Category: Personality and Self Help

NEW NORMAL IS NOT SO NORMAL !!

OUR PRIME MINISTER SHRI NARENDER MODI HAS TAGGED OUR COUNTRY A ‘ NEW INDIA ‘ , SURVIVING ALL THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE WIDE SPREAD CORONA VIRUS NOT ONLY IN OUR COUNTRY BUT ALL OVER THE WORLD. UNPREDICTABLE CHANGES HAVE OCCURRED WHICH HAS INCLINED US TO A PRETTY DIFFRENT TURN IN OUR LIFE AND OUR COUNTRY AS WELL . THEESE CHANGES HAVE INJECTED NEW TECHNOLOGIES INN , WHICH IS COMPLETE DIGITALISATION , IT HAS BECOME A NECESSITY NOW . EVERYTHING IS PROJECTED TO ONLINE MODE ALONG WITH PRODUCTIVE SCHEMES , WHICH HAS CREATED A ROAD FOR A ‘ NEW INDIA ‘ .NOW , OUR NORMAL LIFE IS ALL ONLINE , TAGGING IT AS “NEW NORMAL” . BUT , THE QUESTION ARISES ‘ ARE YOU LIKING THIS NEW NORMAL ? ‘ .

I KNOW CHANGES ARE USUALLY UNUSUAL AND ADAPTATION IS OUR NEED TO SURVIVE . UNFORTUNATELY , EVERYTHING ONLINE IS REALLY FRUSTRATING FOR ME . I AM MISSING THOSE DAYS WHEN I USED TO WORK HARD PHYSICALLY FOR ATTENDING THE CLASSES , I AM MISSING THAT HUSTLE , THAT IS MY NORMAL ! . WHEN I USED TO WRITE WITH A PEN ON A SHEET OF PAPER WHICH ALWAYS LEFT MY HANDS IN PAIN , I AM MISSING THAT OF SATISFACTION OF HARD WORK . NOW , I CN ONLY TYPE , STILL MY HAND PAINS BUT GIVING ME ZERO SATISFACTION.

I AM SITTING 24*7 EITHER IN FRONT OF MY MOBILE OR LAPTOP OR BOTH AT THE SAME TIME , THERE IS NO PEACE IN IT. MOREOVER , IT IS JUST ADDING TIREDNESS .

YES ! SOCIAL MEDIA , DIGITALISATION ARE IMPORTANT AND MOST OF THE WORK , AT PRESENT , ARE HAPPENING DUE TO ITS AVAILABILITY . BUT , IT CAN NEVER REPLACE THE PLACE OF OUR OFFLINE HUSTLE . I AM WISHING FOR MY NORMAL TO COME BACK AGAIN , FOR THAT PEACEFULL LIFE TO COME AGAIN . I HOPE THE SITUATION IMPROVES AND EVERYTHING BACK ON TRACK.

ONLINE TRANSFORMATON IS GOOD IN ALL THE SECTORS EXCEPT EDUCATION SECTOR , IT IS BEST IN OFFLINE .MOST OF YOU WILL DEFINITELY AGREE ON THIS !

OLD IS GOLD !

AND LIFE’s HUSTLE “A WHITE GOLD ” !

FREUDIAN PERSONALITY ANALYSIS

Human Personality is a complex combination of wide ranging emotions and traits.The development of human being is lifelong and hence personality development too is lifelong.Thus the personality of human beings is neither static nor simple to understand.Various Psychologists have come up with their own theories to explain Personalities ranging from Humanistic to Cognitive perspectives.

Sigmund Freud is considered as the father of psychology and he proposed the controversial Freudian Psychoanalytic Theory of personality.The analysis is accepted and criticized with the same fervour. So lets look deep into Freudian Personality Analysis.

According to Sigmund Freud, human personality is complex and has more than a single component. According to Freud,Childhood traumas play a major role in personality development.In his famous psychoanalytic theory, Freud states that personality is composed of three elements known as the id, the ego, and the superego. These elements work together to create complex human behaviors.Each component adds its own unique contribution to personality and the three interact in ways that have a powerful influence on an individual. Each element of personality emerges at different points in life.

1.ID:The id is driven by the pleasure principle, which strives for immediate gratification of all desires, wants, and needs. If these needs are not satisfied immediately, the result is a state anxiety or tension. For example, an increase in hunger should produce an immediate attempt to eat .It is the unconscious aspect of thinking.

2.EGO:The ego operates based on the reality principle, which strives to satisfy the id’s desires in realistic and socially appropriate ways. The reality principle weighs the costs and benefits of an action before deciding to act upon or abandon impulses.In many cases, the id’s impulses can be satisfied through a process of delayed gratification—the ego will eventually allow the behavior, but only in the appropriate time and place.

3.SUPEREGO:The superego has two parts: The conscience which includes information about things that are viewed as bad by parents and society. These behaviors are often forbidden and lead to bad consequences, punishments, or feelings of guilt and remorse And the Second Part,The Ego ideal which includes the rules and standards for behaviors that the ego aspires to.Basically The superego tries to perfect and civilize our behavior. It works to suppress all unacceptable urges of the id and struggles to make the ego act upon idealistic standards rather that upon realistic principles. The superego is present in the conscious, pre conscious, and unconscious.

So,According to Freud, the key to a healthy personality is a balance between the id, the ego, and the superego.If the ego is able to adequately moderate between the demands of reality, the id, and the superego, a healthy and well-adjusted personality emerges. Freud believed that an imbalance would lead to a maladaptive personality.

