘Do I know my team well?’ The more you as a leader know your team, and the more they know each other, chances of friction are lower.
6. Fostering Commitment Over Compliance: What is the difference between commitment and compliance? A compliant employee will finish work in time and be extremely ethical at work, however, he/she may lack the x-factor a committed employ will display.  An extra edge by the employees of the company is the secret to its success. Commitment is only achieved when the employee feels included, recognized and satisfied at work. Encouraging members and building them into committed individuals is what instils a cooperative spirit in employees.

When each employee is well informed about a project at hand, he/she is able to cooperate and collaborate with the other employee to make the best out of the task. In this next blog, we shall talk about the last, but not the least pillar of corporate, coordination.

Till then, Stay Healthy and Happy!

In this blog, I will give you 8 strategies if you feel overwhelmed at work. These strategies will help you reduce stress and unlock your potential to the best at your workplace!

Stress is the most common issue faced by people in the current times. However, what people don’t realize is that being over-stressed and overwhelmed can reduce your efficiency multifold, affect your health to a great extent and is a catalyst for numerous long-term diseases. The issue of overwhelming stress was dealt with by Yerkes and Dodson in 1908, where they came up with a bell curve to depict how motivation is directly connected to feeling overwhelmed. According to them, extreme high and extreme low motivation are the bearers of inefficiency, which in turn makes us feel overwhelmed. A balance is necessary! Let us discuss how you can inculcate certain good habits to reduce stress and anxiety at work and maintain a balanced mindset to completely ward off the ‘Monday Blues!’.

1) Planning Always Helps!

Look in your drawer and take out the sticky notes you haven’t been paying attention to for so long! Write about every task that is due, and sort them out under urgent and important. Urgent is what requires you to deliver something at your best speed; it often makes you panic. Less thought goes into it and hence work efficiency reduces. The important tasks, on the other hand require proper planning, thought and action.

Do you know why is it necessary to know the difference between what is urgent and important? According to Eisenhower’s Principle, what is urgent is seldom important, and what is important is seldom urgent. Divide your work and prioritize it! Your time and attention are precious, use them wisely.

2) Focus on ‘Now’ & ‘Here’:

As I have said in my previous blogs, your universe resonates with you. Ask yourselves from time to time, ‘Are my surroundings comfortable enough for me to work efficiently? Can I change something that is amiss?’

If the answer is yes, make that change, first! Be it, cleaning your workstation, or resolving an argument with a colleague that is making your mind unstable.

3) As Yourself: “Is My Subject of Worry Worthy Enough”?

As I said previously, your mental peace is precious. Do not lose it over trifles. Think about the situation you’re so worried about, and let it go until it is something that concerns your life. As Dean Smith says,

4) Switch Your Work-Mode ‘Off’ and Take a Break

American author Douglas Rushkoff correctly describes the present condition of human beings as “Always On!” More than using technology to our advantage, we have slowly turned into its slaves. Being ‘online’, and ‘alert’ all the time has become a prerequisite today; and this greatly affects our physical and mental health.

What do you do when you suddenly feel overburdened and overwhelmed? Most of us get stuck further in the trap. Consider leaving your workstation, and take a walk somewhere in the fresh air to release the traffic in your mind. This helps in viewing at a situation from a bigger and a better perspective. Everything needs to be recharged, distance yourselves from technology in the break, and let nature recharge you!

5) Embrace the Reality

‘I have made a grave error! What will happen now?’ Each one of us in our lives, has had this experience of making an error and being scared about the outcome. However, in the end, we’ve always been able to manage the situation. Embrace your circumstances and focus on the present! It is  always wise to move on, rather than being stuck in the clock. Motivate yourself to take responsibility and do best in the next task at hand!

6) Monitor your Motivational Energy

Sticking to reality is essential. As I said in the beginning, balanced motivation is the best catalyst for efficient work. If you’re over-motivated, you might want to become an over-achiever, and you end up wanting to do everything at once! Ask yourself, ‘Is this possible for me to do? Or will it be stressful for me?’ Realistic goals help you ward off stress.

