Technology has opened a new frontier in mental health support and data collection. Mobile devices like cell phones, smartphones, and tablets are giving the public, doctors, and researchers new ways to access help, monitor progress, and increase understanding of mental wellbeing.

Mobile mental health support can be very simple but effective. For example, anyone with the ability to send a text message can contact a crisis center. New technology can also be packaged into an extremely sophisticated app for smartphones or tablets. Such apps might use the device’s built-in sensors to collect information on a user’s typical behavior patterns. If the app detects a change in behavior, it may provide a signal that help is needed before a crisis occurs. Some apps are stand-alone programs that promise to improve memory or thinking skills. Others help the user connect to a peer counselor or to a health care professional.

Excitement about the huge range of opportunities has led to a burst of app development. There are thousands of mental health apps available in iTunes and Android app stores, and the number is growing every year. However, this new technology frontier includes a lot of uncertainty. There is very little industry regulation and very little information on app effectiveness, which can lead consumers to wonder which apps they should trust.

Before focusing on the state of the science and where it may lead, it’s important to look at the advantages and disadvantages of expanding mental health treatment and research into a mobile world.

The Pros and Cons of Mental Health Apps

Experts believe that technology has a lot of potential for clients and clinicians alike. A few of the advantages of mobile care include:

Convenience: Treatment can take place anytime and anywhere (e.g., at home in the middle of the night or on a bus on the way to work) and may be ideal for those who have trouble with in-person appointments.

Anonymity: Clients can seek treatment options without involving other people.

An introduction to care: Technology may be a good first step for those who have avoided mental health care in the past.

Lower cost: Some apps are free or cost less than traditional care.

Service to more people: Technology can help mental health providers offer treatment to people in remote areas or to many people in times of sudden need (e.g., following a natural disaster or terror attack).

Interest: Some technologies might be more appealing than traditional treatment methods, which may encourage clients to continue therapy.

24-hour service: Technology can provide round-the-clock monitoring or intervention support.

Consistency: Technology can offer the same treatment program to all users.

Support: Technology can complement traditional therapy by extending an in-person session, reinforcing new skills, and providing support and monitoring.

Objective data collection: Technology can quantitatively collect information such as location, movement, phone use, and other information.

This new era of mental health technology offers great opportunities but also raises a number of concerns. Tackling potential problems will be an important part of making sure new apps provide benefits without causing harm. That is why the mental health community and software developers are focusing on:

Effectiveness: The biggest concern with technological interventions is obtaining scientific evidence that they work and that they work as well as traditional methods.

For whom and for what: Another concern is understanding if apps work for all people and for all mental health conditions.

Privacy: Apps deal with very sensitive personal information so app makers need to be able to guarantee privacy for app users.

Guidance: There are no industry-wide standards to help consumers know if an app or other mobile technology is proven effective.

Regulation: The question of who will or should regulate mental health technology and the data it generates needs to be answered.

Overselling: There is some concern that if an app or program promises more than it delivers, consumers may turn away from other, more effective therapies.

Current Trends in App Development

Creative research and engineering teams are combining their skills to address a wide range of mental health concerns. Some popular areas of app development include:

Self-Management Apps

“Self-management” means that the user puts information into the app so that the app can provide feedback. For example, the user might set up medication reminders, or use the app to develop tools for managing stress, anxiety, or sleep problems. Some software can use additional equipment to track heart rate, breathing patterns, blood pressure, etc. and may help the user track progress and receive feedback.

Apps for Improving Thinking Skills

Apps that help the user with cognitive remediation (improved thinking skills) are promising. These apps are often targeted toward people with serious mental illnesses.

Skill-Training Apps

Skill-training apps may feel more like games than other mental health apps as they help users learn new coping or thinking skills. The user might watch an educational video about anxiety management or the importance of social support. Next, the user might pick some new strategies to try and then use the app to track how often those new skills are practiced.