Freud basically studies the interaction between Id,Ego and Super Ego using five Psychosexual stages of development where in the individual’s personality develops in a particular stage only if there is a balance between the three elements.The Freudian Psychosexual Stages of Development are as follows:

  • Oral (0 – 2years of age): Fixation on all things oral. If not satisfactorily met there is the likelihood of developing negative oral habits or behaviors.
  • Anal (2 to 3 years of age): As indicated this stage is primarily related to developing healthy toilet training habits.
  • Phallic (3 – 5 year of age): The development of healthy substitutes for the sexual attraction boys and girls have toward a parent of the opposite gender.
  • Latency (5 – 12 years of age): The development of healthy dormant sexual feelings for the opposite sex.
  • Genital (12 – adulthood): All tasks from the previous four stages are integrated into the mind allowing for the onset of healthy sexual feelings and behaviors.

Thus due to the sexualization of Personality Theory,Freud was highly criticized.Some Neo Freudians like Erikson and Adler came up with new and more realistic personality theories.This does not apply to everyone.It is just one of the way of studying the personality of a human being.

5 reasons to start meditation today

Meditation simply refers to the practice of shifting your focus on the way you are breathing, relaxing your body and becoming one with your mind. The pursuit of meditation gradually helps an individual to know oneself better. Following are the 5 reasons expressing why meditation should be on your list of learning news hobbies from now onwards.
1) Mindfulness and awareness -meditation makes you confront your own thought process and helps you to refocus on your present life instead of wandering in past conflicts or worrying about the future. It helps in clearing your mind and make yourself aware of your inner self, once you reach that heightened level of awareness. You learn to start observing your thoughts rationally.
2) Stress buster- Meditation acts as a stress buster for individuals, as it helps eliminate stress and make one feel happier and fulfilled in life. Regular practice of meditation keeps anxiety and depression at bay. It helps one to calm their mind and find their peace of mind.
3) Help keep emotions under control- humans naturally have the tendency to express their feelings freely when they are happy, sad or driven by anger, but most of the times our minds get controlled over by our emotions, this is where we overreact and behave irrationally. A regular habit of meditating for a longer time helps keep emotions under our control, as we slowly learn to watch our own thoughts and understand our psyche better.
4) Helps you take better life decisions – With time and practice as you start becoming more aware of your thoughts, emotions and actions, you can now take better life decisions, being more rational than ever. After a prolonged duration, you will notice that instead of merely reacting to adverse situations you are obtaining a more comprehensive idea of what goes on in your mind and how our mind tricks us to react in a certain way.
5) Become a better version of yourself- the best outcome of meditation is you will become the best version of yourself. Learning to master your mind and keep emotions and thoughts under check would assist you in the overall development of your personality. You will change for the better. Moreover, you will become a balanced person in life, untouched by any negativity.
Meditation thus can help an individual grow in life both spiritually and intellectually, and help find happiness and contentment in life. It not only makes one experience a fulfilling life but also helps in getting connected to the world better than ever before. So, what are you waiting for? Begin your first mediation session today, make it a habit and change your life for the better.

Eco-Friendly Lifestyle 101

Leading an eco-friendly (ecological/environment-friendly) lifestyle is imperative for healthy and sustainable living in the current extreme climatic conditions and environmental degradation and pollution. All this leads to life-threatening atmosphere because of poisonous air, water and soil, global warming, scarcity of resources, man-made disasters and increased intensity and risks of natural disasters.

Apart from industrial and organizational initiatives towards eco-friendly operations, individual and collective household acts and changes in personal lifestyle choices and living practices of common citizens contribute to sustainable and healthy living.

Environmental friendly living is not that difficult. It can even prove to improve mental health along with physical health and environmental health. Let’s learn about some easy eco-friendly practices.

  1. Resource management: The baby steps. The easiest and the ones which we learned when we were kids, but forget to apply.
    • Limit and manage your water, electricity and fuel usage. Do not make unnecessary usage.
    • Eliminate any kind of wastage. Do not forget to switch off lights and fans when not in use.
    • Bath in shower or use bucket and mug instead of bathtubs.
    • Reuse water. For example- Reuse the water used to wash food items for watering the plants, instead of pouring it into the sink.
    • Brush your teeth with a glass of water. Do not use the tap water.
  2. Resource conservation:
    • Practice rainwater harvesting. We can use this water for bathing and washing clothes, utensils, etc. It is easy to install rainwater harvesting system. Look at these multiple ways to do it.
    • Use solar energy and solar panels if affordable for water heating, cooking, electricity supply, etc.
    • Buy a limited amount of food. Do not depend entirely on refrigeration. Switch it off when not needed, mostly in winters, when food items do not stale for many hours even when kept outside.
  3. Buying essentials:
    • Install LED lights instead of incandescent lighting.
    • Practice biogas cooking, use solar cookers, biogas stoves, etc. You can either buy or build a biogas plant at home easily. See the benefits of biogas here.
    • Use a car fueled with CNG or use battery vehicles. Go on foot, or ride a bicycle to reach nearby places.
    • Use desert coolers or eco- friendly air coolers and do not install air conditioners.
    • Use eco-friendly paper/tree-free paper and buy refilling pens instead of single use pens.
    • Eliminate plastic materials and storage boxes. We can easily live without plastic. There are many alternatives to daily-life plastic materials. Use and carry aluminium bottles and refill them instead of buying plastic water bottles. Use glass containers for microwave and storage.
    • Buy products only from those companies which use eco-friendly methods to manufacture. There are many such alternatives out there. You just need to search the net.
  4. Materialism:
    • Decorate your home with indoor plants, beautiful mud or clay lamps, eco-friendly handicrafts, glass decorative, etc.
    • Install indoor plants which purify the air. Use loads of them.
    • Build a terrace garden or porch garden.
    • Stop the air, water and sound pollution in the name of festivities. Instead, go out on festivals to plant trees in wastelands, empty lands, barren lands, schools, boundaries of roads.
    • Donate to and plant trees and saplings with old-age homes, special schools, orphanages, etc. It will bring happiness to you and to those people too. Do not use firecrackers, river dumpings, etc.
    • Do not buy chemical based beauty, body care and healthcare products. Shift to Ayurved or organic and eo-friendly products. They are healthier, more effective, and have no side effects.