7) When Overwhelmed, Communicate and Put the Weights Down

Have you ever considered talking to your colleague or your manager when you feel overburdened? Build conversations over small coffee breaks, and get to know your colleagues. At times, a broad perspective is required to tackle a situation!

Your manager could be your mentor, talking to them and requesting solutions is always a good way of building positivity in your work environment and team-work.

8) Keep that Weekend to Yourself!

What do you do on weekends? When was the last time you prioritized yourself and your health over work? Ideally, weekends are not meant for work. However, in case the deadlines are close and working on weekends or holidays is the need of the hour, remember to prioritize! Day-offs are meant for a recharge. Hence, if you forget to rejuvenate yourself on the weekends or day-offs, you might end up feeling over-worked for the entire next week. Indulge in  constructive activities which concern you as a person! Grow in your life, to grow in your work!

Use these eight strategies to feel lighter at work and say goodbye to work-stress. Stay tuned and know more about our Stress Masters Programme to deal better with stress at workplace.

Till Then Stay Positive, Healthy and Stress-free!

My question to you is “Are you stressed in your job? Is it due to Accountability?” Stress is most common in the workplace today. With the increasing advancements in technology and economies developing at a fast pace,  the world seems to run against time. From a time in the early 1900s when corporate sector jobs were considered atypical, to the present day where a major share of the employed finds itself working in a corporate setup, workplace issues have always been a point of concern. Stress, fatigue, anger issues, time management and energy management problems are a few in the long list of issues faced by the employees in the day today.  Lack of Accountability may be the issue which is creating stress in you.

What is Meant by Accountability at the Workplace?

 Accountability refers to taking initiative and having a sense of ownership for the work you do. It directly affects your work efficiency and approaches towards every little contribution you make at your workplace.

Do you feel in charge of the job you’re supposed to do? If not, this might create a problem.

A lot can go wrong in case there’s an imbalance in your perception of your accountability towards your job. The major issue resulting from the same is stress. An adult in the corporate sector spends approximately 8 to 9 hours a day in office. This number can go much higher, depending upon the nature of their job. This directly means, that, on an average one-third of their lives is being spent in the office.

This is reason enough for us to be immensely affected, physically as well as mentally, by our life at our jobs. If there’s a disbalance with respect to ‘taking charge’ at the workplaces, personality issues are likely to emerge in personal lives.

Stress and frustration, unfortunately, tend to be a part of your daily life, whether you are a manager or an associate or both. The causes, in general always come down to the factor of accountability. Let us see, how.

Major Causes of Accountability issues

As a Team Manager:

You end up feeling stressed, if:

• You are not able to make your team accountable for their work because there are staff members who are not pulling their weight and are relying on others to pick up their task
• You feel that the efficiency of your team is half as some of your staff is shouldering others work
• Your team shows signs of disharmony; members with varying opinions are affecting the work quality
• Your team is not open to feedback

As a Team Member

You end up feeling stressed, if:

• You are shouldering someone’s else work because he/she is not pulling their weight
• You’re scared of being held accountable for your job as your team’s slackness thrives
• You do not really recognize the importance of your work in your firm
• You’ve failed once and fear handling new projects

Accountability plays a major role in the above issues.

How to tackle these issues?

