Posted on 12th Aug 2020 by Aastha Ahuja

Body Image

Body image simply means the way you think about your physical self. Go back to the previous sentence, and notice that it is ‘the way YOU think about your physical self’, not others! While some do not use a lot of their time to think about their bodies, it is an obsessive thought for some. Who do you think is responsible for such thoughts that can tarnish one’s mind about their own bodies?

The answer is in your surroundings; you may be out on a trek with your buddies, and probably, you are a little healthier than your other friends. The moment you stop to take a breather, they might tease you about not being able to climb up because of your weight. Their job is done here, but you might spend nights and days thinking about what they said, and how you can change that.

This is when you shield this negativity with your strong armour of confidence and sense (unoffending). Ask yourself at such moments that, “isn’t it normal to feel tired when on a trek?” Look around to see that everyone around you may be huffing too, but they feel the need to pick on you to make you feel lesser. Do they have the power to decide your worth or the fun you should have based on their opinion of your body? NO!

Similar is the case with people, who have dark complexioned skin, have north-eastern looks or those who are skinny.

The point is, you cannot change people’s opinions about the way they judge you by your cover, but you can change the way you deal with it.

You are talented; you may be an excellent artist, or you might be the all-rounder in your cricket team. Does any part of your body or looks take that talent away from you? Sometimes the world around us is mean, and we have to take it with a bucket of ice for our piece of mind.

Image Courtesy: https://medium.com/athena-talks/5-ways-to-get-over-the-psychological-effects-of-your-body-shaming-537fa1be31b9

Society has set its standards with the way they want a person to look that suits their eye; sometimes, we try to fit in, just so that we can avoid judgements or be talked about. This is called social desirability. Don’t get absorbed in the want to be okayed by them. As far as you are a good human that beams genuinely, you do not need to attempt to be accepted.

Want to know how you can do that?

Look at yourself in the mirror and say, “I love you”. There is no weapon better than self-love to fight the swords that hurt your body image.

Image Courtesy: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/298926493994396321/

Another thing you should do is to treat social media only as a form of entertainment or as a means to connect with friends. Social media is flocked by people who find pleasure in putting others down. When you go online without a strong heart and mind, they will be able to do the same to you.

Looking at the photographs of models or actors who are fit, fair and well-dressed shouldn’t make you feel any different about yourself. They do not get to decide what qualifies as the ‘best body image’. They only get to decide for themselves, just like you do for yourself.

Image Courtesy: https://www.amadorvalleytoday.org/5446/features/the-truth-about-body-image/

Let your perception of your body image be approving enough for no one to crumble. You are you because of your inner self; your outer self is hardly a representative of that!

Posted on 27th Jul 202012th Aug 2020 by Aastha Ahuja

Positive Thoughts- Magical Words for a Healthy Life

World-renowned great Dalai Lama once said, “See the positive side, the potential, and make an effort”.

What he said has become of little value to the people of today since we live in a world that floats in negative thoughts and feelings. But guess what? You can change it!

You heard it right! The secret key to the treasure of peace lies in your minds which you can unlock using your positive thoughts. That as you know my friend, can be controlled just by you.

Our brains eat off our obsessions; so then, who is responsible for the dwelling of negativity in our lives? You might say, “My life is full of sorrows. There’s nothing positive about it.” Here’s some breaking news, a million other people feel the same. Life isn’t perfect for anyone, but we have been bestowed with the gift that can highlight some positivity out of this imperfection.

You could think of it as a piece of elastic; it expands as much as you stretch it. So imagine how we dig our own hole by stretching our negative thoughts. After a point of stretching, the thread loses its elasticity, and it can never go back in size. Wouldn’t life seem like a bed of roses if we stretch the elastic thread of positive thoughts and expand it to a level that it can never go back?

Feed your mind with positive thoughts which will further have a positive impact on your overall well-being and health. If you continue to brood over unwanted situations, they become the monsters that give birth to sorrow and stress. Doesn’t the word stress scare you? It is the root cause of every other life problem. Combat it even before it starts. Additionally, you could be losing all your good night’s sleep to the rattling mind of negative emotions.