Indoor plant decorations

Image source: ipinimg.com

5. Eating habits:

  • Plant-based diet- Industries which process animal-based products, take-up thousands of more gallons of water and KW of energy for processing. It leads to water wastage, ozone depletion, global warming, etc. There are many health risks involved with an animal-based diet. If not eliminate, try reducing and limiting the intake.
  • Separate and store plastic waste and organic waste. Plastic waste includes milk packets, medicine packets, chocolate and biscuit wrappers, etc. Use the organic waste (vegetable peels, animal waste, food leftovers, etc.) as manure for plants and ingredient for biogas.
  • Shift to Ayurvedic medicine and treatment rather than allopathy.

Start small scale organic farming at home. It is very easy and does take much time and effort. It can be installed in small spaces like a balcony, roof, porch, veranda, and even in a well lit room. Know more about organic home farming here.

Vegetable, spices, and fruits grown at home.

Picture source: The Hindu, Nursery live, Gardening know how and Balcony garden web.

All this may take some amount of time and effort, but it is worth it. You will experience a positive difference in your life. You can even inspire the people around you. We can start many of these living practices within a village, colony, township or a society to improve effectiveness with collective efforts. Such as rainwater harvesting, solar energy, biogas energy, farming, etc. Take one step at a time and you will find your motivation.

Benefits of doing yoga

Yoga is not only a great exercise to help you stay physically fit but it also additionally helps you in finding your lost peace of mind. It helps to calm your mind and bring balance between your physique and mind.
      Below mentioned are a few points that would make you realise why it is necessary to do yoga-
1) Calms your mind- practising yoga along with meditation is one of the best ways to calm your conflicting mind. Yoga helps in getting rid of the stress you get from your work schedule and day-to-day issues. According to studies yoga releases the hormones endorphin and serotonin, which helps in relaxing the body by eliminating stress and tensions,calming one’s mind.
2)Keeps depression at bay- regular practice of yoga keeps the individual in a better intellectual state.The mental well being of an individual improves with the respiratory workout routines that is done whilst doing yoga, as it oxygenates the entire body, efficiently. It helps a person to stay away from anxiety and depression, thus boosting your mood.
3) Improves breathing- yoga helps in improving breathing as you learn to get  aware of the way you inhale and exhale. Conscious practice of respiration integrating it with the stretches and motion of the body helps in preserving typical stability of your mind, physique and emotions. It thus brings harmony to your body and improves your overall health.
4) Increases flexibility- with time and  practice, yoga increases the flexibility of your body. With all the stretchings, the body acquires increased flexibility and resistance. Flexibility for that reason assist in doing one-of-a-kind postures with ease, supporting in efficient blood circulation which ultimately helps stopping body pains.
5) Improves the power of concentration- when you pay attention to your breathing you tend to keep negative ideas at bay. Now, with an extra focused and calm mind you can do all your daily work without much difficulties and with a positive spirit. Yoga for this reason helps in giving a fine enhance to your mind.You become better in your work than before.
So readers, buy a yoga mat today and begin learning yoga from YouTube videos or enroll yourself into a gymnasium that teaches yoga. Go ahead and choose peace over a conflicting mind!

LONELINESS ? WRITE !

I AM A STUDENT STUDYING IN COLLEGE , AS PER MY EXPIRIENCE , WE ALL GO THROUGH THIS SYNDROME , THE LONELINESS . AND THIS ONE SYNDROME INVITES FEAR , SADNESS AND DEPRESSION MAKING US MORE VULNERABLE . IT HAPPENS , WITH EACH ONE OF US EVEN IF YOU DENY IT AND TRY TO BE THE HAPPIEST. IF YOU ARE FEELING LONELY , ITS OKAY BUT REMEBER YOU ARE NOT . IT IS JUST A FEELING WHICH COMES WHEN YOU ARE SURROUNDED BY THE FAKE PEOPLE . THE HAPPINESS IS NOT MAKING A HUGE GROUP OF FAKE FRIENDS , BUT , STAYING WITH JUST ONE OR TWO WHO ARE HONEST AND LOVE YOU .

NOT ALL ARE STRONG ENOUGH TO OVERCOME THIS MONSTER , WHAT REQUIRES IS THE ART OF POSITIVITY .

IF YOU FEEL LONELY , THEN FEEL BLESSED AS YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH YOURSELF , TO KNOW YOU MORE AND I ASSURE YOU , THIS THE BEST THING ONE CAN DO , TALK TO YOURSELF.

