Believe it or not, colours actually play a large role in controlling your energy and inturn, control your everyday productivity. They have the power to have an effect on your physical, emotional and intellectual state of mind.
Different people might asses different colours in different ways. Even though people perceive colours in different ways, they have more or less of a similar effect on most people.
In general, colours can either have a positive or a negative effect on you and your work flow. So it’s important to have the right type of colours in your workspace to release the right kind of energy from that space.
It’s interesting to note that the influence of colours in our energies is largely based on our own inner nature and the extent to which the colours can affect us is based on some of the most prominent emotions within us. Another interesting fact; it is not only the colours that have an effect on us but also the shade of the colour can have a positive or negative affect on us.
Let’s look at the 5 most prominent colours around us and how they affect our energies and productivity.
Red
This strong colour wakes up the physical aspect of the workspace and even has physical effects on the people in the workspace. Often known as the ‘stimulating colour’, red can get your heart beating and your pulse rising. If you’re someone who needs just a little extra push to get you working, this warm colour is the way to exert that pressure on yourself.
Keep in mind: Often times, too much red or too much of a flashy tone of red can become overwhelming and might not affect your work environment in the most positive way. Also, having too much red and getting your pulse a little too high might even evoke your inner ‘fight-or-flight’ response and even make you agressive – definitely not good for a work environment.
Yellow
While red plays a large role in physical affects, yellow dives move towards the emotional energy. Just like red, yellow is also very energizing to have in workspaces and is an excellent colour for when you need a little productivity push.
A colour that radiates positivity and has a large role in lifting emotional confidence levels and lifting your spirit when you’re down. (Which is why sunshine is associated with yellow-warm and relaxing.)
According to colour psychologist Angela Wright, it is the strongest colour to stimulate creativity and every time you’re stuck with a creative project/idea, yellow is just the colour that can get your creative wheels turning and if you’re not completely sure about your work,it is great for comfort and can make you feel more optimistic about your work and yourself.
Keep in mind: Although yellow mostly affects your emotional health positively, sometimes too much yellow or the wrong tone can become, well, a little too much and even raise anxiety levels in some people, so try not to overdo it.
Orange
When red controls the physical aspect of productivity and yellow controls the emotional aspect, it’s obvious that a mixture of both these colours will affect both of these aspects.
Orange stimulates both, the mind and the body and raises you to a more productive level. Considered a ‘fun colour‘ by colour psychologists, orange symbolises happiness and determination.
Keep in mind : Even though a fun colour, orange can be a little too overwhelming and might even be counterproductive to incorporate too much orange into your workspace. Instead of making it the main theme, pair it up with other colours which compliment each other well or as a slight “pop” in colour. This will create a comfortable energy flow with an element of fun and confidence.
Green
The complete opposite of red, green gives out a sense of calmness and gives out a reassuring energy. As a harmonizing colour , it helps maintain a well kept balance between all the colours and different textures in a workspace.
Green works best in a calm working environment or keeping a workspace calm and collected, maintaining balance between everything. If you’re someone who constantly finds yourself overwhelmed by the gazillion tasks at hand, try placing more green to your work area to put yourself in a more calm place.
Keep in mind : It’s important to choose the right tone of green to get the best results. A shade too bright might end up clashing with everything and make things more chaotic, while a shade too light might make everything seem bland.
Blue
Seen as a soothing colour, blue helps in concentration and keeping your mind calm.
Popular for use in office spaces, colour psychologists believe blue can help in clear communication, as it helps stimulate thoughts, and is the choice for completing administrative tasks and projects that require deep focus.
Keep in mind: Certain people might perceive blue as ‘cold‘ and ‘unemotional‘. It is adviced to pair it up with colours like orange having a little pop in order to keep things more lively and warm.
I have to confess… I am a nightowl! (Really dramatic, I know)
But what does that mean? Basically, just like an owl has a much more clear sense of vision during the night, I have a much more clear sense of productivity during the night, or more specifically, after the sun sets.
So when the rest of the people are going to bed or even asleep, I’m wide awake doing work/studying. And when everyone else gets up from slumber, I’m only starting to doze off.
To some people, this might seem strange and even slightly concerning, but actually, it’s way more common than an average person might think. Studies show that almost 30 to 40 percentage of the population find themselves the most productive after 11pm (or 2300hrs.)
And no, by productive I do not mean endlessly scrolling through social media or binge watching movies/shows for the whole night. I actually mean concentrating and getting some serious work done.
But
How does a person become a nightowl?
Well, firstly it isn’t exactly a lifestyle choice one can develop in a week or two. According to some studies, our chronotype (which is largely influenced by genetics) determines what type of person – a nightowl or an early bird- one will be.
People with night time chronotype (or wolf chronotype) show more of nightowl tendencies (or ‘nocturnal’ tendencies)
So, it isn’t a choice for most people, sure, long exposure to this type of behavior and environment may change some people’s lifestyle. Or sometimes our chronotype might change as we grow older, but we can’t really change them ourselves.
For people who are genetically given these behaviours don’t really have a choice. They reach their maximum level of energy and productivity only after dark. They also find it difficult to focus and be active early in the morning. According to studies, night owls show the most energy and activity (which is controlled by the cerebum) 4-10 hours after they wake up.
So if you find yourself constantly in a drowsy state during the day and super energetic and active during the night – then you might be a nightowl. (Welcome to the gang!)
Now, incase you are a nightowl (or just found out you’re one) and not very happy with the idea of being a nightowl, here are some
Pros to being a nightowl
• When you’re a nightowl and productive at night, you can actually get a lot of work done without even half of the distractions you might have during the day. (Nobody walking around you and disrupting your flow!)
