Nidhis.daily.blog

Category: self growth

  • Disconnect!

    Yes you read the title correctly. Disconnect right now to connect in real life or IRL as the GenZ say. We all know the dos & dont’s of devices. The best ways to utilise screen time is by heart to us. What is missing is putting these hacks to use. So now that you are here, read through to know how to trick your mind to getting away from the enticing screen of your laptop, tablet, mobile phone and multitude of other devices.

    Here and Now

    Get smarter than the smartphone – While we are quick to install the latest apps, there are plenty of built in features to keep a check on your digital heallth. Start with basic app locking feature to deter re-opening. Mute notifications from all apps save the real time connect one’s – making calls, instant messaging and 1-2 more of your choice. Ofcourse you don’t need that notification of ‘price drop’ from e-commerce app or leisure app you have signed up for. Gaurd your sleep and nap schedules by using bedtime mode which greys out the screen making it instantly unappealing to use. Setup time limits to regulate app usage for the time-guzzling ones. One hack to re-wire your brain is to hide them from showing up in your device menu. If nothing works then deletion of app temporarily is also a viable self-discipline option.

    Write it down – Agree not everyone is a born writer. But we all love task lists and to-do’s alright. So start engaging your mind to write the mundane daily stuff – grocery list, weekly meal plan, family schedule, mini-project and diy ideas. Get cosy and pen cute reminders, make a warm card or a fuzzy note to someone. If writing to express to others is not your cup of tea, start with writing for yourself – journal your thoughts, write letters to yourself and document your life goals. Keep a few notepads and pens handy in every corner of your home. Easy hack to trick your brain out of the excuse ‘I can’t find pen & paper but my mobile phone is handy’.

    Move around – Movement is liberating. Movement is engaging. Movement takes the dullness away and gives enough stimuli for our brain like screens do. Just head out for a walk in your neighbourhood and make small talk with the folks you bump into. If in a sporty mood you could bike, slide, run or even take a short walk in the woods amidst nature. Or if weather doesn’t permit put on your favourtise music and make a waking trail within the house itself. Music is a good way to hack your mind into making this activity more enjoyable and less lonesome.

    Get handy – Engage in a eye-hand coordination activity. It doesn’t have to be complex like knitting, crocheting, pottery or investment heavy like jewellery making, creating murals, cooking an exotic meal, home improvement projects. It could come off from the list of things to do around the house that you have been pushing back – that plant you wanted to repot, that corner you have been meaning to deep clean, that wardrobe sorting which is pending since spring or that ‘needs repair’ stash you have been stowing away.

    Congratulations on making it through to the end. Now all you need is adopting atleast one of it and starting to disconnect rightaway!

  • (Anti) Social media

    Social media has its roots in building community. It all started as an alternate avenue for people to talk to others, share their thoughts via words and pictures and build virtual digital community. The early days of IM aka Instant Messaging and even Facebook was to bring people together by consuming what’s happening in their lives.

    See me, don’t see me

    Fast forward to today. There is no ‘social’ aspect left in the social media platforms being used nowadays. The goal is for all to reach all with the objective of either sharing knowledge or sharing pure fun and joy sometimes even meaningless stuff. This in some of the formats which aim at making information available to anyone and everyone, there is no aspect of social element left. The invisible string of algorithm controls what we see and what we do next. In a way associations are getting replaced by algorithms. Connections are getting replaced by content. Interactions are getting replaced by influencers. Relations are now replaced by reels. Listening to each other is now replaced by livestreams. Videos have taken place of visits. Number of shares have taken place of sincere genuine talks. Face to face conversations are not displaced by chats.

    Not that we are not to be blamed. Collectively we have started harnessing the power of this tool to assimilate knowledge about even mundane, unimportant and trivial topics. Now that information is available at fingertips, we don’t think but look it up instead. That too on specific social media platforms; ofcourse we know where to get genuine current affairs and hacks to develop a green thumb! Thus we are slowly confining our creativity and brainstorming ability to discover the ‘how’, the process on our own. Even if some of us awaken to this aspect of our over-consumption and try to interact with these tools in the true, primitive sense the smart algorithms we built act as deterrents.

    But hope is not all lost. There is a silver lining even in this dark cloud. As hyper-capitalists we now have tools to connect to each other in real life this giving rise to apps for dating, social meet-ups etc. More on that in the next one!