THEY ARE PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO LOVE READING AND WRITING MORE THAN TALKING . IF YOU ARE FEELING LONELY THEN EMIT IT ON THE PAPER THROUGH YOUR PEN , YOU JUST NEED A PEN , A PAPER AND YOU ! . I PROMISE YOU , YOU WILL FEEL LIGHT AND PEACE IN YOUR HEART , WHAT BEST ABOUT IT IS IT MAKES YOUR SOUL FEEL LIKE A FEATHER , VERY LIGHT AND FLYING , HAPPY WITH OWNSELF . I ALWAYS PEN DOWN MY FEELINGS AND TRUST ME I FIND THE REAL HAPPINESS , SOLUTIONS TO ALL MY PROBLEMS IN IT .

TO STAY AWAY FROM THE STRESS AND NOT ABLE TO BE LOCKED BY ITS HANDS , READ BOOKS ! . IT WILL RELAX YOU AND YOUR MIND . YOU WILL BE FABRICATED WITH THE SENSE OF OPTIMISM , MAKE YOU PLAY WITH LOGICS AND PEACE YOUR BRAIN VIENS . I WOULD ADVICE YOU TO LOVE BOOKS RAHTER THAN LOVING PEOPLE , THE REASON , IT WILL NEVER DITCH YOU AND WILL BE YOUR BEST FRIEND . THOUGH THE BOOK WILL NOT REACT BUT THE WRITTEN INSIDE IT WILL ACT AND CHANGE YOU , THE POWER OF WORDS ! . MOREOVER , IT BUILDS UP YOUR PERSONALITY AND MAKES YOUR PRESENCE OUT IN THE CROWD.

I AM SUGGESTING YOU THIS THERAPY , BECAUSE I HAVE APLLIED IT AND FINDS IT PRETTY EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT .

PRIOR TO THIS , I LOVE READING BOOKS !

8 Good Habits to Develop

Habits are a necessary part of our life. Most of us develop many habits throughout our lives. Although it may seem small or trivial habits can influence a person’s life in many ways. Some can lead to drastic changes in life over a period of many years while some can lead to changes in a month. Good habits can make one transform their lives with time and help to achieve new heights. While bad habits may slowly lead to reduction in the quality of one’s life. The following list features some of the habits you can develop in order to become a better person and achieve success in life.

Photo by Alina Vilchenko on Pexels.com
  • Maintaining a journal – Writing a diary or a journal is a very helpful practice for self-growth. It also helps you to improve your writing skills. Jotting down your thoughts or even writing about your daily life can be a simple yet helpful practice. It helps you to form the habit of gathering your thoughts and expressing yourself. Years after when you go through that journal it makes you realise how far you’ve come and also revisiting the past and engaging with memories is something which we all like to do once in a while.
  • Setting up a routine – Humans like to go about their day in an orderly manner. No matter what profession you take maintaining routine and order is something which is necessary for all. Setting a routine beforehand also helps you to have a look at your tasks and helps you complete them. You can also try and make a to-do list which is extremely effective for completing tasks.
  • Reduce procrastinating – Procrastination is a habit most of us have. Leaving our work for the last minute is a very common practice. Reducing procrastination can lead you to slowly move away from it and make you more punctual.
  • Reading habit – Reading a book everyday for even as little as half an hour can work wonders for your life. Books help you build vocabulary and helps you gain knowledge. It also makes you a better writer and story teller. People who have a habit of reading books from a very early age are found to have better memorisation capacity.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com
  • Exercise – Exercising often is a very healthy habit and helps to maintain a healthy mind and body. Doing simple exercises or yoga will also secrete hormones or endorphins which will boost your mental outlook and help you have a good mood. Exercises will result in a better posture too.
  • Meditate – Meditating for a while helps us to calm our minds. There is no fixed rule as to how one should meditate. One can just sit and close their eyes for some time or follow a meditation guideline. According to some studies, painting or colouring simple shapes and patterns can also act as a form of meditation.
Photo by Maggie My Photo Album on Pexels.com
  • Gardening – You need not know a lot about gardening. A small cactus near your desk or a simple flower plant can do magic. Watering them and taking care of them will help you make some time for yourself in a hectic or busy schedule. Plants can help you exercise the idea of effort. It helps you build patience and improves your life.
  • Smile – Having a positive outlook towards everything is a secret to having a happy and better life. A smile can help you brighten your day and maintain a positive relationship with people around you.

The Joys of Volunteering

Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual of doing some work for the society as community service. It may include different forms of work. Some volunteers are specially trained in a particular field while some offer to help and join hands for a good cause freely. Volunteering has different sectors like medical, disaster management, education and upliftment of community. There are several NGOs and organisations which offer volunteering opportunities.

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It can help you to make new friends, advance your career, and feel better. Taking some time out of our busy schedules and finding time for volunteering can be difficult for some of us. But you can start small for the sake of trying it out. Volunteering lets you help and reach out to people from different backgrounds and create social change in your own little way. It provides vital help to individuals and gives you a chance to make lives better. Surely it makes people’s lives better but it gives you greater benefits. Give a little time to volunteering and you will get a lot in return!