• According to studies by numerous institutions, nightowls have shown to score more on IQ tests compared to early risers. Which basically means we’re smarter!
• People who are night owls tend to use lateral thinking more than early birds, to put it simply, we’re better at solving problems by using an indirect/creative approach and view such problems with a new light (Basically, we’re more creative).
Now that we have talked pros I guess it is only fair to talk about the cons as well.
Cons to being a nightowl
• Studies from many universities showed that people with morning chronotype were more physically active than compared to those with night chronotype and suggests that people who do stay up late and wake up late should try to keep themselves physically active.
• Even though night owls have an advantage when it comes to lateral thinking and intelligence, we’re also more likely to perform poorly in academics/work. This is because we have to function during our least functional hours i.e. typically an 8-4 or 9-5.
• Since nightowls are more creative, active and approachable during the night, they’re less so during the day, which is when a major part of society and our communities are up and about. Trying to keep up with these people around us often leads to insufficient sleep, not to mention poor lifestyle habits and a general inability to adjust to ‘regular’ schedules. This can lead to a number of physical and mental health issues such as diabetes, obesity and even depression.
Now that we’ve covered that, how can you make your life a little easier as a nightowl? So here are some tips, from one owl to another.
Top tips for nightowls
1) Accept yourself and set your routine such that it accomodates time for sleep. Atleast 5-6 hours. It might seem difficult, but with a little bit of planning you’ll be able to work all night and still get 7-8 hours of sleep.
2) Try to sneak in little naps between the day or even during your work sessions. Also, try to set a limit for yourself, tell yourself “I will not work past _”
3) While working at night , have a glass of water and some healthy snacks (like nuts and berries) next to you, it will stop you from eating junk and will kill the cravings.
4) Try to take atleast 5-10 minute breaks in between work to get up, stretch, fix your posture and just take a little walk around your walk area.
5) 20 minutes before your bed time/the time you set for yourself, stop all work. Read a relaxing book or listen to calming music, turn off all bright lights and all devices. Set the mood to calm yourself before going to sleep, that way you can ensure a peaceful few hours of sleep for yourself without waking up in the middle and having disturbed/rocky sleep.
6) If you generally have a 9-5 ‘routine’ and also work during the night, give yourself weekends or atleast one day of the week to get full rest and excercise. Also meet up with your friends and family to ensure your own physical and mental health. Even during the day/night when you’re working,make it a point to take care of your health – physical and mental.
Having read all of this, know that it doesn’t matter if you’re a nightowl or an early bird or even if you have no idea of your strong and weak timespans , all that matters is you fit your work into your work whenever you’re the most productive and the most motivated to make changes.
All of us have a goal, it could be something like owning your own business/company or something as simple as getting up early – big or small, it doesn’t matter, we’re all aiming towards something. The first step towards achieving the goals we set for ourselves is to master discipline or more importantly, make ourselves more disciplined.
What Is Self Discipline?
When you wake up in the morning, a little voice in your head might tell you to lie back down. “Just for 5 more minutes.”,i t might say. The ability to push away that temptation and actually getting up and doing something productive – that is self discipline!
Discipline is about putting your future self and prioritising it above your present, it about making changes and sacrificing some pleasures.
The most important and also one of the most difficult life skill to develop in life, which will surely, in the long run help you reach that ultimate goal.
To be disciplined is to sit down and work,to work on and towards the goals you set. For yourself, to do that work no matter how tedious it is,no matter how demotivated you are. It is to fight through and hustle regardless of your current situation.
Why To Be Disciplined?
Discipline is about resisting/overcoming short term temptations to put all our effort and hard work into the long term goals that actually matter. When you develop the ability to resist those feelings, you provide yourself with a sense of fulfillment and happiness, something that will continuously repeat as you keep on developing your skills.
When you have a goal oriented attitude and discipline to back you up, you can reach great lengths in life, you only need to learn how to combine both of them!
As someone who has been (trying to) developing the habit of self discipline
Here Are Some Tips
1) Accepting weaknesses
Just like every self improvement skill, it is important to acknowledge and accept your shortcomings. When you accept within yourself that you need to make changes, it motivates your mind into doing better and pushing yourself further outside your comfort zone.
While looking over your shortcomings, try to look at yourself not from a negative light. There is always scope for improvement – but going for an unrealistic image of perfect will not help. Know yourself as who you are, accept yourself and love yourself, then make slow steady changes.
2) Get rid of temptations
When you resist temptations around you, you build a stronger willpower. But expecting yourself to have a strong goal oriented vision within 2 days is unrealistic. Having that level of self control is a skill that is honed with a lot of training over a long time.
Developing self discipline is a long process, that will take some time for sure. To build up discipline, learn to push off temptations.
As a beginner, it is always good to actually remove them from around you. • When you go to bed, keep away devices that will keep you in bed in the morning. Instead of setting an alarm on your phone,get an actual alarm clock. • While studying/working, keep away from distractions, turn everything off except for what you’re actually working on.
Having distractions away from your general sight/area of vision gives the little boost you need.
3) Map it out
Sometimes, simply having a goal in mind doesn’t help. At times, it’s important to have a step by step plan of the grand map towards your goal.
Having a step by step execution plan not only helps you know exactly what to do and how to do it, but at the same time, it gives that push and motivation you might need on a gloomy day.
Whether you actually write down each step of the map or simply store it in one corner of your brain, it is important to have a plan of action and also a backup plan for the times when things might not go your way. It’s good to be optimistic about the future,but at times being prepared for the harsh conditions life throws at you can really help, especially when it comes to big life decisions.
Not having an alternate plan can sometimes demotivate you and push you to throw in the towel, but when you have an idea of what to do in the ‘what if’ situations, that might just pump you up to go for round 2!
4) Building blocks to building you
Just like little kids use building blocks to build a toy or a puzzle, you build a better version of yourself by replacing building blocks with discipline.
Making discipline a habit, and developing self discipline via daily habits is the most easiest way to master it. Instead of making it an option, make it a part of your daily habits and everyday life.
Take those steps and press it into your daily life. When you make it an everyday thing your subconscious self will not allow you to push it off for some other time.
A point to note is that the hardest part of having a routine is actually following through with it, every single day. So instead of adding new things to your daily life, try to change the old habits you had. Making small subtle changes won’t affect your daily life too tragically but at the same time it will help you get on track to make more impactful changes.
Don’t let yourself slack off. The urge to slack off comes when you’re unable to have a strong hold on your discipline. But know that it is not an overnight skill, you need to learn to push off urges to relax and laze.
Self discipline is about acting on your thoughts, do not let your feelings get in the way. If you feel like slacking off and doing less work, push off that feeling and get to work!
Sometimes it’s important to not be dependent on motivation – sometimes you just have to push through.
At the same time, it’s important to learn to distinguish between pushing through and overworking yourself. Don’t let yourself fall down the path that eventually you start hating what you’re doing. You should still be able to enjoy what you do and it should bring you some form of happiness.
5) Rewards are okay!
Once in a while, reward yourself. When you complete an exceptionally difficult task, when you push yourself a little harder than other days, when you let go of comfort and work instead. Reward yourself to thank yourself for being a better person. Reward yourself to remind yourself of the love you have for yourself (try saying that 3 times).
Know that occasionally rewarding yourself is okay and you shouldn’t have to feel bad about showing yourself some kindness and love. Also, learn that it’s okay to make mistakes, to trip and fall every once in a while. Try not to beat yourself up over every small thing.
Learn that it is only human nature to make mistakes. Learn from these mistakes and move on, don’t let it stick to you.
Winners embrace hard work. They love the discipline of it, the trade-off they’re making to win. Losers, on the other hand, see it as punishment. And that’s the difference.
Welcome Potterheads! (If you’re not a Potterhead please go watch/read the entire series. K thanks!)
So, a few days ago, I re-watched the entire Harry Potter series, (why? Because why not!) after a very long time. The last time I saw it was almost 3 years ago. (Completely unforgivable, I know!)
As I was watching, I was actually watching it, the characters, and the whole concept from a very different perspective. Everything about it, I was understanding it in a whole different way, so here are some things I learnt from some people.
Hagrid
Funny, warm, kind, supportive, a little dumb and super loving! I think every fan will agree with me when I say – Rubeus Hagrid is like that one uncle or that one cousin who’s your best friend. Watching Hagrid with the trio always made me want to reach out to my friends and spend time with them. The character really puts forward the message of loving everyone and everything, even if it’s a gigantic, hairy spider with hundreds of kids or a three headed dog!
“I am what I am, an’ I’m not ashamed. ‘Never be ashamed,’ my ol’ dad used ter say, ‘there’s some who’ll hold it against you, but they’re not worth botherin’ with.’ An’ he was right.”
– Rubeus Hagrid
Snape
Possibly the most misunderstood character in the entire Hogwarts history. Till the very end he maintained the character of being a cold hearted, evil, Death Eater who was out to get his hands on Potter. Only at the end did his tears really reveal the love he had and carried in his hearts for all those years, never letting it come out, but hurting alone on the inside.
Imagine being in his shoes, never being able to express yourself and who you really are, having to live with the sad memory of holding your love for the very last time but having them in your heart till the very end. Imagine knowing those deep secrets, yet not being able to do anything about it and living with the pressure that no one understood. </3
“Well, it may have escaped your notice, but life isn’t fair.”
-Severus Snape
Dumbledore
Probably one of the most controversial character who initially seemed to care a lot for Harry but at the end looked like the man who was just waiting for the right moment. (Still his death hurts) . He left forever teaching us to choose the path of right – no matter what , even if you have to die for it and at the same time, he taught me to be a leader.
“We must all face the choice between what is right, and what is easy.”
– Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore
Harry Potter
Nerdy and awkward, yet so popular! (15 year old me relates!) When you take a look at his life, you really understand the importance of friends and loved ones. People who will sacrifice their life just to protect you, people who are willing to fall into dungeons and rescue you on flying cars, people who would literally become you and risk their life, just to save yours – such people are not easy to come by, and when you do come across them, keep them with you and cherish them. Not to mention the little bits of pep talks you can get from him every now and then.
“Working hard is important, but there’s something that matters even more: believing in Yourself.”
– Harry James Potter
Fred & George
The most fun loving, crazy troublemakers Hogwarts had the opportunity to have. Born on April fool’s day, it was clear from the start , they were going to be the official pranksters of the school. Although really well known for being pranksters and goofs , thier bravery isn’t really spoken about much. Can you imagine flying into Umbridge’s classroom on brooms and lighting off fireworks disrupting the OWLs ,not to mention scaring Umbridge herself with the biggest fireworks – that has to take a lot of bravery – especially after being punished by those awful quills of hers!
