Live Life Your Way

How To Deal With Difficult People Intelligently

2020-05-18T09:17:00.006+05:30

How To Deal With Difficult People Intelligently

We meet various kinds of people in our lives. Some will love us and respect us and always be kind with us. But I am not talking about them for this time. Let’s talk about the ones who disrespect us, insult us, cheat on us, hurt us, people who put us down and people who make you feel bad about yourself.

When you find yourself surrounded and affected by difficult, toxic and insulting people, check out the below ways on how to deal with them without affecting yourself. Just grab a drink and continue reading...

1.Don't criticize:

We criticize and complain about people, when they do something which we don’t like, hoping people will change. We try to react to whatever they say or do to us. When we criticize people we display a lack of empathy (understanding). Don’t criticize them as they are just doing what we would’ve done in similar situations. Don’t think that you are great and superior to other people. Understand and forgive them for their deeds. Don’t judge someone but try to understand their situation by placing yourself in their shoes. If people continuously criticize you, then just smile and say “you’re absolutely right”.

2.Have compassion:

Let’s take an example: if there is someone in your home who is bedridden but always talk negative about you. You tell yourself let’s leave it, he is not well physically and you don’t take it to your heart right?

We are not going to get upset with somebody who is not well right?

Similarly, take care of the people who are not well mentally. Don’t get angry, frustrated, upset, hurt or depressed by them.

In the same way, when people insult you or put you down, start thinking this way - this person might be in so much of hurt or pain. They might be in a bad mood for that day. Forgive them and move on with your life.

3.Don't take anything personally:

We say to people “don’t take it personally”, but we say ourselves “how can I not take it personally”. We say people “it was not about you”, but we say ourselves “obviously it was about me, he said that about me". We don’t care about ourselves as much as we care for our friends and family. We act like a victim of all the circumstances which take place in our lives.

4.Take care of yourself:

Each one is a pure, peaceful and beautiful soul. No one else knows you better than you. Nobody can disrespect, hurt or put you down, other than you. Talk nicely to yourself even if it is only you. Set standards and have boundaries.

“It is not about what people say to us, it is about what we say to ourselves after we hear what people say to us”

We need only one person to be nice to us, we need only one person to love us, and that is you yourself. Love yourself first. People won’t change because you believe that they will not change. But if you think that they are a beautiful and pure soul, one person will definitely change, you yourself.

5.Send your blessings:

Whenever you come across people who disrespect you, insult you or put you down, give them your blessings. Ever tried giving your blessings to people? If you think it doesn’t work then you didn’t try. It is like a science experiment. You can never know the result unless you try.

Appreciate them. Learn how to honestly compliment someone. Make the other person feel important by responding to them about how you feel in a good tone and not reacting. Have this mindset – Every person I meet is my superior. Think how and what can the other person teach you. The pets, plants and people in our house get affected by our minds.

6.Focus on your priorities:

Let me tell you a short story. A person wanted to resign his job. He went to the HR of the organization. The HR asked why he wanted to resign. He told that there are many manipulative people, gossipers and many politics all over the office. HR agreed to his point but on one condition. He asked him to carry a glass full of water and take one round of the entire office without spilling a single drop on the floor. He can leave the office if he still wants after completing this task. So he filled a glass of water and completed his round and he is back to HR office. HR asked him whether he found any negative people, manipulative people, gossips and politics this time? His answer was “no”. His focus was on the glass of water, not to spill it and hence he could not find any distractions in the office now. He was left with a choice to leave the office or focus on his glass of water – his priorities.

The moral here is, you will find many distractions, politics and various kinds of people wherever you go. But if you focus on your own water – your priorities, nothing can distract you from your goals in life.

7.Focus on positivity:

If you focus on the positive side of the life, you feel happy. But if you focus on the negative side, you feel sad. There are some people who say why is it too hot or why is it too cool or why is this person like that and so on. Do you want to become like them?

If it is hot, let it be hot. If it is cool, let it be cool and obviously you cannot change a person. Thinking more about it is a waste of time. If people are negative, let them be negative, just take responsibility of yourself and your life. Negative people don’t want to change their conditioning. Learn about the good side of the people. Don’t see the bad side of the people and get sad.

Conclusion:

Each person is a pure soul. There are no good people or bad people, but there are joyful people or miserable people. Just remember not to react to any situation which can lead to unforeseen consequences in future.

I understand that it is very hard to follow the above ways, not reacting to people’s behaviour towards you. This can start from identifying yourself with that behaviour and correcting it later. Start observing people, are they reacting to the situation, how are they reacting, what could they have done instead and how can you learn from them.

Dealing with people is not a one time skill, where you can learn at once and follow it for life. It is a life time education.

Let me know your thoughts below on this topic.