Here’s a fun fact; did you know that your brain has to use extra efforts in order to deal with your negative thoughts? It seems like a complete waste of time while the brain can be put to better use, say something like making an action plan to reverse the entire situation.

Positive thoughts help the body to remain in balance as it indirectly supports your metabolism and immune system while negative thoughts do just the opposite. It has been found that these play a significant role in a person’s weight loss and weight gain process.

Relax… remember that the world around you is not going to crumble.

The benefits of positive thinking are bountiful; catch up on the hows:

Magnifies your life span
Declines your level of distress and depression.
Betters your overall physical, physiological and psychological well-being
Escalates your productivity and energy at work
Provokes you to achieve the impossible

Believe in yourself; wake up to your smiling face in the mirror and say, “I can do this. Nothing is ever more than I can handle. I am stronger than my problems.”

Step on the optimist side and learn how to deal with traumatic situations and disappointments. You will feel so much better when you stop assuming that things are out of your control. You know… they never are!

While it might seem demanding for some, accomplishing the strength of positivity is a cakewalk. Here’s how;

Smile often
Spread kindness
Practice yoga and meditation
Stay in a positive company
Take responsibility
Stop self-victimising yourself
Be generous
Sing, dance, unwind!
Watch motivational videos
Participate in activities that you enjoy
Forgive yourself first
Accept that it is okay to be imperfect at times.

Whenever you face a negative thought, make a list of all the things you are thankful for. Stop what you are doing, do one of the above and revisit the situation afresh.

The invisible reigns of your miraculous and successful life lie in your strong and solid hands that unite with the positive thoughts in your mind. Don’t let life tell you any different!

Posted on 20th Jul 202012th Aug 2020 by Aastha Ahuja

Accepting Yourself

If you constantly claim as a teenager that no one else understands your dreams better than you do, then is there anyone who can accept you better than yourself?

We live on a heavily populated planet where each one has their own opinions. Some of them might strike our confidence and self-worth like an arrow. If you are having a hard time to adjust with the people around you, then here are ten tips that can make you more confident and ensure that you accept yourself completely.

Image Courtesy: http://listdose.co/10-tips-can-help-build-self-esteem/

Love Yourself: As you grow older, you will testify that no one else can love you more than you can. Until you do not love yourself unconditionally, you feel not reflect upon other people as lovable.

Maintain a Diary: A diary is something personal, and it needs to be maintained only to pour your feelings. Use it to write down every small thing you achieved that day or things that made you happy. Read it the next morning, and you will feel proud and more confident.

Don’t overthink: Suppose you did something bad and apologised for it; the opposite person did not accept your apology. You did your bit, to accept or not is on them. That is why it called a ‘Mistake’. Don’t overthink.

Polish your strengths: Visit places or classes of your interest, whether it is art, dance or sports, invest your time in the positives. If you like it, you will thrive in it. That will gather you some compliments which in turn will make you feel good about you. Wouldn’t that help you accept yourself?

Believe in yourself: Don’t let sentences like, “That’s not your cup of tea” or “You can’t do this” shake you. Believe in yourself, and give more emphasis to trying things. Even if you don’t succeed after trying, you will at least know you tried. Don’t be a quitter.

Image result for How to accept and appreciate yourself. - 10 tips.

Image Courtesy: https://www.lifehack.org/379347/30-ways-to-treat-yourself-no-matter-what

Ray of sunshine: Know that every cloud has a silver lining. People might not like you at one point in time, but one day, a ray of sunshine will change everything. You will realise then that it wasn’t you, but it was just the time that wasn’t likeable!

Make Resolutions: Promises are not meant to be broken, and you should be your own judge. You don’t need New Year’s Eve to make resolutions; you need a strong will power to do that. Affirm things to yourself, and then stick to them without getting lured by breaking them.

