tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10746719964612479272024-03-14T06:39:33.186-04:00live and love yourselfA blog about all things lifeAdminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651324242939129369noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074671996461247927.post-33264369388043648982016-12-01T15:31:00.000-05:002016-12-07T22:47:35.587-05:00Mental Health Awareness - Need of the hour!<br />
"<i>According to WHO, by the end of 2020 Depression will be the second greatest disability in the world..the first one being blindness."</i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">"<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px;">Nearly three in four young people fear the reactions of friends when they talk about their mental health problems."</span></span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px;">9 out of 10 people with mental health problems experience stigma and discrimination."</span></span></i><br />
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Mental health has always been the poor cousin compared to Physical health. It gets treated just like that giant elephant in the living room that no one wants to talk about. Gradually, we are witnessing a change in the society with more and more people coming up and talking about their mental health issues and lot of focus on this topic through ad campaigns, Ted talks etc.<br />
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For anyone who has witnessed these problems, coming ahead and sharing their experience is a BIG thing which many people fail to understand. But despite all the efforts being taken by NGOs, health agencies and individuals including celebrities there is still so much ignorance and lack of knowledge about this very important aspect of our health that it literally numbs me.<br />
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Last month, we were sitting at a friend's place and got to know that a young chap from the same building committed suicide by jumping from his balcony couple of days ago. Reason- he had lost his job 2 months ago and was depressed. While I shuddered with the shock and grief, what broke my heart was the fact that few people in that room were laughing and making fun of that guy. They were wondering how could someone commit suicide just because of a SMALL (in their words) thing like job loss.<br />
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At that moment, it hit me that there is still a long way to go in terms of spreading awareness about mental health and encouraging people to KNOW about it. I felt those words were so insulting to that poor guy who must have suffered so much to reach to a decision to end his life. He can be termed as a coward very easily by few people but who knows how hard he must have tried to fight off the dark thoughts. He could have been saved if he would have found someone to share his feelings with, without the fear of being judged or ridiculed. He could have been saved if someone would have touched his hand and said "I understand" or "you can talk to me". He could have been saved if he had turned to Self help or tons of Mental health helplines. But again, all this would have happened only if there was awareness!<br />
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I am neither a health professional nor an expert on this topic but all I have is a passion towards health and that includes mental well being. All I wish is that more and more people take out some time to read about mental health and look around. Who knows they might find someone fighting his/ her demons silently! And I wish people also educate themselves for their own selves. To know when and where to seek help if God forbid they ever find themselves in this situation.<br />
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Life is too short so live and love it!<br />
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<br />Kulsoomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386957032894924443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074671996461247927.post-13666004876116787092015-12-12T08:17:00.000-05:002016-12-01T15:44:08.941-05:00Weekend Trip to Rishikesh, India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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My husband and daughter’s birthday fall just one day apart in May and we always try to celebrate these two days by going on a short trip.<br />
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Last year, we decided to go to some hilly area to get a respite from Delhi’s heat but we were not looking for the usual touristy location. We just wanted to relax and spend two days close to the nature and hence we zeroed on the area around Rishikesh - <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16.12px;">a city in India’s northern state of Uttarakhand, in the Himalayan foothills beside the Ganges River.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16.12px;"><span style="color: black; line-height: normal;">As we wanted to spend these two days in a tranquil and serene environment we looked for places around the city rather than main Rishikesh city.The place has some great resorts to choose from and after doing our research we finalized a boutique resort “Raga on the Ganges". This resort is around 30 Km away from Rishikesh on the Devprayag road and there are various options nearby like rafting, trekking etc. It is built on a hill and offers gorgeous view of the valley along with River Ganga.</span></span></span><br />
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<a name='more'></a>We fell in love with the place right after setting the first step. The picturesque landscaping, swing beds or chairs in front of most of the rooms and swimming pool on top of the hill screamed relaxation to us. <o:p></o:p>The location was just perfect with almost no traffic and just hills and the surrounding greenery.<br />