1. Creating Trust through Constructive Feedback: Constructive Feedback is a skill which can be used to create trust in the team. Constructive feedback is where you not only provide feedback on areas of improvement but also appreciate examples where the staff has displayed their strength. This type of feedback is taken positively by the employees and creates trust in their manager or team lead. Research studies have shown that most of Gen Z and Millennials consider a growth on the basis of feedback as important as financial growth opportunities. Meetings, further, are building blocks of unity, trust and developing a sense of accountability in the team. Being open to feedback by initiating one-on-one meetings with the manager towards building a better relationship at the workplace is a step towards recognizing your importance.
2. Know Your Worth: As employees, you or your team members have to believe that they are in the team for a reason. You are there to play a professional role. To play this role you and your team members need to speak their mind and provide their professional concerns in the team meetings. This will create the importance of self and will enhance productivity and confidence.
3. Internal Over External Accountability:
   • What is Internal accountability? Internal accountability is when a person entirely accepts responsibility for their job, believing it to be their task, and gets motivated to take charge. Internal accountability directly elevates you and your team's mindset from being a Victim to a Creator. This further reduces stress levels and fills the workplace life with positivity.
   • What is External accountability? External accountability, however, refers to forced accountability, when you feel you are working for someone else. This is a major cause behind constantly feeling stressed. Stress, in turn, reduces work efficiency.
4. You’re Much More Than a Mistake: One mistake can never decide your worth. Do not be afraid of mistakes - they are just learnings if you do not repeat them. The better way out is to take note of the mistake, own up to it, learn from it and step up. Taking charge of your work through accepting your mistakes is a stepping stone towards success.

If you feel accountable to yourself, are open to constructive feedback, you know your worth and you are not afraid of owning your mistakes, then you will be less stressed and you will not waste your time and energy in blame-game. People will recognize your work and your contribution to the team, instead of your manager taking charge as you yourself review your performance from time to time.

In this series of blogs, I will be sharing more about wellness in the corporate sector where I will provide some useful insights and tips to help you enrich your time at your workplace. The Stress Masters Programme created by me can further guide you through the ways to de-stress yourself at work and achieve immense success.

Till then, Stay Healthy and Stress-free!

As fluid as Water, As light as Air
As giving as the Earth, As Bright as Fire
In the unlimited Space, I find the Balance
This is my Existence and all I Desire
- Dipannita Sahai

The Universe is made of five elements, Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. As per Yogic sciences, for the creation of anything, Space is required. This is how the universe came into existence. First, Space appeared and in Space, Air and other gases came into existence. Then, Fire began to transform gases and elements. With the fusion of gases, Water came into existence. To hold everything together, Earth came into existence. This happened in no time, like a big bang.

As universe is created of 5 elements, everything in it, including human beings, constitutes of these five elements. A proper study and understanding of these elements is key to maintaining good physical as well as mental health. Each cell of our body has the presence of these five elements. Repercussions of the imbalance between the five are conspicuous and often addressable. Ayurveda is created on this concept of 5 elements.

What happens when there’s imbalance?

When the five elements are imbalanced, we face issues such as the climate change. Climate change occurs due to imbalance of Earth and Air element. We have extracted Petroleum, Coal, Wood, nuclear power etc. from the Earth, burnt and used them according to our needs, releasing the by-products in the atmosphere, thus creating Air imbalance.

The smallest unit of planet Earth is the element, Carbon. Everything around us, the land, the rocks, vegetation, or the air, abounds with carbon in some form or the other. Plants are the greatest absorbers of carbon. However, humans, through their industrial practices (development and usage of factories, automobile, rockets, nuclear reactors) have raised the atmospheric carbon levels to an extent where nature is unable to maintain its balance. Owing to human malpractices, the greenhouse gas CO2 is unable to leave the atmosphere of the earth, and hence is leading to a global temperature raise, which in turn is gradually making life conditions tougher on the planet.

The imbalance of the five fundamental elements, in the same way, can lead to alarming repercussions.  Our bodies are connected with each other and to the universe through these fundamental elements existing within us.  Let us now understand the five elements in detail.

1. Earth

Earth nurtures everyone and everything that lives on it. The Earth element symbolizes stability, permanence and rigidity. It is directly connected to the digestive system, and hence its imbalance causes digestive issues, and may lead to weight gain and lethargy and cause immense amount of stress. The excess of the earth element causes a condition known as brain fog where thinking is muddled and productivity drops.

