Mental Well-Being

Simple Hacks To Have A Productive Workday

Have you ever felt at the end of a day that you could have done so much more? Don’t we all get this feeling once in a while when we feel that if not for a few things our day could have been much more productive than it was?

People who tend to have very productive days do not just have it by chance. There are some carefully thought out decisions that they make which help them achieve this. These decisions are not life-changing. Neither are they difficult to incorporate into your routine!

Here are 4 quick hacks that will help you have a productive day:

A Morning Routine

What time you wake up and what you do after you wake up can impact the rest of your day! Make sure that you decide early on when to wake up so that you feel like your day is in your control. Also, as soon as you wake up finish one thing off your checklist for the day so that you can start the day on a high.

Prioritize

The reason most people feel panicky and unaccomplished at the end of a long day is because they have finished the not-so-important tasks and are still left with the major tasks for the day. Ensure that you prioritize what needs to be done and what is important and do your work accordingly!

Do One Task At A Time

One of the most important blocks to productivity is trying to do it all… and trying to do it at the same time. When you decide on a task, ensure that you give your full attention to it. This helps your mind be more focussed on the task at hand and complete it to your best potential.

Take Breaks

While you might think productivity is all about getting all your work done at a stretch, it is actually quite the opposite. Taking breaks in between is very essential and it helps you to rejuvenate and work better on the next task in hand.

Are You Mentally Free ?

Freedom can be defined in many ways and often, each person’s definition of freedom is vastly different. However, we can all agree that one of the truest forms of freedom is experiencing mental bliss and being able to say that you are peaceful.

Since this week we have been talking about freedom and independence in various ways, let us look at what freedom means to the mind!

In this fast-paced world of lofty ambitions, technology and running behind our aspirations, how many of us take a moment to take stock of whether we are ‘mentally free’?

How many of us experience this mental freedom on a daily basis? What are the ones experiencing this doing different?

Here are 4 habits that you can inculcate on a daily basis to experience mental freedom.

1.Believe in Yourself

The first step to being mentally free is to possess an incredible amount of confidence in yourself. By believing in yourself, you are eliminating any self-doubt, confidence crisis or negative emotions that could come your way.

2.Stay Positive

It is incredibly hard for any person to be positive all the time – however, staying positive and cultivating a behaviour of positive thinking is the key to unlocking mental freedom. Make sure you keep track of all your thoughts so that you don’t get sucked into the loop of negative thinking.

3.Stop Worrying

If it won’t matter in 5 years, it is not worth worrying about for more than 5 minutes! Keep this golden rule in mind every time you are tempted to worry about something. It is difficult to not worry and always stay positive but it is also definitely possible to keep your worrying well within limits.

4.Get Help If You Need It

Sometimes we get stuck in a rut and we definitely need someone else to help us out. It could be to lend a friendly ear, a professional to talk you through your issues or even medication if needed. Ensure that you are not afraid or ashamed to ask for help. Asking for help and being vocal about your issues if any is an integral step in the path to achieving mental freedom.

Reference

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-ways-emancipate-yourself-from-mental-slavery-brigette-hyacinth

Technostress is Real!

Technology has become an important component of our everyday life. So important that we find it very hard to be without technology even for a few hours. From social media to mobile phones to emails; most of us make a habit of checking email and our social media first thing in the morning. With so much affinity to technology, we seldom pause to notice what technology does to us and what the side effects are.

Truth is, there are quite a few side effects that we choose to ignore and these side effects are especially detrimental to mental health. Here are a few effects that technology can have on your mental health.

1.Increased Anxiety

Imagine a scenario when you are constantly checking what social media is telling you. Notification after notification, email after email and one technology update after another. This is a definite way to trigger more and more anxiety for yourself because you worry about missing out on something important. Ensure controlled usage and some rules for yourself to make sure technology does not add to your anxiety.

2.Sleep Disorder

It is said that the light that is emitted from gadgets interferes with sleep. However, most of us go to sleep with our phones by our side and wake up to our laptops open to check email. New age technology often disrupts sleep because of the number of distractions it offers. Make sure you have a cut off time for your gadgets to ensure that it does not disrupt your sleep.

3.Increased Stress

Technology and social media especially gives you this illusion that you are supposed to respond to people immediately. Today, even work related updates are given through instant messaging and we feel the pressure to respond to all of this immediately. This increases stress and makes us feel like we are constantly under pressure.

