Dear Friends,
It’s been veeeeeryyyy long since my last post.More than three years to be precise.I have been too occupied, actually have been overwhelmed with new Mommy responsibilities.
Here’s one of my latest artworks (of course not original) but the pic says a lot.Do comment what do you depict from this painting.
Happy Blogging!
Namaste!
In today’s era,where life has become totally mechanical,stress is inevitable.While it is best to avoid stress,in cases where it is unavoidable,we must learn how to manage it but first and foremost we must identify the cause of stress.Causes of stress may be umpteen ranging from managing Finances, excessive workload, maintaining social status or even your To-Do list(as in my case).We need to identify these causes and then learn the art of reducing or managing it.
In case of difficult situations,our body produces a hormone called Adrenaline/Cortisol which is more commonly known as “Fight or Flight hormone”.We react to the situation either by fighting it or running away from it.When faced with a difficult situation most of us actually react by Shouting.We are at a loss in handling the situation. Some people find respite in smoking or drinking.Overstressed people also often indulge in procrastination, sleeping more,eating junk food,using medication to relax etc etc.Let me tell you my friends,these are all unhealthy ways of coping with stress.It may give you momentary relaxation but they are not at all helpful in the long run.
Coming back to the topic,I have tried to enlist a few points on how to manage stress:-
1) Think Positively- Whenever intrusive thoughts enter your mind,focus on all the good things in life.In nutshell,Practice Gratitude.
2) Talk to someone-(something that I definitely need to learn)-It helps in releasing the bottled up tension and sometimes,it also helps in finding solutions to your problems.
3)Sleep well-I know it’s a bit contradictory,cause stress steals your sleep away but it is very important to have a sound sleep.Try taking a warm bath before going to sleep.Set a proper time for sleep and try going at the same time daily for sleep.Make the atmosphere of your bedroom soothing so that it calms your mind.
4)Learn to say NO– Donot overburden yourself.Priortise your to-do list,after all you cannot do everything in a single day.A few days back my husband called me in the evening and said “Let’s meet on the way after office and my instant question was “Ok what is the to-do list?”.He reacted by saying “Why does it always have to be the household chores.Cant we just sit and have coffee somewhere?” A big lesson learnt that day.Donot overstress yourself guys.
5) Exercise/Go for a walk-It helps relax your mind and body.It also improves the quality of sleep.(better said than done).
6) Indulge in some recreational activity- It is as simple as that.HAVE FUN in life.Play with your kids.Do painting/writing/meditation (as my toon),do anything that makes you happy.Set aside some leisure time for yourself.
Relax and be happy guys.Life is too short.I am sure there maybe a lot other ways of managing stress and I wish you people share the same with me.
Namaste!
Let me share a short story.
A crow lived a happy life until it saw a Swan and thought the swan is so white and beautiful while I am so black.It must be the happiest bird.
The swan looked at a parrot sitting on a tree and thought that the Parrot is so colourful.It must be the happiest bird.
The Parrot in turn looked at a Peacock in a cage and thought that the peacock is so beautiful while I am so dull.It must be the happiest bird.
Finally,the peacock looked at the Crow and thought that it must be the happiest bird as it is free while I am caged.
(Courtesy:A video from Facebook)
Moral of the story: Be thankful for what you have.Donot compare your life with someone else’s.You will end up being dissatisfied and unhappy.If you feel you are having a bad life, always remember that you are more fortunate than many others around you.
Be thankful that you have a family,be thankful that you have food to eat, clothes to wear and a roof above your head.Be thankful for the gifts life has bestowed upon you,whether it is your personality,passion or ambition.
Always be thankful.
(*Pls note:All the toons drawn by me have been copied from published sources.)
“What if while crossing the road a car hits me”?”What if I suffocate in this jampacked metro”?”What if I die after delivering my baby”? These are some examples of devastating thoughts which I have had at one or the other distressed phase of my life.To be true,these thoughts have actually haunted me for a period of time.After all,we are a reflection of what we think so my advice to you all would be:- DUMP NEGATIVE THINKING.
