All of us are enchanted by colours. None of us can discount how a bright colourful painting or a vibrant coloured room has uplifted our mood at some point or the other. Just try to recall how mesmerized you were to see a beautiful flower bloom or the sudden bliss you felt on seeing a pretty butterfly in your garden. The one thing which is common between the flowers and butterflies is that both are colourful.
Colours are all around us. Whether or not we pay attention to it, but colours have a profound impact on us. Colours can have a major impact on our physical and mental health. Different colours have different affect and understanding that can help to deal with various mental and physical conditions.

What is chromo therapy or colour therapy?
Colour Therapy is an idea which believes that, the colour one is surrounded by has direct impact on their physical as well as mental health. Different colours have different impact on the person. According to the colour theory, every colour hue ranging from white to black has different affects on how an individual thinks, behaves and interacts with the world around them.
Researches has showed that different colours have different healing power. This is the major reason why we usually find a pattern of colours in hospitals and health care centres. White and green are used in common ward because of their calming effect, whereas children ward has bright colours to give them a moral boast.
Colour Therapy is also known as chromo therapy. It is the use of different shades and hues to affect the wellbeing. Since each colour has unique light and wavelength, colour therapy principal uses the energy of each shade to improve your mental and physical wellbeing.

Common colours and impact
• White is a colour which is mostly associated with purity and clarity. This colour helps the body by purifying it and the mind by providing it much needed clarity.
• Red: The colour red stands for passion. Red helps strengthen, stimulates and adds passion to your work. Adding red in your outfit can improve your confidence level on a daily basis.
• Yellow: Surrounding yourself with the colour yellow can help you boast your inner power, positive and level of happiness. For physical health, the colour yellow has positive impacts on nervous and digestive system.
• Blue: Blue is a colour which has a great impact on physical and mental wellbeing. It is a colour which is associated with intelligence, trust and ability to find tranquillity in life. Blue also helps people who suffer from hiccups, sores and even asthma.
• Green: The colour we usually associate with nature, green is highly effective to restore a sense of balance, harmony, security and safety. It helps in reducing our anxiety level and at the same time has positive effect on heart health.
• Orange: The colour orange is extremely helpful in boasting confidence and energy. It is a colour that encourages. It helps to improve the condition of your liver. It also has antidepressant qualities. It also help in pumping up our creativity level.
• Purple: Purple can give a sense of power, increase peace of mind and strengthen spirituality. This colour is also related to relaxation and creativity.
Every colour has a great impact on your lives and we need to incorporate each effectively.

People struggle to find happiness in life. They usually search for happiness in the outside world and thus causing major unhappiness. However it is worth noting that real happiness is internal.

Reason that cause unhappiness

• Lack of self-confidence in yourself: Happiness comes with self confidence. Unless an individual is confident of their own self, they cannot be in a happy place. People usually lack the ability to believe in themselves and what they can do. Unless an individual has the courage and confidence to quit the job or relationship that they are not satisfied with, they can never be happy in true sense. Though it is not true for everyone, but majority of the people’s happiness is hindered by their inability to say “I can do it”.

• Focusing on negativity: We have a natural tendency to lean more towards negativity. We focus more on the worst possible outcomes of a situation, than thinking about the best. We tend to be over critical about ourselves. We tend to focus more on your negative traits, rather than focusing on the positivity within us. All this negative thinking weakens our self esteem, thus leading to long term unhappiness.

• Inability to cut off toxic people: Toxicity of an individual can show in their actions or words. If the action and words of someone hurt you physically or psychologically and thus hindering you from attaining your happiness, at the same time make you think negatively of yourself, then chances are you are dealing with individuals who are toxic for you. Cutting off such people from life is of utmost importance, or else your happiness would never be achieved.

Approach towards happiness

Though there is no rules or guide to be happy, but certain tips and approaches can help you be more happier in life .

• Self Acceptance: The key to happiness is acceptance. We usually crib about the things or traits that we do not possess, rather than accepting it. Though we might not be in our best versions, but we do have to accept our current state. Unless we accept ourselves, we cannot be happy in the truest sense. Unless we acknowledge what we do not have, we cannot work towards achieving it and will never be happy.