The Negatives are common: Criticisms are an important part of life, and people would all be on anti-depressants if we took criticisms very seriously. That shouldn’t change the way you think about yourself and make you feel left out in a crowd. Give it a thought, if that criticism is of use to you then take it with a smile. If it is offensive or insulting, then let it go. You are not responsible for changing others opinions. The more you say that to yourself, the more you will feel comfortable.

Overcome your fears: Fear holds one back from being who he or she is meant to be. Write down all your fears, and challenge yourself to overcome them. It needn’t be overnight; give yourself time!

Meditation: When you meditate, you can focus on just what you want. So focus on accepting yourself the way you are, and let the universe attract acceptance for you.

Image Courtesy: https://www.mindful.org/meditation-is-the-fastest-growing-health-trend-in-america/

Posted on 1st Aug 20193rd Sep 2020 by Aastha Ahuja

Be Awake, Be Aware

New To The Term Mindfulness?

When your mind is fully attending to what is happening, to what you are doing, and to the space you are moving through, you are mindful! Yes, while this may sound odd, being awake and being aware of what you do every moment is mindfulness. Accepting your present or having a positive approach towards the present is practiced through this.

What are we trying to achieve by being mindful?

Mindfulness is like a knife. It has to be used regularly to continue to be sharp and useful in the long run. When you are mindful, you are more conscious of what you are doing, you are able to better control our emotions and most importantly we can keep stress at bay which is a real big boon in today’s face paced lifestyle.

Our brain in a very intricately designed machine. Scientists are still figuring out how things happen it this most complicated part of body. But remember this is also what keeps us going. A mindful approach is like instructing the brain to be conscious, aware and careful in whatever it does. You need start the act of mindfulness and soon without you even realizing it will become a practice.

How Does Mindfulness Help?

For A Working Person

With the rush of an hour in today’s world, employees are being asked to do more with less rest and long hours with an increasing workload that is heavy. We assume to be working efficiently, but if you see through the notion of mindfulness, your brain doesn’t do which is why you get exhausted.

After the approach of Mindfulness at work, you will

start skillfully analyzing your problems
develop resources that help you to predict and navigate your tough situations
provides you with the choice to deal with your concerns

For A Housewife

We have studies and researchers proving women are more likely to experience the symptoms of stress and depression. They are also seen to undergo lot of changes within body and mind. However, with the mindfulness view, women can see the following attributes

Change in mind and brain processing
Increase in focus and sleep
Reduction of stress
Fights depression and improves lifestyle

For An Adolescent

Adolescent is probably the most stresses lot. Ask me why? Well they are the people who are undergoing the maximum changes in their lives both physically and emotionally. Most of the times they fail to recognize the stress and also fail to communicate to that to the elders in the family as well. So it is not shocking that the latest surveys show that teens deal with maximum stress. This can be corrected with the techniques of mindfulness. It’s easy to be mindful with whatever you do. Anywhere and anytime. As teens, you can keep yourself mindful by

Keeping yourself engaged and be prepared to fight stress
Practicing breathing meditation techniques
Beat stress with music
Remember, no emotions last longer

For A Child

A mindful child is a happy child. He mindful kid would develop greater concentration and self-awareness. Also if the seeds if mindfulness are incorporated in early stages itself, as he grows up, he would be able to handle the stress and pressures of life in a much more mature manner. So these concepts are best taught when young.

The idea of mindfulness helps our children to develop skills and their awareness of their inner and outer experiences. With this, they get to understand how emotions manifest in their bodies. You will start recognizing a change and see how your kids start changing.

Hence Mindfulness has immense benefits for all. For life is meant to be enjoyed, be grateful, appreciate, and take advantage of every bit of happiness. If you find someone noticing that you seem to be a bit different, thank them and thank mindfulness!

Posted on 27th Jul 201910th Sep 2020 by Aastha Ahuja

Is Suicide Really An Option?

A horrifying word that occurs to many minds now and often forms from seven dangerous letters- S-U-I-C-I-D-E. Many people find difficulty in coping up with life and its thorns. After several traumatic situations, he or she might ultimately take the impulsive decision of wanting to commit suicide. But should that be the first option?