2. Water

Water indicates eternel flow or fluidity, nurturing and unstable nature. Nearly 70% of our bodies is Water. All the fluids in our body are linked to the water element. The element is directly connected to the sense of youthfulness, taste, and the various fluid substances inside our body – blood, lymph, urine, intracellular fluid, and even emotions. The imbalance of water element directly leads to kidney function issues, further leading to digestion, energy imbalance, and blood-related disorders. With issues in relationships, and instability in life, the imbalance also leads to extreme anxiety, fear, nervousness, and fatigue.

3. Fire

 Fire element, as its name suggests denotes passion, vitality, the power to transform, burn (anger), and self-esteem. Fire gets transformed into tissue and energy. In our mind, it is fiery intelligence and fiery emotions. In our eyes, it creates vision. Fire imbalance can lead to either extreme depression and lethargy or anxiety and sleeping problems.  Hot flashes and skin irritations are indicators of excessive fire element. It is extremely important when it comes to mental health and happiness.

4. Air

Air is the element that is eternally dynamic, flexible and mobile. Respiration, sensation of touch, movement, contraction and relaxation, all subtle movements, including that of nerves in our body are air dominant in nature. Air element lets you take the flights of fantasy. However, air imbalance can trap you inside your head, leading to over-thinking and depression. As long as you’re able to keep your imagination in control and make good use of your thoughts, your air element is balanced. Relationship and commitment issues  and problems in decision making arise when the air element is imbalanced.

5. Space

The Space element is the foundation of your relationship with the universe. The vacant spaces inside the body, big and small channels, along with sound and auditory channels are predominant in Space by nature. Moreover, the manifestation of all your desires, creativity, wisdom, dignity, knowledge and compassion, are all regulated by the space element and hence it is the essence of life. Space is important in relationships, as well as in each and every cell of our body. Proper rest and meditation have been regarded as the most important components of leading a healthy life. Meditation helps new ideas and thoughts to make space in your mind.  The balance of Space element is primary for achieving success in life.

A perfect balance of Yin-Yang, harmony between the body and the mind, and between one and the universe, is essential for a happy life. Following certain food habits, as well as meditation, are few of the many ways which can help you achieve the perfect balance required for happiness and success. In the upcoming blogs, I shall take you on a journey of realization, helping you recognize the imbalances in your body and eventually overcome the same.

Till then, Stay Balanced, Stay Healthy and Stress-free!!!

I sit over a leisurely chat with my friends and one of our most discussed topics is ‘a good sleep after a long day’. It is not that we pick this discussion consciously but somehow as we exchange notes on how our day has been, someone will mention how they had not slept well or another friend mentions how she ‘was dead to the world’ by the time she hit the bed – simply put, she lapsed into an exhausted sleep.

I myself have gone through this spectrum of sleep experiences and my symptoms have flavours but broadly:

1. I have a hectic day at work, and I fall into an exhausted sleep drained out mentally OR
2. I have a hectic day at work, and I am so tired that sleep does not come easily OR
3. I decide to be a couch potato over a weekend and by the time I hit the bed, I feel more tired OR
4. My body clock does not trigger drowsiness as it waits for the ‘appointed hour’ – it is just used to sleeping only after 9 pm– I become a slave of this habit OR
5. Over a weekend, I go out shopping for a few hours and sleep soundly but when I wake up, I oddly feel physically tired

Do you notice a pattern here? Do you find something that ties up the experiences well? I am sure you have found the answer by now – Yes, my sedentary lifestyle. A day that is spent sitting or lying down or a walk in a mall (where my mind is more aligned to my shopping list than to my body), does not qualify as an active day.

This is a vicious cycle – lack of exercise leads to lack of sleep which leads to stress. The corollary of this is stress leads to poor sleep which is aggravated by the lack of exercise.

Lack of good sleep leads to many adverse conditions stated broadly here:

– Adverse impact on your brain functions
– Experience headaches, migraine and burning eyes
– Decreased cognitive alertness
– Deficit in attention and working memory
– Adverse impact on your brain functions
– Experience muscle cramps and joint stiffness
– Adverse impact on digestion
– Weakens the immune system
– Suppresses the growth hormones
– Reduced rate of healing

Let me share my experience of the days when I was overworked and tired after a long day and would wake up more tired the next morning as I was not getting good sleep.