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We spent the first day lazing around in the pool, catching up on the sleep and lying down on the swing beds and gazing at the stars. Went for a stroll in the evening and it was such a memorable experience as the resort is quite far from the hustle bustle and hence the road is not frequented much by vehicles. We went to a nearby shop and bought some snacks and soft drinks which we later enjoyed at the balcony of our room which offered a view of Ganga and the adjoining camps.<br />
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Next day we went for some trekking and kayaking and it was again a very pleasant experience. Beaches in this area are pristine with white sand and we played in the water for hours. The lovely hotel staff had arranged a complimentary cake for our daughter in the evening and we ended the day on a beautiful note although feeling sad that our trip was coming to an end.<br />
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We returned from the place totally rejuvenated and are planning to go there in summer again.<br />
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Would recommend this to everyone who wants to experience the perfect combination of hills, water and sand...total bliss!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074671996461247927.post-34990452646727061832015-12-03T06:08:00.000-05:002016-08-08T22:47:10.350-04:00Working vs Stay at Home Mother - Do we really need this debate?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Being a working mother, I get asked a lot of time - how do you give time to your kid? Doesn't she feel lonely or left out? It must be very hard for her?<br />
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To all these questions, I have only one answer - <b>Quality is important than quantity.</b> I feel confident when my daughter showers me with hugs and kisses, tells me how much she is proud of me and how well I take care of her. That reaffirms my belief and also the fact that I do not need to give justification to others.<br />
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I am not a judgmental person at all and do not like to be judged too. But then I don't feel offended also when I get bombarded with these questions. This confidence stems from the fact that I have a wonderful inspiration in front of me - <i>my mom!</i> Just like my daughter, I was also an only child and my mother used to work full time. But still, she structured her work life so beautifully around me that I did not feel left out or yearning for her love even for a second. I knew that I was the center of her universe and her will power and ability to balance everything so well instilled the Quality vs Quantity belief in me.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>I grew up with some beautiful memories: My mother always leaving a sweet note with the fresh cooked lunch she used to keep for me on the dining table before leaving for work, amazing delicacies that she used to pack for my school lunch box, celebrating each and every achievement of mine whether big or small, propping me on a chair and talking to me while making dinner and many more.<br />
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To many people, these things may look small but for a young child they had a profound meaning. It meant that no mater whether my mom is away from home for some hours or not, it is ME that she cares about and all the efforts she is making are for me. It made me felt loved and secure.<span style="text-align: center;"> </span><br />
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I try to do the same with my daughter. Here are some of the ways I provide a quality time and experience to my kid:<br />
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1. Giving her plenty of hugs, kisses and telling her how much I love her. I want to make my child feel loved and secure and have the confidence that I am there with her.<br />
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2. I talk to her a lot and I really mean a LOT. Once home, I never get a chance to stay quiet and I don't mind this. I take it as a good sign, sign that she treats me as her friend and is willing to share everything with me. Most of the times, I break into a dance with her as soon as I enter home. It's not always easy (especially when I'm dead tired after back to back meetings) but then It's totally worth it - I just can't miss her delightful squeals <span style="font-family: "wingdings"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.6933px;">J</span><br />
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3.Weekends are all for her. Special breakfasts, playing board games, taking her to park, baking/cooking together or taking her out to her favorite eatery/ museums or monuments (she is a history buff) - basically involving her in everything we do throughout the day.<br />
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4. Preparing her favorite dishes for her school lunch and slipping a small note with it.<br />
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5. Telling her that I understand her when she is having meltdowns. Believe me, it does wonders and works far better than yelling.<br />
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There are many small things but these are some of the significant things which have helped me bond strongly with my child. Nothing in this world makes me happier than seeing her write in her school notebook: 'My mom is my best friend. She is the best mom in the world, she works very hard and takes very good care of me'.<br />
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So Working or SAHM - it's totally one's own decision and I feel it should be respected. At the end of the day, all of us wish the best for our kids and that ends the debate for me!<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">This post was also published on Women's Web (<a href="http://www.womensweb.in/2015/12/working-mom-or-a-stay-at-home-mother-do-we-really-need-this-debate/">http://www.womensweb.in/2015/12/working-mom-or-a-stay-at-home-mother-do-we-really-need-this-debate/</a>)</span></i><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074671996461247927.post-20113747434610029362015-10-23T06:41:00.000-04:002015-12-15T02:20:01.577-05:00Book Review - Lady, You're Not a Man! by Apurva Purohit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Being a working woman, I am always on the lookout for good Self help/career related books written by women as they offer insights from our perspective. Somehow all the ones I had read so far were good but a little preachy and I was yearning for something which talks about things in a lighter sense.<br />