4.Risk Of Depression

More and more people are isolating themselves from the real world because technology seems like an excellent alternative. For instance, online interactions have increased so much more compared to real life interaction. However, we cannot forget that isolating ourselves and becoming more and more tech dependent only increases the risk of depression.

Technology can be an excellent way to connect with people, get work done and revolutionize the world but don’t forget to keep it within control lest it affects your mental health.

How can work stress affect your mental health?

Stress can cause a lot of damage to your life – sometimes you are able to clearly point out that it is because of stress and other times you think that it is something else. However, stress in general and work stress, in particular, can be very detrimental to mental health.

Deadlines, pressure, unsupportive work environments and overworking are all things that can lead to more and more stress. If left unattended, this work stress can manifest into things that affect both your physical and mental health.

Here are a few ways in which work stress can affect your mental health.

1.Irritability

If you are constantly feeling irritated or snapping at everyone, it is probably a good idea to sit and evaluate what is going wrong in your life. Often, as a result of lots of work, people ignore other aspects of life and don’t realize that they are letting this stress manifest and seep into every part of their life. Is it deadlines or pressure or a work conflict? Try and figure out what part of your day is causing you do this.

2.Anxiety

Anxiety is a common manifestation of having too much stress at work – are you constantly trying to keep up with deadlines or under consistent performance appraisals? These kinds of things create a constant anxiety in the minds of people and do not allow them to do anything else.

3.Depression

High work stress has always been related to depression. Keep a check of how work is making you feel and whether you are able to cope. In case, something is constantly bothering you or creating negative feelings, ensure that you are voicing it out before it is too late.

4.Fatigue

The first and most obvious result of too much work is fatigue – how do you feel at the end of the day? While it is very normal to feel a little tired, it is definitely a problem if work is completely draining you out at the end of the day. If you notice that everyday tiredness is manifesting into fatigue, it is a definite warning sign.

5.Inability to Focus

Sometimes, too much work and work stress can lead you to lose your focus and attention. As a result, it is common for people to face an attention deficit and lose further focus on their work.

Taking Care of Your Mental Health during Pregnancy

When you are pregnant, a lot of people give you guidance on what to eat, what kind of exercise to do and how best to take care of yourself. It is essential that you do all of this, get regular medical check-ups done and ensure you get all the nutrients. However, a very important and often ignored aspect during pregnancy is the mental health of the mother.

We need to acknowledge the fact that women who are pregnant go through hormonal changes and mental stress. It is necessary to take preventive measures to stay happy and mentally healthy throughout the pregnancy.

Here are 5 things you need to know about mental health during pregnancy:

1. Pre-Baby Anxiety

Pregnant mothers often have a lot to worry about. It can be related to labour pain, expecting a baby, making life adjustments and so on. However, if you find that the anxiety is getting so bad, that it affects you on a daily basis, it is a good time to take a break and relax. Also, don’t be afraid to talk to someone for help.

2.Monitoring your emotions

Mood swings are common during pregnancy mostly due to the hormonal changes and the anxiety of all that is happening. However, if you find it getting out of hand, it would be a great idea to write down your emotions and monitor your mood swings. Doing this gives you control over your own emotions and helps you become more aware.

3.You are not alone

If you find yourself getting stressed, depressed or highly anxious – remember that you are not alone! It is completely normal to experience these emotions during a pregnancy. If possible, try to join support groups or speak to other expecting/new mothers to understand the journey of pregnancy better.

4.Getting help is important

Mental health during pregnancy is often neglected because there are more obvious physical medical needs that need to be attended to first. However, ensure that you understand that staying mentally fit is really important not just for you but for your baby as well! Post pregnancy is also a very stressful time and as an expecting mother, it would do you a world of good to start paying attention to your mental health from the very beginning.

5.Take small steps

Take small steps that will help you feel better and stay mentally strong – it does not always mean therapy or prescription drugs. It could be something as simple as doing more physical activity, meeting friends or simply getting fresh air!