This was the time when I was working 12-14 hours a day as I was rapidly climbing the corporate ladder. I would drive to office, sit at my desk or in conference rooms for 8-10 hours on an average, have lunch at my desk, order some tea or coffee again, at my desk and would have my dinner with my partner on my way home so I could spend some quality time with her. I would reach home quite late and fall asleep almost immediately, readying myself for the next day. In my mind, I was quite an active person as I would be active and buzzing with energy the full day and everything was going as per my plans.

After 6 months, however, I started noticing that despite me looking forward to going back home and sleeping to ‘recharge’ myself, I would be tossing and turning more often over the night than I had in my entire life. I tried a few tactics of reading a book before bed and listening to soft music. These did help – or so I thought! I would fall asleep for the initial few hours but then wake up in the middle of the night to force myself to go back to sleep.

The result was that I would wake up tired and groggy in the morning, feeling low in office and soon this started showing on the quality of my work. I was making silly mistakes, missing discussion points, getting impatient with my colleagues, experiencing mood swings and would be tired all day long. One day at work, I ended up missing an important client meeting and found it difficult to explain it to my seniors and subordinates. The tension that followed got the better of me and I fell sick to land in a hospital for a week due to extreme fatigue. This was my wake-up call!!

After getting discharged, I spoke to my doctor and he asked me “How has your sleep been of late? How many hours are you sleeping at night?” I narrated my experience over the past 6 months, which he heard patiently. He said, “You suffer from lack of sleep. You think you are active, when you are not. You think you are energetic, when you are not. A daily schedule without physical activity qualifies as a sedentary life.” Saying this, he handed me a prescription which read,

1. Stretching exercises for 15 minutes early morning
2. Brisk walking for 30 minutes, 45 minutes after dinner

I will be honest – I was sceptical about this – maybe some kind of medication would have helped me sleep better. Since he was my family physician, I decided to try the prescription and not reject it outright.

In a week’s time, I could start to experience the results. I had started to sleep better and I was finding it less difficult to wake up on time in the morning. Yes, at the start, my body would feel a little stiff – but this was natural. My muscles were rebelling to go back to the relaxed, no action lifestyle and I was not allowing them to – as the daily regime of exercising and walking was uncompromised. After all, if my doctor had given me some pills, would I not have taken them diligently, without fail?

The next transformation that happened for me was that I started to feel a sense of loss when I would not start my exercise / walk on time. In about 6 months, I had developed my 15 minutes morning regime to 45 minutes as I had now included Yoga and Core in it and my evening walk was now a full one hour with my partner. I had also started enjoying my walks with her and this would give me some ‘us’ time too.

Life had suddenly started to look so much better – work life was stress free and home was even better.

All I had done were the following and I would urge you to do the same too:

1. Recognized the problem: I listened to my body and mind to realize that I was not taking adequate care
2. Reached out to a professional: In this case, my doctor – who asked me to put an effort to resolve the problem. He did not put me on pills as a quick win.
3. Resolved to follow a regime: I imposed self-discipline and diligently followed the regime that I promised myself.
4. Recreational attitude: I realized that exercise and walking could become mundane after a while – especially once I started feeling a little better. I consciously came up with ideas to stay motivated. I had my partner’s support and the days she could not make it, I would carry an audio book with me and listen to something motivational.
5. Rediscovered myself: I had an immediate goal of attaining a healthy body and mind, but I realized that I was also starting to rediscover myself in these ‘me-times’. I started to get more and more aware and was pursuing new hobbies and interest.

What am I recommending here, so you can enjoy all aspects of life and stay healthy and stress-free?