The crazy duo really teach you to keep your best smile on and your humour high, no matter what the situation. To live your life with no regrets, to always be cheerful and joyful – even in the most darkest times, be it injury or even death. (We’ll miss you Fredd
“Well, none of us really fancy it, mate. Imagine if something went wrong, and we ended up a scrawny specky git forever. “
– Fred & George Weasley
Luna
Weird and lost (and maybe a little bit looney), yet she was such a joy to look at. In a strange way, I felt myself relating more to her now as an awkward introvert. It’s not easy for me to make friends, but when I do, I will do anything for them, be it learning spells behind the cruel headmistress back or standing up against the Dark Lord himself. She really gives out the message that it’s okay being the ‘weirdo’, you’re still cool, especially if you can help find a horcrux!
“My mum always said things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end. If not always in the way we expect”.
– Luna Elizabeth Lovegood
Dobby
Tiny, timid, scared, would be the 3 words I would use to describe this marvellous house-elf. The love and protectiveness this sweet one has for Harry is simply adorable. Sure, he’s got Harry in a few difficult situations, but all the while hoping to keep him away from danger. Not to mention, he was there, exactly whenever and wherever Harry needed him.
Although seeing this little fella pass away broke many people’s hearts, he did teach us, that sometimes we need to take some risks and break some rules (and even defy our master’s) just to protect those who mean a lot to us, even if,in that moment our actions might seem unreasonable.
“Such a beautiful place this is, to be with friends, Dobby feels joy for being with his friends, Harry Potter.”
– Dobby
Hermoine
Smart, kind, talented, cheeky and definitely a goddess, this little girl knew what she was stepping into, even before she knew what she was actually stepping into. Although born to muggles, she was better than even the pure bloods, which goes to show; it doesn’t matter where you’re born or to whom you’re born. Your real power and talent comes from yourself.
Being ambitious, kind and the bestest friend to Ron and Harry were clearly some traits highlighted, but something else that I learnt was ; people might not always accept you, and may even call you horrible things, but at the end if you keep your head held high and be proud of who you truly are, you might just be able to punch those same people in the face (literally &/or figuratively).
“Books! And cleverness! There are more important things! — Friendship! And Bravery!”
– Hermoine Jean Granger
Sirius
First portrayed as the bad man and then revealing himself as the actual good guy, only to be killed, Black really brings the point home that sometimes, things are not how they really seem, sometimes, there’s more to the story. Also, never let go of hope, sure, you might have to spend 12 years in the most horrifying, dangerous prison ever, but eventually a time will come when you will be able to show yourself truly, if not to everyone, then atleast to those who mean everything to you. So if you’re going through difficult times, hang in there, eventually a time will come when you too will be able to fly off into the moonlight on a Hippogriff.
“We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on—that’s who we really are.”
– Sirius Black
Draco
Dark, mysterious, trouble-maker, bad boy, bully, I could go on and on about this fella but no words are enough to explain my love for this Slytherin king. Tough as a rock from the outside, perfectly mean to any and all muggles, but on the inside, the most sweetest kid with the weakest heart.
Although a little bit of a drama queen (okay ,maybe a little too much of a drama queen!) , he really makes you realise that what you see from the outside, isn’t necessarily what’s happening inside as well. So the next time someone is rude to you for no reason there might actually be a reason, maybe you just don’t understand them.
Draco as a character also makes you realise that sometimes you need to ask for help, or just accept help when someone offers it – even though you might feel like you’re completely fine on your own and have everything under control, actually having someone by your side can be a huge help.
“It comes and it goes. Still, I consider myself lucky. If it wasn’t for Madame Pomfrey, another minute or two and I could have lost my arm. Couldn’t possibly do any homework for weeks.”
– Draco Lucius Malfoy
Ron
Clumsy yet the cutest of the Weasley family, a character who surely stole everyone’s hearts right from platform 9¾. A clear indication that honest, real, unconditional love for our friends is so important. Someone who stayed by Harry’s side through everything, good and bad (although sometimes he can be a little annoying). Be it a broken wand or a broken arm, he knew to put his friends before himself. Want another reason to love Ron? – You can stuff your face around him, no judgements whatsoever, he might even join you XD, also, he has the most hilarious comebacks to some pretty unusual situations!. (How can you still not love him?!)
“Why spiders? Why couldn’t it be ‘follow the butterflies’?”
– Ronald Bilius Weasley
Neville
The shy little sweetheart who always only wished good for everyone. (Much like human version of Dobby, if you ask me) Mostly pushed off to the side, only to shine at the end when he wielded the sword of the true Gryffindor. Neville makes you feel like you belong, it doesn’t matter if you’re friends with the popular kids or not, it doesn’t matter if you’re part of the fancy sports teams or not, it doesn’t matter who you are, you will always belong – as long as you have goodness in your heart. If you’re good at heart you can fight the biggest snakes out there, just believe in yourself.
“I’ll join you when hell freezes over!”
– Neville Longbottom
Voldemort
The Dark Lord himself. Powerful but vain (in my opinion). Although not the most loved character of the series, Tom faced a lot of hardships in his childhood and many people can see themselves in him. The feeling that you don’t belong has hurt one too many people (although not all of them turned out this evil ). Something which Voldemort’s story does tell is this – even if you feel like you don’t belong and people around you make you feel terrible about who you truly are, there will come a time when you will find your place in the world, be it between muggles, pure-bloods or even half-bloods.
“There is no good and evil. There is only power. And those too weak to seek it.”
Some people look back at thier past, to find happy memories, some find sad, hurtful memories, but the thing that will be common for everyone looking back at their past is that you can (and should) learn from the past.
The experiences, the people and the situations you were in – they all have a much bigger purpose in your life. They are there to help you learn and help you grow, for you to grow into the best version of yourself.
The past holds high notes of wisdom, notes that can change your present if you gain inspiration from it.