References

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/Pregnancy-and-your-mental-healthhttp://www.health.com/depression/postpartum-depression-often-begins-during-pregnancy-a-new-study-finds

How Caffeine Withdrawal Can Affect Mental Health

A cup of coffee can definitely make you feel perky and fresh. It is what most of us reach out for first thing in the morning and it is in fact the elixir that keeps us going. But what happens when it is more than one cup of coffee a day, maybe 4, 5, that too over the years?
If you ask any coffee drinker if they can go without their fresh cup of coffee, the answer would be a resounding no. Most times, it is “I cannot go even a day without coffee!”
While there are many benefits that have been cited by experts, too much coffee is definitely not good and there are proven side-effects when you stop coffee or try to cut down.
Here are a few symptoms of caffeine withdrawal and how it can affect your mental health.

1. Irritability
Coffee is often a great mood lifter for anyone used to it and denying them their cup of coffee can mean that they can become rather irritable and touchy.

2.Anxiety
Like any other addiction, coffee withdrawal can cause anxiety and panic attacks for hardcore coffee drinkers.

3. Nervousness
As surprising as it may be, a simple withdrawal from coffee can cause shivering and nervousness in regular consumers. This can inhibit them from doing their daily tasks.

4. Drowsiness
The biggest complaint any coffee drinker would put forth is that they don’t feel the same way when they stop drinking coffee. When they say this, what they often mean is that they don’t feel active and fresh. This is the effect that caffeine has on the brain and when that additional boost is not there, coffee drinkers feel a drop in their levels of activity.

5. Interacting with Other mental illness
While we saw the direct side effects of coffee on mental health, caffeine can also interact with any other mental condition that you might have. Whether it is anxiety, depression or even an insomnia, caffeine tends to make it worse.

IDENTIFYING DEPRESSION IN TEENS

Depression in teenagers has become very commonplace today – is it the stress, the pressure to compete or just how mechanical life has gotten? While one can point out many reasons, we cannot deny the indisputable fact that depression today starts early.

The easy thing to do is blame circumstances for it or wonder what could possibly affect them so much that it would push them to depression. However, the difficult thing part is to take the time to identify the problem and help them overcome it.

Here are a few common symptoms of depression in teenagers:

1.Irritability

Teenagers do have the general tendency to get irritated when questioned – however, if someone is constantly irritated and seems put off by every small thing, it is a warning that it could hint of a deeper mental illness.

2.Frequent Crying

Crying often and for something that would not warrant crying is a sure sign that the person is suffering from depression. If your teenager is spending a lot of time behind closed doors and always seems to be sad or irritable, do watch out because it could point to clinical depression.

3.Lack of motivation

Teenagers do have the tendency to slack in school but is your teenager losing interest in stuff they used to love doing like continuously missing a dance class or football practice? If this is a trend you are noticing then make sure you sit them down and talk to them.

4.Restlessness

Observe their body language in different situations – are they constantly fidgety, nervous and restless? This kind of anxious behaviour could mean that there is something that is troubling them deeply that needs your attention.

5.Drop in performance

While there are many reasons and distractions for a drop in performance at school, a sharp decline can hint that they have something that is bothering them emotionally.

6.Unexplained aches and pains

Depression also has physical manifestations – if your teenager is constantly complaining of aches and pains that you cannot seem to find a cause for, the problem could be because they are really stressed and depressed.

References

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/parents-guide-to-teen-depression.htm

10 Things That Happy People Do

10 Things That Happy People Do

Happiness is not a destination but a journey and if you have ever looked at someone who is so happy and wondered what they are doing right – don’t wonder for too long! Here are 10 habits that happy people who are emotionally strong inculcate that helps them to stay the way there.

1.The Art of Gratitude

Being thankful for what you have is almost like practising an art! This is something that those with good emotional strength do because how can you stay happy if you are not cherishing the things that you do currently have?

2.They understand the power of the “Self”

Being accountable for your own actions and not transferring blame or responsibility on someone else, helps people stay strong and happy. Those who are happy understand this very well and have a huge amount of accountability on themselves!

3.They have clear boundaries

Defining your personal boundaries is almost like giving other people guidelines as to how to treat you. This will help avoid any frustration or anger that you might harbour towards other people because if you tell them exactly how to treat you, the chances of them going wrong are lesser!

4.Being comfortable with the past

Happy people are those who have learnt to make peace with their past. Constantly dwelling on what happened is only going to keep pulling you from what happiness that life has to offer for you!

5.They deal with failure

Emotionally strong people don’t let failure pull them down. In fact, they view failure and mistakes as opportunities to grow stronger and come back with an inclination to perform better.

6.They accept when they are wrong

Not accepting when you make a mistake can put a lot of pressure on you and accepting it in fact is a very healthy habit to practise that is vital for your own happiness!