1. Resolve to recognize, redefine your lifestyle – where exercise of some kind is mandated
2. Look for a motivation – Learn from the experience of anyone around you whose journey feels inspiring to you
3. Make a regime and follow the schedule with passion, enthusiasm and discipline
4. Listen to your body – step up your exercise over a period and stop when you think you have reached the threshold (trust me, the threshold keeps rising as you stay resolved and this is a good feeling!)
5. Enjoy your exercise regime – include your friends, family. The collateral benefits are tremendous.

So, repeat to yourselves: “I reside in this beautiful, healthy body and I will take care of it in the best way possible with purpose, passion and enthusiasm.”

As you tweak your regime to include exercising and sleeping better…Enjoy Life, Stay Healthy and Stress-Free!!

Are you stressed about your Future?

OR

Are you Stuck in your Past?

OR

Are you not able to Trust People around you?

OR

You are not able to enjoy TODAY

All the above are major stress creators and create disease in our body. So, what is the remedy for the above issues?

The remedy is, “Be in the Moment” – but this term has been abused in today’s times and the meaning diluted.

Someone says when you are in the flow, you are in the moment.

Some say when you are without thoughts, then you are in the moment.

Many mouths, many stories.

So, how to understand “Being in the Moment”?

Let’s try not to get sucked into this intellectual debate but try and look and its root cause instead.

So, when you are stressed about the future, what happens in your mind?

Are you stuck in the thoughts like “What if something goes wrong?” or “What if things do not go as per plan?” or “What if someone hurts you?” or “What if you are left with no friends?” or “What if you become sick or poor etc. etc.?”

So many “What ifs!!”

Where are they coming from? They are coming from your past sad, bad experiences.

Where are these experiences residing? They are residing in your memory. Isn’t it?

Let’s try to find the root cause of another stress creator.

“You are not able to trust people around you.” What is happening here in your mind?

Are you stuck in thoughts of “What if someone hurts me?” or “What if someone leaves me?” or “What if someone betrays me?” or “What if someone is not able to complete the task as I want them to?”

Again, countless “What ifs?”

Where are they coming from? They are coming from your past sad, bad experiences.

Where are these experiences residing? Again, they are residing in your memory. Isn’t it?

If you take all the above issues and try to look into the root causes of these, you will come to understand that the root cause is your bad and sad memory.

If your memory is such a bad thing, then why nature has given you this memory? Memory is a useful gift. It has been given to you for your survival. Think, how hard it was for you to remember alphabets in your childhood. But now you not only remember them, but you also use them effortlessly in your writing, to express your feelings and thoughts. You have seen how difficult it is for a toddler to learn walking. It takes years to learn walking without falling. Think for a second, if you forget how to walk? What will happen? You will have to learn everyday, how to walk again. So, memory is useful in doing your daily routine effortlessly. Also, memory helps you to remember what is good for you and what is harmful to you. If something is poisonous for you, you will not take it. You remember how to deal with animals, which are dangerous and how to tame them or stay away from them.

So, memory is not bad, as it helps us in our daily work and keeps us safe.

Then why this memory, which is providing you safety, considered the root cause of your stress? How correct this root cause is?

Memory is not bad. It does its work without fail… But, when your intellect gets clouded by these fear creating memories, then at that moment intellect cannot take an unbiased decision. It cannot see things as they truly are.

I came across a true story about a lady who used to work in an office. One day an elderly gentleman man joined the office. Looking at this new person, an uneasy and nasty feeling used to start generating in this young lady. This elderly man was a thorough gentleman and never offended this young lady in any shape or form. But still, when this man used to walk past this lady, she used to get irritated, angry. She used to feel like throwing whatever she would find close by at him. At first, she kept her feelings to herself but slowly her emotional condition started to get out of control. People around her started noticing her changed behaviour when this man was around her. Her friends discussed the issue with her and suggested she go to a psychologist. She took the advice. After a few sessions,’ the psychologist found out that as a child this lady was abused by her father. Her father used to use the same aftershave which this elderly colleague was wearing. She used to get reminded of her abuse by this smell and this triggered anger. Her subconscious mind wanted to save her by keeping this man away through this irrational violent behaviour.