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It helps you feel happier and healthier. Once you start volunteering, you will meet a lot of new people from different communities. Working with underprivileged communities makes us more aware of our surroundings and feel grateful about our own lives. Also, when you start doing something new it gives you a fresh start and brightens your mood. Most of us love doing new things. Volunteering will also help you spend some quality time outside of work. It will bring both fun and fulfillment to your life. It will help you combat better with issues of mental health like depression and anxiety. It will also improve your mood and give you immense joy. Seeing the smile on the face of a child will surely brighten your day.

You will meet a lot of new people. Your fellow volunteers will either be from similar fields as yours, which will definitely be a positive side or they will be from completely different walks of life giving you a chance to know about a lot of new things. If you are a person who struggles with making new friends, it is a great opportunity for you to start new friendships. Once you start working as a team with others, you will share your ideas and share responsibilities for carrying out a task. While working and planning together it is most likely that you will become great friends. This will also make you a more social person and increase your communication skills. Volunteering helps you to network with a lot of people. Especially if your career path values societal issues, it will be really helpful for you to meet important people and make connections.

Lastly it will help you enhance your career prospects. Almost all companies or educational institutions value a volunteering experience. They will be glad to know that you have been a part of something so meaningful. Volunteering increases your chances of getting selected and helps you improve your resume. It will also give you experience of working with a team and make you a more empathetic and responsible person.

The Psychological Connection to Hobbies

Most of us have had a childhood interest or a hobby which was our favourite pastime. With not much to do all day, we would spend our time engaging in different unique and creative activities. Not only saving us from boredom, these hobbies have provided us with lot of benefits and shaped us into becoming what we are today.

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Almost everyone had a favourite pastime activity which would keep us busy in our childhood. Starting from painting, doodling to collecting stamps, pebbles, train tickets and what not. When asked about their hobbies many people were found to narrate happy tales of their childhood. In today’s busy world where it is difficult to even take a day off from work, we tend to lose touch with our creative sides. Thinking about our childhood days makes us realise how long it had been since these hobbies were a part of our lives. Sports, music, crafts have all been pushed aside in adulthood by our busy schedules and responsibilities. In the midst of all these we have not realised how important these had been in shaping us and how amazing it would be to revisit these days by going back to those hobbies.

As children we had many different ways to spend our times. Some of us were into painting and crafts, some were into musical instruments, while some had the interesting habit of collecting stuffs. All these hobbies seem simple but studies show that there is a lot more to it.

There’s a lot of factual information about the importance of art in a child’s development. Researches show that individuals who have been into art and crafts in their childhood are found to be more expressive and have better communication skills. Experimenting with art makes children open to broader ideas and help them handle unexpected situations with ease.

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Collecting is believed to be a psychological impulse. Collection is a historical practice and it ranges from stamps, books, tickets, coins to leaves and pebbles. People maintain the habit of collecting due to various reasons. Some collect due to an interest in the things that the collections represent, while others view collection as a pleasurable form of owning something. The different aspects attached with it makes the psychology behind it so interesting. It has been known that individuals who had the habit of collecting grow up to be careerist individuals in future. As the saying goes “An individual’s childhood is reflection of their life”. Collectors are also known to make better social connections and more friendships.

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Individuals engaging with music from a very young age tend to enjoy musical instruments. Engaging with music makes us happy and lifts our spirits. Studies show that music improve our brain functions and it keeps the brain active. It has also been known that music helps in retaining information and develops memory. Children who have had such hobbies grow up to be smart individuals.

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Few years back, Google had encouraged its employees to devote 20 percent of their time to side projects of their interest. It was a very innovative decision on the part of the company and it yielded amazing results. It has been known that following this, employees have performed more productively in their work and have achieved more. There are innumerable ways in which hobbies help in one’s overall growth and development. Most of us have lost touch with these but we can surely try and revive those habits. In fact, discovering childhood hobbies can make our lives better and make us happier. It feels amazing to revive those countless memories we have with an instrument or a habit. This will also help us become more productive in our work. Investing one’s time in areas of interest alongside their career can yield incredible results and, in the process, will make us better individuals with a more holistic outlook towards life.

Music Therapy:A Novel Therapy

Did you ever feel that therapy involves talk by a psychologist and nothing else could come under the domain of therapy?If your answer is yes,Then you are wrong!!Well times have changed my reader~

Therapies have come a long way to incorporate other clinically approved methods such as animal assisted therapy,food therapy,aroma therapy etc.Music Therapy is one clinically developed program by psychologists to assist speedy healing of their clients.In this blog,the readers would be introduced to the world of Music therapy.So lets get started!

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WHAT IS MUSIC THERAPY?

Music Therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.It is is an established health profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals. After assessing the strengths and needs of each client, the qualified music therapist provides the indicated treatment including creating, singing, moving to, and/or listening to music.

Through musical involvement in the therapeutic context, clients’ abilities are strengthened and transferred to other areas of their lives.This therapy also provides avenues for communication that can be helpful to those who find it difficult to express themselves in words. Research in music therapy supports its effectiveness in many areas especially emotional rehabilitation.

History

You all will be shocked to know that both world wars were the trigger that initiated the development of this therapy.During and after both World Wars, doctors and clinicians began to realize the powerful effects that music has on the healing process and requested that professional musicians be hired by the hospitals.This therapy first got officially recognized in the Michigan state university of the United States of America.Ultimately,The American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) was formed which focuses on creating more awareness about this wonderful therapy.