• Practice Gratitude: Happiness is usually related to how meaningful we think our life is. It is extremely important to generate genuine meaning and appreciation each day. We usually take people, things and opportunities for granted. Appreciation of good things in life is a way to achieving happiness. Take out a few minutes each day and pen down the things you are blessed to have. Practicing gratitude gives you a happiness from within and helps you to be sane.

• Pamper yourself: Cater to your needs the way you cater to others. Taking out time for a nice massage, hot bath or beauty session at a local salon every ones in a while is important. Pampering yourself every now and then is important for being happy.

• Calm your mind: Though it is quite difficult to calm your mind in this hectic schedule, but it is very important. Meditation is a good way to calm the mind and connect to your inner self and discover it’s desires. Taking out time to practice meditation regularly is highly recommended.

• Show love: One of the most positive emotion is love. Doing small acts of kindness without expecting anything in return, making someone smile, forgiving are some acts that foster positivity. By creating positive atmosphere around you, you create happy momentum for yourself too.

• Surrounding yourself with uplifting people: Surrounding yourself with a good social support network always helps. Being around people who see and inspire the best in you does help your well-being. Optimistic, like minded and supportive social circle are key for a happy and contented life.

When we talk about patriarchy, we usually mean male superiority. Most of us relate ill effects of patriarchy to the way it treats women and rightly so. However, patriarchy does effect the so called superior gender too.

Patriarchy sets definitions of masculinity and femininity, and gives each gender rigid rules to follow. It enforces the idea that gender exists in binary. Needless to say patriarchy effects the entire spectrum of sexuality.

Though in lay men’s term patriarchy only impacts women, but if we dive a little deeper we would understand that it does impact the one holding power, that is, straight cis-men. Patriarchy puts men in a box. Thus men too need feminism to break the flawed structure of patriarchy.

Refusing emotional literacy to men
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Patriarchy in its very essence sets certain stereotypes for men. Men should be physically strong, should not show emotions when sad, should be sex- hungry, they should be the bread earners of their family and so much more. This puts an excessive amount of pressure on men to satisfy their norms and abide by these stereotypes.

A million times young boys are told to “man up” , “be a man”, “man do not cry”, thus enforcing in their minds that they must behave in a particular way to be a man. It wrongly portrait that men are stronger and showing emotion is a sign of weakness.

Over time it has lead to lack of emotional literacy in men, as well as, lack of support to show their true emotions. This in long term creates a great vulnerability to mental health issues, ranging from anxiety, depression to even suicidal tendencies.

Restricts men’s choices

Patriarchy restricts almost every choice that a man makes, be it a serious career choice or a much simpler clothing choice. There are unsaid rules that men should choose manly stuffs. If they make choices that are even slightly feminine according to the traditional patriarchal notion then are often ridiculed and are subjected to a lot of bullying.

We as a society have set norms which restricts men from making certain dressing choices, certain career decisions and even having certain hobbies. “Man don’t wear pink”, “no floral prints for men” are some common sentences each and every man has heard in some point of their life.

Patriarchy usually do not welcome straight cis-man in certain professions, such as fashion designing or makeup artist. It also looks down upon men who takes interest in activities like cooking, clearing, grooming, applying makeup and so much more. Such patriarchy narrows down the playing field of men too.

Men getting raped

Patriarchy turns a blind eye towards men’s issues, such as men being subjected to physical or sexual assault. Patriarchy explicitly asserts that it is men’s right to dominate women. However men exposing weak and vulnerability is highly condemned by patriarchal norms.

It is clearly portrait by mass media and literary works that women are damsels in distress and men have to be the macho saviours. A lot of times we totally discount the fact that men too can be raped. Our pre- established notion that men are some kind of sexual predators who are always up for action stops us from believing that men too can be victims.

In fact media often usually the serious issues of men being subjected to assault as a comical instance. Which is not only wrong but also extremely gross. Maximum men don’t even come out with their assault stories in the fear of being ridiculed and consider less manly.

The nuances of patriarchy is so ingrained in each one of us that we don’t even realise the ways we ourselves promote the stereotypes. We have started considering all this as normal, though it is not.
We as a society should take a step towards gender equality. Yes patriarchy has direct impact on women, but it’s effect on men can not be discounted. We should collectively promote feminism and realise that feminism is not only about women, but it includes the entire spectrum. Equality is what we should strive for.

