Branches may be anywhere but...

Don't know about others, but I have a blank space.

A blank space created in myself.
A blank space that grows bigger and bigger whenever I miss my home.
A blank space which can never be filled by anything.

This blank space hurts more on special occasions and mine did hurt more on Diwali - one of the biggest festivals in India, commonly known as "Festival of lights". Diwali celebrations in my childhood were the most joyous moments. Thanks for the non-existence of social media otherwise it would have been just-another posting pics in Facebook with "happily celebrating Diwali" status and counting on the likes.

The celebration starts the previous day evening, where we anticipate the last bell in school and rush to get back home.Mom would be busy preparing snacks and Dad settles the fight for crackers among us, siblings. More than "Please give good marks" prayers, the Hindu gods would have heard "Please no rain on Diwali" prayers. Those were the days where the "green-diwali" or "stop-noise-pollution" or "dont-scare-animals" slogans were not much happening and we never worried about polluting the environment as much as we can, by bursting crackers. There would be a silent "Who bursts more crackers?" competition going on between with the neighbors.

On Diwali day, we never needed alarms or mom waking us up. Hearing the crackers sound outside, we jump out of the bed. By the time, all of us finish taking oil bath, Mom would finish preparing the yummy food and Dad would be ready placing the new dresses in the prayer room for pooja, Again, what else would be our prayer as a kid, rather than "Please no rain today". Wearing the new dress after pooja, eating till the  tummy says "I'm going to burst", the cracker-bursting starts again and goes till night. In the midst of all these, family gatherings happen with the exchange of food and love.

Now, all these scenes run as a dream and I have to pinch myself to realize that, it had actually happened once. The love lingering in the family gatherings, the essence of native celebrations, the aroma of home food and many such endless "blah-blah-blah", Phew, I miss it, I totally miss it!

Isn't this the state-of-mind for all who live far away from their family and motherland, in an urge to pursue the dreams,yet have a permanent blank space left in them? Try partying, do potlucks, go outings, fly to Disney or NewYork and again there you see the blank space still BLANK.

One side,missing the native celebrations, the other side, I have to plan for a Halloween costume for my son. Huh! I really don't know what for they have Halloween and I have to celebrate it!!!

Branches may be anywhere but my roots are still at India! Everybody who live faraway yet miss their home and native festivals, still have their roots at motherland. Having our roots firm is not enough, its our obligation to have our sons and daughters rooted as we are!

4 easy ways to fight Monday blues

The day is almost passed and if you are still in off-mood, Congratulations! You are definitely a member of "I Hate Monday" club. Considering all the jokes,memes and motivational messages, made solely for Mondays, it's clear that there's a huge population out there, who are not Monday persons...

After two days on weekend, without morning alarms, the Monday alarm will sound like a bell from the hell. Carrying the weekend sloth, everything seem to fall apart and add up to the Monday bitterness. The morning alarm,tooth paste falling off tooth brush, running out of toilet tissues, oven timer, missing the other socks, all these seem to add up to the Monday bitterness. If at all,this had happened on Friday, it would have been a not-a-matter thing.

I'm definitely not an exception. I strive to be a "Monday person", I'm still not there yet. I reap the bad outcome of the inertia spreading throughout the week, just because of one "badly planned Monday". When I decided to stop this ripple action, I came up with the below ways and habituating it.


1. Do nothing on late Sunday

This is a small yet powerful tip which, sure shot, helps. After all your Friday and Saturday night-outs, try to just hibernate on late Sunday. Consider it as a prep-time for the next day. There's nothing more needed to make the Monday more stressful than a tight Sunday evening. Doing nothing on just one Sunday evening will aid to do more things on the forthcoming whole week.

2. Have a good "Sunday night sleep"

Easy to say, hard to practice. If we people, ever had had a sound sleep on Sunday night, we would have never been endowed with the "Monday blues". That rested-feel which you get after a good sleep will never make you Mondays sluggish.

3. Schedule "new thing" for Monday

Are you about to try a new thing? Like trying a new out fit, new shoe, new hairstyle, new bag, meeting a new person or anything of that sort? Please try having it on Mondays. That small thrill or pleasure about experimenting a new, fresh thing will help you, not get annoyed of the morning alarm.

4. Greet your fellow mates

When Friday evenings are filled with cheerful "happy weekend" greetings, the poor Monday mornings are filled with just fake "good mornings". Nurture a habit to wish a "happy new week ahead" to your fellow mates, No doubt, it spreads such a positive vibes to your sphere.

Let's not just spread the Monday jokes and live with it, lets also spread some positive vibes and help ourselves and our mates to face Monday. Don't let the Monday's second name, sink you. Don't lack but pack the passion and motivation. Blow those blues and bloom in the gloom :)

Experimenting 21/90

I'm definitely not a "Math person" and look out for a calculator even for simple additions. So, you ought not worry, if this post is something related to Math. Having said, its not about "Math", I can say that it's about kind of a "Myth"... A myth which turns into reality for the people who believes it... Without further ado, here I disclose what's this 21/90...

           "It takes 21 days to create a habit. It takes 90 days to create a lifestyle"

Such a simple "myth formula" to raise the standard of our life. But, beyond doubt,it is hard to pursue. The resolutions written in the new year diary, the year-long gym subscription, the no-more-smoking promises can indeed materialize, if 21/90 is put into use. 