  • A.S.A.P.

    As soon as possible or asap in corporate language calls for immediate response and attachs the tag of urgency to every task. Do we really need this sense of haste and immediateness in every action? Is this mindset leading to burnout? Can we reset our thoughts, beliefs and actions from this ‘asap’ culture?

    Never ending to-do list

    As simple as possible – neural decisions to uncomplicate words, tasks and thoughts. Adopt the simplest thoughts, the boring words, the un-adventurous and the tried & tested ways of accomplishing.

    As soft as possible – sprinkling kindness into our deeds, relations and views. Taking an antagonist stand is ‘in’ but being kind is the new cool.

    As slow as possible – embrace pause and cultivate reflections to your reflexes. Life is not a game parlour where the fastest reflexes always matter.

    As sincere as possible – add a dash of honesty to your connections, a splash of genuineness to your conversations and see how deep and fulfilling moments can seem.

    As steady as possible – preserving one’s inner peace and happiness. Practising dettachment to deflect other’s energies from disturbing your state of calm.

    As sustainable as possible – identifying quick dopamine fixes from the long term habits. Bring longetivity to your fleeting thoughts. Evaluate emotions that ebb & tide for their depth.

    Let us choose from the many forms of asap and let As soon as possible die a natural death from our mindspace. ЁЯл░

  • Generational reboot

    All things legacy are gold. While it’s great to embrace one’s background and origins, evolutionary growth calls for mindful pause. Concious reflection and deeper analysis are key ingredients to bring meaningful change. Only then can you hit generational reboot in a lifetime.

    Old is gold. New is platinum

    Be it what you consume – food, media, information, material things. Or how you organize – parenting, relationships, possessions. Known habits lead to known outcomes. If you desire change in the results, the same inputs won’t work a miracle. A change of process only can deliver differently from the herd.

    Break the mundane. Ponder why, draft how and outline a fresh blueprint for refreshed end results. Pause. Rethink. Reflect. Reboot.

  • Birthday eve

    As I sit down with my coffee mug, I am reminded yet again that tomorrow is a special day. A day when I officially finish another revolution around the sun – a year older and wiser. Reflecting on the past 12 months, I realize it’s only befitting to pen a letter to ‘a year younger’ myself. It’s like an annual ritual now; an yearly performance appraisal of sorts.

    Starting with the count of what was accomplished; many firsts that I did the past dozen months. Attended a dance workshop which helped pick up my childhood journey of classical dance lessons I used to take in middle school. A micro-trip all by myself, stepping stone to a full fledged solo trip. A soulful reconnection with a friend from the past, tricky waters but glad I could swim across the current. Increased executive presence at workplace, executing critical decisions and owning up the outcomes. Egged my spiritual side by exploring unanswered questions with the help of a guru. A few impromtu travel plans with the clan, historic moment for a Type A personality mom who overplans even intra-city drives. Lost just over 10 pounds; gained improved immunity, energy levels and a new found love for this form of self care. Overshot personal goal to read and write consistently; this also motivated my boys to develop a reading habit. Priortized people and connections by spending quality time over talks, food and togetherness.

    And then a deeper reflection of what helped me accomplish these. Improved conversational skills to navigate tricky and sensitive topics with close ones. Pause before responding by weighing in my thoughts as well as words. Smiled more often and smiled for no reason to protect my calm and peace. Developed routines with flexibility to enable consistency yet leaving room for exploration

    In short a year of growth and adventure. As I put my pen down, the coffee is cold but my soul is nourished to welcome what the next year holds for me!

  • рдорд┐рдереНрдпрд╛ – A myth

    Like the weary desert traveller longs for a drop of water. Like the grass on the other side always seems greener, fulfilling and enduring. The same way those diamonds shining ahead, luring you of miraculous happiness may just be nothing but broken shards of glass which may cause bruises and immense pain instead.

    рд╣рдордиреЗ рдЕрдХреНрд╕рд░ рдЕрдкрдиреА рд░рд╛рд╣реЛрдВ рдореЗрдВ рд░реБрдХ рдХрд░, рддреБрдореНрд╣рд╛рд░рд╛ рдЗрдВрддрдЬрд╛рд░ рдХрд┐рдпрд╛ред

    To not give into the allure, to use wisdom in the eye of quick pleasure. To not trace back your steps and repeat the same errors. To pull back to the reality of life, to find solace in not rocking the boat. Comes but not naturally. It is strenous, arduous and a knotty path. Drowning in the past and the future is easy. Stay afloat in the present.