Arunachal Pradesh, also known as the state of Rising Sun, is a state of India. It is located in the North-eastern region of the country and is one of the seven sister state. It shares borders with Assam and Nagaland to the south. The state also shares international borders with Bhutan in the west, Myanmar in the east and disrupted borders with China in the north.

The state has long been recognised as a region of Indian subcontinent and finds its mentions in ancient Hindu literature like in Kalika Purana and the epic poems of Mahabharata and Ramayana. The state was a part of Assam until it was made a Union Territory in 1972 and in 1987 it was made an Indian state.

The land of rising sun, Arunachal Pradesh, is characterized by mountainous ranges and sub mountainous ranges along the northern part. This state is truly diverse in terms of its culture. Arunachal Pradesh has 26 major tribes and multiple sub-tribes. People of Arunachal Pradesh speak over 50 dialects. Arunachal Pradesh is a green gold. Because of the variation in altitude and climatic condition, it has tropical, subtropical and temperate forest.

Tribes and Religion

Arunachal Pradesh has a truly varied culture with 26 major tribes and multiple sub-tribes. Each tribe is characterized by its own unique set of culture and traditions.
• The first group of people in Arunachal Pradesh is made of Monpas and Sherdukpens of Tawang and West Kamang district. The following Lamaistic tradition of Mahayana Buddhism.
• The second group are the worshipers of Sun and Moon God, and comprises of Adis, Akas, Apatanis, Bhagnis, Mijis, Mishmis, Nishis and Thongsas.
• The third group consist of Octes and Wanchos tribal communities of Tirap district. They are followers of Vaishnavism and maintain strict village society which is ruled by hereditary chief.

The people of the state mostly practices indigenous religion which is highly inclines towards nature. However Christianity too in practiced by 30% of the population. Certain amount of the state population practice Hinduism. Tibetan Buddhist is practiced in certain parts of the states which is adjacent to Tibet. The central faith along the Burmese border is Theravada Buddhism.

Art and Dance

The state of Arunachal Pradesh possesses great craftsmanship skills. From weaving to painting, carpet making to pottery, wood carving to ornament making, basketry to cane and bamboo work and many more, the local man are skilled for all. The women on the other hand expertise on handloom and handicraft making.

Dance and music are important part of life of Arunachal tribes. Various dance forms are seen in different part of Arunachal Pradesh. They can broadly be divided into four different categories, namely, festival dance, ritual dance, recreational dance and dance drama. Most of the dances are accompanied by chorus songs.

Festivals

The people of Arunachal Pradesh celebrate a string of festivals, and the reason ranges from religious to socio cultural to agricultural. Since agriculture is the main occupation, there are many festival celebrated for good harvest. Some predominant festival of the state include Losar, Solung, Boori- Boot, Mopin, Dree, Nyokum, Reh, Si-Donyi etc.

Northeast is the collective name of the easternmost states of India. It comprises of 8 culturally and ecologically rich states. It comprises of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. These states are also know as ‘The seven sisters’ and Sikkim being the only brother.
If you are a travel geek, visit to the Northeast must top your bucket list. Each state is very different from each other, yet so similar. Each state can mesmerise you with its beauty. This part of India is so raw and pure, in comparison to the rest of the country and this makes it even more special.
Introduction to each state
• Arunachal Pradesh
The land of rising sun, Arunachal Pradesh, is characterized by mountainous ranges and sub mountainous ranges along the northern part. This state is truly diverse in terms of its culture. Arunachal Pradesh has 26 major tribes and multiple sub-tribes. People of Arunachal Pradesh speak over 50 dialects. Arunachal Pradesh is a green gold. Because of the variation in altitude and climatic condition, it has tropical, subtropical and temperate forest.

• Assam
Assam is a northeastern state popular for its wildlife, archaeological site and tea plantation. Assam is also known for its temples, especially the Kamakhya Temple. The world’s largest river island, Majuli, and the smallest river island, Umananda, are both located in this state. The culture of Assam is a rich and exotic tapestry. Natives of this state are known as Asomiya (Assamese) and it is also the state language of Assam. Weaving is an important part of Assamese culture. Gamocha is one of most easily recognisable cultural symbol, besides many.