Illness Management, Supported Care

This type of app technology adds additional support by allowing the user to interact with another human being. The app may help the user connect with peer support or may send information to a trained health care provider who can offer guidance and therapy options. Researchers are working to learn how much human interaction people need for app-based treatments to be effective.

Passive Symptom Tracking

A lot of effort is going into developing apps that can collect data using the sensors built into smartphones. These sensors can record movement patterns, social interactions (such as the number of texts and phone calls), behavior at different times of the day, vocal tone and speed, and more. In the future, apps may be able to analyze these data to determine the user’s real-time state of mind. Such apps may be able to recognize changes in behavior patterns that signal a mood episode such as mania, depression, or psychosis before it occurs. An app may not replace a mental health professional, but it may be able to alert caregivers when a client needs additional attention. The goal is to create apps that support a range of users, including those with serious mental illnesses.

Data Collection

Data collection apps can gather data without any help from the user. Receiving information from a large number of individuals at the same time can increase researchers’ understanding of mental health and help them develop better interventions.

So, we can only expect the fact that there will be some boom for mental health because of technology.

Chess in itself is a complicated game. Even with all the strategy, sometimes one can go only that much far. Also known as the game of kings, chess has evolved through the passage of time. It is said to have derived its roots from the indian game chaturanga. The standardized rules of chess that are followed unanimously now were discussed and fixed in the 19th century.

In this game, each player is alloted 16 pieces: one king, one queen, two bishops, two knights, two rooks and lastly, eight pawns. Each piece follows a different movement pattern, and the main objective of the game is to checkmate the opponent’s king. Checkmate refers to the position where the opponent’s king is in threat of capture, with no option to safeguard the piece. 

It is a fact that change is the only thing that is constant. Same applies to chess too. Many variants of chess, on the basis of different criterias, are popular amongst the population. If anyone is keeping up with the chess developments, then they will surely know about three and four player variants of chess. So what are these variants? Let’s see…

Triple Trouble

Three player chess, also known as three way chess, or three handed chess is specially designed for three players. Usually a non-standardized board is used, and many variations of this form exist. The pieces of three players are usually separated on the basis of colours. Three way chess variants are more tough to design as for disbalance caused by teaming up of two players will be a great disadvantage for the third one, and also not easily lovercomable. Hence, some variants declare the first player to checkmate any of the other two players as the winner. The third player might be declared to have lost, alongside the checkmated player, or, might be rewarded a half point.

The strategy in three way chess differs greatly from the traditional chess variant, as for the face against two opponents, the usual opening and defenses might not hold strong. Also, the third player is given the most advantage when the other two players exchange their pieces. This point opens a plethora of new tactics in the game. Also, in the games where the first one to checkmate wins, the players not only have to build on their attack and defense, but also have to make sure that no other player checksmates before them. Also, checkmate from both the opposing players simultaneously is a tricky situation. As for if the checkmated piece is captured by the second player, which in turn, is captured by the third player, then it is considered that the ultimate checkmate is given by the third player. But with all these complications, three way chess pushes the mind to evaluate the game even with more concentration and critical thinking.

Some variants of three way chess are:

• Boards with triangular cells: Patented by Russian Ilshat Tagiev in 2008, this variant uses a hexagonal board with triangular cells. The cells which are not adjacent to the perimeter have three cells adjacent in an oblique fashion.
• Boards with quadrilateral cells: Under this, variants can be sub classified on the basis of the geometry of the boards.

• Hexagonal board: Some variants under this category are Three Man Chess (96 cell board), Self’s Three Handed Chess (144 cell board), Waidder’s Three Handed Chess (126 cell board), etc.
• Other Boards: Megachess (roughly triangular board with 130 cells), Mad Threeparty Chess (10X10 board) etc.

• Boards with hexagonal cells: In this type of board, usually three bishops are alloted to each player, in order to include all the cells of the hex- playing field. Some variants with this type of cells are- Chesh, HEXChess etc.
• Circular boards: Usually has three or four sided cells. One such variant is Three Man Chess.

