Embracing Simplicity For Real Satisfaction And Personal Growth

 

Table of contents 

• Importance of simplicity 
• How to live a simple life
• Conclusion 

Joshua Becker in his book " Inside Out Simplicity" defines simplicity as " clarity, purpose and internationality." He further says " it is marked by the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it. It is a life lived in unity....(it is) freedom from the passion to process." 

Importance of simplicity 

Simplicity is a focused on pursuing our values. Materialism has spread like a plague in this modern era consumption and over consumption is being promoted by every big and small company, media, industries. Desire to consume (own) more, spend more availablity of 'n' number of choices has made life easier and chaotic at the same time.

It is high time we are together turn towards simplicity. Simplicity involves elimination of unnecessary distractions. It is different from being deprived. It is conciously streamlining our desires, need so that we can focus on more valuable (real) stuffs in life.

• Be satisfied with what you have: This is the bottomline of simplicity. Being satisfied with whatever little or lot you have. The key lies in staying away from consumerism and materialism culture.
• Express gratitude for what you have: If you have to live a life of simplicity, you will first have to recognise what a wonderful life you have been living till now. 

Being thankful for the smallest things fills you with positivity boosting your aura. Be thankful for healthy food you eat, clean water you are blessed with, fresh air, clean dress you wear, wonderful health you have been enjoying. This beautiful lifestyle you have been living and a whole lot of other things. There are endless number of things you should be greatful for. Thanking even once a day will keep you grounded and positive.

• Enjoy the present moment: Most of the time we are either stuck with the past or worried about our future. Both state of mind is not helpful instead it acts as an escape from the present reality. Realising our present status and appreciating us helps us maintain balance and be generous.

• Note your values: you need to know what you expect from yourself and what kind of a life you want to live. Accordingly you will have to listen out your values that will help you persue your desired life.

Being clear with your values adis you to eliminate chaos and simplify your life style. Your set of values will guide your present and also your future.

• Do not compare: When you choose to live a life of simplicity you will have to accept that you are not like others. The mass today is busy running after money, products, beauty and other random( invaluable )things.  You choose to ditch all those fickle things for the real stuffs.

The mantra for simplicity is " Less is more." You know that eating less, buying only as much as is needed helps you save time and energy which could be invested in your personal growth.

• Do some l things:  you can read books, walk in your near by garden which are far more productive things to do. You can also replace your shopping cravings with fun activities like swimming, gardening, dancing, hiking. Simplicity makes you see the world as it is. Drink life in its real raw form. 

To sum 

You become mature, resilient and full of life. Simplicity makes you accept and embrace the core fact of life that we came here with nothing and we are sure to leave with nothing. 

So it is wise to invest our precious, limited time  on this planet on doing some real things, creating something worthwhile instead of wasting on fickle (invaluable) things like shopping, beings watching television or gossiping politics.Nothing is more liberating then giving up on material possessions. Do try it once. 

Read more:Benefits of journaling

Frequently asked questions:

Q.1. Why simplicity is powerful?

Living an unconventional lifestyle, you become more open to change, uncertainty. Simplicity helps you adapt to new ways of improving your life and the lives around you.

Q.2. Is simplicity a skill?

Simplicity is definitely a skill that can be developed with practice and time. In this materialistic world where consumption culture is prominent it takes strong will power to keep yourself away form everything petty thing.

Q.3. Why simplicity is beauty?

The philosophy behind simplicity is to appreciate the idea of simple, uncomplicated and unadorned things over complex ones. It is the concept of embrace minimalism and clean and uncomplicated lifestyle. 

Read more:Habit Stacking -a Wonderful Tool

How To Embrace Change For Your Personal Growth

 

Table of contents 

• Benefits of embracing change in life
• How to embrace change
• Few more tips to embrace change 
• To sum up

"Change is the  only constant". Everyday we learn something new, different which adds to the growth of a human mind. There are times when we feel change is scary especially when it is big like( shifting to a new city, switching job or starting your own company or deciding to end a toxic relationship). But change is inevitable and important too.