• Manipur
Manipur is situated in the eastern frontier of India. Physically Manipur comprises of two parts, hills and valleys. The valley is centred surrounded by hills on all sides. The state has a forest canopy ranging from thickly dense forest to moderately dense forest to open forest. The cultural expression and art form of this state is famous worldwide. Manipuri dance whether folk or classical, is distinct from any other form.

• Meghalaya
Meghalaya is a hilly state in northeast India. This area is geographically rich, with mountains, stretches of valley and Highland plateau. Mawsynram, Cherrapunji in Meghalaya is the wettest place of earth. Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya is known as the rock capital of India. The forest in Meghalaya are among the richest botanical habitat in Asia. Meghalaya’s forest host 660 species of birds.

• Mizoram
The state with highest literacy rate in Northeast is Mizoram. Among the northeastern states, it is the southern most landlocked state. Mizoram is the state of rolling hills, valleys, rivers and lakes. Traditional festivals in this region revolve around jhum cultivation. This state has several dance forms, including, Cheraw, Khuallam, Chheihlam, Chai.

• Nagaland
Nagaland is largely a mountainous state. It is 16th state of India on 1st December 1963. The state has a monsoon climate with high humidity levels. Nagaland, just like all other northeastern state, is high in flora and fauna. Mithun is the state animal and has also adopted as the official seal of the Government of Nagaland. Music and dance is an intrinsic part of Naga life. The Hornbill festival celebrated in Kohima, capital of Nagaland, is famous worldwide.

• Sikkim
Sikkim is the only northeastern state which is not a part of ‘seven sisters’. It host Kanchenjunga, the highest peak of India and third highest in the world. Sikkim climate ranges from sub tropical in the south to tundra in the north. Sikkim is one of the few states of India to receive snow fall. The state is situated in the ecological hotspot of the Lower Himalayas, one of the only three ecoregions of India.

• Tripura
Tripura is the third most smallest state in the country. The state is characterized by hill ranges, valleys and plains. Tripura has a typical savanna climate. Unakoti in Tripura is popular worldwide. Multiple folklore are famous about Unakoti.

Bulimia Nervosa, also called as Bulimia, is characterized by simultaneous episodes of over eating and purge through techniques of vomiting, laxative abuse, extreme dieting or exercising, drug or alcohol abuse. People suffering from this eating disorder usually are unhappy with their size and shape. The binge and purge cycle is typically done in secret and is usually associated with a feeling of shame and guilt.

Bulimia usually develops late in childhood or early adulthood. It affects women more than men. Bulimia affect 1-3 percent of women and an increasing number of men. Bulimic often suffer from physiological issues such as gastrointestinal problems, severe dehydration and heart diseases.

Cause of Bulimia

Though the exact cause of Bulimia, or any other eating disorder, cannot be clearly dictated. However researches suggest it as a combination of certain psychological, biological and environmental factors can be responsible. Researches also suggest Bulimia Nervosa may arise due to dissatisfaction of individual’s body and extreme concern about body size and shape.

These factors causing Bulimia include:

Biological factors include:
• Hormonal imbalance
• Genetic makeup
• Nutritional deficiencies

Psychological factors include:
• Poor self esteem
• Poor body image issues

Environmental factors include:
• Childhood trauma
• Peer pressure
• Poor family dynamics
• Professional requirements

Signs and symptoms

Bulimia is a eating disorders. It is characterized by a large number of symptoms. The signs and symptoms include the following:
• Eating uncontrollably followed by purging
• Vomiting or laxative abuse in an attempt to lose weight
• Excessive exercising
• Frequent use of washroom after each meal
• Sore throat
• Dental problems
• Preoccupation with body weight
• Depression
• Mood swings
• Feeling out of control
• Irregular periods
• Indigestion, heartburn and bloating
• Weakness and exhaustion
• Swollen gland in neck and face

Treating Bulimia Nervosa

Dealing with Bulimia Nervosa, or any other eating disorder for that matter is extremely difficult. It is not a one day thing. Dealing with Bulimia Nervosa is a long process.
Below mentioned are some ways to treat eating disorders, including Bulimia Nervosa.