Here’s the answer: IT IS NEVER AN OPTION! It is barely an easy alternative that has the most unsettling solution!

Look around you; the world is a beautiful place to live in and your life is much too valuable to succumb to negative emotions. With no intention of offending anyone’s feeling, you might think “What do they know? There’s nothing left to do!” But let me tell you, things only seem bigger when we look at it that way! The sad truth that you have no faith in you or in life is what is pushing your life to a dead end.

Try thinking the other way around for a moment, and you might realise that you were reacting to a tiny fragment of your very sufficient life. Your problem may surely be a huge one, but there is no human problem, that cannot be solved by humans themselves. Your biggest enemy is your silence.

If you ever find yourself contemplating suicide, then you need to take a rain check with everything else you are doing, find the one person you trust the most, and blurt your emotions out. This slays out half of that will to end your life.

A remarkable way of beating this thought when alone is to practice the pause. Every time a thought similar to suicide occurs to you, pause for a moment, look back upon your life, remember the faces of your people, and then open your eyes; you will be surprised that your decision would have transformed into doing just the opposite.

There’s always a way you can alter that negative situation into a positive approach; write down every solution you can think of except suicide, and you will magically re-write your own fate by finding un-thought-of solutions for your trauma.

One cannot blame you; there are a few things that only you feel, and it is hard to believe that someone else understands the extent of it, I get that. I’m sure you did not plan on the landing where you are. Sometimes, these thoughts are also genetic or are born from other problems like sleep disorders or any other imbalance in your system. But be your own cuckoo clock, and shout out every time you think about it. There is NO shame in doing so; you are indeed doing something pride-worthy.

I am sure you know, that there are counselors and therapists available to free you from your suicidal woes, but it all begins with self-help. Here are a few things you can try:

Don’t take an impulse decision. Give it a few days, and the tendency to commit suicide might find its way out when you don’t respond to it.
If you are spiritual, then indulge into reading books related to the same; visit a church or a temple.
Take a long walk, and think about every dream that you are yet left to achieve.
Get into the habit of writing a diary; there is no better way to let out your emotions than writing it.
Think about your family and how they would deal with it!
Visit a therapist
Lastly, as I said before, open up in front of someone you trust.
Join recreation classes like yoga, meditation, gym, dance, sing, music, sketching, painting, karate, etc.

The more you start doing the above, the less deeper you will find your problems.

Always know that problems are only temporary and suicide is not a permanent solution. Believe in your heart, that if you have still been kept alive, then things can definitely change for the better. Don’t take matters about your life and death in your hands. Write this up and paste it in your room, and that my dear ones, is the first step to terminate suicidal thoughts.

Posted on 24th Jul 2020 by Aastha Ahuja

The healing power of talking and understanding

Do you believe in the term ‘talking heals’? Believe it or not, talking our hearts out is one of the best ways out of an emotionally tough and draining situation. Don’t we all feel relaxed and better after pouring out all our anxiety, anger and other emotions to our moms or best friends? Yes, this is the power of talking. In some cases we may need professional help to break out of our cocoon and actually start talking. In such situations, you need to talk to the right person who can understand your problems and emotions as to help you with a solution to come out of your stress. So who does this? Your very own counselor friend. A counselor is trained to help people, explore their difficulties that cause stress, help them with professional advice and sometimes prescribe medicines as well.

Psychotherapy. Woman psychologist with tangled and untangled brain metaphor, society psychiatry concept vector illustration

One of the most challenging aspects of taking help from the counselor is knowing when to take that step. There are no clear and precise rules. The initiative has to be taken by the individual and the people around him.

If a person himself feels anxious, angry and/or has too many mood swings or even suicidal tendency which they are not able to control, or situations where they lose interest in social life where they want to talk to someone other than family and friends, would be an ideal situation for a professional counsellor to jump in.

If you find any friends or someone in your family, who seems very depressed or avoids talking to people and always prefers to stay alone, then it is your responsibility to refer him to a good counsellor who can help them out of such situations.

Now, before we actually visit the counsellor we need to actually know what he will do and how that will help the person in need.