Change is no doubt scary. We are comfortable hanging to our routine life. But it is at the same time a well known truth that for any either from personal or professional development you need to embrace and accept change. Change is a continuous process which has a snowball effect in the long run. Small changes are do not produce visible results immediately but in the long run a stronger and better version of you is obvious. Change boosts your self-esteem and self-efficacy when seen positively. 

Benefits of embracing change in life

• Change makes you stronger: Life is full of challenges and struggles. A positive outlook towards highs and lows of life helps you embrace change. Every challenges makes you more strong and mature. It tests your resilience and grit. 
• Challenge your comfort zone: Staying in your comfort zone makes you feel safe and secure. You avoid challenges and feel confident doing the same thing over and over again. 

With new challenges comes new opportunities, new circumstances with new people. When you are enthusiastic and open about new opportunities you also signal scope for improvement and advancement.

• Change makes you grow stronger: When you are you avoid new challenges you end up doing the same old things you have been doing for long. This prevents you you to accustom to changes positively.

Failure, falls, mistakes makes you learn and grow. These things comes to your experience when you accept to welcome change. Change always makes you grow stronger and wiser. 

• Change gives you strength to do more: Everytime you win over a situation you are filled with confidence. This confidence makes you face even challenging situation then before. Each time you come out strong, you are confident enough to do more.
• Embracing change helps you redirect yourself: You take the charge of your life in your own home when you are accept change. You take the control of the directions of your life.

In case you see yourself on wrong track , you can change your direction whenever it is right to do so. You are incharge of your life.

 

How to embrace change

• Write down : Whenever I think of change mind is filled with pros and cons that would befall with change. Note down them on a paper. It will help you segregate things and bring more clearity to your mind. All patterns and mental blocks would be in front of you showing you a much clearer picture.
• Accept your fear points:  Fear crops up because of uncertainty. When you accept your fear points you can observe them from a distance. You realise that these are just emotions. You can win over your fears with a positive mindset.
• Share your experience: Sharing your experience about change can also boost others to take steps in that direction. Sharing also makes you you belong to someone and you are valuable.
• Promotes creative thinking: Everyday is different from the previous one. All of us go through highs and lows in life. Unexpected challenges, uncertain future is way of life.

Creative thinking makes you flexible and help you become more flexible and resilient to change. That is how you come out strong.

Few more tips to embrace change 

• Be confident with your goal to embrace change. Reward yourself ( with a chocolate or watch your favourite movie) whenever you find yourself accepting change with a positive mindset.
• Prioritise your self-care. Always remain positive about a challenging situation. Your physical and mental well- being makes you stay strong.
• Stay away from negative triggers. Recognising what triggers you will help you hold yourself from falling into a disastrous situation.

To sum up

When you embrace change you are more satisfied and promote personal growth. Embracing change will always help in your journey to self improvement.

Read more:Benefits of journaling

Read more: Habit Stacking -a Wonderful Tool

Benefits Of Being Alone Without Being Lonely !

 

Table of contents 

• Negetive impacts of loneliness 
• When solitude becomes beneficial 
• What are the benefits of being alone?
• Conclusion 

Not all of us  understand that spending time with yourself is a luxury in this busy world. Being alone is far different from being lonely. Loneliness is when you suffer solitude but being alone can be a moment of pleasure. 

When you are alone you can utilise this opportunity to unwind, reflect and be creative.  Spending time with yourself can have many positive outcomes.Being alone is different from being lonely.

Loneliness is a suffering. We can be alone and miserable. We suffer loneliness when we are devoid of social and emotional needs. 

Social loneliness is when we do get support from society ( peers, family, friends or colleagues).

Emotional loneliness is experienced when there is lack of intimacy between romantic partners or parents, children or family relations.