7.They understand that emotional energy is limited

Happy people are careful where they spend their emotional energy because they understand it is limited. Instead of wasting it on pointless arguments and things that drain them, they only choose to do so when it is truly important.

8.They don’t over-think

Are you someone who imagines at least a hundred different possibilities to every situation? This might just be the habit that is keeping you from your happiness! While it is important to plan well, over-thinking is a definite happiness jeopardiser.hey are optimistic

9.They are optimistic

Optimism and having faith that good things will happen, define happy people – constantly thinking negative thoughts can pull you down and make you feel worse and imagine possibilities that probably only occur in your imagination.

10.They are comfortable being alone

Learning to be alone is a huge part of embracing happiness – people who constantly don’t depend on other people to validate, entertain or look out for them are much happier and stronger!

Reference

https://www.inc.com/amy-morin/18-things-mentally-strong-people-do.html

Borderline Personality Disorder

Mental illness has long been belittled by fiction and the name “Borderline Personality Disorder” probably brings to your mind something that is mysterious and scary.

However, the reality is far from it.

Like any other illness one might encounter, there is nothing that is mysterious about BPD. There is a list of symptoms that could mean someone has BPD and there are many ways to treat and reduce the intensity of both the symptoms and the disorder.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental disorder marked by a pattern of ongoing instability in moods, behavior, self-image, and functioning. The most important thing to keep in mind here is with these individuals there is always a sense of indecisiveness and instability about them.

Here are a few symptoms that are indicators of BPD:

1.Emotional Instability

People with borderline personality always tend to have a sense of emotional instability – they are constantly oscillating between different emotions that they are processing and a change in their moods or constant irritability is a definite symptom.

2.Instability in relationships

Difficulty maintaining relationships and friendships is sometimes a reality for a lot of us. However, if this is consistent and a pattern in your life, it might be a symptom of BPD.

3. Impulsiveness

People who have BPD tend to make impulsive decisions – whether it is shopping decisions or reckless driving or anything that gives them a momentary adrenaline rush.

4.Suicidal Behaviour

With BPD, the recurrent suicidal behaviour is a pattern that is unavoidable. If you find yourself feeling constantly suicidal or feel that your loved ones are feeling that way, it is a definite symptom of an underlying mental illness and there is a good chance it could be BPD.

5.Stress and Emptiness

BPD tends to drive you to perceive otherwise normal situations as ones that involve a great amount of stress and those with BPD tend to feel empty and lost in a lot of situations. If this feeling persists, it is a good idea to get checked.

Reference :

https://psychcentral.com/disorders/borderline-personality-disorder-symptoms/

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SICKLE CELL DISEASE

The first thing you need to know about your red blood cell is that they are round and flexible. It is this shape and characteristic that makes them move around easily through your blood vessels.

On World Sickle Cell Day, we try and explore what makes sickle cell anemia a feared disease. What happens to the blood cells and what are the things you should know about this disease?

In sickle cell anemia, the normal red cells turn sticky. They literally are in the shape of a crescent moon or a sickle instead of the healthy round shape that promotes their flexibility. The problem with the irregularity in shape is that these cells get stuck and are not healthy enough to carry blood. This prevents and blocks the flow of oxygen to the body.

Here are a few things you need to know about the Sickle Cell Disease

Birth defect

Sickle cell anemia is not a disease that is acquired during your lifetime. If someone has sickle cell anemia, it is present from their birth. However, the problems are not recognized until the baby is about a few months old.

Episodes of pain

Pain of varying intensity that lasts anything between a few hours to a few weeks can occur for those who suffer from the sickle cell disease. This pain can also occur in their bones and this can develop into chronic pain.

Swelling

Swelling of hands and feet is a common symptom of sickle cell anaemia – this swelling is usually caused because the sickle shaped blood cells block oxygen flow to the hands and feet.

Infections

One of the major concerns with sickle cell anaemia is that it can damage the organs that help the body fight infections and this would mean that those with sickle cell anaemia are more prone to infections.

Delayed growth

Red blood cells are the ones that provide oxygen and nutrients to your body and a problem with them means that your body is not getting the nutrients it needs to grow. This is why delayed growth and puberty is often a sign of sickle cell anemia.

Reference:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sickle-cell-anemia/symptoms-causes/dxc-20303269

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