BENEFITS

Music therapy can benefit many individuals. The diverse nature of music means it can be applied in the treatment of concerns both physical and psychological.Since music can evoke positive emotions and improve brain health,Music therapy is said to manage and alleviate symptoms of mental health concern such as Depression, Mood issues,Anxiety,Schizophrenia,Substance abuse,Autism,Personality issues,Insomnia,Dementia etc.

In addition,Music therapy can improve the social,cognitive,emotional and motor functioning.This therapy was also effective in controlling patient’s situation in Alzheimer’s,Cancer and Hypertension.

Music therapy is frequently administered to reduce stress levels and pain perception of females in labor.This novel therapy has also been linked with improvements in self-esteem, self-concept, verbal communication, prosocial behavior, socialization skills, group cohesion, and coping skills.

Limitations

Even the most beautiful things have flaws,and so has music therapy.One of the major drawback is that this therapy cannot be used as a stand-alone therapy.The music therapy is also known as music assisted therapy implying it’s sole purpose is to assist the main therapy applied by the clinician on the client to produce fast results and relief.

Also,the music therapy like all other therapies is individualized.This is not a major drawback but should be kept in mind before going in for this option.All individuals are unique and so is their taste in music.Thus the therapist has to do additional tests to see which type of music and musical instrument works better for the client.

ALWAYS REMEMBER,WHERE WORDS FAIL,MUSIC SPEAKS…..

Thus in short we need to know that music therapy is a wonderful form of therapy which strengthens an individual and increases his/her quality of life.Choose Music for a better Life!

Do give a like,if you all found this article to be Interesting!

Thankyou!

Stay Knowledgeable!

Review of a research article

Article name:A Study of University Students’ Motivation and Its Relationship
with Their Academic Performance.

Student motivation is the element that leads students’ attitude towards learning process.God-gifted talents, best teachers and best schooling facilitate the academic performance and students’ motivation
is prerequisite for students’ accomplishment. This study attempts to identify the influence of students’
motivation on their academic performance.So come on research enthusiasts let’s look into the why,how and what of student motivation through this review!

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Purpose and sample

This outstanding Research article by Ali and colleagues has been published in the International Journal of Business and Management.This study attempts to identify the influence of students’ motivation on their academic performance.The sample consisted of 342 university students of different programs in various universities of Islamabad and Lahore, Pakistan.The students were asked about how motivated they are about their university experience and what really motivated them to study.

METHODOLOGY

The questionnaire was distributed among both male and female students. There were 82% male and 18% female students in the survey with an average age of 20 years.“The University Student Motivation and Satisfaction Questionnaire version 2″ (TUSMSQ2) instrument was developed by Neill (2004) to measure student’s motivation. TUSMSQ2 instrument contains 30-items.

WHAT WAS TESTED?

The questions measure both Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivation of students. There were two intrinsic motivators; Self-exploration and Altruism and four extrinsic motivators;rejection of Alternative options, career and qualifications, Social enjoyment, and Social pressure in the questionnaire. The questions were based on five point Likert scale. For each item, students rated themselves on a scale of 1 to 5; 1 being “Very False”, towards, 5 being “Very True”

BASIS/THEORY OF THE STUDY

Motivation is state of mind that stimulates activities and human body actions.Student motivation is often separated into two types: Intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation.


Intrinsic motivation: A student is intrinsically motivated when he or she is motivated from within. Intrinsically motivated students keenly engage themselves in learning out of oddity, interest, or enjoyment, or in order to achieve their own scholarly and personal goals.Thus students with intrinsic motivation are more enthusiastic, self driven, challenging and feel pleasure in their studies.Intrinsically motivated students tend to prefer challenging tasks.

Extrinsic motivation: It is commonly viewed that extrinsically motivated student engages in learning
purely for attaining a reward or for avoiding some punishment.Extrinsic motivation means
to obtain some reward or avoid some punishment external to the activity itself such as grades, stickers or teacher approval.Students with extrinsic motivation try to drag themselves with academic assignments, feel compelled to learn, and always put minimal efforts to achieve maximum appreciations.

Results

The results indicate that academic performance amplifies between the ranges of 23 percent and 34 percent due to extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation.Also the comparisons of variables on
individual bases indicates that those students who adapt self-exploratory variable and altruism variable, rejection of alternative options variable tend to perform better, whereas student who adapt career and qualifications variable, social enjoyment variable and social pressure variable tend to perform less then expected.Also the study found positive and mutually causal relationship between student’s motivation and student’s academic performance. This relationship is reciprocal, meaning students who are more motivated perform better and student who perform better become more motivated.

implications

Any research article would be a waste without implications.This study helps in identifying the factors that will help educational thinkers to know students’ attitudes towards learning, what facilitates learning and what hinders in learning.Thus it will lead to better teaching methods and facilities to suit the student’s need thereby increasing their job competence.

So,this was a comprehensive review of a wonderful research article.Click the below button to read the article:

Link for article

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Motivation:Cause of all actions

Why have i written this blog?why are you reading this blog?Why do you eat?Why do you love?

The answer to all of these actions is MOTIVATION!Motivation is the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors. It is what causes you to act, whether it is reading this article, getting a glass of water to reduce thirst or reading a book to gain knowledge.So this blog will critically analyse the concept of motivation and help all of you to understand the reasons behind your actions.So lets get started!

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Motivation describes the wants or needs that direct behavior toward a goal. It is an urge to behave or act in a way that will satisfy certain conditions, such as wishes, desires, or goals. Older theories of motivation stated that rational thought and reason were the guiding factors in human motivation; however, psychologists now believe that motivation may be rooted in basic impulses to optimize well-being, minimize physical pain, and maximize pleasure.

Motivation involves the biological, emotional, social, and cognitive forces that activate behavior. In everyday usage, the term “motivation” is frequently used to describe why a person does something. It is the driving force behind human actions.

So lets analyse the mechanism of motivation

Drives and motives

Motivations are commonly separated into drives and motives.

Drives are primarily biological, like thirst, hunger, sleepiness, and the need to reproduce—all of which lead us to seek out and take part in certain activities. Drives are believed to originate within a person and may not require external stimuli to encourage behavior.

Motives, on the other hand, are primarily driven by social and psychological mechanisms, such as work, family, and relationships. They include factors like praise and approval.

INtrinsic and extrinsic motivation

Motivation can be intrinsic (arising from internal factors) or extrinsic (arising from external factors).

Intrinsic:arise from within the individual, such as doing a complicated crossword puzzle purely for the personal gratification of solving a problem.

Extrinsic:arise from outside of the individual and often involve rewards such as trophies, money, social recognition, or praise.

In reality, our motivations are often a mix of both intrinsic and extrinsic factors, and the nature of the mix can change over time.Sometimes, intrinsic motivation can diminish when extrinsic motivation is given—a process known as the overjustification effect. This can lead to extinguishing the intrinsic motivation and creating a dependence on extrinsic rewards for continued performance.

Motivation v/s emotion

While motivation and emotion can be intricately linked, they are two fundamentally different things. Motivation describes the wants or needs that direct behavior toward a goal; in contrast, an emotion is a subjective state of being that we often describe as a feeling. Emotion and motivation are linked in several ways: both influence behavior and can lead us to take action, and emotion itself can act as a motivator.

The need to understand motivation

So at the end of this article,lets see what is the use of understanding the concept of motivation.Understanding motivation can:

  • Help improve the efficiency of people as they work toward goals
  • Help people take action
  • Encourage people to engage in health-oriented behaviors
  • Help people avoid unhealthy or maladaptive behaviors such as risk-taking and addiction
  • Help people feel more in control of their lives
  • Improve overall well-being and happiness

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Psychological impact of Covid-19

As a result of the emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in the Chinese city of Wuhan, a situation of socio-economic crisis and profound psychological distress rapidly occurred worldwide.

So this blog will look into various forms of psychological distress bought in by this pandemic due to educate and sensitize the readers about these issues.

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Many psychological problems and important consequences in terms of mental health including stress, anxiety, depression, frustration, uncertainty during COVID-19 outbreak emerged progressively.Common psychological reactions related to the mass quarantine which was imposed in order to attenuate the COVID-19 spread are generalized fear and pervasive community anxiety which are typically associated with disease outbreaks, and increased with the escalation of new cases together with inadequate, anxiety-provoking information which was provided by media.The psychological reactions to COVID-19 pandemic may vary from a panic behavior or collective hysteria to pervasive feelings of hopelessness and desperation which are associated with negative outcomes including suicidal behavior.Importantly, other health measures may be compromised by abnormally elevated anxiety.

As the general population became increasingly exposed, anxiety-provoking topics related to this emergence of the health and socio-economic crisis need to be rapidly identified to early detect dysfunctional processes and maladaptive lifestyle changes potentially leading to the onset of psychiatric conditions.

So let us discuss the most important psychological impacts of COVID which are the root cause of other mental disorders :

-uncontrolled fears related to infection

This is commonly one of the most frequent psychological reaction to pandemics. Several existing studies demonstrated that those who have been exposed to the risk of infection may develop pervasive fears about their health, worries to infect others and fear infecting family members.

-Pervasive anxiety

Social isolation related to restrictions and lockdown measures are linked to feelings of uncertainty for the future, fear of new and unknown infective agents resulting in abnormally increased anxiety.Anxiety may be directly related to sensorial deprivation and pervasive loneliness.

-Frustration and boredom

Distress, boredom, social isolation and frustration are directly related to confinement, abnormally reduced social/physical contact with others, and loss of usual habits.

-LONELINESS

The final effect of social isolation is pervasive loneliness and boredom, which have potential dramatic effects on both physical and mental individual well-being. Pervasive loneliness may be significantly associated with increased depression and suicidal behavior.Unfortunately, the isolation is progressively enhanced by anxiety, panic or collective hysteria. Cognitive functions and decision making are firstly impaired by hyperarousal and anxiety and later by disabling feelings of loneliness.

After looking at these gruesome psychological impacts,it is crystal clear so as to how psychologically damaging this pandemic has been!The protective factors against these impacts include social support and psychological support.

Implementing community-based strategies to support resilience and psychologically vulnerable individuals during the COVID-19 crisis is fundamental for any community.The psychological impact of fear and anxiety due to the horrible spread of pandemic needs to be clearly recognized as a public health priority for both authorities and policy makers who should adopt clear behavioral and interventional strategies to reduce the burden of disease and the dramatic mental health consequences of this outbreak.

ONLINE EDUCATION PROS V/S CONS


The Majestic year 2020 is marked by two major events.One is the Onset of the worst pandemic that the entire world is reeling under and the other as the title suggests is Online learning!