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How To Create More Self Love

2020-05-11T14:00:00.000+05:30

“You carry so much love in your heart. Give some, to yourself”

“Self love" – I have been hearing this a lot from many sources. I was actually fed up with this topic as I felt I was loving myself before, then why should I know more about it or what is there in it to actually learn about it. People say love yourself first and put yourselves on the pedestal instead of others. But I didn’t knew how to do that. I think I wasn’t loving myself as I deserve to be loved. May be I loved the idea of loving myself without truly loving myself. This continued until I truly started loving myself without seeking someone’s validation or approval.

What is Self Love

Self love is a life journey. It is our natural state of being. Many of us think that they love themselves like I thought. But if you love yourself you don’t be lead by people’s opinions, thoughts and feelings.

Is Self Discipline a Form of Self Love

Many people get scared by the word discipline. But there is nothing to get scared as it should be a way of living. If you love yourself then you will try do the things which are beneficial for you in future. If you are doing something for the sake of some pleasure then it is not self love. You might be loving the pleasure instead of loving yourself. Genuine care for yourself is self love. Self love is not a freedom to enjoy your life the way you want.

“Self discipline is self love”

Here are some powerful ways to love yourself unconditionally 😊

1.Know Yourself:

We cannot love someone without knowing them right. In the same way you have to know yourself in order to love yourself. Know what makes you “You”. Understand how you want to be treated and do not accept anything less than that. Have standards and set boundaries to teach people what is acceptable and what is unacceptable.

2.Be Grateful:

Human wants are unlimited. If we get what we want then we want something else. And this cycle never stops. There is someone out there who is struggling to live the life you live in. We should stop complaining and live the life in the present moment. Always be grateful for little things like people, opportunities and things in your life. Every day before going to bed, maintain a gratitude journal, note down atleast 3 things for which you are grateful for the entire day. This can include something like you woke up today, meeting your friend or you’ve reached home safely. Like this, you can find millions of reasons to be grateful for.

3.Forgive Yourself:

People harm you, hurt you, cheat on you, dump you, abuse you and bring you down to feel good about themselves or whatever the reason they might have. They just display their behaviour from their own level of thinking. Remember that someone that abuses someone else has been abused. You need to forgive people inspite of what they have done to you for your own self. People don’t care that they hurt you and they don’t want to apologize to you. Forgiving others is not a form of giving people but it is a necessity to move on in your life. You need to forgive people in order to forgive yourself. You cannot stay in the emotions like hurt, anger or anxiety which people give you. You need to focus on yourself because your happiness is your responsibility.

4.Practice Self Awareness:

Don’t let your thoughts lead to varied emotions and feelings. Always fill your thoughts with positivity. Watch your thoughts. You cannot do this everytime like “what am I thinking, what am I thinking”. Instead you can put reminders on your phone naming “check with yourself”, multiple times during the day to recognize your negative thoughts.

Always put I choose before any of your negative thoughts like “I choose I am not worthy”. This makes you think like do I really choose not to be worthy, is it required for me to choose it. This one tip can lead your negative thoughts to more positive ones.

5.Focus on the Present:

Your past is gone and your future has not yet arrived. Life is in the present. Focusing on past or future will definitely kill your present. Always take responsibility of your life. You cannot blame others for your life. People think I will be happy when I get a new job, buy a new car or something like this. No, this is not the right thing to do. We should be happy always inspite of whatever happens in our lives.

6.Positive Self Talk:

We always do some kind of self talk like I am not worthy or I am not good enough. To avoid this, replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Maintain a journal and make a T table to include “This is what I thought / told and this is what I should’ve thought / told”. You can refer this journal to avoid negative thoughts for any similar situations in future.

Also use positive affirmations, you can find a bunch of videos on YouTube for this. Listening to affirmations alone doesn’t stop your negative thoughts but the phrases used in them will affect your subconscious mind and life in a very positive way.

If your thought makes you sad, it is not coming from your true self but your wounded self.

7.Stop Self Criticism:

Stop thinking that people will love you if I do this for them, I am not worthy enough, I am not good enough, I am not pretty enough, I am not smart enough. Don’t judge your thoughts and feelings. It’s okay to feel the way you feel. Love yourself for being you. Self love is a life journey. We have to deal with it every now and then. Recognizing your thoughts and not engaging in or picking up negative thoughts and emotions is very important.

8.Stop Comparing:

Everyone’s life journey is different. Where you are right now in your life is perfectly alright. Don’t compare yourself with people who are highly placed in the society or even in social media. Some people scroll through their ex's social media and feel sad. No, you should never do that. If someone is doing good in their life wish them all the best and hope that you will be there soon. If someone is sad, offer your helping hand if you want to help them but do not make any comments and don’t compare them. Their misery should not make you happy. Comparing can kill self love.

9.Spending Time Alone:

You need to spend some time alone to know yourself truly, recharge your batteries and come back with more positivity. People who spend alone time does not have FOMO (Fear of missing out). You should feel okay spending time alone and also with your dear ones.