From all the directions

Four player chess, also known as four way chess and four man chess, is relatively simpler to understand. It follows some basic rules of traditional chess. The board itself, though, is different. The common board format is the standard 8X8 squares, with an extension of three rows, each of eight cells, on each side. The pieces are again differentiated on the basis of colours. Played in both team and single format, the objective is to mate the opponent kings (two in case of team game and three in case of singles). In a team game, check mating only one king successfully leads to a draw. A fun fact: If two or more players team up during a game, then also it is considered legal.

Four player chess, incidentally, has a set of common rules. Those are:

• Pieces of a certain colour can only be moved at their own turns.
• Pawn can move diagonally forward only in an attacking case, otherwise it has to move forward in a straight line.
• A pawn, on successfully reaching the King’s row of any of the other three opponents, has the option to upgrade to a queen, rook, knight or bishop.
• In most of the variations, if the move of one opponent directly places another opponent in a mate position due to the presence of a piece of third opponent, the third opponent is forbidden to capture the mated King, until the mated opponent gets the opportunity to play something in order to defend their king.

A man cannot simply feel contended by earning bread alone. The mind must be fed with literature, knowledge & ethics for functioning in the right path. One can simply do it by reading books of their favourite genre. And if you are a beginner grab a book that can hold down your interest & a comparatively thinner book. This is the common psychology that every significant reader holds in their initial days. 

  So after the invention of printing by Caxton, different kinds of books in different linguals have flooded bookstalls in every country. But in recent years, as everything is being sought for its alternatives & so are reading books, journals, magazines & newspapers. One can access all of the above-mentioned through different pages on the internet in blog forms or applications. A good book is defined to be the one that makes readers feel good about it. Reading one may feel the urge to make a difference in their life. Again some books in the market compel readers to hold a different viewpoint to each different reader. Good books are like those of Tagore, Bankim, Shakespeare & Tolstoy that can be the constant companions in their loneliness & even in their weals & woes.

  Books of Bibhutibhushan Banerjee or Rabindranath are the kinds that free our minds from depressions & sorrows. While the poetry books of Keats & Wordsworth generate a sense of sweet feelings, pleasant moments & philosophical thoughts. Such books can help one to strengthen their mental power & imparts a calming effect at the time of catastrophes. Again a book on criticism gives us a balanced judgment & appreciation.

On the contrary, a thriller tends to take away all the dullness & boredom from one’s mind. A science book helps one to widen their knowledge of the physical world & makes them keep abreast of the latest phase of human progress. An illustrated book on travel creates a hypnotic influence on one’s mind.  

 A visit to paradise for a book lover would be a book fair. Moreover, it’s a bonus if it is of a wholesale kind. Such an event provides enough scope for bibliophiles to quench their thirst for knowledge. A swarm of readers from all over throng the place. Even book launch events of certain authors are quite an enthusiastic event for book lovers. This gives them a chance to listen & interact with their favourite authors, totally a fanboying moment. 

Over The Top (OTT) platforms are on-demand content streaming services which provide the viewers access to movies and TV shows directly through the internet rather than using broadcasting mediums like cable TV, satellite TV etc. Some of the most common OTT platforms are NETFLIX, AMAZON PRIME VIDEO, HOTSTAR etc. The spontaneous boom of OTT platforms happened out of the blue when people were forced to stay back at their homes during lockdowns imposed due to the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic. The major advantage of OTT services over the traditional platforms is the convenience of watching favourite shows at our fingertip within the comforts of our home at a reasonable cost. 

Recent reports have shown that the OTT platforms promises the low budget films with less saleable names, a larger audience with a considerable slashed cost on advertisement and distribution. With the shutdown of movie theatres, OTT releases of latest movies became a new trend. In view of the rapidly increasing consumers, the OTT platforms have now shifted their focus onto creating contents on their own meeting the varying demands and tastes of its viewers.