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I chanced upon the name of this book while reading a career blog (I dont remember the name of the blog, sorry!) and thought maybe this could be the one. Also, it was coming from none other than the CEO of Radio City so I ordered it online along with two other books mentioned in one of my earlier posts.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>I started reading the book with minimum expectations and it literally grew on me. It turned out to be the perfect book to de-stress after a long day at work. Apurva has kept the language so lucid and easy going that you don't feel like reading a book at all. It felt like having a conversation with a friend, discussing our woes, getting some important tips and some good laughs <span style="font-family: "wingdings";">J</span><br />
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The book tells the importance of a very crucial fact - accept that you are a woman and structure your life accordingly. Mind you, this is not in a negative way. Rather, this is a very positive aspect which many women tend to downplay and here I completely agree with Apurva. Women are blessed with some great abilities like multitasking, compassion, empathy etc which if played well can result in a very positive way in professional as well as personal life. Also, she reminds us not to take our jobs for granted if we really want to do well and this is again a very important reminder.<br />
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She tells in a very light and humorous way how we can manage our professional and personal lives without getting those on our nerves. The book also has a chic-lit flavor with lot of funny phrases like "your male subordinates are wired differently" or "how to train your husbands", LOL!!<br />
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There are lot of funny anecdotes throughout the book and they add more flavor to the already delightful content. One of her terms that have stuck with me and makes me chuckle everytime I see someone like that is the "Suffering Sita Syndrome". I won't elaborate much as you must read the book to find out more about this and believe me you will have a good hearty laugh.<br />
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Being a working mom, I could identify myself with this book and maybe this is likely to be lapped up more by women like us. But I would also suggest unmarried working women to grab a copy and read this as it contains some great career tips.<br />
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Overall, I am very pleased with this book and would totally recommend it.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074671996461247927.post-27418875298345802722015-10-17T10:04:00.002-04:002016-10-14T19:26:41.347-04:00Book Review - Women and the weight loss tamasha by Rujuta Diwekar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I picked this book just because I was looking for some light reads to combat the stress in my life. And wow, I am so glad about that. I was totally unaware about Rujuta before reading this book as I am not into weight loss or diet things and being a foodie, never think I can be <span style="font-family: "wingdings";">J </span>I just believe in eating healthy and in right proportion and this book further strengthened my beliefs.<br />
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Coming from a nutritionist, this book is like an inside story of the 'Diet and Fitness' world. Rujuta hits the right chords and lot of times, I found myself nodding in agreement with what she has written. I am a difficult person to please when it comes to health or wellness books and I must say Rujuta scored brownie points from me for her simple yet very pertinent language. She said what I now firmly believe in - Women must think about themselves too apart from caring for everyone else around them.<br />
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We have the tendency to neglect ourselves while fulfilling our responsibilities and ultimately land up with loads of problems like obesity, lack of stamina, depression, hormonal imbalances and many more. This book is like a reality check for all of us - live and love yourself!<br />
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Also, it tells us to fall in love with ourselves and accept our bodies as they are. Rather than hating and finding flaws in our body, it is a better approach to bring mindfulness to our lifestyle and change our habits sensibly.<br />
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I could not stop chuckling at the anecdotes of all the clients Rujuta has shared in the book and the somewhat 'mumbaiya' (dialect spoken typically in Mumbai, India) but cool language entertained me all the more. I looked forward to finishing up my office work, going home and curling up with this book - enjoyed reading every page of it. Total paisa vasool (Value for Money), I must say <span style="font-family: "wingdings";">J</span><br />
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For all of you out there, who are looking for a mindful way of eating and becoming comfortable with your body - you must pick this one. It's funny yet full of knowledge and has changed the dietary habits of my entire family.<br />
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Totally recommended!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074671996461247927.post-58952520398366874872015-10-16T10:07:00.000-04:002015-10-23T06:28:34.170-04:00A definite stress buster - taking up an old hobby again!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Books are one's best friends - There is indeed no doubt in this.<br />