It’s fair to say that we’ve all had good and bad times in our past, times when we were happy, and times when we weren’t.
Always remember that life is like an everflowing river, constantly swirling and making new paths, sometimes carrying on with the old paths and sometimes making new ones. No matter good or bad, your past can only control your present and future to an extent.
There is a fine balance between honouring the past and losing yourself in it.
Eckhart Tolle
We all have, at some point, made mistakes in our past, but replaying all the regrets from the past is not going to make any difference to the present.
The way to get over the regrets from these mistakes is to actually learn the proper lesson from it. When we learn from it, it is no longer a negative element in your life, rather, it becomes the positive aspect of our past.
Remember the lessons the past has taught you, but don’t let the fear from the past experiences affect the choices you make in the present.
We need to be able to learn from the past, but at the same time, it’s important to update those lessons based on the current situation and the person that you’ve changed into.
It's good to learn about the mistakes from the past and use them to make better decisions for the future but it's important to know that at the end, your mistakes only guide you, they do not reflect who you are.
We can’t change what’s already happened, so instead of thinking of those times, it’s important to grow into a better version for the present and the future. Try to see the past as training for a better future and use the lessons to grow.
The way to actually grow from the past is to firstly have the self-realization and courage to accept the mistakes you made and acknowledge it’s consequences. It’s important to have the courage to make changes to your actions to make changes for the future results.
Have the courage to recognise the behaviours from the past that are negatively affecting your present. Analyse those behavioural patterns and their affect on you.
Then, take responsibility for your actions and the mistakes. When you take the responsibility,it becomes easier to actually accept it and move on and also stops you from always bringing up the past and blaming others for the mistakes and problems you faced in the past.
Bringing up the past and blaming others for the bad in it is never going to lead to anything positive and will hinder your relationship. We bring up the past and try to connect it with the present when we feel like we’re not in control of the situation, what we need to understand is that it does not help the situation at hand and instead pulls the focus away from the main issue.
Instead of holding grudges with people connected to a sad past, try reasoning with them and having conversations. Resentment only takes away power and energy from you, forgiveness sets you free.
Fear not for the future, weep not for the past.
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Once you understand and accept the past and every thing in it – good and bad, it becomes easy to learn from it and steer into a better future.
Teach yourself better ways to deal with situations and people. Teach yourself to actually be present at the moment and most importantly, teach yourself to be responsible for your actions and think about the consequences it can have in your future.
The best thing about looking at the past is all the good memories. Whenever you feel low or unmotivated and need something to cheer you up its a good exercise to look back at the times when you were in a better state of mind and felt powerful. Think of the times when things went your way and you were productive and made positive changes to your life.
Try to remember things to the last detail and then use the same energy that you felt then. Manifest that power back into your life and harness that energy to drive away the negative energy surrounding you (sort of like the Patronus charm – Expecto Patronum ! )
“A pen is stronger than a sword” is a quote we’ve all heard at some point, and it’s true! Words have a power than nothing else has.
Writing is taking small, baby ideas and turning them into concrete pieces. People use their words to express themselves, some through journaling, some by writing stories, poems and prose, some even use their words and express themselves through captions on social media.
But, what about for someone who doesn’t really express themselves through written words? Or a more appropriate question to ask would be
Why To Write?
There are many reasons to write, but something to keep in mind is, you need to have the will to write. To weave those words with the thoughts in your head, the rush you can get from writing down things that have meaning to you is simply different and irreplaceable.
The feeling of creating a masterpiece with words is something really precious to every writer.
When you write, you’re training your mind to focus on a specific topic and stay with it. When you write, you unlock a whole new level of focus and self-discipline, something that can be useful outside of writing and in your daily life.
Writing is essentially about clearing up your head from the racing thoughts and placing them all down for better inspection and simply for the sake of having a clear mind to focus on other things. When you’re in the habit of writing, you’re forcing yourself to put the effort to focus and be present – something which we all need in the present times.
Words As Therapy
Words As Therapy
• Writing, as a habit can be really theraputic. Dealing with a million emotions can be challenging, but when you externalise those feelings and emotions, your mental health improves and the overwhelming feelings stay at arms length.
• Expressive writing, or writing for expressing one’s own thoughts and feelings into words is one of the most common ways of self help and just calming oneself.
• When you write or journal about your own negative experiences, you allow your mind to sort out the thoughts and process them, which allows you to deal with situations and even come up with solutions to difficult situations.
• Gratitude journaling is a great tool to maintain a healthy mental space. Writing about things, people and experiences you’re grateful for can be a great reminder about all the good things in life and things that are worth going forward for.
• Letter writing is another, underrated habit of writing. Many times, things left unsaid can bother us. These things, to others and to ourselves can be written down in letters and be therapeutic and relaxing.
Words At Work
Writing can be useful,not just for personal life, even for your professional life.
• When you write down the many thoughts going on in your mind you leave space for more productive processing to happen in your head.
• Noting down important things happening in your day to day life, just as simple notes or to do notes can be a very easy way to categorise and organize work which helps you have a clear head, helping you be pay attention and be present at work.
• Aside from that, writing can be a great way to learn communication skills. Writing and publishing your own words to a certain number of people increases your self confidence which in turn, helps you build better work relationships.
• When you build a habit of writing, you automatically learn the art of expressing yourself clearly without using fancy words. When you have a clear language and mode of communication, you can express yourself without fancy big words.
• Good writing habits also reflects on clear, concise thinking, being a good writer you can have structured thoughts and a better outlook towards the work which automatically improves the quality of work.
But what if you actually want to start writing,but you can’t get past a certain point?