We all have an angel and a devil in our minds.There is a constant war going on between the two which remains invisible to the outer world.The battle of mind is vicious and intense.Donot let the devil overpower the angel.That is how I got rid of these fears.I crossed the road safely keeping my eyes open as the “mini-me”(referring to the angel here) persuaded me:- “Donot freeze your legs,just walk”!The next time the mini-me told me that I would not suffocate in the metro.”Take deep breaths,drink water” and the mini-me happily tells me that I will definitely not die while delivering my baby.
I am trying to list a few important points which should be kept in mind to get rid of negative thinking:-
In the end I would just like to repeat that donot let negativity creep in your mind and make it’s home there.Show it the front door instead and kick it out.Positivity is good for your relationships,it’s good for your career,for your health and it helps you age gracefully.After all,you are what you think!
Cheers and BE POSITIVE!
I have a question to ask each one of you.”Who is the person with whom you spend most amount of your life?” No,its not your parents.Naa,it ain’t your better-half.It’s YOU. Yes, you heard it right.It’s YOU!People may come and go,but you will always remain, which makes loving yourself very important for your happiness.
I insist you to do this small exercise.Look at yourself in the mirror.Hey,you are beautiful despite that evident scar on your forehead.After all,you got it while trying to save someone else.And what are you looking at young lady?Your bulging belly?it is because you gave birth to a baby.You are a life creator.Love your body,nourish it.Love your soul, flourish it.Love yourself in totality.Shout out loud to the person looking back at you in the mirror.“I LOVE YOU”!
Self love is a gift that most people fail to give themselves.If you’re constantly wishing to be someone you are not,you are bound to stress yourself out and end up being unhappy.By loving yourself,you are increasing your self-worth.If you will not value yourself,how can you expect others to value you?Besides, only when you start loving yourself will others really love you.Doing so boosts your confidence,you realise your true potential,your natural energies,you work with a new zeal in life and start viewing things from a positive perspective.
Hope you are enjoying my sketches.Cheers!
“Forgive and let go,forget and move on”-Anonymous.
Holding on to anger and harsh feelings makes us bitter.This bitterness starts to engulf us and creates negativity within and around.Donot let the wrong-doings of others make you a lousy person.The key to healthy living is forgive and forget.I know you must be thinking that it is easier said than done but it is true that holding on to a grudge increases the stress in our lives.This stress can result in high blood pressure,weaker immune system and many other health problems. At best,it will hurt someone else and like they say “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind”.
Forgiveness gives you a sense of calmness,it also makes you emotionally stable.On the same lines,forget the past and live in the present.You may have had an unhappy childhood,you may have had a shady past but remove these roadblocks and embrace the future.Count your blessings and learn to move past the pain.Focus your energies in doing something productive.After all,you deserve THE BEST.
“No Paa.I don’t have time.I am busy.”This is what most of the parents hear from the young lot these days.But hey, inculcate the habit of spending time with your ageing parents.Their grey hair is indicative of experiences life has given them which they are ready to share,you just have to lend your ear.After all,GOOGLE won’t search everything you actually need to know to grow in life.
Your parents are your greatest well wishers and the only ones who love you unconditionally.Just as it is important to spend time with your parents,it is equally important to spend time with your kids too.You are a role model for your kids,the greatest influence they have in the most formative years of their lives.Create happy memories for them as it could lead them to mimic the same environment setting in their families when they grow up.
Not only restricting our loved ones to your families,there maybe friends,your cousins,your colleagues,whomsoever.Just spend some time out of your busy schedule with your loved ones.
Cheers!
(*Pls note that all the sketches drawn in all the posts have either been copied from internet or other published media)
In today’s world,where life has become purely mechanical,it is very important for us to de-stress just like it is equally important to detox our bodies.While there are ‘n’ number of ways to de-stress,the best is to do what you love.
If you love playing football,educating young children or simply socialising,make time to do it because nothing will give you as much genuine happiness as these activities.We all have twenty four hours in common.However,it is up to us to make the best use of it.So,i upfrontly disagree with people who blame time as an excuse for not being able to pursue their interests.
Doing what you love is indicative of your natural energies.Besides, how much better does that sound than forcing yourself to do something you don’t like.I am doing what i love right now.
Hope you all are enjoying my toons!Have a nice time.
Gary Pens 