Thoughts

Have you ever heard of a ‘Boggart’? According to Harry Potter lore, a Boggart is a shape-shifting creature that takes the form of whatever the observer fears the most. They hide in dark and enclosed spaces and feed on fear; so the more fearful a person is, the less likely they are to defeat a Boggart. Now, since these entities are generated and sustained by human emotions; they'll always come back, sometimes with more of their kind, as long as people continue having fears. But, don't worry, they can be banished with a simple charm. All you have to do...

Ugh, they are just trying to get more attention!  Does that sound familiar? Wanting to prove that you are not just doing things (like dressing a certain way) or crying just for attention? Feeling embarrassed for wanting more attention? It sounds like needing attention has a bad reputation.  Why is needing attention so shamed? Why is not needing attention considered cool? It doesn’t make any sense because we are hardwired for connection and attachment, and in so many ways, seeking attention helps us connect with others. Take, for example, one of the most human experiences known to mankind: as shocking...

Literally, everybody around me, and the current trend is to go and have an education abroad. We have this notion of the west and how the quality of education is better from what we have in India.  Don't get me wrong, some of the short term courses can be really insightful as well. But intersectionality and privilege are two things that cannot be isolated from mental health. The culture and the background that a person comes from play a large role in how their mental health is affected. When we see people from marginalized communities we also see that they...

I would like to call myself a young adult, even though I am in my mid-thirties, cause adulting is hard. The tussle between learning, socialising, responsibility and freedom is exhausting. Why should I factor in a work out everyday? Why is meeting my friends important? Why is responsibility essential? These questions plague my mind at the end of an exhausting week, when escaping in a Netflix show between my sheets seems tempting.   The Good Life gives you research backed reasons for all of this. Backed by the longest scientific study of happiness psychiatrist Robert Wadinger and clinical psychologist Marc...

Why are you so serious? the time? Can you lighten up a little? Have you ever been asked this question?  I have, so I tried to do something about it. I Googled a spectrum of solutions to questions that ranged from ‘How to take life with a pinch of salt?’ all the way to ‘What does it mean when people say you are too serious?’, but I never really understood why multiple people said this to me on various occasions. In all honesty, I didn't know how to react whenever someone asked me that question. In fact, my own tendency...