Loneliness can lead to stress and depression if left untreated for a longer period of time. Loneliness becomes problematic when you feel emptiness from within. Helplessness sweeps in making you feel unworthy and invaluable.

Negetive impacts of loneliness on

• Mental health: researches shows that loneliness can increase stress,anxiety. It can disturb your sleep cycles and also promote poor self- esteem. People suffering from such loneliness can take to self- isolation cutting themselves from the rest of the world. 
• Physical health: isolation when not done out of choice can impact your body and mind severely. Depression and anxiety are it's most obvious symptoms. It can also lead to increased heart disease and strokes. You can also suffer Type 2 diabetes. Therefore it becomes extremely important to treat loneliness and not let it hamper your mind and body.
• Emotional health: when you are alone and not by choice you suffer your company. Many a times you suffer emotionally. It is advisable to cry and let all your emotions of anger, pain, suffering flow out. You will feel relieved after a while. You will also sleep better. 

When solitude becomes beneficial 

Not always people suffer being alone. Instead it can be taken as an opportunity to spend time with yourself. You can utilise these precious moments to revisit, reflect on your life. You can also indulge in activities like watching your favourite long awaited movie or reading that book which has been lying in your shelf since months or you can eat your favourite snack. 

It looks difficult to slow down and take breaks in this busy schedule. But adding some quite moments to your routine will help you immensely in the long run. 

Here are few things you can do when you next time find yourself alone. This will help you boost confidence and enjoy your own company.

• Visit a museum:  it is a great way to spend time with yourself. You can enjoy your own company without bothering about others schedule, reaction while checking out things at the museum. 
• Learn something new: this is very satisfying. You can join a group where they teach playing piano, or learn salsa, or you can join coocking class anything of your interest. You will feel different and exuberant. 

Learning new things especially of your interest is a great way to uplift your mood. It is always rewarding to invest your time in doing something you like. 

• Do some drawings: you need be an artist to draw. Just take a pen and paper and start scribbling. This will help you empty yourself mind. Drawing is a good way to bring out the hidden creativity.
• Meditate (deep breathing): when alone try to draw your attention on your breath. Observe quietly your inhalation and exhalation. Long deep breaths for atleast 10 minutes a day helps calm down monkey mind. This is the best way to rejuvenates yourself. It will bring clearity to you and boost your aura.
• Go to movies and dinner alone: spend lone some time. Watch movies of your interest,eat food that you like. Initially you may find it odd but with time you will start enjoying your own company. You will see you are able to enjoy your food, movie little more as now you are free from worries about others taste and opinions. 

What are the benefits of being alone?

There are innumerous benefits of being alone. It is like a blessing in disguise. It is important to balance your loneliness time with social connections. Here are a few benefits to bring your attention the importance of being alone.

• Makes you creative:when you are alone you explore more. Then you are not concerned about others likes or dislikes giving you freedom to dig deep into your inner creativity. You are bothered about being judged if any thing not so good happens. You laugh at your mistakes and flaws. Your inner creativity develops only when you are not ready to make mistakes. 
• You learn to priorities your intrest: when you are alone do not sit doing others work. Instead you choose to finish your own task first. When you revisit and reflect your past you can find out what matters most for your growth. You need to take the responsibility and keep your interest above others. This the only way to progress either in your office or around any other situation.
• Improves your concentration and memory: reflecting on things that has happened again and again helps see those details that has been missed earlier. You develop new insights about from the same incident. This is also a memory excercise for brain. It improves retention power of the brain. Focus also develops leading to improved concentration and enhanced memory. 
• Gives you space: in this busy world where every minute is occupied with something or the other spending time alone is a blessing according to me. When you are all by yourself away from busy citylife and social media you can slow yourself down. Breath in and breathe out. Feel the air, water, nature around you. 

When you have no targets to achieve, no deadlines to meet, no pressure to attend a meeting or give a presentation you can just be by yourself. Enjoy your company. When you give yourself some space it rejuvenates you from within. 