The discourse on positioning the OTT streaming platforms and theatres is a present-day development in the entertainment sector. Cinema being one of the worst hit industries during the pandemic found itself in a greater challenge of sustenance. The effect nudged to the surface by this crisis was evenly handed for both the movie lovers and film industrial workers. This opens the door to the heroic entrance of OTT platforms saving both parties, granting industry the monetary benefits and viewers a platform to entertain themselves within their homely comforts at an affordable rate which propounds a win-win situation. Having said that, the inaccessibility of the OTT services to a large mass counts as the worst part as it is the working middle class people, the so called majority consumers, who contribute to more than 75% of the viewership leaving the rest 25% to decide between poor, lower middle class and elites. The OTT  results in the shutting down of entertainment to the unfortunate for whom technology is still a luxury.

OTT platforms are never a newly discovered competition for theatres as they have lived through the worst times and challenges during VCRs, DVDs and the still relevant piracy days. This testifies the unending interest  people carry for the theatrical experiences and any alteration is beyond thought. Though the OTT media services are propelled by the rise in the standard of living, evolution of smartphones, and affordable internet connectivity; socialising and community viewing experience from theatres will remain unmatched. Moreover, the real like involvement  offered  by big screens  is something the streaming platforms can never tone with . In conclusion, OTT platforms can coexist with the theatres but never top it.

Many people, myself included, have multiple areas of life they would like to improve. For example, I would like to reach more people with my writing, to lift heavier weights at the gym, and to start practicing mindfulness more consistently. Those are just a few of the goals I find desirable and you probably have a long list yourself.

The problem is, even if we are committed to working hard on our goals, our natural tendency is to revert back to our old habits at some point. Making a permanent lifestyle change is really difficult.

Recently, I’ve come across a few research studies that (just maybe) will make these difficult lifestyle changes a little bit easier. As you’ll see, however, the approach to mastering many areas of life is somewhat counterintuitive.

Too Many Good Intentions

If you want to master multiple habits and stick to them for good, then you need to figure out how to be consistent. How can you do that?

Well, here is one of the most robust findings from psychology research on how to actually follow through on your goals:

Research has shown that you are 2x to 3x more likely to stick with your habits if you make a specific plan for when, where, and how you will perform the behavior. For example, in one study scientists asked people to fill out this sentence: “During the next week, I will partake in at least 20 minutes of vigorous exercise on [DAY] at [TIME OF DAY] at/in [PLACE].”

Researchers found that people who filled out this sentence were 2x to 3x more likely to succeed compared to a control group who did not make plans for their future behavior. Psychologists call these specific plans “implementation intentions” because they state when, where, and how you intend to implement a particular behavior.

This finding is well proven and has been repeated in hundreds studies across a broad range of areas. For example, implementation intentions have been found to increase the odds that people will start exercising, begin recycling, stick with studying, and even stop smoking.

However (and this is crucial to understand) follow-up research has discovered implementation intentions only work when you focus on one thing at a time. In fact, researchers found that people who tried to accomplish multiple goals were less committed and less likely to succeed than those who focused on a single goal.

This is important, so let me repeat: developing a specific plan for when, where, and how you will stick to a new habit will dramatically increase the odds that you will actually follow through, but only if you focus on one thing.

What Happens When You Focus on One Thing

Here is another science-based reason to focus on one thing at a time:

When you begin practicing a new habit it requires a lot of conscious effort to remember to do it. After awhile, however, the pattern of behavior becomes easier. Eventually, your new habit becomes a normal routine and the process is more or less mindless and automatic.

Researchers have a fancy term for this process called “automaticity.” Automaticity is the ability to perform a behavior without thinking about each step, which allows the pattern to become automatic and habitual.

But here’s the thing: automaticity only occurs as the result of lots of repetition and practice. The more reps you put in, the more automatic a behavior becomes.

Change Your Life Without Changing Your Entire Life

Alright, let’s review what I have suggested to you so far and figure out some practical takeaways.