She was counselled by the psychologist and slowly over time, she had overcome her issues that were arising from her memory. She never faced the same problem again.

Now, this was an extreme case where the lady’s intellect was hijacked by memory but we all do something similar at various levels – when we are thinking about something that is not in our control. It becomes worse when we do not take any action and keep thinking “What if?”

My advice is if you have done your work or are still working on the solution, then stop thinking about “What if?”. Anticipating results according to your past experiences will cloud your intellect and take away the peace of your mind. In return, you will only get Stress and Anxiety.

So, are we saying we should not use our memory when making decisions? No, you need to use your memory to take a decision by evaluating the facts properly. What I am asking you to do is to not take decisions only by your memories. Evaluate the situations according to the changed facts and circumstances.

Also, once a decision is taken do not think about that subject anymore. Otherwise, you will be hijacked by your memory again.

You use your memory when needed and cut it off when not needed. With practice, you will start living in the moment. When your intellect is swimming in the memory ocean all the time, then its anticipation about the future creates anxiety. Its past experiences haunt you and cloud the judgement.

So, to recap, what do you need to do?

1. Use your memory ONLY when needed

2. When not in memory, be aware of your breath and the events around you at the same time

3. By performing step 2 the beauty of ‘the moment’ will be revealed to you

Till I see you next – Stay In the Moment, Stay Healthy and Stress-Free!

Today’s world has developed a few unique attributes that seem to be the backbone of survival.

The mantras you would hear all around you are “Use your Mind, Don’t be Blind”,  “Your Intellect is your best friend”, “Use your head, Be selective with your heart”, “Stay sharp and alert”. What is the end result – yes, we achieve what we set out to achieve (at least most of the time) but pay a price for it – we feel burnt out, stressed all the time and realize after a while that this has taken a toll on our body and mind.

Simply put, we achieve our dreams today by paying the price called ‘Stress’. If you draw out a balance sheet of our lifestyle, the liabilities side tends to look heavier to the assets – you would agree, I am sure.

Some of the symptoms of staying in your mind (in normal parlance, we call it the brain) all the time are: 

• A tendency to curb your heart and over-rule it with your brain while taking a decision – while the work gets done, it does not seem to leave you entirely happy or satisfied. In fact, you feel sapped out at times.  
• Emotions tend to run high and whenever situations do not turn out in your favour you feel stressed, anxious and disappointed. 
• Sense of loneliness and isolation– despite being with your social circle. 
• Feeling victimized with losses in life – Sense of judgement for self and others around you. 
• Opting for quick fixes– like reaching out for medications to ease physical discomfort, sleeplessness, mood swings, stiff muscles and joints. 

I have been a victim of this wave too. Yes, I call myself a victim here. You will wonder and ask “Why? Isn’t survival a primary need?” I say “Yes, absolutely!”, as I am no different from any of us. Survival is key to human existence but then why do I call myself a victim?

I have been a banker for the most part of my professional career and hence, my survival out there was all about logic, analysis, argument, debate, competition, risks and uncertainties. My logical mind supported me so well through the 16 odd years that I forgot I also had an emotional side to myself.

There were a few instances in my career when I faced a few disappointments like not getting the expected promotion or got a reduced bonus or not getting the dream job or a difficult boss or an unsatisfactory job profile.

I also had a few instances when I tasted success like bagging the dream job or a hefty pay raise or a bonus that looked like a small fortune or back to back promotions or a great team to work with.

As I started becoming a seasoned professional, I also learnt the ‘trick’ of contemplating. Here I would analyze these ups and downs in my professional life and convince myself that the successes were due to my hard work, smartness, dedication and well-planned strategy but the failures were because of external factors which I could not control! Does this ring a bell?

Life felt good but as I completed 17 years in my career, I started to experience the symptoms of restlessness, anxiety, loneliness and insecurity as if life was slipping past my fingers like dry sand!! There was a sense of incompleteness bordering loss of precious time.