• You become grateful: when you alone you realise how blessed you are to have so many advantages in life over others. You have healthy food to eat, fresh water to drink, plenty of oxygen to breathe. You wear the best of shoes, have parents to look after you and so many small and big advantages without which life would have been miserable. Thanking God for his blessings should be part of our daily routine. You should practice gratitude for every big and small things.

Besides all these you can also engage yourself into doing some service to the society. Research shows that we feel a sense of purpose when help others who are more vulnerable then us. Helping us makes us feel more empowered and worthy. You can provide some food to the nearby orphanage or donate blood once in a while or simply sit with a homeless poor and councel him about better living. These small gestures can go a long way to develop connections and sense of purpose to your life.

Conclusion 

Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert little high- quality time every now and then would be good for your overall well- being. Lone time must be utilised for cultivating your passion, or digging deep with a view to know yourself better. You can also simply take to rest where you would only feel like relaxing pulling yourself away from this busy life. 

Read more: Can Introverts become successful Leaders - Myths about Leadership Busted

Frequently asked questions :

Q.1. Is it normal to be OK with being alone?

It is perfectly alright to be alone especially when you enjoy doing things all by yourself. Being alone is not same as being lonely. When lonely makes you feel miserable but you can ofcourse be alone and happy as you enjoy the peace around you.

Q.2. How to stay strong alone?

To stay strong you can include some practice in your daily routine. First of all you need to stop comparing yourself with others. You should be bold and do new activities that boosts your confidence. You should join community where you can provide some service as a responsible citizen.

Q.3.Can I be happier alone?

Being alone can be a positive and enriching experience with right kind of mindset. It could be your loneliness time where you can enjoy your favourite activities without any distraction. 

Read more:Benefits of journaling

Are you self sabotaging. How to stop sabotaging yourself !

 

Table of contents

• Why do we self sabotage ourselves?
• Few red signs to identify if you are also self-sabotaging.
• Few subtle signs to observe and be careful about.
• How to stop self sabotage?
• Conclusion

Nobody conciously sabotages themselves but still all of us do it unknowingly. Self- sabotaging behaviours hinders your own progress. It hampers all arenas of life be it career, relationship. 

Taking steps that draws (pulls) you away from achieveing your goal intentionally or unintentionally is called as self- sabotaging behaviours. We all have done it at some point of life. We might hesitate to admit it. But we need to treat this behaviour.

Why do we self sabotage ourselves?

Self sabotage behaviour limits a persons ability to progress in a healthy manner. It acts as a coping mechanism for people in a stressful situation. This behaviour could be concious or an unconscious pattern followed by one under difficult situations.

In the book Stop Self Sabotage, Dr. Judy Ho explains self-destructive behaviour as a biological response. Self sabotage sets in especially when our values do not align with our behaviour. When we have to do something that we really do not want (like) to do.

Self sabotage can affect ones mental health as it prevents them from achieveing their goals. It can affect personal and professional success as well.

It becomes important to identify whether you are also suffering from such behaviour.

There are few red signs to identify if you are also self-sabotaging yourself.

• Procrastination: all of us has suffered this guilt of putting off things for later. We tend to procrastinate doing a task especially those we do not like. This brings down our confidence. It is never good to run away from your responsibility.
• Running after Perfectionism: striving to be perfect is not always good for us. Self-sabotaging people are often perfectionists. In order to do a task perfectly either we do not start a task or is unable to finish if started. We are more concerned about the details. This makes us feel stuck. 
• Lack of communication: we usually keep ourselves from communicating our insecurities, failures because we feel we will become vulnerable. But the opposite is true. When you admit you fear, insecurities you feel more confident as you have nothing to hide. 

When you need help with a project should ask for it rather then staying quite and doing it all by yourself. This will make you more confident and brave. Communication helps you convey your boundaries and necessities to your friends, family and colleagues. Lack of communication hinders your progress.