Here are some Tips To Deal With Writing Fears
Many times, it’s not the writing process,it’s the thinking process that doesn’t allow you to start. It’s important to know what to write before you actually step into it.
Read on a large span of topics. Read everything – things that interest you and those that don’t, eventually find a topic that you feel comfortable writing about.
Then, spend some time thinking about what to write on that specific topic. Working out, commuting to places, going to bed, use these times to think about ideas and find inspiration from things and people around you.
Once ideas start coming in your mind, write them down, each one. Don’t look for a specific ‘good’ or ‘bad’ idea, write everything down, you can sort through the ideas and edit them all later.
Once you’ve written something you’re proud of, read and re-read it, your mind will realise that it is actually a soothing experience and actually worth the effort, that way, you will be motivated to write more.
Something that a lot of writers are scared of is “the writer’s block”. It is basically when you don’t have the inspiration and/or motivation to write new and interesting pieces.
How To Deal With Writer’s Block?
• For many of the modern writers (including myself), procrastination is a major roadblock. So essentially, it is important to build the will to actually get up and get to writing.
• Another reason for experiencing writer’s block can be your environment. Suddenly changing your surrounding or being surrounded by the same things for long periods of time can impact your productivity as well. Try making small changes to your workspace at regular intervals, also try to have fresh light coming in – a little light can go a long way!
• And finally, while writing, have no distractions around you. Close out all other programs or distractions and let your mind focus on the words and involve yourself in the process of creating beauty through words.
With the new year many of us are making new year resolutions- eating healthy, working out, developing new hobbies, practicing self-love are some of the many that I’ve heard from people around me. But here’s one that I’ve not heard from anyone that I think everyone should persue (or atleast try to) and that is – facing our fears and growing from them.
A question that came to my mind was,
Why face our fears?
Isn’t it much more easier to just let things be as they are?
Well, yes. It would be, but think about it, the last few years (2020 & 2021) have been pretty tough, how much worse can it get? Might as well take the risks and see how it goes. Because life is all about taking risks and overcoming fear. If you don’t take that leap today, you’ll never know what you’re capable of.
If we embrace our fears and work on them, we can break the biggest ceiling – our own mind. Once we do that, everything will be limitless! When we work on the things that we fear, or even simply acknowledge it and put some thought into it – we take away its power to control us.
If you don’t work on that one thing that is constantly at the back of your head, that one thing that makes you stay up at night and worries you throughout the day, it will consume your mind entirely and will not let you reach the success that you’re aiming for.
We all need to face our fears and challenge ourselves to acknowledge these fears in order to rid our mind of the emotional baggage that these fears bring into our lives.
But let’s be honest , it’s all easier said than done. So the biggest question,
How do we face said fears and grow?
1) The first thing to do is to realise that being afraid of things is common human nature. We’re all humans and we’re all afraid of something. It’s not about not being afraid, it’s about how you handle those fears and how you grow from them. Know that fear is mostly an uneasiness our mind feels over things that we don’t know about, or we’re unsure about.
2) The second – and maybe the most important thing, is to know what you’re afraid of and to what extent. It may sound strange but many people (including myself) aren’t exactly sure of what they’re afraid of. Take some time off and sit down and think about the things that bother you/worry you. When you know exactly what to work on you can actually focus in that direction instead of feeling stuck . When you know exactly what to work on things become more manageable and less scary.
3) Try to identify exactly what triggers fear and worry into your head. Sit down with yourself and just think about those things and the emotions they bring up inside you without actually feeling those emotions or letting those emotions control your mind. It might seem difficult at first, but slowly ease yourself into the process, eventually, you’ll be able to process those thoughts and emotions without really feeling much of them.
4) Like I said before, fear is (to some extent) an uneasiness in our mind about things that we don’t know about, or things that are ‘the unknown’. So gather as much information as you can, the more you know about it, the less scary it will be, and you might even find it interesting! Also, telling someone about your fears can be a great way to elevate some of the stress and can help you think more clearly. Writing those fears down can also be a great way to acknowledge them, it will help your mind to come up with solutions much more easily.
5) Use your imagination to think of the worst case scenario that could happen if you go forward with chasing these fears – and maybe even conquering them. Then, make a plan of what you could do if such a thing was to happen. Once you acknowledge the worst case scenario and find out ways to come out of it, it becomes way more easier to deal with them. It will help you take your mind off the problem and you can actually put in your energy to working towards the goal.
With all this said, you need to know a few more things before going into this journey.
When you start off, there will be times when you would feel overwhelmed, you might feel like you’re not getting anywhere and all of this is just a waste of time. At times like this, reflect back to what things were like before and how far you’ve come.
Know that all the hard work and unhappiness you’re feeling now is for something far more greater. Whenever you’re feeling emotionally burnt out and frustrated, take a break, listen to soothing music and process what’s happening around you, only then will you be able to move forward.
At the end, always remember that there is no greater feeling than overcoming fears and barriers, the feeling of coming out of it as a better person on the other side is simply irreplaceable.
Being a leader is something which many people can do, but being a great leader, one who can lead the team to success while training all the members to become future great leaders is not a skill that everyone has.
According to some theories, great leaders are ‘born and not made’, i.e. certain people inherit certain qualities that make them great leaders, so, the people who are not born with these traits cannot be great leaders. On the other hand, some theories suggest the opposite, that great leaders are ‘made not born’. That people learn to be great leaders and the traits required to be great leaders cannot be inherited, it is something people learn through experiences of life and observing other people.
I think a great leader is one who is the perfect balance of both theories. To be a great leader, it is necessary to have a natural leadership instinct along with the traits that one can achieve only by experiences and learning from those experiences as well as other people, preferably other ‘great leaders’.