Provides emotional support.

Counsellors understand the emotional difficulties experienced by the people and help them identify their issue by ways of talking therapy. Counselors develop their own strategies and ways to resolve the issue.

Building conversations.

A quality conversation with a counsellor would make a lot of difference in a person’s mental health and will also help to overcome emotional and other lifestyle issues.

Assisting clients in decision making.

Be it health, professional, educational or any lifestyle related issues, a counsellor can always help their client take appropriate decisions. A counsellor is well-trained to set goals and make strategies for any situation as decision-making is a difficult task for someone who’s going through stress.

Directing the clients to the right direction.

Generally, people who seek help from a counsellor lack judgement, clarity and focus to make decisions. A good counsellor helps you to stay focussed and drives you in the right direction to get you back on track.

But things are not that simple. There are too many myths associated with counselling. Many people find it difficult to accept that they actually need counselling. There are others who fail to see anything positive in talking to a professional while there are still others who will say “what will society think”. These thoughts need to change. We have to change our mindsets to understand that depression, anxiety etc. are just like any other disease which needs treatment from a qualified professional, the only difference being the professional here is a counsellor and the treatment here is therapy.

Deepika Padukone, Randeep Hooda, Varun Dhawan, Manisha Koirala, Anushka Sharma, Shah Rukh Khan, Honey Singh, Shama Sikander. All these names have something common. Well, they have all had depression or anxiety issues which they have had the confidence to accept publically. We should help people around us who need help. We need to remove the taboo associated with therapy. If it can happen to celebrities, common man is no exception. Believe in yourself, build a support system around you and so help people who are in need.

Life is too short to waste thinking and brooding. Go out there and enjoy the wonders this beautiful world has to offer.

http://cbtsacramento.com/anxiety-therapy-counseling/generalized-anxiety-therapy-counseling/

Posted on 3rd Oct 201913th Jul 2020 by Aastha Ahuja · 2 Comments

Depression in forcefully domesticated women

Everyone dreams of becoming a doctor, a pilot or a teacher as a kid. And as they grow up, they work hard towards achieving this goal. But if you a girl in India, especially from a small town or remote village or even with old world parents then this would always remain a dream. Sad but true.

In many families even today a girl child is considered as a burden that needs to be done away with, many still feel that women should take care of the family while the man makes money. Majority of the girls struggle hard against odds to go to schools and colleges, to create a place for themselves in society. But their happiness is short lived. Can you imagine how a women would feel when the first condition the groom’s family puts forth is that the lady should not go to work after marriage? This forced domestication.

https://www.shecares.com/symptoms/depression/articles/9-signs-and-symptoms-of-depression-in-women

In a traditionally patriarchal society like India forceful domestication takes many forms

From a very young age girls are brought up to take care of the family. In some heart wrenching cases they are told they can study as long as they get married and any further decision would be taken by the husband.

https://www.promisesbehavioralhealth.com/news-and-research/depression-puts-women-at-increased-risk-for-domestic-violence-study-finds/

In many cases the male chauvinist ego takes a beating to send the woman in the house to work. He would rather keep her at home even if she is capable to supporting the family very well.

Finally, there are these in-laws who don’t want to see her happy. Yes it happens in movies, but some real life situations can be worse.

So how does this affect the women?

Not allowing anyone to do what they want can create a resentment. But imagine not even having the freedom to dream too. That is what many women go through India. Most of the times they undergo severe depression. With no person to reach out to, they lose hope in life and lead a monotonous life with kids and family. So what happens when they are subjected to these kinds of treatment over a period of time, let us understand that a bit in details, so that you can understand how grave the situation is:

Depression and anxiety would be under rating their feelings. They go through much more than that. Without a means to let out their feelings the depression could lead to greater physical and mental issues.

Mood Swings: Due to the depression and unhappiness, they would snap at even the slightest provocation. This can be a real danger for family relations.

Isolation from family and friends: many women start avoiding company of both family and friends. They seek isolation to avoid their preconceived notion of humiliation. They move into a shell cutting themselves out from the outside world

Mental Instability and disorders: In extreme cases it causes mental instability and other psychological disorders. Many times these go unnoticed till it reaches a break down point.

https://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vectors/depression-women-vectors

Suicidal tendencies: continued mental instability could lead to suicidal tendencies as well. This is probably the last and the most extreme stage of depression due to forced domesticizing.

If you are a father, brother or husband please understand and consider the women as an individual. Give her the freedom to dream and the wings to achieve that dream. Let her walk with you shoulder to shoulder. Be proud her achievement. Be the reason for the happiness in the eyes of your daughter, sister and wife.

Posted on 27th Aug 2019 by Aastha Ahuja

Handling Peer Pressure! An Art to be Learnt.

Do you feel that you do end up doing things which your friends insist you to, even when you don’t want to? Do you easily get carried away with the activities they do without thinking about the consequences of it? Then there is a chance that you are facing peer pressure trauma! Calm down teens! It’s totally normal, but surely not right! Let’s get this sorted!

Peer pressure occurs in all age groups but is mostly seen in teenagers. It is majorly assumed to have a negative impact on one’s behavior and lifestyle but it also affects positively if you’re a part of a healthy peer group. A kind of pressure to act in certain ways and do something just to be accepted among your peers is peer pressure. It’s the fear of being left alone or being different from the crowd that drives us to act in such a manner. Maybe that fear, being felt by everyone in your peer group makes everyone vulnerable and act or behave in the same way. So, it’s the kind of influence that peer pressure has on you which decides to make or mar your life. Now it’s obvious if it is affecting you negatively, should you let it continue? Certainly not!

Well, I can understand you get pissed off when your Mom gives you frequent lectures for staying away from those ‘mischievous friends’ or when your Dad tells you to score good marks like ‘Sharmaji ka beta’. Both situations include involvement of peers and both are for your betterment, but then it’s upto you to decide whether to still accompany the ‘mischievous’ gang of friends or be the one like ‘Sharmaji ka beta’. You even might have been asked to take a puff of cigarette for fun by your friends assuming it as something like an act of heroism or ‘being cool’ according to them. That moment is a peer pressure moment for you where you are in a dilemma whether to take that puff or just refuse by saying no! That’s exactly peer pressure! Now if you are constantly facing this, then I have something to help you set things right.

Here are five ways to overcome peer pressure:

Learn to say “NO”!

You have to make a habit of saying ‘NO’ to things which you know are wrong.

Know the “WHY”.

Before you act like your peers, ask yourself “Why am I doing it?” Is it improving you or hampering you?

Have control over your emotions.

At start, it might feel difficult to have control over your emotions but once you make your mind, you will be able to do that

Don’t imitate him/her.

Don’t try to imitate your friend’s style. It might be anything like dressing sense, hairstyle, speech etc. Just choose what suits you the most and not your friend. Moreover, the trends they follow should not bother you at all.

Have the businessman’s mindset.

Be a bit selfish or self loving.Now that doesn’t mean you shouldn’thelp others but you should do only those things which benefit and improve you.Like all peers in your group might binge watch Netflix every weekend, but constructive is it?

So these were the five actions which will surely help you to overcome peer pressure trauma. Do follow them consistently and notice the good changes in you.

image courtesy : http://www.bbc.co.uk

Posted on 21st Aug 201913th Jul 2020 by Aastha Ahuja

How to Educate your Child about Sex & Porn

Having a child is truly a blessing, but it comes with a full-time responsibility. The society we live in frames having ‘The Talk’ with our parents as uncomfortable and awkward. Where it should be very easy. Talking to your parents about your insecurities, issues, and queries is essential. Otherwise, we advance as a highly misguided community.

Sex education is vital for your child and you should not build walls around you, hindering the relationship with your child to make it hard talking about it. Wherever we live in, sex education should not be a taboo topic. The young adult generation, not having any guidance from their parents are easily misled. This has led to a large part of the young generation becoming astray and getting into the trap of porn industry. The main aim should be normalizing sex education. You wouldn’t want your child to know vital realities through the wrong resources. Sex education encourages your children to reach to you with questions.

Before diving into the issue, I would also like to share a research that I conducted a while ago about how porn viewing can affect the mental health of adolescents and the results were nearly shocking. I could see it makes them more aggressive, less confident of their own bodies and the adolescents who are exposed to porn are the major victims of body image dissatisfaction.

How to start the conversation?

People already have portrayed that talking about sex is awkward and not the conversation to have with parents. It is even more difficult to talk about pornography and its harmful fate. No parent wants their children to fall into the trap of such a field and if you want the same, you first need to work on your communication skills with your children.

You need to contemplate their age and then decide how to discuss the topic and how much in-depth you need to be. It is very evident that you cannot share graphic specifications with your child if he/she is at a very young age.

To be able to talk about pornography, first and foremost as a parent, you need to build a certain level of trust. Your child must trust you. They should find it easy to talk to you about things, rather than running away from you. Open communication culture in your house is the key. It won’t come in a day, but you need to slowly and steadily work towards it.

Guiding your children

The most beneficial way of preventing your child from falling into the traps of the porn industry is to talk about how objectifying it is. Your children must be told that sex is something natural for us humans. It is a beautiful reality that is objectified by porn in a derogatory way. As a parent, you need to explain the difference between the two for them to think what is right and wrong.

You need to tell how pornography is revolting and unnatural. Telling them what it is and how destructive it can be for whoever falls from it. You might be at a loss for words when it comes to talking about this, but you have to fight for your children, and this is the most direct and safe way to prevent them from turning themselves into that field.

You should explain how many lives of people are destroyed who fall into its shackles. People are being compelled to do drugs and coming into the radar of people wanting to hurt them. How pornography turns people into animals and exposes them to the evil eyes.

Is it really possible to save your child from it?

It is a difficult road but Yes, it is possible if you fight hard enough. This issue doesn’t require a shining armor. You can only fight it by talking to your children after gaining their trust and confidence. The most useful source of prevention is the type of relationship with your children and your spouse.

All they need is a positive atmosphere and a happy home to successfully deviate themselves from the harmful world.

Posted on 9th Aug 201911th Aug 2019 by Aastha Ahuja

FRIEND-SH*T OR FRIEND-SHIP?

10 WAYS TO ENSURE IF YOU ARE IN A HEALTHY FRIENDSHIP!

Friendships have always been a beautiful and sacred part of everyone’s life. When we all have been constantly advised by our parents to keep a good company and make good friends, the reason behind it, like mentioned in the previous article, is the huge impact or influence that our friends have upon us. At some or the other stage in our life we face the challenge to find real friends.

You might trust your so called ‘BFF’ to a great extent but you have to ensure that their friendship is healthy and brings out the best in you. There are many ups and downs in a friendship. There are chances that your childhood friend may deceive you but the person you unexpectedly became friends with might become your most loyal friend. At the end, everyone is plain human. Now that being said, friends have the power to make or mar your life, it is necessary that you choose a healthy friendship if you want a companion who would bring the best in you. Now, if you are constantly worried about your friendship, if it is healthy or not then don’t worry!

Here are ten ways to ensure if you are in a healthy relationship with your friends:

1) Your friend is always honest to you.

This helps you trust your friend with your secrets and thus, have a confidential second opinion.

2) Your friend appreciates and celebrates your every success.

Friends in a harmonious relationship always praise and celebrate even the smallest achievements.

3) Your friend doesn’t back stab you.

Backstabbing is an act of a jealous and false friend. So be careful if you get to know from anyone if your companion ever backstabbed you. The real ones will never!

4) Your friend encourages you when you need it the most !

The last time when you scored less in your Mathematics test, you remember the person who encouraged you to score good? Hold onto them! He/she is the one who can share a bond of healthy friendship with you.

5) Your goals are your friend’s too.

People in a salubrious friendship hope the best for each other. You might have your aims and dreams to achieve, but the ones who help you turn them into reality are the real friends.