• Practicing self medication: there are times when people submit to stress and depression. Then they start soothing themselves with various kinds of drugs, alcohol. 

Few subtle signs to observe and be careful about:

• Constantly seeking for others approval.
• Reluctance to ask for help from others.
• Always self criticising and estimating unworthy of yourself.
• Not setting boundaries and unable to speak for yourself.
• Setting goals too low and undermining capacity.

How to stop self sabotage?

• Observe yourself and look for the root cause of the problems: look for patterns in your life. Try to find the real cause of your problems. Only when you know the underlying reason that triggers a perticular behaviour you can develop a coping mechanism. 
• Do not run after Perfectionism: in the desire to do everything perfectly Perfectionist people overthinks the details. Instead of perfection one must strive for excellence. Consistent small improvements helps you progress in the long run. 
• Write down your plans and follow them: it is always advisable to write down your plans of the day. This helps you bring clearly in your thoughts. Once you complete them put a right Mark at the end of the day. This feels like a reward to your brain. It develops addiction to not break the chain of the tick mark and motivates you follow your plans each day.
• Practice mindfulness and remain aware: practicing mindfulness for even 10 minutes a day will help you calm down. Pay attention to your passing thoughts and do not be judgemental about them.

Take few long and deep breaths for sometime. This will help you bring back your focus. Practice self - compassion. Pamper yourself with any small reward when you accomplish a goal npo matter how small it is. Give yourself a pudding or gift yourself a new tshirt. This will make you feel worthy in your own eyes.

• Communicate as much as possible: it becomes important to communicate with others either your manager, seniors or juniors at work or even in relationship. Miscommunication can lead to several numbers of problems. The more you speak the less fearful you will get.

Let people know about your insecurities. This will make you leso s fearful from within. When you voice your concerns you often get support of others. This will make you stronger in the long run.

Conclusion

Self-sabotaging is a behaviour that is practiced by humans universally. At times this can be painful and challenging. But by cultivating self -awareness, using technology rightly, seeking help you can navigate through this strongly. But remember, with right strategies and intention we can develop a coping mechanism. Remember you are not alone in this struggle and there are a number of recourses to support your journey to growth and self -development.

Read more: Benefits of journaling

Frequently asked questions:

Q.1 Are you self- sabotaging your relationship?

It becomes important to check if you are among those who self sabotage their relationships before it gets to late to fix or mend. Some signs you can look for are jealousy, often criticising others of having difficulty in maintaining a relationship.

Q.2.Why do people sabotage romantic relationships?

People often sabotages their relationship with their partners for various reasons like trust issues, high unrealistic expectations, poor self- esteem and also lack of their ability to handle a relationship.

Q.3. Is self- sabotage good?

Self-sabotaging behaviour is never good for anyone in under any circumstances. It hinders your progress and can also be detrimental to our mental and emotional health.

Read more:How to avoid Procrastination -what are the 5 ways to avoid Procrastination

How Stop Dwelling On Past Mistakes And Move Forward

 

Table of contents 

• What causes a person to dwell on the past?
• Is it healthy to keep dwelling on past?
• How to stop thinking about the past mistakes?F
• Few more tips you can follow 

Dwelling on our past mistakes often often leads to self-criticism. This further promotes stress, anxiety and depression. Thinking about the same thing that went wrong is bad our our mental health. Mistakes can haunt us for long if not handled properly. The only way out is to learn the lessons from the mistakes and move forward.

Forgiving ourselves is the best way to deal with the mistakes. There are several steps that can be deliberately taken if you find yourself stuck in the loop of past memories.

What causes a person to dwell on the past?

We keep ruminating over the past because we look for answers. Answers to current problems or answers to things that make no sense to you. Revisiting events over and over again might help you find answers to questions drifting in your head.

It is very normal for a human to ruminate as it is a natural behaviour for us. Our mind has evolved over centuries to dwell on past to learn from mistakes for better survival. 

Is it healthy to keep dwelling on past?

Think about past for some time is normal but ruminate over it day in and out is not at all good. It can cause distress and also affect mental health by 

• Increasing anxiety and stress
• hampering focus 
• altering sleep cycle 
• increasing fear

How to stop thinking about the past mistakes?

There are several steps that can be taken to deal with past. 

• Accept your mistakes: first step to take is to accept that you are mistaken and now you are feeling bad. Allow yourself seep in all the emotion of anger, repent, dismal, disappointment. Wrap yourself around all these heavy emotions, cry if you feel like. This will help you release tensions. But also remember "crying over the spilt milk" is of no use. 
• Express your feelings: express your feelings. If these feelings remains unaddressed then it might take longer to heal. You might open up before your close friend or family or a therapist. Healing becomes easier. 

• Practice mindfulness: whenever you catch yourself visiting your painful past again just bring back yourself to the present moment. Feel where you are sitting, how you are breathing, what you are hearing. Everything that is happening in this moment. This is mindfulness. It helps you clam down. Soothens you from within. You can listen to music or focus on your breath to practice mindfulness.
• Focus on learnings: when a mistake is done it's done. You cannot undo it now.  So it is far better to focus on things that you can control. Remember that mistakes are opportunities to learn. Without mistakes nobody has achieved anything significant. So accept your mistake and learn from them. The will make you grow wiser with time.
• Seek support when needed: talking to someone you trust is very helpful while dealing with heavy emotions. Friends, family or a therapist can help you see another perspective of the same coin. People can provide you with a healthier coping mechanism and guidance. Do shy away from seeking help whenever in need.

Few more tips you can follow 

• Limit your negative thoughts: negative repetative thoughts keeps you stuck in the vicious cycle of self-blame. Keep a check on yourself with respect to thoughts. These negative thoughts drains your energy making you fatigued and lazy. Reframe the questions next time you catch blaming yourself. Look for positive outlook to the same situations. 
• Give yourself time: practice patience and persistence. It will take time and consistent efforts. It is a long journey. You will have to work through your feelings and gradually let go the wounds. Things will not happen in a day or two. Healing takes time. 
• Practice gratitude: focus on things that are in your control. Be thankful about the positive things you enjoy and own. Your health, family, house, food are the real things you should always and always be thankful for. Consciously admire appreciate and acknowledge the positive factors of your life even in the face of challenges.

In conclusion, letting go of the past is not easy but an essential part in the journey of self- improvement. Releasing the grip of past to hold the new is a step towards growth. Embracing present and learning from past will help us long way. 

Read more: How to avoid Procrastination -what are the 5 ways to avoid Procrastination

Frequently asked questions:

Q.1. How to detach from the past?

Accepting your feelings, indulging in self-care routine, not yourself ruminate on the past are the few things you could do to detach yourself from your past.

Q.2. Why am I mentally stuck in the past?

When we suffer a traumatic event our memory gets hooked to that event. Later on we find it difficult to navigate through them as it becomes a very painful and hurting.

Q.3. How do I release myself from a past relationship?

Setting boundaries, talking to a friend or journaling can help you release yourself from your past relationship. You can also take to self-care and keep yourself busy by engaging in activities and events of your choice.

Read more:Benefits of journaling

How To Age Gracefully And Enjoy Life At Every Stage

 

Table of contents 

• What it is to age gracefully?
• Accept your age gracefully 
• What are the ways to age gracefully?
• Few more tips you can follow 

What it is to age gracefully?

A whole lot of misconception is going around aging around the globe. Atleast for me aging is a misconception. I think, with age we become more strong and resilient. But, to many aging is anxiety, stress and depression. 

I remember, when I was in my ninth grade I used to wait so eagerly to grow old. For me back then adulthood was a dream. Adulthood meant freedom, independence. It was mesmerising to see adults going for trips, clubs without having to seek permission from anybody. All this was so exciting. I couldn't wait to grow old. 

Even though in my adulthood today I fail to understand people's antipathy towards growing old. Why there is so much of hesitation to accepts lines on their faces or greying of the hair. 

But in reality old age is synonymous of experience.

 Think about these questions. Who would you choose to operate you (supposing you need one) , a doctor who is in his 60s (with a bag full of experience) or a younger doctor with no or little experience to relie upon?

Who would you prefer in your college, as your professor, somebody who as young as you or someone who is a decade or two older to you?

I am sure you must be very clear with your answers. The older the better. Here fits the age old saying "old is gold." 

I never understood peoples behaviour of lying about their age. Don't you think with growth comes maturity. Do you not feel more mature then the last year? Do you not feel more confident in your 30s compared to your 20s? With age we understand the world better . Since the minute we are born we are aging. It is as natural as breathing. We all should embrace it. 

Accept your age gracefully 

Ageing is more serious a problem for women. Many women strives day in and out to keep themselves young. They are obsessed about looking 3-5 years younger to their actual age. For this they do whole lot of stuffs. But they should look young effortlessly. 

Day skin-care routine, night skin-care routine, tonnes of packs (face, hair) masks, serums and what not forms a part of their daily routine. The whole cosmetics industry is booming and flourishing on this simple idea to look young. W

hen the exploding cosmetic market is not enough people turn to surgeons. They get injection, drugs.Skin crafting is done to look prettier and younger. 

Youthfulness should radiate from your mind and not your skin. The energy(aura) that you carry should count and not your appearance. Today's youth obsessed society needs to realise that a human's value increases with age. Age is not to be ashamed of. Embrace the positive factors that comes only as you age( like experience , resilience, confidence,value).

What are ways to age gracefully?

Instead of taking at age as a battle, we can look for better ways to navigate through it. We should change our perspective and try to celebrate ageing. Why not accept it peacefully instead of waging a war against it. After all, whether you accept it not everybody has to get old. Here are few tips to use if you want to age gracefully.

• Attending cultural events: when you participate cultural events you meet people of all groups. Meeting people with different enthusiasm levels make you happier from within.Research shows that people who participate in social events actively are at less mortality risk. Going to theaters, swimming, church, playing golf are some of the events one must associate themselves with. This brings positive association people enhancing their well- being.
• Excercise: research shows that those who involves themselves in different activities like swimming, dancing, hiking, cycling they have been found more healthy. Movements in body increases hippocampus( a part of brain that is responsible for learning and memory). Increase in hippocampus decreases the rate of ageing. 
• Revisit your memories: turning back the clock is not possible but it is very much possible to live the memories of past. You can revisit your albums, you can listen to songs that were favorites, go to places you used to love the most. These things may not have a tangible effect but it will definitely make you live your younger days (brings back memories). It could also be done for fun. Researches call it 'mini time wraps'.  

• Stay updated with technologies: it is very common to see older people refusing technology. But, we all know how comfortable and fast has the world become because of these technologies. Old people must use technology. They can build more social connections, feel more connected which will keep them more happy and healthy.I mean using tik-tok not really that tough. They can send and receive emails without having to wait for somebody else to do it for them. They can order food, stuffs at home. This will keep them updated and engaged. They need a more open attitude towards technology. 
• Stimulate your senses: as we age our senses of smell, taste and hearing becomes dull. Spending out time in the arms of nature (greenary) , would be a great way to sooth yourself. Sensorial stimulating element helps protect your senses to some extent. It also adds to your joy. 

Few more tips you can follow 

• Embrace yourself (by looks, body, health) in all stages of life.
• Buy yourself flowers or any other gift that makes you happy.
• Spend time with nature. Gor for a long walk amongst trees, swim across rivers. 

Ageing is a boon if you ask me. Embrace it with love and positivity. The above given tips will only help you enhance your maturity level making you more robus. With time you become more resilient towards challenges of life. You become stronger. It not something to be fearful about. Instead sit and see how much you have grown up as age. 