“A leader is he/she that creates more leaders.”
Ranveer Allahbadia
Here are some of the most important qualities a great leader should have (based on some of the amazing leaders I’ve seen and have been heavily inspired by)
Passion
A great leader is one who is passionate about the project/work, someone who’s energy can really inspire and pump up the passion in the other teammates. A leader should be driven by the passion and make it their purpose as well as have people with the similar passion in their team.
When leaders have set goals and are able to communicate it to the rest of the team effectively, they can bring the entire team together to reach the goal while growing as a team as well.
Empathy
A leader that has empathy towards their teammates is one who can understand the teammates to a deeper level and can connect with them emotionally. Teammates also feel better working with a leader who understands and bonds with them.
Empathy also allows to get rid of any workplace tension and get straight to the root cause of the problem.
Confidence
A great leader is one who is secure with themselves and are self confident. You will rarely see them in self doubt. Teammates can rely more on confident leaders who are trustworthy and also grow their self confidence.
However, keep in mind that confidence and arrogance are completely different things. A leader who is confident can help you build your self confidence, on the other hand, an arrogant leader will only focus on their own growth and doesn’t take the growth of their teammates seriously.
Conversationalist
A great team leader is also a great speaker, one who can use their words to inspire and push their team towards success/the end goal. Great leaders are clear with the message they convey to the team and in times of trouble they are able to solve the problems with their words.
Leaders are comfortable addressing big groups as well as having one on one conversations with their teammates. Along with being great speakers, leaders are also great listners, which leads to amazing, innovative, insightful conversations.
Open minded
People that can easily adapt to situations and have an optimistic, open minded attitude towards even the most difficult situations excel as leaders. They also inspire those around them to adapt to changes surrounding them, the good and the bad.
Great leaders understand that people are the biggest assests and welcome all criticism and feedback from others as well as teammates and appreciate exchanging ideas and opinions with their teammates.
Motivational
Great leaders are the perfect role models for members of the team, in addition to that, they are great source of motivation for the team members, especially during difficult times – professionally and/or personally. They know the important role of motivated team members in the growth of the entire team.
Great leaders can motivate and inspire their team members only if they are confident and optimistic and at the same time have a realistic look towards life. A motivational leader has a very big hand in the growth of each individual of the team.
“The best leaders know their teammates inside out, and know how to get the BEST out of each individual, individually!”
Ranveer Allahbadia
Selflessness
A great leader is the leader who gets happiness from seeing others being rewarded for their hardwork. Their leadership is not based on titles or position or power, their influence on people is not because of their money or power or connections. They define their success on the basis of the positive influence they have on people and the impact their actions have on other people. They constantly show up in times of need and are reliable to the team, they always put their team first and take actions that help each member of the team grow.
A great leader brings out the true potential in others and helps them become great leaders of the future. They are not just concerned with getting the team to success as a whole, but also invest themselves in helping each member of the group reach their true potential.
Determination
Great leaders are always determined to accomplish what they set out to do. They don’t give up when things get tough. They see difficulties/problems as a challenge and see it as an opportunity to grow.
Such people are not afraid to think outside the box or take decisions/steps that are ‘uncomfortable’ or ‘difficult’, they constantly try to step out of their comfort zone and persuade their team to do the same. “It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.” —Nelson Mandela
“It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.”
As an introvert – I prefer being alone. Being alone with myself, my thoughts and a book is all I need to be happy.
But I remember a time when I was younger and I absolutely hated being alone. I loved to surround myself with people, to talk endlessly, to pick their brains on everything around me and to just have that presence of people around me made me happy.
But as I grew up I learnt to love my own company more. There were many other things, like, I learnt that my opinion is not always welcome, especially in a discussion in which only the “elders” opinion mattered, I learnt that being too open is not always a good thing and being too nosey is not always appreciated and that sometimes, I just needed to shut up.
Maybe it was the many ‘ticking offs’ that I got, or maybe it was just self realisation, but something made me become less and less of an extrovert.
I became less interested in going out and meeting new people and making new friends, less interested in going out of my way to interact with people outside of my close circle of friends and even less interested in talking about myself.
I became an introvert,and now as a highschool teenager – I just see myself going more and more into preferring my own company over everyone else.
The only time that I ever feel comfortable talking – about myself or about other things – is through my words, more specifically, the words that I write. Maybe that is the reason why I’m interested in reading other people’s words and their experiences of life, through those words that they’ve written.
But, we as humans, are social creatures. We need social interaction – even if we think we don’t need it, we all do.
I’ve realised that social interaction isn’t merely limited to talking to someone – either face to face or on the phone – it’s more than that. Texting, talking, reading, writing – it’s all social interaction! Anything that connects you to people around you is social interaction. Heck, social media has just made social interaction so much more easier. You don’t even need to post anything, just watching and observing someone on social media is interaction! But I guess even that has its limits.
After a point there’s going to be a voice inside you – a crazy human part of you that’s going to crave real human conversations- silly, useless, unnecessary, simple conversations, even small talk would seem like a lifesaver. Something which we all went through during the harsh times of the pandemic. But on the flip side, some people (like me) craved some solitude. To be alone, not being bothered by people, not being constantly around people is all that some people wanted.
Being alone also has its downsides. If you’re alone for too long, it starts messing with your thoughts – especially if you’re going through tough times. It forces you to overthink small and unnecessary things and brings a lot of stress. Also, being alone brings out many unhealthy habits.
So its not all that good to be alone.