1. You are 2x to 3x more likely to follow through with a habit if you make a specific plan for when, where, and how you are going to implement it. This is known as an implementation intention.
2. You should focus entirely on one thing. Research has found that implementation intentions do not work if you try to improve multiple habits at the same time.
3. Research has shown that any given habit becomes more automatic with more practice. On average, it takes at least two months for new habits to become automatic behaviors.

This brings us to the punchline of this article…

The counterintuitive insight from all of this research is that the best way to change your entire life is by not changing your entire life. Instead, it is best to focus on one specific habit, work on it until you master it, and make it an automatic part of your daily life. Then, repeat the process for the next habit.

The way to master more things in the long-run is to simply focus on one thing right now

Working from home — some people love it, other people hate it. Regardless of which camp you fall into, you’re likely spending an increased amount of time in the confines of your own home these days.

Even before the coronavirus was impacting our physical work environment, the number of telecommuters had been steadily ticking up. According to Global Workplace Analytics, telecommuting has grown 173% since 2005, with 4.7 million people now working at least part time from home.

Below are 10 tips for establishing an efficient, productive, and sustainable home office setup. Whether you’re in this situation temporarily or for the long haul, we hope this working from home advice will help you adjust and stay productive.

coronavirus-and-worklife-tips-to-make-working-from-home-easy

1. Set a schedule.

When you go into an office every day, you typically adhere to a routine with fairly consistent start and end times. Those lines are blurred when you work from home. No one is paying attention to your arrival or departure times, so there’s less accountability. For some, this may make it hard to stay on track. For others who already maintain long hours to accommodate heavy workloads, the lack of a schedule can make it even harder to maintain work-life balance.

2. Get dressed.

Even if you won’t see anyone else for the entire day besides your cat, it’s hard to feel productive psychologically in your pajamas. In the early days of telecommuting, staying in sweats might feel like a perk. But for many remote workers, this habit can cause a sense of sluggishness by the end of the workday. Even if you’ve accomplished a lot, it can feel like your work day never really started if you skip getting dressed.

3. Stay connected.

Depending on your line of work, you may still feel connected through conference calls and virtual team meetings. But even if you’re independent and don’t join as many of those, try to find excuses to have regular, virtual check-ins with key colleagues. Consider starting your calls chatting with them about what’s going on in their lives or big projects they’re working on. This helps to make up for some of the water cooler conversations you miss out on when working remotely.

4. Take a walk.

Chances are, working from home means a much more sedentary lifestyle than you’d otherwise lead. Especially if you’ve suddenly made the switch to working from home, the shift can be jarring. Taking a walk — whether it’s around your neighborhood, up and down your apartment building’s stairs, or even just around your backyard — can provide a much-needed break to clear your head, get your blood flowing, and to look at something other than a screen.

5. Designate an official home office.

Just as you don’t want to roll out of bed and start working in your pajamas, it’s also not a great idea to roll over in bed and grab your laptop from your bedside table. Having an established workspace will help you maintain boundaries between home and work life.

6. Limit distractions.

By far, one of the biggest challenges when it comes to telecommuting is finding ways to limit all of the distractions around you. That book you’ve almost finished is calling you name. That TV show you recorded is waiting for you to watch. The kids’ laundry might be piling up in the laundry room.

7. Listen to music.

For some people, it’s too quiet at home. There’s no office buzz going on around them, and they miss it. For others, playing music — especially with headphones in — can help cut out the noise from family members or roommates who might also be working or schooling from home. Figure out what works for you, whether it’s quiet background noise from a playlist, your favorite band’s music channel, or even the sound of a noise machine or a TV in the next room.

8. Create house rules.

It’s easy to put this pressure on yourself, too. Maybe one of the benefits of working from home is that you can take small breaks to tackle things like laundry, but that shouldn’t be an expectation. You need to give yourself permission to focus solely on work when you’re working, otherwise you’ll never get anything done. Don’t feel guilty about putting off other things on your to-do list. This is where that schedule comes in handy.