Lately, I pushed myself, to practice few itty-bitty things, which I was having in my "new-year-resolution-list", every year.. Quoting two of those, just in glimpse...

* H2O-obsessive

I was one of that desert-creature-kind who barely drinks water and regret for being so. Every time I suffer from dehydration, I tend to drink more water but then, the desert-creature in me  pops up again. In an endeavor to pursue a healthy lifestyle, I started to be more of a human than a desert-creature and attempt to drink more water. May sound silly, but it is little hard to break the line and travel from being-dehydrated to being-hydrated. 8 cups of water a day was not a joke for me, but with 21/90 rule, it is quite-achievable. Now that it has become my habit, I'm in a half way through to adapt it as my lifestyle :)

* Smart-phone-non-obsessive

Can't deny the fact that smart phones have become a sixth finger for many of us now. But, if it is costing our real life, to live in such a virtual world is the thing, we need to self-audit every now and then. In such a moment-of-truth, I discovered that I was a little close to become obsessed to my smart phone. I felt it was a high-time to convince and convert. With 21/90 in hand,guess who has now, lost the urge to check the phone often now?? It's ME!!!! The crux is not seeing my phone once I wake up or before I fall asleep.I admit that my books give me a good sleep which was robbed by my Facebook news feed. 

Now that, I have reaped the benefits of  21/90, I dust off all my old resolutions and tend to tick-off  one-by-one using this myth formula.  Every time, when I give a shoulder-tap to myself, on habituating a new-good-thing, I feel the push to explore more.You have no idea how such teeny-weeny habits will aid to unveil a "good-new-you" until you experience it.If you are ever in a thought to cultivate a new habit or to abandon a habit, I strongly recommend 21/90. All that is needed is your check-list and a little perseverance. When 21/90 is a thumb, everything is a triumph!

5 things to do during ME time

After so many skipped-breakfast days, deadline-crossed days,no-time-for-workout days, tired-even-after-a-sleep days,boss-screaming-in-dream days, all we want would be, to disconnect from all the stress and get some ME time. This desire would be not less for stay-at-home people too after all their routine cooking,cleaning,laundry,kids and other chores. As we all strain to satisfy other people, be it the boss, client,parents,spouse or kids, we totally forget there is a poor human to think of : YOURSELF.

The stress which we created artificially in our lifestyle had brought us the credit of adding a new word in the English dictionary : "ME TIME"  Oh...Oh...Oh... Now don't stare at me like that for writing "stress-artificially-created"... Is it not so? Sorry, but I believe so... People who fail to balance work and life, end up in balancing one more thing along with that,i.e., stress and again fail in that. Be it a 9-5 or over than that, everything can be handled like a pro, only and  only if we have some "ME time"

Now, that ME time is not sitting alone without any disturbance and checking social media in your smart phone. More than your work or your boss, your friend's Facebook statuses on "going on a cruise","bought a new Lamborghini" ,"moving to a villa" will stress you more. It's not just envy but we focus more on what other people have, than actually thinking what we really need. So, "No...no...no...no...no..." ME time is not just facebook-ing,twitter-ing,instagram-ing or snapchat-ing. Here, I share some ideas on how to effectively spend a ME time, which you can customize as per your interests.

1. Hot tea in the patio with a book

Do you know the best couple who carry the charisma for ages and ages and loved by all? It's none but the hot tea and a book. After a long- busy day,nothing can de-stress you than sitting in your patio with a hot tea and your favorite book.Now, by book, I mean an actual paper book, nothing digital. Feel the smell of the book when you turn the pages, your digital gadgets will never carry any such aroma. 

2. Warm bubble bath

We all are well-deserved for that hot/warm bubble bath in the tub with light music playing in the back. Nothing cinematic, experience it and you will reap the pleasure.

3. Self-oil-massage

It's not that only a professional massage given in parlors will relax you. Try giving yourself a massage with warm oil, starting with hair,scalp,forehead,around eyes and ears. We know our body more than anybody else and your personal touch on your body will never fail to soothe you more.

4. Date with nature

When was the last time you enjoyed drenching in rain? When was the last time you went to beach, sat calmly and watched the waves? When was the last time you laid in a park bench seeing up the tree branches and sky? If the answer for all these is either "NEVER" or "It's been long", it's high time for you to hibernate from the materialistic world and have a date with nature. And when you do that, promise me not to post a Facebook status as "relaxing at", "enjoying at". Because, it will end up in thinking of the number of likes you get for the post and nature will never be in your scene.

5. Breathing exercise

Here's the easiest ME time activity which you can do. It doesn't need anything or anywhere to go. It just needs YOU. It gives a mental massage to you.Yes, I'm talking about PRANAYAMA - the breathing exercise. If you want to take a tour on yourself and feel yourself, then this is the way. This breathing exercise followed by a meditation helps you to disconnect from your stress,worries,pain and so on. You don't need to be a pro to do that. After all, everyone started as beginners. 

So... this is my list and this is not MUST. Identify your interests, don't ignore you, don't keep ME time last in your to-do list. Take time to hide from all things that stress you, call it the "ME TIME" and find yourself :)