But what if you’re like me and do not like even the idea of socialising with people? (Especially a face to face real conversation)
Well, here are some things that I’ve realised (by being alone a lot and trying to socialize a lot) It’s not easy to strike up a conversation with people, but if you can, find a common topic that interests everyone included in the conversation. You can have some good healthy conversations without feeling too overwhelmed. Another tip if you’re like me and feel that a one-on-one conversation is too direct for you, try having a conversation with a group of people, that way you won’t have to lead the conversation or be the centre of it, it will just flow by itself.
Find the best way of social interaction for yourself. Whether it’s by reading or writing or simply observing people around you on social media – and get comfortable with sharing the things that interest you. Soon you’ll be able to interact with people and have amazing fruitful conversations on things that you love.
At the end of the day I still prefer being alone with myself. Not being bothered by anyone and having the music on blast is when I’m the most productive and find myself the happiest. Sure, there are times when I would like to spend time with my closest friends and just have fun with them. But on some days, after a long conversation, I feel exhausted and just crave to spend some time alone and just do nothing. Not that my friends are overwhelming or the conversations with them are exhausting – no! They’re amazing and I’m forever grateful to all the awesome friends I have – but a part of me gets exhausted by putting in that effort.
See, it’s easier for me to enter an existing conversation and let it flow than to start up a whole conversation and get it running. Some of you might relate to this.
So starting a conversation, even if it is with my closest friends is tiring and as someone who finds social situations even more tiring, sometimes it gets scary – the idea of going up to people and starting intelligent conversations stirs a weird anxiety inside.
Does anyone else feel that way?
Obviously it’s not a healthy habit and with time will just get worse and affect your everyday life.
Each day I try to open myself up more and spend more time with the people around me. Some people are easy to open up to and have an enjoyable conversation with, some people- not so much. I have days when just the thought of conversing with my own family gives me a headache, but I also have days when I’m searching for people to talk to and bond with.
And for everyone that’s going through a difficult time – sometimes things go like that, topsy-turvy, filled with highs and lows, a crazy rollercoaster ride. You just need to push through, one day at a time, with the only person to please being yourself.
Before I go, I ask you again – what does being alone mean to you? Is it that one thing you crave for? Or is it that one thing you absolutely hate? Or is it something you have mixed feelings for? Tell me, I’d love to know!
Ever since I was a child, I’ve been obsessed with music and musicians.Not as in singing, but in hearing.
I remember the cold mornings when I had to wake up to go to school, temples and mosques nearby would be playing holy, soulful music. At the bus stop a small speaker would be playing the most random songs, sometimes just melodies mixed together. In the bus the driver would have the music on blast, whether to cheer himself or the kids I’ll never know!
Since those days I’ve loved music (and my love grew since my brother loved to sing and had a great voice).
Anytime a great song is played everyone around you jams to it, you can see that look in their face, people are carefree, ignorant to their problems and troubles around them, music lets them be happy. But the moment the music changes to something less popular or something that doesn’t fit the vibe of the occasion, you can see the change that people have. Most people show it visually and audibly, the room will most probably be filled with “oh!” and “come on!”. You can see the change in their facial expressions, they’re visibly disappointed, because thier connection to the music is broken.
I believe that everyone has a connection to music, ofcourse not everyone connects to music in the same way and not everyone connects to all music.It changes from time to time and place to place. But everyone connects, there is a part in all of us that connects with music, whatever music it may be.
Sure, some of us connect more to music and some less. To some, just hearing the first few notes of the song can get them singing and dancing and to some it remains limited to just listening to the song and enjoying it.
After long nights of music and deep thoughts, I’ve realised this : music has a way of uniting and dividing.
“Music is the greatest communication in the world. Even if people don’t understand the language that you’re singing in, they still know good music when they hear it. “
Lou Rawls
When the music is good, something which most people vibe to, it becomes the uniting factor and the same way when it’s something that most of the people don’t like, it makes everyone disappointed, together. But when the music changes to something one group likes and the other group dislikes, it becomes the dividing factor. Even amongst friends, “what music should we play at …” is a really big discussion and might even lead to disagreements.
But let’s look at the positive side of things. For me, music is a stress buster, my way to relax and unwind after a really tough day. Music holds the power to take my thoughts away from the difficulties of each day, from the tired reckless thoughts, to a world of fantasy and imagination, a world where I can live and laugh and explore the side of me that I hide from the rest of the world. I’m sure it’s the same for many people reading this.
For many people, it’s difficult to work with music, some say that it’s a distraction, but for me, whenever I’m unleashing my creative side, like right now, when I’m writing this, I love to have the music blasting through the earphones, cancelling out the noisy, chaotic world outside, leaving me with the humming of the music and peace inside.
As I’m growing older, my connection to different music is changing and evolving and I love to see that growth in myself, almost like looking at myself from the outside. I guess music gives you a better look at yourself, a little more soulful and a little more deep.
Another really important thing that I’ve noticed is that people who connect to the similar type of music tend to connect with each other well. Obviously it doesn’t mean that everyone that shares the same taste in music is going to connect well with you, but, music does make a common ground for you to connect with people which can be great for making new friends and meeting new people.
One of my most favourite things about music is the satisfaction that I get after jamming to some good music. Music holds the power to elevate my mood and make me feel energetic and confident, as I’m sure it does to a lot of people .
So here’s a little tip for anyone that’s feeling low, listen to music. Any music. Specifically, any music that can get you jumping and make you happy, something that can really get the feel good chemicals pumping through you. Works every time!
Tell me below, what type of music do you connect to, also, suggest some to us!
“Music is the literature of the heart, it commences where speech ends.”
Love.Peace.Happiness. 
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