• Medical care and monitoring: Anyone suffering from eating disorder usually has some inbuilt causes for it. Dealing with the health issues caused due to eating disorder is of primary importance. Thus medical care and monitoring is of utmost importance.

• Nutritional intake: It involves restoring normal weight and stabilizing the same. Proper and balanced diet is of prime importance in this stage.

• Therapy: Therapeutic help can help the individual to know about the underlying cause of eating disorder. It not only help individual to overcome the disorder, by also help develop self confidence and self esteem.

• Medication: Medication is helpful in dealing with anxiety and mood disorder that is usually associated with eating disorder. However medication should only be consumed when prescribed by a health professional.The antidepressant fluoxetine (Prozac) is FDA- approved for the treatment of bulimia.

Though there is no hard and fast rule on which in the most effective way to deal with eating disorder. Every one differs and so does the proportion of effectiveness of each treatment on each individual. Most medical health professionals however suggest the different combination of all the four treatments depending on the physical, mental and emotional state of the individual. Consulting a mental health professionals is the key.

The Pride movement is self affirmative movement, celebrated by the LGBTQ+ community and it’s supporters. The LGBTQ+ is an abbreviation for lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender, queer and everything in between. The Pride movement celebrates the spectrum of sexuality.

The Stonewall Riot is often considered as the birth of modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. The first pride parade was held one year after Stonewall riot incident, on 28 June 1970. The parade was then known as Christopher Street Liberation Day March, named after the street on which Stonewall was located.

Back then, the largest LGBTQ+ rights rally was a silent yearly vigil known as the “The Annual Remainder” held in Philadelphia. The event was a remainder to American people that a substantial number of American citizens were denied the right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. It was a sober and orchestrated event. It was a silent event, and both men and women had formal dress code. However after Stonewall riot, the need of an entirely new event arose.

Unlike the Annual Remainder, these new marches had no formal and gender- normative dress code. Rather, the marchers were encouraged to be themselves. It celebrated being gay with utmost pride.

People related to the initial movement

The Pride movement was not a one day thing. It took a lot of courage and determination to go ahead with this movement. It was due to the prime contribution of some individuals that we today celebrate the month of June as pride month.
• Mattachine Society, which was one of earlier LGBTQ+ right group in United States.
• Craig Rodwell, a member of Mattachine Society, originally came up with the idea of The Annual Remainder.
• Fred Sargeant was one who organisers of the first march.
• Ellen Brody and Linda Rhodes, activists who along with Rodwell and Sargeant attended the Eastern Regional Conference of Homophile Organisation (ERCHO) in Philadelphia and proposed the resolution of holding a annual march on last Sunday of June to commemorate Stonewall.
• Brenda Howard, known as “Mother of Pride” coordinated week long series of event around the Pride day.
• Activist L. Craig Schoonmaker, the one who suggested the world “Pride” instead of “gay power”.
• Gilbert Baker, designed the Pride flag.

Pride Movement in India

In context of India, the Pride movement had a long struggle. During British Rule in 1860, homosexual intercourse was considered a criminal offence under Chapter 16, Section 377 of Indian Penal Code. Post independence, the right to equality was implemented on 26 November 1949, however homosexuality remained a criminal offence.
The first gay protest was conducted on 11 August 1992. In 1999, Kolkata hosted the first Gay Pride parade, however it was a small affairs with only 15 attendees. In 2009 the high court of Delhi held that considering consensual homosexual intercourse between two adults as a crime is violation of fundamental right to equality. However this was overturned by the supreme court in 2013.
Shashi Tharoor introduced the bill to decriminalise homosexuality in the year 2015, however it was rejected by Lok Sabha. In August 2017, the Supreme Court upheld the right to privacy as a fundamental right under the Constitution in the landmark Puttuswamy judgement, giving LGBTQ+ community a new hope. On September 6, 2018, the supreme court decriminalised homosexuality by scrapping Section 377, calling it unconstitutional.
The scrapping of Section 377 has been a partial win for the LGBTQ+ community. However a long battle is still ongoing. The battle is long, but the community is winning small successes.

Everyone has difference in opinions which leads to disagreement and argument with partner, family member and over close to them. At times, we all do things that cause unhappiness to people who care for us. Our actions and words might hurt our loved ones, and we do regret it. However if it becomes a constant and consistent phenomenon, then chances are you are in an toxic relationship.