9. Set team norms.

When teams are working remotely, check-in meetings are more important than ever. So is setting clear expectations with team norms. But before you send out a meeting invite, consider your colleagues’ schedules and preferences. Are they also working remotely, and if so, from what time zone? What is their ideal teleconference platform? Will you use video or not? Nobody likes logging on and find everyone on camera when you’re still in your pajamas (again, get dressed each day!) or haven’t run a comb through your hair.

10. Be patient.

In this time of uncertainty, it’s particularly easy to feel stressed out or overwhelmed. As much as possible, try to practice patience — with yourself, with your colleagues, and with anyone you live with. Cultivating and expressing gratitude can make you a better leader, and it can also help you thrive in the face of change. Even if your organization, routine, or other aspects of your life are upended or changing dramatically, taking the time to de-stress and build your resilience and react patiently is worth the time and effort. It will also help you deal with uncertainty and anxiety.

Mastery is never an accident. You can win the lottery and become rich overnight, but no one has ever mastered their craft by chance. Whether we are talking about athletes, artists, or academics, the story is the same. If you want to fulfill your potential then you must practice a specific skill for long time with remarkable consistency.

Somehow, top performers in any craft figure out a way to fall in the love of boredom, put in their reps, and do the work.

Of course, whenever “experts” share stories about successful people they often leave out a key ingredient of the story. How, exactly, do top performers fall in love with boredom? Perhaps more important, how can you fall in love with boredom when you’re trying to build a habit that you know you should do, but you don’t really want to do.

Let me share two strategies that work for me.

How to Fall in Love With Boredom

First, there is very little hope for falling in love with a habit that you truly hate. I don’t know anyone who legitimately dislikes an activity and somehow falls in love with doing it. It doesn’t add up. It’s very difficult to hate something and be in love with it at the same time. (Your ex doesn’t count.)

Let’s say you dislike working out, but you know it’s good for you.

Option 1: Increase your proficiency at the task.

Even tasks that you are good at will feel monotonous some days, so imagine the uphill battle you’re fighting if you are constantly trying to do something that you don’t feel skilled at. The solution? Learn the basic fundamentals of your task and celebrate the small wins and improvements you make. With our workout example, let’s say you purchase starting strength and learn how to do a proper deadlift or bench press. Practicing these new skills in the gym can be fun and making tiny improvements each week builds momentum. It’s much easier to fall in love with doing something over and over again if you can look forward to making progress.

Option 2: Fall in love with a result of the task rather than the task itself.

Let’s be real: there are some things that we should do that are always going to be a hassle. Running sprints might be an example. Very few people look forward to setting their lungs on fire.

I find that I have more success in situations like these when I shift my focus away from the actual task and toward a result. Sometimes this is a direct result of the habit I’m trying to perform. Other times, it’s a result that I invent. For example, you can make a game out of not missing workouts even if you don’t enjoy the workout itself. Let’s say you have done two sprint workouts in a row. . You’re not worried about how you perform. You’re not worried about if you’re getting faster. You’re not worried about getting six-pack abs or any other type of result. For the most part, you’re not even thinking about the workout. Instead, you’re simply focused on keeping your workout streak alive.

The Power of Patience

I was speaking with a friend at the gym recently. He had decided to change his weightlifting routine despite making good progress with his old program. I asked him why. He made a few excuses before eventually saying, “Basically, I got bored.”

It has taken me years to learn this lesson myself, but I’m starting to believe that a beautiful blend of patience and consistency is the ultimate competitive advantage. Success is often found by practicing the fundamentals that everyone knows they should be doing, but they find too boring or basic to practice routinely.

We collectively believe in a lot of myths. One of them is that your life only makes sense if you do what you love. That might be true, but the pursuit of your passion can be equally satisfying, which is something we often overlook.

Casey Neistat is an awesome YouTuber and entrepreneur. In his vlogs, he often talks about how much he loves his work . And he advocates the belief of “find a job that you love and you don’t have to work for a day in your life.”

He’s not the only one who believes that. Many artists, athletes, entrepreneurs believe the same.

I agree. However, it seems like many of us put too much pressure on ourselves to find our passion.

• Without passion, we are not complete.
• Without passion, our life has no meaning.

Really? It sounds like we’re giving ‘passion’ too much attention these days. It’s important, yes, but it’s not a magical solution that will make all your problems disappear.

Some people say: “If only I would find my passion.”

And I think: Then what? Let’s say you find your passion.

But if you’re an idiot, you will be an idiot with a passion. And if you’re a miserable complainer, you’ll be a miserable complainer with a passion.

Don’t expect that your life will be 10X better when you love what you’re doing. Life is still LIFE. You have to wake up, make money, struggle, and deal with all the things that life brings with it.

People ask me: How did you find your passion?

One of my friends who didn’t exactly know what they wanted to do when they grew up. There were many things she thought about doing.

But was she miserable before she started doing what she do now? No.

She have to admit, she had been an idiot and she had made stupid decisions in the past, but she also been a hard worker, got two degrees from college, read tons of books, traveled, started and failed a few businesses, and always made the best out of bad situations.

And then one moment in 2015, she thought: Why not write about the stuff that she had learned along the way? Her mentors and people who were close to her told her she should do this stuff a few years ago. She didn’t think about it at the time. But last year it just happened. Like a eureka moment.

Don’t get her wrong: It’s awesome to wake up every day and look forward to working on the stuff you love to do. But it’s not the ultimate key to happiness.

“So how is that information useful for her?”

For the past year, She have been researching how others can stimulate the process of ‘finding your passion.’ But she have never found any research that has a sound answer to that question.

No research says ‘do XYZ’ and that will result in YOUR PASSION.

The only research that comes close is from neuroscience and eureka moments. You know super awesome insights that appear out of nowhere. And finding your passion is often the same: It’s just an insight.

In The Eureka factor, John Kounios and Mark Beeman explain how insights arise and what scientific research says about stimulating them. They write:

“Though insights often come as a surprise, sometimes we can sense that an idea is present, lurking just below the threshold of awareness, ready to emerge. This puzzling phenomenon has a strange subjective quality. It feels like an idea is about to burst into your consciousness, almost as though you’re about to sneeze.”

Instead of putting pressure on yourself, you need something else that will trigger that final step of getting a eureka moment. Kounious and Beeman continue:

“Cognitive psychologists call this experience “intuition,” meaning an awareness of the presence of information in the unconscious mind — a new idea, solution, or perspective — without awareness of the information itself, at least until it pops into consciousness.”

You don’t know your passion because you’re not aware of it. That’s all. Don’t make things more complicated than they are. And don’t try to force it to come out of you. It’s not a pimple that you HAVE to pop.

“But how can I stimulate my brain to get more insights?”

1. Expose yourself to different things. Read about stuff you’ve never considered. Travel. Hang out with different people. The more you broaden your mind, the more information you get. Kounious and Beeman show that eureka moments are often a blend of different ideas that you’re exposed to.
2. Manage stress and anxiety. Chronic stress and anxiety prevent your mind to think clearly, focus, and relax. Those are key ingredients of getting new insights. So before you think about finding your passion, deal with stress and anxiety first if you’re having a lot of it.

I think those two things are critical steps that most of us skip. We dive into the practical things like keeping a notebook next to your bed.

But the thing is: You need input if you want to output.

Instead of consciously thinking about your passion, let your passion come to you. It’s somewhere inside of you, hiding because it’s afraid to expose itself.

You just have to trust that someday it will seemingly appear out of nowhere. When that day comes, make a happy dance, celebrate, whatever, but the next day, wake up and start working.

Just like you’re doing now.