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There was a time when I used to be an avid reader and could spend hours or rather days holed up in a corner with my favorite book in hand. Book shops used to fascinate me making me feel like Alice in wonderland!<br />
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But alas, as time passed by I got caught up with motherhood, full time job and gradually drifted apart from my best companions. But the Bibliophile in me never really died and I yearned to spend some time with them.<br />
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Recently, my newly made resolution of making time for myself and doing things which I enjoy made me sit up and browse through online book stores to order some good reads for me. And wow, what a therapy it was!<br />
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<a name='more'></a>As much as I would like to go to a real library or book café and relax with a book in one hand and coffee in the other, the lack of either of these in my neighborhood left me with no other option than to browse for them online. One of the reasons I had stayed away from my friends was also this, I was a die hard bibliophile who LOVED the feeling of holding a book, flipping through the pages and just soaking up all the words.<br />
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Anyways, without wasting further time I ordered these:<br />
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Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook</div>
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Women & the weight loss tamasha by Rujuta Diwekar</div>
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Lady, You're not a man by Apurva Purohit</div>
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I was so happy after placing the order, it felt as if I had got my mojo back! I literally could not sleep those two nights before getting my order and for the first time waited anxiously for Monday.<br />
The courier person must have heard the sweetest hello of his day when he called me to check my availability <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><br />
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Finally my order was delivered and I became the proud owner of my brand new glistening books.<br />
All three of them made good reads and totally met my expectations. Will review each one in detail soon!<br />
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Did you also do something good for yourself recently like picking up a hobby you had to leave because of lack of time or other reasons? Please do it if you haven't already and see how it cheers you up. After all, we should Live and Love our life!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074671996461247927.post-12455405307334888252015-04-23T07:30:00.002-04:002016-12-07T13:05:02.124-05:005 Tips to make life less stressful!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Being a full time working woman and mom to a kiddo that is growing up really fast, I don't have the luxury of having lot of spare time on my hands and more so doing the things I really love. But I've learnt the importance of taking it easy and not allow the daily grind to wind me up and exhaust me completely, and believe me it was not at all easy! You see, I'm an aspiring super mommy/ woman albeit with very less strength but gradually my inner self got its due and now I make sure not to push myself beyond limits. I acknowledge when I'm tired. I pamper my body, cheer myself up when I'm teary because in the end I LOVE MYSELF.<br />
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My hard learned tips to make life a little less stressful and make your body and soul thank you:<br />
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1. Realize that we only have two hands, 24 hours and limited capability so do not try to accomplish every task possible and in the process tax your mind and body. Rather go slow, understand your capabilities and limitations and play them to the maximum to complete your chores, achieve your goals and please those around you <span style="font-family: "wingdings";">J</span><br />
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<a name='more'></a>2. Accept help - Women have this inherent quality of trying to be a superwoman but unfortunately our bodies are not machines. It's not bad to accept help from your family members/ friends/ co workers if they offer. In fact, sometimes it makes them feel happy and get involved. In case you say that you never get offered any help, what if it is because we did not ask? So go ahead and don't hesitate in case you are feeling overwhelmed with responsibilities.<br />
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3. Listen to the cues your body/ mind gives you. In today's world it gets difficult not to push yourself too much and that's where listening to our body and mind becomes important. Go slow when your body aches or when you feel like taking a break, believe me I've learnt it the hard way <span style="font-family: "wingdings";">J</span><br />
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4. Pamper yourself - Don't underestimate the power of spa, facials or massages. Apart from the cosmetic effects, they have amazing relaxation properties and if possible you should try to go for them when you feel like.<br />
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5. Planning and organizing - I know it is difficult for some people but believe me, you will save lot of stress and anxiety once you plan things ahead. Want to give it a try? Just plan about your work outfits for this week or may be your child's lunch box and see if it helps.<br />
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Life is beautiful and what is better than enjoying it all the more just by following some of the small things!<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">This post was also published on Women's Web (<a href="http://www.womensweb.in/2015/12/5-tips-make-life-less-stressful/">http://www.womensweb.in/2015/12/5-tips-make-life-less-stressful/</a>)</span></i><br />
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