It is difficult to get out of an toxic relationships. In most of the cases the one suffering might start thinking it is their fault and they deserve it, but the fact is no more deserves to be hurt every single time. Do not blame yourself for someone else’s behaviour.
Here are the types of toxic relationships, and none of it is worth being in.

Physical Abuse

Physical abuse is intentional and unwanted contact to you or something close to your body. It might not always leave a bruise, but it is still unhealthy. It includes :
• Scratching, punching, pushing, pulling, biting, or kicking
• Throwing objects at you, like phone, book, plates
• Using weapons like gun, knife
• Forcing you for sexual acts
• Grabbing your face, clothes or you violently
• Pulling your hair

Emotional or Verbal Abuse

Emotional abuse are non physical behaviour, such as threats, humiliation, insults, constant monitoring, excessive texting, stalking. It includes:
• Calling you names and putting you down
• Yelling or screaming at you
• Intentionally embarrassing you when in public
• Not letting you speak to family and friends
• Dictating you what to do and wear
• Accusing you of cheating or flirting
• Stalking you and threating you to spill out your secrets
• Threating you of self harm or harming you or things related to you
• Using gaslighting techniques to manipulate you

Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse is forcing someone to do something sexual that they do not want to and consent to. It is important to understand that “not saying no” is not a “yes”. Unless there is a loud and clear yes, it is a no. In such circumstances, physically resisting can cause even more violence. It is a myth that if the individual did not physically resist, it is not a abuse. In reality it is not the case, the person might be intoxicated or felt pressurised. Sexual abuse includes:
• Unwanted kissing or touching
• Unwanted rough and violent sexual activity
• Rape or attempt to rape
• Using sexual insults
• Not letting someone to use contraception
• Sexual contact when the person is drunk, unconscious or intoxicated
• Pressuring someone to perform sexual activities
• Marital rape

Financial Abuse

Financial abuse can be quite subtle. It might include resisting you to buying something or require you to share your bank account details. It may not look like a big of a problem in first place, but no one you are dating has the right to tell you how to spend your own money and restrict you from getting things you desire. Financial abuse includes:
• Looking closely what you buy and how much you spend
• Not letting you to see the joint bank account records
• Forbidding you to work or limiting work hour
• Harassing you, your co-worker or employer so as to get you fired
• Refusing to give you money for food, clothing, rent and medication
• Maxing your credit card for their need
• Using your financial aid for their own benefit
• Using their money to hold power over you
• Giving you gifts and paying your gift and expecting you to return the favour somehow

Digital Abuse

Digital abuse means using digital platforms such as texting or social networks to bully, harass, stalk or intimidate your partner. It is becoming extremely common in recent times. Digital abuse includes:
• Pressurises you to send sexually explicit video or sexts.
• Send you unwanted sexually explicit content and demands you to send the same in return
• Makes decisions with whom you can or cannot be friends on social networking sites
• Steals or forces you to give your passwords
• Using technology, such as GPS to monitor you
• Looks through your phone frequently
• Messaging you constantly and lashing out on you when you reply late
• Sending you negative messages or threats on social networking sites

Stalking

Stalking means you are constantly watched, followed or harassed to the point you feel afraid and unsafe. A stalker can be some you know like an ex partner or any stranger. Stalking includes:
• Showing up at your house or work place unannounced or uninvited
• Sending you unwanted gifts, messages and letters
• Using social media sites to track on you
• Constantly calling you
• Spreading rumours about you
• Use other people as resource to investigate about you
• Damage your property, such as your car, or other property

Experiencing even one or two of these warnings are a major red flag and probably you are trapped in the viscous cycle of toxicity in the relationship. Each type of abuse is serious and no one deserves abuse in any form.

If you are the sufferer of a toxic relationship it is important to call off the relationship, no matter what, it is not worth you. No relationship that drenches your happiness and mental peace is a major red flag. If you are the toxic one, still end the relationship. By hurting someone else you will end up hurting yourself too. In addition do seek medical help to deal with your internal psychological issues.