10.Be Detached:

You are not your thoughts. You have many emotions like stress, worry, hurt, sadness anger. You cannot overcome anything in your life if you get attached to your thoughts. Attachment to thoughts creates anxiety, panic attacks, nervous attacks and many health problems in near future.

11.Listen To Your Intuition:

You have this intuition, gut feeling or inner voice which always guides you in every stage of your life. Just listen to it, it can never be wrong.

12.Take Care of Your Bodies:

You are not your body, you live in your body. It is very important to take good care of your body. Have nutritional diet, any form of physical exercise and move your body. It is not wrong in having tasty or junk foods once in a while but don’t over indulge in it. Avoid sugary foods. Eat something frequently which can affect your mind, body and mood in a positive way. Use bath salts, pamper yourself with skin care and hair care routines. Just Invest in yourself which will pay off later. If you take good care of yourself and keep your cup full, you will be able to offer others.

13.Get Out of Your Comfort Zone:

Do something out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself that you have to succeed in it. I should mention I am very bad at it.

For example, we don’t make an eye contact when we are walking and we look at people. We usually look down. Try making an eye contact while talking or wishing people. Similarly do something out of your comfort zone which you have never done before. You will really feel amazed and excited when you do this.

14.Practice Meditation:

Yes meditation, you read it right. Even I was afraid of this before. Let it be few seconds to minutes. But it is not required to keep some time aside for it daily. I just do it before sleeping for few minutes.

Meditation is concentrating on your breath. I know it is very hard to do in the beginning but if you do it for few days you’ll get habituated to it soon.

15.Celebrate Yourself:

Take time to appreciate yourself for the small things you do. You don’t need occasions to celebrate. Treat yourself with gifts. You are valuable.

16.Love Yourself Unconditionally:

You are not the perfect person and there is no perfect person in this world. As we are all humans, we tend to make mistakes and take the wrong path sometimes. We have our own flaws, scars and imperfections within us. It is okay to feel your feelings and accept your feelings. You have to start loving each aspect of your life and not judge yourself at all.

Self love is a choice and it is very natural state of being. You cannot start loving and accepting yourselves from this moment onwards. It takes time. You have to create ways to love yourself. Self love is the key to your physical, spiritual, emotional and mental health.

Whatever happens in your life you have to accept it, forgive the past, take responsibility and move on. There is nothing called failure in life. The real meaning of failure is trying to move you in the right direction. When you face failure, don’t think of the past but make the next right move. Think less of your worries and pray often.

What are the areas in your life you know that you need to focus on? Let me know in the comments below

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Boundaries: The Topic Which We Were Never Taught About

2020-05-03T15:28:00.001+05:30

We know “How to set healthy boundaries with people” was never taught in our education system although it is the most important part of life for our self worth and wellbeing. It is very crucial to make people understand what you tolerate and what you will not tolerate. Boundaries are important in any kind of relationship: romantic, familial and friendship. So let’s talk all about boundaries in this post.

We were not taught how to take care of ourselves and stand up for ourselves. I was kind of a people pleaser, codependent and a person who didn’t like to say no. I have never knew all these years what a boundary is and how important it is to maintain and enforce boundaries until I had some painful experiences which torn me off.

"You are not too nice. You are just too afraid, to say no and honor your boundaries"

If you are a people pleaser, you are going to struggle with boundaries because you don’t want to say no to people. You fear people might think that you are rude, they might leave you or not like you or they might be disappointed in you or they might or you might view yourself as a person who is not helpful to others or people don’t think that you are good person but the thing is you don’t tell yourself that you are a good person. You want to say yes as you are looking for something like love, approval or validation. So there is need for you to strike a balance between being a giving person, being a lovely person, being a happy person that wants to help other people, and allowing yourself to say no and also learn how to fill and feed ourselves from the inside as well.

When you are a codependent person you will value yourself less than what you deserve and take others opinions as your own. In turn people will make you feel like your actions are driven by their thoughts and not yours. It is your duty to teach people what you accept and what you don’t. This can be possible only when you recognize your self worth and love yourself unconditionally.

Self love is a crucial element to set strong and healthy boundaries in relationships. We attract people into our lives who treat us bad, manipulate us and hurt us when we don’t value ourselves. When we do not love ourselves, we become codependent, make people control us and feel guilty for our own actions. You need to make sure that people treat you the way you want to be treated. Some people think that having boundaries means being mean. They just don’t set up boundaries to avoid feeling uncomfortable. Since childhood, we were only taught to give people but no one teaches you to give yourself too. No one teaches that you are important and to put yourselves first. And so people feel guilty to stand up for themselves. But it is important to know how you want to be treated and act accordingly.

What is a Boundary?

Now you might be wondering what actually a boundary is and how do you know when it is crossed or being violated.

A boundary is a limit on how much you are going to tolerate on people’s words and actions towards you. It is an invisible line which you don’t want people to cross or violate it. It is a rule you maintain for yourself and want to enforce it in future. You will know when the boundary has been violated when people’s words and actions make you feel frustrated, irritated and filled with anger or sadness. We should let people know what happens if they continue to break those boundaries or cross those invisible lines which for us are disrespectful.

To know when a boundary has been violated you should know what your standards are. When you want a friend to respect and be honest with you, you should know what that respect or honesty looks like. Because that is what your standards are. You should be able to communicate when that standard is not met or the boundary has been broken. While communicating it is very important to be assertive and come from a calm place rather than to react with ego or anger. It is only possible to come from a calm and loving place when you love yourself. You can probably say “Hey listen, the one that you just said is not acceptable for me and you are not allowed to treat me that way”.

The best thing to do when you meet new people and friends in your life is to state your boundaries: what is acceptable and what is unacceptable as there is no baggage from the past. If they respect your boundaries they will rise up with you or they might drop off. And that is perfectly alright.

The problem arises when the people already in your life cannot accept the new you. They are not used to see you like this and so they might try to test your boundaries and make you feel guilty and manipulate you for setting boundaries. But confidence is the key. Stand up for yourself and keep enforcing your boundaries. People might try to offend you and manipulate you to throw your boundaries away. It is not your problem at all. It has nothing to do with you and it is their problem if they cannot accept the new you.

"Your boundaries don't scare the right people away"

Don’t ever take your boundaries for granted, if people don’t respect them, they might drop from your life at a certain point. But you will attract new people in your life who will respect you for having boundaries and will help you lead a boundaried life.

How to communicate your boundaries?

Here is a small example:

When people say: “You are an idiot"

You: “I understand that our thinking doesn’t match and it’s alright. I am not calling you an idiot and you are not allowed to call me an idiot too”.

This makes them think that you respect their opinion too and does not allow that behaviour in future. Sometimes people tend to forget and there is nothing wrong in enforcing your boundary by reminding them. But if they keep repeating the same kind of behaviour, then it is nothing to do with you and these people will eventually drop and that is okay.

It is important to thank people for respecting your boundaries which in turn helps you in enforcing the boundaries.

Boundaries you may need

Rethink the below aspects of your life where you might need to set boundaries

Emotional:

You feelings are not defined by other people’s feelings, thoughts and moods. You are responsible for your own feelings and not responsible for others feelings. People should not be allowed to dump you with their problems and issues. You are not responsible for the burden of other people think you should feel or how you believe they think you should feel.

Material:

You should maintain a boundary on material things people borrow from you, time limit on when it should be returned and any level of damage which is unacceptable.

Time / Energy:

What you spend your time and energy on. Like favours you want to do for people and the limits on them.

Mental:

These type of boundaries are easily offended by people:

• Thoughts

• Views

• Opinions and

• Beliefs

Everyone has their own point of view on the above topics and no one should be allowed to cross that boundary and offend you.

Physical:

Personal space: Limit on who you allow in your personal space or proximity. When people come too close it can be accidental or an attempt to intimidate you.

Touching: Who can touch you, how they touch you, when and where they touch you.

Sexual: People should not be allowed to make any sexual comments or any kind of comments related to your physical appearance.

Key points to remember:

• Boundaries are not to shut people out of your life

• Don’t be easily offended

• Don’t worry about being liked

• People develop respect for you when you set boundaries

• Law also has an invisible boundary

• Learn to say no

• Self love is the key

Boundaries are important to avoid unnecessary depression and emotional trauma. Don’t be okay with breaking your boundaries. However it is all about our self worth and we should never compromise on ourselves for our wellbeing.

Have you ever found yourself in a sad state and wonder what happened: one major thing can be people crossing your boundary. Think about it and allow yourself to set boundaries and enforce them. If you have any questions or concerns, let me know in the comment box below.

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Easy & Instant Breakfast Recipe with Bread

2020-04-13T15:24:00.000+05:30

I understand that this is lockdown time and people all over the world are facing many issues to buy food items and daily essentials. But i think we always get bread for life whenever we are in need. Bread has become the basic food in all parts of the world. It is easily available and affordable for everyone.

Today I have brought you my favorite recipe from childhood which I've learnt from a TV channel. This tasty, easy and instant recipe with bread is a must try for everyone. Even children can make it easily. So lets get started with the recipe without any delay.

Onion Bread

Ingredients required:

Bread - 4 slices
Onion - 2 (small)
Green Chillies - 2 nos
Salt - 1/4 spoon
Oil

Procedure:

Make a fine paste of onions, green chilles and salt without water. Make sure that the paste is not too thick and too loose as below. You can add 3 green chillies if you like spicy food like me..

Heat the pan and keep it in low flame. Add 1/4th spoon of oil and brush the pan with it.
Here any kind of bread is fine but I prefer sweet bread as it enhances the spices in the recipe.
Apply this paste on one side of the bread and move it to the pan. Make sure that the pan is in low flame as there is possibility that the bread may burn quickly.
Now carefully add more paste on the other side of the bread slice.
Turn the sides and fry until you get to see nice light golden color.
Turn off the flame and this is ready to serve now.

Behind the Scenes:

I always listen to music when i cook something which actually makes me concentrate more on my cooking. It was fun to get into the kitchen after a long time and playing around with the kitchen appliances. This recipe has always been my favorite although there might be other more delicious recipes.

I hope you like my Onion Bread recipe and will definitely try it. One of the "Easy and Instant Breakfast Recipe with Bread". Let me know your questions and concerns in the comment box below.

Top 20 Things To Do In Lockdown

2020-04-05T15:04:00.000+05:30

What to do in this lockdown? What are the best things to do during this lockdown to stay productive? How can I utilise this lockdown time? I had these questions in my mind before I actually found out what to do to be productive.

This topic relates to all the students, employees who are not working and working remotely, self employed, homemakers, elderly people, professionals who are staying at home due to lockdown without any difference in age group.

So here are the Top 20 Productive Things to do in Lockdown.

1)Eat Healthy:

We have now got a good opportunity to choose what you intake rather than to have outside and junk food. Include healthy foods, reduce your sugar intake, add fresh fruits and vegetables, leafy vegetables and salad to your diet. Check out my recipe to stay fit.

2)Drink more Water:

When we stay at home, there is a possibility to forget drinking water. I maintain a personal water bottle at home to make sure this doesn’t happen and count how many times I am having the water in the it. Drink more water to remove toxins from our body and to stay hydrated.

3)Exercise:

We are aware that the gyms and other fitness centers are closed to maintain social distancing. For the people who are used to going out for a gym and also for the ones who think they are slim and does not need any form of exercise, this is the time to think again. When we go outside, just to travel for work, there is some kind of physical activity involved which keeps the fit people not to gain weight. And the other people obviously need to exercise to stay fit. So there is no choice for us to exercise at home. Yoga is a very good option even for a beginner. You can follow some YouTube videos to learn Stretches, Yoga and Zumba.

4)Organize your Wardrobe:

This is the useful thing to do to have everything you wear at one place.

5)Read:

If you want to be super productive, read books that will teach you something and help you in some way. There are many self help books available online. Check out this link where you can get access to thousands of books for free during this lockdown. What a perfect time to indulge yourself in reading to avoid the distractions in the world.

6)Follow a Daily Skincare and Haircare routine:

Make time to pamper yourself with self care routine for your hair and skin. Find some beauty tips online to work on dandruff, oily skin, acne and more similar problems. This refers to men as well as they also suffer with these issues. So why not utilize this time to work on ourselves.

7)De-Clutter your phone and computer:

Create folders in your computer and delete some documents which you don’t need.

Similarly look at the apps in the phone, uninstall the ones you do not use or use very rarely. And create folders, rename them and add the relevant apps there.

For example, I have created a folder and named it “Social Media” and included WhatsApp, Instagram and other social media apps there. Transport, shopping, food, music and payment & banking are the other folders I have created for myself. I have done this few months ago but I am so glad that I did as I know exactly where each app is located which makes me feel that my life is organized.

8)Cook:

Cooking is not an art and everyone can master it well. It is a way of expressing our creativity. I personally enjoy cooking. There are many channels on YouTube to learn cooking. Cook some new recipes and treat your tastebuds well.

9)Create a Playlist:

Create a playlist with the current genre of music and also including all time hits, old songs which you like so that you have everything at one place. Know how music can affect your life positively.

10)Don’t Change your Routine:

If you staying at home, isolating yourself or being quarantined that doesn’t change your daily routine. Make sure this prevailing situation does not affect your wake up time, meal time other daily routine which you had been following before this lockdown

11)Spend Time with your Family:

The love of your family is the life’s greatest blessing. Spend enough time with them, ask about their wellbeing and thank them for always taking care of you, write some gratitude note to express your gratitude. Play some indoor games with them like carroms, cards, ludo etc.

12)Reinforce Communication in your Relationships:

Are there any friendships or relationships in your life where you both have stopped communicating for no reason at all? Now stop taking them for granted and use this time to restart communication.

13)Pick a New Hobby:

By spending few days in lockdown I understand some people thought they do not have any hobbies. Start picking a new hobby which makes you feel alive and interests you. It can be something like drawing pencil sketches, dancing, painting, singing etc. There should be something other than your work and daily chores to claim that you enjoy doing it.

14)Restart your Interests and Passion:

Have you ever seen something and thought “How did they do it? I should do this sometime”. That is your interest. Now start your interest and passion not to make it a career. You should have something to do which you enjoy doing it, which can relieve you from stress and which can take you away from this world mentally.

15)Find Yourself:

You think you know yourself? But how can you truly find yourself. Make a list of things which makes you feel

• A genuine joy

• Interested

• Which gives you stability and cultivates your mind

And start working on them.

16)Upgrade your Career Goals:

Ever thought you should be doing something in your career which might take you to the next level but never actually had a chance to work on it. Now that the so called manmade life is paused for time, create a route map to follow once you are back to your work to achieve your career goals. I understand some people are still working from home. Click here to know some to stay productive working from home.

17)Learn a New Skill:

There are many paid and free courses online which you can learn to improve your skills. Learn a new skill which you can add to your resume to grow to the next level or which can give you some extra income.

18)Set a Financial Goal:

Where are you financially today? And what changes would you like to implement to enjoy a better financial life this year? This is time to think and act on it. Try some online side hustling ideas to create extra income. Create a route map and work on it.

19)Limit Yourself from Addiction:

Some people end up spending their whole day obviously doing nothing but just scrolling through the social media sites. This becomes an addiction for them. Instead focus on something useful and productive so that we do not regret this time once the lockdown is over.

20)Set a Target to Achieve during this Lockdown:

Set a target for yourself to learn something new, productive and useful in this lockdown. There are many platforms which provide you paid courses online like Udemy. Some of the skills you can learn can be

• Playing a musical instrument

• Photo and Video editing

• Digital marketing and so on

Try this Free Digital Marketing course on YouTube.

Do you think I have missed some other ways in the above list to have a productive lockdown? Please do share them in the comment box below.

Kindly share, follow and subscribe if you find this topic interesting and helpful. Subscribe with your email ID to get a notification when I post something new.

I hope you’ll have a productive lockdown by following the above “20 Productive Things to do in Lockdown”.

12 Effective Quarantine Work from Home tips

2020-03-30T08:02:00.000+05:30

12 Effective Work from Home tips this Quarantine & Lockdown period

Its been more than a week since I am working from home now. It was very difficult on my first day, but slowly I realized this is better than working from office. Of course, working from office has its own perks too. Due to Corona effect majority of people all over the world are working from home, even if they like it or not. So Just grab a coffee and continue reading to WFH effectively.

1)Get dressed:

You read it right. Some people do think they can work from home in their night dress or pajamas. Of course we can, but dressing in anything just like a T shirt and trackpants or joggers will help your mind shift to work mode.

2)Choose to Eat healthy:

We have many options to eat in the office. We celebrate birthdays, farewells and other similar parties which makes us to eat that extra piece of unhealthy and junk food. Staying at home gives you a choice to choose what you eat. So choose wisely and stay healthy.

3)Set and Maintain boundaries:

Set this boundary now: "When you are working, you are working. When you are not working, you are not". Some people tend to work more or less when staying home. It is not required to over proof yourself by the amount of work you do. Feel it as a normal workday. Also concentrate only on your work in your working hours to avoid any delays.

4)Connect face to face:

The most difficult part of working from home is you never get to see the people you see and talk daily. You feel so alone and feel like there is no one to listen to you. To avoid this, connect with the people virtually, see them face to face, talk to them and ask about their wellbeing. This helps others in knowing that there is someone who can share your thoughts and connect with even while working from home.

5)Pretend working from office:

The best part of WFM is that you get that extra 1-2 hours of sleep which otherwise spent in traveling. I am sleeping for atleast 9 hours daily which I could never imagine in my dream too.

Wake up a little early and set and adjust your alarm to match with your sleeping hours. Have your lunch and take your breaks at the same time as you would do when you’re in the office. Start your work day early and finish working at the logout time. If you get any new task around your logout time, try postponing it to the next day. It is better to start fresh and do well than to rush things and get it wrong. Just understand that there is no need over prove yourself just because you are working from home.

6)Take breaks:

There is a chance that we might forget or postpone taking breaks while working from home than we do in the office. It is very important to take a break when you are stuck with something which energizes your batteries and then you can work even more productively.

Tip: Try a little 10 minute nap in the afternoon and see how you progress in your work.

I know it is very hard to really get up and have a break but setting a timer on your phone would help. So, why not use this feature to actually get yourself going. Keep a water bottle with you and instead of asking someone to fill it for you, get up yourself, fill it first and then have a trip inside your home.

7)Get into a morning routine:

Get yourself a morning routine. Wake up at the same time daily, have a coffee or tea and include what all you want to do in those morning hours. Write down in a notepad and follow it daily.

8)Find your own space to work:

Choose a comfortable place to work and stick to it. Have everything arranged in that place to help WFH without any distractions. It is great if you have set up a home office. But not everyone can afford a home office, just make your WFH experience easier according to your needs to work.

9)Communicate with those around you:

There is a possibility that your family, friends and pet (if you have one) might think that you are available for them as they can see you around during your work hours. It is time to explain them about your commitment to work for the working hours, otherwise you might end up spending lots of time with them, a small conversation might take up to 20 minutes. Explain them that you will be available before and after the work hours but not in between. I hope people will understand when it is communicated.

10)Turn off distractions:

This is the main disadvantage of working from home that we get distracted easily. TV, neighbourhood, children and pets at home are just some of them which takes our mind off from work. We feel lazy and sometimes tend to procrastinate tasks due to these distractions. To avoid this, start your workday early and sit away from these distractions.

Tip: Write down all the tasks as and when you know you should be working on today and mark it as complete when its done.

I personally follow this technique numbering the tasks and including a date as well. This might seem silly but it always works.

11)Reward yourself:

To keep motivating yourself while working from home, set small targets for the day and reward yourself when it is done. Complete a task and treat yourself with your favorite sweet, coffee or a 10 minute of watching some comedy show which should work wonders. You will feel more positive and energized when you start working again.

12)Have a schedule:

You need to maintain a brief schedule to make all of the above happen. Schedule all parts of the day but remain flexible. Write down your schedule for the whole day, include your morning routine, work hours, break time and also the time to spend with your family. This way you will feel more organized and effective at work creating a balance between work and family. Do share your schedule with your family, they need to know when you are available for them and it also helps you in maintaining work life balance.

Take care of your personal hygiene:

I hope you have heard this a lot of times until now. I still want to repeat it for your wellbeing. Using sanitizers, washing your hands frequently, do not touch your face, covering your mouth with a mask while going out shall protect you from Corona virus but social distancing, quarantine and supporting the lockdown in your state and county helps us stop the spread of this pandemic virus. So, stay home – stay safe.

Here are just a few tips which I found helpful, please do share if you have some others right in the comment box below.

Hope you like my tips. Do share it with the people who need it.

My Secret to Staying Fit

2020-02-22T15:06:00.000+05:30

My Secret Lifestyle to Staying Fit

People who are close to me know that I am a foodie. I always love exploring new varieties of food, cook something new and mouth watering (although I rarely get time to cook) and not the regular dal chaawal. Although I do not eat much all at once and in large quantities but I eat frequently, a light snack once in 2-3 hours. I was not this kind of foodie before and also not a fitness freak though.

I am slim and fit since my childhood. According to my parents I was very chubby and fat when I was an infant. Obviously, which I do not wish to go back to. Staying fit to me has always been a necessity. I love this way and I am going to do whatever it takes to stay this way. It doesn’t mean I am going to starve myself by avoiding my favorite food cravings. I never believed in creating time tables or charts for my food intake.

It is all about the balance we need to maintain between eating our favorite foods and staying healthy at the same time.

I use the below ways to maintain that balance.

Drink Plenty of Water:

Water cleanses our body from all the toxins and harmful substances. It is very important to drink a lot of water daily. I drink around 3-3.5 litres of water a day by which I feel hydrated throughout the day. I make sure that I do not consume more water immediately after my lunch. I feel it causes some uneasiness and it is not healthy in the long run too.

Include Oats in the Breakfast:

I used to think oats is the food only for the obese and fat people who want to get back in shape until I learnt this new recipe from my sister and actually adopted it. I never thought we can make a very tasty recipe with oats as I felt it was boring. I started eating this recipe because it is yummy.

We can find body age as a part of whole body screening and BMI testing which mentions the age of the body according to the functioning of its organs. It is recommended by any nutritionist to have our body age equal to our original age. I am very happy share that body age has reduced gradually by 6 years since the day I started eating oats. It feels very good to hear that you are actually younger than how you look to the whole world.

I would like to share my recipe with you and hope it helps whoever is in the journey of fitness. This is the major thing I have implemented which changed my life in a very positive and healthy way.

Oats & Nuts Blast

Ingredients required:

• Oats – 4 teaspoons

• Flax seeds powder – ¼ teaspoon

• Chia seeds – 1 pinch

• Salt – 2 pinches or as per taste

• Milk – ½ cup (skip this if not preferred)

• Water – 1 ½ cup (adjust this according to milk quantity)

• Any or some varieties of dry fruits

• Cinnamon powder – ¼ teaspoon

• Honey – as per choice

• Fresh fruits – either 1 or a mix of fruits, Orange, Banana, Apple and a few more as per choice

Procedure:

Add oats, flax seed powder, chia seeds, salt, milk and water in a bowl and cook it.

Remove it from the flame when cooked and add nuts, honey and cinnamon powder, mix it and and enjoy the taste of health. You can always replace nuts with your favourite fruit to get rid of the boredom of having it daily.

Always listen to your body:

Our body always warns us when something is wrong within us. We should always listen to our body when it says to stop eating something and get ourselves checked by doctors regularly to avoid any unwanted consequences in the future.

Reduce the intake of oily and sugary foods:

Fortunately, I do not take more of oily and sugary foods as I am not a fan of them which helped me a lot in maintaining my health in order. We should always be careful of what we are eating and how much we are eating. We need to maintain a balance between healthy and junk foods on a daily basis.

Key takeaways:

1)Drink lots of water

2)Take a look at my oats recipe and

3)Always listen to your body

I hope this post helps you and your loved ones. Also comment, like and share if you find this interesting. I would like to hear your concerns in the comments section and love replying you all.

How Music Affects Our Daily Lives?

2020-02-21T14:25:00.000+05:30

How Music Affects Our Daily Lives?

Music affects all of our lives, whether we realize it or not. Some people listen to music on a daily basis, and that alone can help shape the day we will have. There have been many studies attempting to figure out just how music affects the human mind. For example, why do different people like different kinds of music, what parts of the brain are activated and if said parts are affected more or less by different kinds of music, and others.

Some of these questions have remained unanswered, and might stay that way for a while. One thing, however, is for certain: music does affect our daily lives.

Just look at the simple facts. Most people listen to music. If someone doesn’t, they’re sometimes viewed in a strange way. How could you not listen to music? So plug in your earphones with your favorite song and continue reading.

“Music gives your brain what you need to think and feel at the same time.”

Music is more than just sound, isn’t it? It’s movement, healing, connection, memory. It affects us in ways we might never fully comprehend. Maybe your favorite song has something more to say. What an amazing gift God has given us through music!

Music has such effect on mental health that it is unbelievable. Music is a very beneficial form of therapy. If you want to get pumped up, put on an upbeat song. If you’re sad, put on a slow ballad. If you’re happy, put on a song that makes you smile. Music is so beautiful because you can express yourself in so many ways, whether through singing, making your own music, or just listening to music. Everyone loves music because it strikes a chord inside of them. It is something people can relate with.

“Music acts like a magic key to which the most tightly closed hearts open”

Music is present in every part of our lives. Our spiritual rituals are framed with songs, children learn the alphabet through song and the malls and cafes we visit during our leisure time are rarely silent.

Music affects our emotions. When we listen to sad songs, we tend to feel a decline in mood. When we listen to happy songs, we feel happier. Upbeat songs with energetic riffs and fast-paced rhythms (such as those we hear at sporting events) tend to make us excited and pumped up.

But just how much can this ever-present thing impact us -- and the way we act and feel? Research suggests music can influence us a lot. It can impact illness, depression, spending, productivity and our perception of the world.

We do, however, have to be careful about the genres we listen to. Some research has suggested it can increase aggressive thoughts, or encourage crime. Be careful what you listen to! If your music tends to get you feeling angry, lustful, paranoid, or depressed, then it’s time to find a new beat. If you need healing, let godly music help you find your way back to Him.

All the school curriculum patterns for our littlest children includes a teaching song. Why? If we can use music to teach our little ones that God loves them, we know they’re set to remember God’s love for the rest of their lives. What Scripture are you trying to memorize? Put it to music. Hijack a simple melody, and swap out the lyrics for your favorite religious verses. It might sound crazy, but boy will you remember those life-giving words when you need them!

Music unites people. Fight songs, national anthems, theme songs. What do they have in common? They all trigger unified thoughts in everyone who hears them. Fight songs make you want to root for the aim of the fight”. National anthems point out the best and most heroic traits of your country. Singing together is an incredibly unifying experience. I still remember we had a school anthem which each one of us enjoyed singing whole heartedly in the assembly. God loves it when His people gather and sing to Him. He wants us to be one.

People worship God with their musical skills and some rare musicians choose to make a career following their passion with God.

No matter what form of music people listen to, there seems to be a common consensus as to why they listen. It seems that genres that have a fast paced, upbeat, and catchy rhythm (like pop, rap, etc.) are attractive to those who do sports, or at least, those who are looking to get pumped up. Rock also stands to achieve this goal. Most people agree that music just makes them happy. They can ‘get into a mood’ based of the style of the song they’re listening too. I must say that I agree.

It seems that music helps us concentrate and study as well. Either people listen to music a little, or they listen to music all the time. Music takes different standpoints in different people’s lives, and it matters more or less to one person than it does another.

Whenever we feel sad, music is always there to restore us and it always has our back. One song can take back to old sweet memories and can show us a wonderful future ahead. All music platforms have readymade playlists created for us depending on the genre. Music can touch our heart and soul without even touching.

Music has the power to heal all our blocked feelings of sadness. Whenever you are sad, try listening to a calm song with very meaningful lyrics, now you can find a bliss in it. Music gives your brain what you need to think and feel at the same time.

Personally, music makes me feel alive and awakening at all times. I feel so happy and grateful to music. I cannot think of my life without music. I love music so much that I can listen to it all day. I regret days where I cannot listen to music due to some events. Music has always helped me to cope up with a lot in my life. I am so happy that it is the only thing which is going to stay with me forever. We stick to each other forever. No one can steal the music from us. I feel like my heart is a drum being played by delicate sticks of music. No words can describe what music means to me.

“Music is my life. The lyrics are my story.”

Overall, the final conclusion is, music is simply a force that cannot be explained. It messes with our heads, it makes us feel different emotions, sometimes even physically changes us. Music unites us. Some of those surveyed said that they’ve had friendships established based off music. In the end, we know that music has a wide range of effects on us. So close your eyes and let the music set you free.