The Use of Online Learning or E Learning has skyrocketed in the recent times as the only mode of education in a social distancing setup.Indeed it is a necessity as education cannot be put to rest halting the progress of millions of students.As a coin has two sides,similarly online form of education has it’s own perks and drawbacks.So lets find out more!READ MORE

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Online schooling is a popular alternative to attending a brick-and-mortar college or university. Though online students don’t get the face-to-face experiences of a typical on-campus student, there are many benefits and advantages to online learning, also known as distance learning or e-learning.

While not every program or school imaginable has an online option, a large number of them do, and many programs are nationally or regionally accredited. Students can learn through online lectures, projects and discussions. Online degree programs are available at every level, from certificates to doctorates.

Owing to the Covid situation,organisations that used to vouch for traditional methods of education are now radically shifting towards online education because there is no other alternative.Earlier online education used to be an alternative, now it is the only choice for those who want to desperately continue their education.

When Online Education is the new reality,it is very essential to keep in mind it’s advantages and disadvantages to take maximum benefits out of it and also minimize stress levels.

ADVANTAGES

-Convenient Learning:It can be undertaken anywhere ranging from a tiny corner in the living room to a study table in the bedroom and without a particular dress code(still modest dressing is expected).

-No Infrastructure:No physical infrastructure such as building,classrooms and benches are required for online education.

-Less Travelling: In Online classes there is no need to undertake strenuous travelling routines as students can attend the classes from the comfort of their homes.

-Recordings:Unlike the Traditional Systems,Online Education system provides an option of class recording and hence students can re watch the class recordings to make concepts clear.

-Virtual Reality(VR):Teachers in the online mode can make use of Virtual Reality Techniques to make students understand complex topics in an interesting way.

DISADVANTAGES

-Motivation:The laid back nature of the online classes do not provide much motivation to the students.Students do not take online classes to be as serious as classroom and thus do not pay attention.

-Lack of Concrete Assessments:Online mode of education has so far not been promising for people with theoretical subjects as it is difficult to conduct heavy exams here.

-No practicals:People Who study medicine,chemistry and physics an understand how bad this can be!There are certain subjects which cannot be simply taught,practicals and experiments have to be performed to further the understanding.Online education does not support this.

-Stress on health:The negative impacts of online mode of education on the health of the students is indisputable!Several students have complained of migraines,back aches,eye pain and so forth.Students psychologically too have not been able to cope up with the sudden shift and are suffering.

Thus,Online mode of education is a tricky one and should be suitable for certain conditions,Since it is the only alternative now, educationists and policy makers should study the pros and cons to make amends in the present online education structure to suit the demands of students.We have to always remember that Education is fruitful only when it reaches learners effectively!

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Graphology

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Graphology is the study of hand writing to assess the personality traits of a person. It is the evaluation of physical characteristics and patterns of a handwriting to identify personality characteristics. Graphology is also used to identify the writer and their mental state during the time of writing. The word ‘graphology’ has been derived from the Greek word grapho meaning writing and logos meaning study or discussion. Graphology has been used by European psychologists and counsellors. It says that there is a relationship between personality, conducts, intellectual level, temper and character in handwriting. Hand writing can be analysed according to pressure, size, slant, zones, layout (margins, spaces between letters, words and lines). At present there are also some AI tools and websites which can be used.

Alfred Binet conducted a study on handwriting and called graphology “the science of the future”. In 1929, Milton Bunker founded The American Grapho Analysis Society. It made two different branches in the world of American graphology – graphoanalysis and holistic graphology.

Graphologists:

The works of some graphologists are mentioned below:

Max Pulver had authored three graphology books (from 1931 to 1949) and several articles. He has worked on pressure, intelligence, and crime. He developed the theory of Symbolism of Space and founded the Schweizerische Graphologische Gesellschaft (Swiss Graphological Society) in 1950 and was its president until his death.

Camillo Baldi was an Italian philosopher who worked on a variety of subjects. His best known essay on graphology was the first detailed investigation of the discipline.

Robert Saudek was a Czech-born graphologist. He was also a writer of novels, stories, poems and plays. He had considerable influence on the content and standing of graphology worldwide and published numerous articles in many languages like The Listener, Zeitschrift für Menschenkenntnis and the Journal of Social Psychology. He founded the Professional graphology society in the Netherlands and started two academic periodicals: in Dutch and English. Many graphologists worldwide today refer to Saudek’s work without knowing the origin. He published Experimental Graphology in 1929. Saudek examined the speed in handwriting and quantified handwriting by using a microscope, caliper, pressure board, ruler, protractor and slow-motion pictures. He also dealt with graphological phenomena in terms of the experimental psychologists.

Sheila Lowe is a British-born novelist and graphologist. Her first book was published in 1999 and was a bestseller in the Complete Idiot’s Guides series. In 2007, the first edition of Poison Pen, the first of her Claudia Rose forensic mystery series came out, published by Capital Crime Press. She is at present the president of the American Handwriting Analysis Foundation.

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Studies:

There has been studies in the U.S. on handwriting and sex. According to the research sex could be determined through writing at a significant level. Studies on ethnicity, race, age, nationality, sexual orientation, weight have got mixed results.

According to the Hungarian Parliamentary Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, handwriting analysis without informed consent is considered to be a privacy violation.

Controversy:

Graphology has been a controversial topic for about a century. Some suggest that empirical studies have failed to show its validity to perform personality evaluation. Although it has got support from the scientific community in the mid twentieth century, some recent researches have rejected the validity of graphology as a tool for assessing personality and job performance.