Depression is one of the most common mental disorder. It is classified as a type of mood disorder. It can be characterized as the feeling of sadness, angry or loss which affects the day to day activities of a person.
Sadness and anger are basic human emotions. Every individual does experience these emotions from time to time. But if a person experiences these emotions on a day to day basis, there are high chances that the person might suffer from depression and consulting a mental health expert is highly recommended.

Depression is a serious mental health condition. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) it is the main cause of disability worldwide. Depression can occur at any stage of a person’s life, be it childhood, adolescent or adulthood.
Depression involves persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest from daily activities. Major life events such as death of loved ones, bereavement, loss of job are few events that can cause depression. It is not a passing phase, but a persistent one . It is a serious medical condition and can worst if not treated properly.

Symptoms of Depression

The symptoms of depression are as follows :
• Persistent low mood
• Loss of interest even from activities once enjoyed
• Sudden change in weight
• Reduced sexual desire
• Change in appetite
• Unstable sleeping patterns
• Slow movement or speech
• Agitation and restlessness
• Feeling of worthlessness
• Fatigue or low energy level
• Difficulty in thinking, concentrating and making decisions
• Recurrent thoughts of death and suicidal tendencies

However, the symptoms of depression can vary depending on the age group and gender the persons belong. Usually woman are more likely to develop depressive disorder in comparison to their male counterparts. The symptoms must stay for a minimum of 2 weeks for a person to be diagnosed with depression. It can however stay for several weeks, months and years.

Causes of Depression

Though the medical community can not designated any specific cause of depression, however it can be an interplay of several causes which combined triggers the symptoms.
• Family History : An individual is at high risk of developing depression if they have a family history of the same. Genetics are a predominant factor of any mood disorder.
• Childhood trauma : A person who has had a traumatic childhood, such as experienced physical, emotional or sexual abuse during childhood are at higher risk of developing depressive disorders.
• Substance abuse : A person who has had a history of substance abuse be it drug or alcohol abuse has higher probability of developing depression.
• Brain structure : The vulnerability of depression increases if the frontal lobe of the brain is less active. Scientists however are unsure if this happens before or after the onset of depression symptoms.
• Medical condition : An individual’s mental condition also has an impact. Individual suffering from chronic illness, insomnia or chronic pain usually has higher chances of developing symptoms of depression.

Types of Depression

Depression can be categorised into several types depending on the severity of symptoms the individual experiences. Broadly there are two types of depression, major depressive disorder and persistent depressive disorder.

• Major depressive disorder: It is the more severe form of depression, characterized by persistent feeling of sadness, hopelessness and worthlessness. It is necessary to show minimum of 5 symptoms for at least 2 week period to be diagnosed of clinical depression.
• Persistent depressive disorder: It is the milder form of depression but a chronic one. PPD is usually called dysthymia. To be diagnosed of PPD it is necessary for the symptoms to last for at least 2 years.

Depression is not an ongoing phase , it a serious mental health disorder. Seeking help is nothing wrong rather it is a must.

Anorexia nervosa is eating disorder and is characterized by irrational fear of weight gain. Individuals suffering from anorexia nervosa are obsessed with their weight. These individual tend to exercise and diet to such a point that their body weight is grossly below optimum. These individuals perceive themselves as over weight even if they are extremely under weight. They self starve to a point that it imposes serious threat to life and wellbeing.

Eating disorder is a mental disorder that is characterized by irregular eating and severe body image issues. Anorexia nervosa being a kind of eating disorder include all.

Anorexia nervosa is extremely common in women. Especially modern urban women are at high risk, though men are catching up fast. Women aged 15-24 commonly report eating disorders. Reports also show that people as young as 7 may also develop symptoms of eating disorders.

Sign and Symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa

There are a multitude of symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa, which ranges from physical to emotional and behavioural symptoms.

Physical symptoms
• Extreme weight loss
• Insomnia
• Fatigue
• Dizziness and fainting
• Extremely thin appearance
• Hair loss
• Constipation and abdominal pain
• Reduced blood count
• Irregular heartbeat
• Intolerance to cold
• Dry pale skin
• Irregular menstruation
• Dehydration
• Swelling arms and legs

Emotional and behavioural symptoms
• Severely limiting food intake by dieting or fasting
• Excessive exercising
• Self induced vomiting
• Frequently skipping meal or refusing to eat
• