Life has a funny way of teaching us lessons that we'd rather not learn firsthand. Like many of you, I've had my share of moments that demanded a little more than just bandaging up and moving on. It's been about navigating the tricky terrain of recovery, where the path isn't just uphill—it's unpredictable and often riddled with more potholes than a backcountry trail. Being a trekker has given me a unique perspective on this. There's a parallel between healing and trekking that I hadn't appreciated until I was knee-deep in the process myself. …
Finding Strength in Solitude: The Journey to Self-Sufficiency
From a tender age, I was the quintessential 'good girl'—a role thrust upon me as much by circumstance as by the sheer force of a challenging family dynamic. In the echo of my mother's trials and a father distant both emotionally and geographically, I found a sanctuary in my own resilience, piecing together a sense of self from the fragments left by others. Living in a joint family setup, privacy was as scarce as silence in a storm. My passion for dance, my little retreat, often turned into a public spectacle. Imagine trying to perfect a …
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Taming Feelings: A Simple Guide
It's super hard to keep feelings in check,Like trying to hold water with a net.Those moments hit, stomach drops,We snap, regret the emotional chops. Feelings crash, then guilt creeps,Even when others are the ones who leap.It's rough, shaking off those moods,Staying chill takes major attitude. I’ve struggled, anxiety’s a beast,Makes every little thing feel increased.After loads of tears, heartache’s school,I found a trick, honestly, it’s cool. Empathy's my newfound way,Not just what, but why people sayWhat they say, or do what they …
Navigating Emotions: Anger, Guilt, and the Road to Self-Forgiveness
When someone hurts us, anger becomes a protective shield, a way of demanding acknowledgment for the hurt we've endured. Apologies and amends make it easy to move forward, but if not, enter Shame, making us worry about how others perceive us. On the flip side, when we let ourselves down—breaking promises or letting boundaries slide—cue Guilt. It's that cringe-worthy feeling, like we're falling short of our own standards. It's not just about the action; it's about evaluating ourselves. Dealing with these emotions is like wrestling an …
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Self-Sabotage
I have an embarrassingly long list of things I promise myself to do and then not do it -- sometimes even intentionally. I’ve had different labels and often legit reasons/excuses for them. But it never dawned on me, that collectively this is called self-sabotaging. Credit goes to a recent book I read. Self-sabotage is the behavior and thought patterns that stop you from doing what you want to do. I’ve been on an auto-pilot mode where a situation triggers some internal dialogues resulting in subconscious behaviors and all this happens so …
Rewire your brain
Most self-help advice for any anxious, depressed, or anyone going through some mental trauma revolves around rewiring your brain. "X steps to fix your mood forever." Although well-intentioned, they all seem to skip a critical step. In order to rewire your brain, you first need to identify exactly when your brain is spiraling out of control. Often by the time you realize that you are feeling anxious or overwhelmed, it has already triggered so many things that it's hard even to pinpoint what you were stressed about. We all know the …
End The Struggle – Set Boundaries
From the moment I was born, I have always been ‘The Good Girl’. This in turn resulted in always saying ‘Yes’’ and never ‘NO’. Always adjusting and agreeing with other people’s requests rather than questioning them. And never learning to set any boundaries with people close to me or just myself. I kept a lot of unprocessed emotions to myself. Times when I should have voiced my opinions and called people out but didn’t. It slowly kept eating me up and I started ruminating. Until a couple of years back, I didn’t even know that rumination was a …
Why is self-care so hard for women?
Aunt - Your uncle is out of town for 3 weeks. I haven't cooked a proper meal for quite a while now.Me : But why? You love cooking.Aunt : Yes, but why should I put so much effort just for myself? Honestly, my immediate reaction was that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. But then I got reminded of the times when I’ve done the same. Although, at that moment I genuinely believed that it was because I’m a couch-potato but now reflecting back, I don’t think that was all. Women are nurturers, care-givers, and by nature very …
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