6) They don’t indulge and warn you from indulging in bad habits or practices.

We all know smoking, drinking, drugs, stealing are all bad practices. If your companion supports these bad practices, then probably you are in a toxic relationship. Make a move!

7) They make you more productive.

By making you realize the importance of time, your partner ensures that you are effective at work.

8) They bring out the best in your personality.

These connections have a good impact over your behavior and character by habituating you to etiquettes and good habits.

9) They make you feel at home.

Their company makes you feel stress free and alleviates your mood.

10) Healthy friendships last forever!

Most of the salubrious attachments last long. Because people in such relations create so much affection about each other that their bond becomes stronger year by year.

So these are the ten things which would help you to ensure if you are in a healthy friendship. Well, no one is totally perfect, but even if you find anyone fulfilling even a few of these, hold on to them.

It’s not about how perfect your friend is, but how perfect your team is in complementing each other.

Keep Growing!

Posted on 27th Jul 2019 by Aastha Ahuja

A FOR ANXIETY, A FOR ALL IS WELL

Why do we feel stressed out often or at times?

A feel or emotion that makes you sad or which puts you under pressure to complete the task or work in a given period of time.
If we are not able to finish or complete a task within the time we may get stressed out. STRESS is an emotional feeling which pushes you in a positive way and motivate you to complete the set of work to be done.
But more often stress has negative effects which affects both our physical and mental stamina. You tend to get stressed when things don’t happen in the time you want it to happen, when things don’t go the way you want them to.
Anything that is not as per your expectation can cause stress. Being continuously under stress can be very harmful to the body and in extreme conditions it can lead to serious issues of heart.

What is ANXIETY?

Anxiety is a mental condition or feeling of nervousness, fear, anxious in work area. Stress created in the work atmosphere is the major cause for anxiety. Some common phobia also relates to anxiety. Excessive worries may also be a symptom of this condition. People may lack tactics of handling stressful situations which in turn cause anxiety. Practicing yoga and exercises regularly will control stress level. Doing meditation on a daily basis will also be helpful in controlling anxiety. Counseling sessions with any therapist is the best remedy in handling anxiety disorders.

Stress is not a disorder to cure or treat as it leads to anxiety one should be careful while they are put up in a stressful work atmosphere. In most cases medical treatment is not required for anxiety.
Medications are applicable for rare cases, like sedatives and antidepressant dosages are suggested by psychiatrist for this anxiety disorder.
Common symptoms stress and anxiety are
- restlessness,
- rapid or increased heart rate,
- sleeplessness or insomnia etc.,

Some people may get to know about their anxiety problem by having these symptoms.

What do when you are anxious or stressed?

It is very important to recognize the earliest signs of anxiety and stress to be able to tackle it in the best possible manner. Many a time’s people find it difficult to accept that they are anxious or stressed. But please understand health comes first. Our mindsets need to change and we need to understand as well as make people around us understand that stress is as normal as a fever and needs just the right mental approach.

Here is a list of things you can do if you feel you are anxious or stressed

Counselling sessions: Talking to a therapist can many a times be very helpful. Just letting your emotions, anger, grudges, fear etc flow out of your body could be the easiest way out.
Avoid stress at work: As difficult as it may be avoid taking official things at a personal level. Do not worry too much about what, why and where of the office.
Lifestyle Changes: Sometimes the smallest change like an early morning walk can do wonders to your mood and energy levels. Pick up some positive lifestyle changes to live better and happier.
Healthy mind in a healthy body: Yes you got it right, keep your body healthy by following a good and nutritious diet, exercising regularly and avoiding junk foods. The body is your temple, treat it like that.
Break Out: You heard it right. Take a break. A monotonous life can make you vexed and stressed too. So make sure you spend quality time with friends and family. Travel to new places, explore new things and basically break out into new areas as often as you can.

Aamir Khan says “All is Well, All is well!” Believe me that really works. Whenever you feel stressed, take a deep breath, grab some fresh air and tell yourself everything will be fine. Do not let anxiety take over. You are your best defence. Use it well.