  Madagascar now-a-days is in the news because people have been awfully suffering as many of them were eating boiled tamarind due to lack of food.  Let me highlight a few lines about Madagascar. Madagascar, officially known as, the Republic of Madagascar is spared over an area of 592,800 square kilometres is the world’s 47th largest country inhabited by a total number of 26,262,313 persons in 2018 against 4,084,000in 1950. And the current population of Madagascar is 28,073,781 as on 17January 2021, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data. The population density in Madagascar is 48 persons per square kilometre. Only 38.5 percent of the population lives in urban areas indicating a high percentage of population lives in rural areas. The median age in Madagascar is 19.6 years. The median age in India is 28.4 years, compared to 37 years for China and 48 years for Japan. The latest WHO data reveals that the life expectancy in Madagascar is 65.1 years for males and 68.2 for females, making the average life expectancy 66.6 years. Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world, after Greenland, New Guinea, and Borneo. It became a French colony on 6 August 1896 and on 26 June, 1960 the country became an independent one and Philibert Tsiranana was its first president.    Prior to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, Madagascar was on an upward growth path even then around 75 percent of the population was estimated to live below the international poverty line of $1.90in 2019 which undoubtedly is very high. Because of COVID-19, the economic, social, and fiscal impact is very substantial in 2020. Global trade and travel disruptions as well as domestic containment measures are expected to result in a sharp deceleration in economic activity in 2020, with gross domestic product (GDP) growth predicted as only 1.2 percent. Also study reveals that vulnerable populations in urban areas are particularly exposed to economic hardship and poverty because of COVID-19.  Madagascar has the world’s fourth highest rate of chronic malnutrition, with almost one child in two under five years of age suffering from stunting and children dropped out of primary school was high in recent years. Moreover, only 13 percent of people had electricity connection.  In the context of Gross Domestic Product (GDP),Per Capita GDP, Gross National Income (GNI, formerly called Gross National Product/GNP), GNI per capita (formerly GNP per capita), I wish to throw some lights based on World Bank data. GDP per capita is gross domestic product divided by midyear population. GDP is the sum of gross value added by all resident producers in the economy plus any product taxes and minus any subsidies not included in the value of the products. It is calculated without making deductions for depreciation of fabricated assets or for depletion and degradation of natural resources. GDP per capita (current US$) Madagascar for 2019 was 522 and the same for India for 2019 was 2,099. And in case of GNI per capita (formerly GNP per capita) is the gross national income, converted to U.S. dollars using the World Bank Atlas method, divided by the midyear population. GNI is the sum of value added by all resident producers plus any product taxes (less subsidies) not included in the valuation of output plus net receipts of primary income (compensation of employees and property income) from abroad. GNI, calculated in national currency, is usually converted to U.S. dollars at official exchange rates for comparisons across economies, although an alternative rate is used when the official exchange rate is judged to diverge by an exceptionally large margin from the rate actually applied in international transactions. To smooth fluctuations in prices and exchange rates, a special Atlas method of conversion is used by the World Bank. This applies a conversion factor that averages the exchange rate for a given year and the two preceding years, adjusted for differences in rates of inflation between the country, and through 2000, the G-5 countries (France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States). From 2001, these countries include the Euro area, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. GNI per capita, PPP (current international $) in Madagascar was 1,660 (2019) and the same for India was 6,920 (2019). It is evident that Madagascar is a poor country and in Nurkse’s words: “A country is poor, because it is poor.” Or “Because it is poor, the country does not develop; because it does not develop, it remains poor.”

The following websites have been consulted while writing the article:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madagascar
2. https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/madagascar-population/
3. https://www.google.com/search?q=avarge+age+of+living+madagsakr+people&rlz=1C1CHBD_enIN849IN849&oq=avarge+age+of+living+madagsakr+people+&aqs=chrome..69i57.16637j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
4. https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar
5. https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/madagascar/overview
6. www.macrotrends.net/countries/MDG/madagascar/poverty-rate
7. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GNP.PCAP.PP.CD?locations=MG
8. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD

Dr Shankar Chatterjee, Hyderabad