This is when I was introduced to the Master who taught me the art of balancing the worldly ways with your inner (self) development. Simply put, he taught me the mantra “Use your brain, but always take your heart along”.

This was only possible when I opened my heart and gave it that strength and power, so it walks hand in hand with my brain – thus enabling me to make balanced decisions in life – both personal and professional. I realized that this was the only path to enjoying life to its fullest.

I surrendered and asked my Master “How do I open my heart? How do I stop being a slave of my mind?”

And, He introduced me to MEDITATION.

I will be honest – I was nervous and felt tired just picturising sitting and doing ‘nothing’. However, the excitement of walking this new path propelled me…

He is an enlightened Master and I could not have found anybody better to introduce me to the technique. He taught me step-by-step, patiently explaining the experience I was having at every stage and encouraging me to continue practising without any expectations. It takes a Master to teach you meditation so I will refrain from teaching meditation but I can definitely share with you my experience as a student.

How did I start? 

1. I changed my mental frame and outlook:

• Acceptance – that worldly happiness is superficial and dependent on external factors
• Awareness – that I can only do what I can. Success and Failure is not in my hands.
• Realize – that I am a slave of my mind/brain and till my heart opens, stress will be my constant companion
• Search – for an enlightened Master who guides me on a new path
• Surrender – to the technique that the Master teaches
• Practice without judging – the results

1. Cleared my schedule to make time for meditation every day
2. Promised myself that I will be a dedicated student
3. Learnt – with all the focus, attention and eagerness
4. Practised – as if my life depended on it

How did I transform? Dramatically and forever. 

1. My Awareness increased manifold– I am so aware of my breath now and every time I find myself in a challenging or critical situation, focussing on my breath keeps me away from stress
2. Developed a Non-Judgemental outlook towards everyone and everything– I now look at things as they are and practice this state of mind every moment and every day.
3. Appreciating what I have and Accepting what I don’t– As I started counting my blessings, the challenges seemed smaller every time. This has given me renewed energy to deal with a situation without stressing myself out.
4. Accepting people as they are and making conscious choices– I was not wasting energy analysing the instances when someone disappointed me. This left me with an energy surplus all the time.
5. Found a best friend in myself– the more I looked within, I found that I could have handled a situation better. Since the key was in my hand to maintain my peace within, I am now the master of my destiny.
6. Feeling healthier, stress-free, happy and light– now with my energy getting channelled in the ‘right’ things, my physical and mental state follow me to support me in whatever I do.

What do you need to do? Do what I did.

• Accept that you do not want to live in stress and that there is a handy solution to this problem
• Find a Master who can teach you meditation in its truest form
• Be a good student while learning
• Be an even better student while practising
• Make time for meditation in your diary EVERY DAY
• Fix a clean place to sit comfortably – mark this space as your Meditation spot
• The best time is early morning between 5 am and 6 am or evening just after dusk.
• The best state is when you are not very tired or sleepy and your stomach is not too full
• Contemplate on your actions of the past 24 hours without biases – your next day will be automatically better
• Practice Group meditation (if possible) once a week – the group energy gives exponential results

Apart from these life-transforming benefits, meditation learnt right and practised daily will also give you some tangible benefits almost immediately: 

• You’ll sleep better. 
• You’ll lower your blood pressure. 
• You will better handle stressful situations. 
• Meditation decreases depression and anxiety. 
• Meditation helps to relieve pain. 
• You’ll boost your immune system. 
• The “little things” won’t upset you the way they usually do.  
• Meditation helps to boost your memory and ability to focus and learn. 
• You’ll feel calmer throughout your day. 
• It can help you quit smoking and other addictive behaviours.
• Meditation can reduce your risk of a heart attack. 
• Some researchers believe meditation can even protect against Alzheimer’s and Dementia. 
• Meditation can help you manage grief. 
• Meditation can help you feel inspired in new ways. It literally reshapes your brain. 

So, include Meditation in your regime and start today with learning it right.

Till I see you with another topic – Enjoy Life, Stay Healthy and Stress-Free –