  • Perpetual Debt

    I owe you. Unfailingly. Copious quantities of apologies. Prayers unlimited. A lifetime of asking forgiveness. A confession every living breath.

    I owe you. Unfailingly. Reasoning fails. Actions don’t make sense. Numbers don’t add up. Words don’t resonate. Scripts sound vague. Behaviours seem irrational. Logic seems hollow.

    I owe you. Unfailingly. A soliloquy replays. A monologue re-enacted. A social credit unreturned. A willingness to return the kindness, the gratitude and to give back infinitely.

    I owe you. Unfailingly. Time. Distance. Solitude. Peace. Quiet. Calm. Fulfillment. Health. Love. Togetherness. Bliss. Amen.

  • The company one keeps

    A man is known by the company he keeps. Maybe because birds of a feather flock together. But what if the bird is on a migratory visit, out of its homeland. Trying to fit-in due to the absence of its home turf. Or maybe it’s yet to find its tribe and hence is fleetingly vibing with a certain kind.

    Would it still be fair to judge the birdie or fit it into a box? To pass judgement and decide on its fate because it chirps with a certain type?

    Yes the way you choose to spend time does reflect on your personality, taste and standards. And influence does shape our habits, ideologies and behaviours. But haven’t we taken social judgment to our hearts nowadays. We are supremely quick with speedy conclusions to box a person into a certain category. Rushing to group similar individuals basis the exterior traits they exhibit. So yes we do gravitate towards people with similar taste but there are a zillion shaping forces which factor into our personalities. So no we can’t always be told by our acquaintances and yes choosing friends for life is always a natural phenomenon. Thus ultimately you are a sum of the true friends you hold dear – the ones who uplift you, the ones who cheer for you, even the ones who scold you for doubting yourself. So enjoy the fleeting acquaintances like hopping from one set of friends to another. & explore hangouts without the guilt of getting labelled – there is no dearth of public gospel anyways!

  • Twelfth hour rush

    Come December, come frenzy. Businesses scramble to close financial year targets, establishments hurry to tick mark all the Xmas-y activities and me a working mother, remote worker, corporate slave tries to juggle it all alongside the constant pressure to hustle max. Phew, sounds heavy right, well it is mate. And it is real.

    Rush hour

    December to me is like one endless gigantic day, 744 hours of adrenaline rush, 44,640 hours of back to back hustling. It’s like the longest marathon of my life, albeit it occurs every year like an inter-galectic phenomenon. Can I avoid it? No. Can I embrace it? Yes. Can I play it out differently? Maybe.

    What I equate this craze is the mad frenzy which an unorganised, clutter-loving, last moment champion lives with all through their lives. Everyday is a mad rush, a thrill of living on the edge and racing past milestones at the eleventh hour. Coffee in one hand, one hand on the steering wheel, speaking through the wireless while one foot is on the gas – a vivid picture of definitely how life shouldn’t be conducted on daily basis.

    Anyways back to my end goal for this month long, not so festive cheer is downtime. No roles, routines, rules attached. So with my eyes on the prize of calmer days ahead, signing off this task from my to-do list of December!

  • One life, many lives

    Do you only live once? Or is it that you live multitude lives in a lifetime. Afterall, every few years or decades one is living a life completely different from the previous in more than one ways. Nothing is the same. The physical body undergoes changes, intelligence grows, mind expands and the soul transforms. Every new phase of being brings a new role, a new title and a new personality to the forefront. Seems the term YOLO is just to keep encouraging to live better and not delay gratification. Not just in this one life but the many lives we live.

    As a kid, maximize play. As a teen, maximize exposure. As a young adult maximize learning. As a new-spouse, maximize togetherness. As a parent, maximize growth. As an older adult, maximize friendship. In your silver years, maximize giving. It could be this and much more for each of this time bucket. In fact some could be constant goals manifested differently for different time of life. In short, fretting about one life and too much to do is a stress-inducing point of view. Think of your journey of life as many lives rolled into one, where you have constant chances of being a better version, at every age and stage of the sojourn!