Read more: Benefits of journaling

Frequently asked questions:

Q.1.How do I accept that I am aging?

You should first of all accept your age, and the fact that you and all of us together are ageing. Surround yourself with people of all age groups.

Q.2.At what age do people worry about aging?

According to AARP research, greater concerns about aches, pains, and health maladies crops up in people around their 50s. This becomes the major concern for their age.

Q.3.At what age is it normal to start feeling old?

Around 50s it is considered normal to feel older. 

Read more: Habit Stacking - A wonderful Tool

Using Hand Gestures To Establish Better Communication With People

 

Table of contents 

• How important are hand gestures in a communication?
• Types of hand gestures 
• How to encorporate hand gestures while speaking?

Have you ever noticed that effective public speakers uses hand gestures to add effect to what they say. Research suggests that using hand gestures helps us communicate far better. We should try to talk with with along with words. It is also good for listeners as it helps them understand and remember things better. 

Talking with hands makes you be understood by others more clearly. It also helps in retention of concept both for you and your audience.It acts as using imaginary highlighters in your speech. This helps in easy retention and recall of facts and figures.This is the reason why, small children are taught rhymes with hand gestures. 

How important are hand gestures in a communication?

In 2015 TED talks (speakers were analysed) which revealed that those who used hand gestures were more popular compared to those who included less or no hand gestures. Hand gestures are very helpful in establishing connections with others.

We learn to use gestures as we grow up. This is natural. We can also intentionally make use of this fact to enhance the effect of our speech on the audience. The Dutch research team who once conducted an experiment found that hand gestures plays an important role in establishing personal communication as it haves a direct impact on what the listener actually hears.

Types of gestures 

Hand gestures can be broadly categorised into two types.

• Beat gestures: these are simple gestures which do not necessarily attach meaning to it. Plain , lucid movements of hands while speaking falls under this category.
• Iconic gestures: these are those gestures which are intentionally made to draw attention of the listeners. It also sometimes used to replace words. This could like waving hands (to say hello) , thumbs-up (to say good or okay),  hi five ( to convey excitement). 

Different gestures are used in different contexts. For example when you win a football match you will talk with your body (differently) full of enthusiasm and energy. While the same reaction may look odd while in a corporate setting.

How to incorporate gestures in your speech?

It is very much possible to train yourself to talk with your hands. This would improve your presentation and make your audience more attentive. Here are few steps how you can do it deliberately. 

• Observe yourself (be mindful) : first try to observe yourself while talking. Do you at all use hand gestures? If yes then,do they align with your speech? Do the gestures you use with intention looks natural while speaking? 
• Practice more: try to deliberately use more hand gestures like the chopping style for showing chronological order or upward or downward slope for growth or decline or three straight fingers with thumb and index forming a circle to show beautiful and many more. The bigger the audience the bigger your gestures should be. Make yourself comfortable with planned and spontaneous gestures. 
• Create gestures for important stuffs: use particular gestures the helps you highlight the main key points in your speech. This will help help you and also your audience recall things with ease. 
• Learn from others: see videos( like TED Talks) or any other popular speaker of your choice and try to imitate their moves. Study their body language while speaking. Pick new ideas from them and use them for yourself. This will help you grow.

Gestures are overall a very simple tool to use while speaking to enhance your presentation. People who uses their hand to talk are considered more appealing, approachable and filled with warmth and energy. While those who restrict their body movements are less likely to approaches and cold. 

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Frequently asked questions:

Q.1. Do hand gestures show confidence?

Undoubtedly using hand gestures radiate confidence in communication. It helps you emphasize on points, convey emotions even without saying a word.

Q.2. Do intelligent people talk with their hands?

Intelligent people with caution uses their body movements while in communication.

Q.3.Is it attractive to talk with your hands?

Research suggests that people who uses hands to talk are seen as people who is filled with warmth, energy and are more approachable. Those who take to less body movements are considered as cold, unapproachable. 

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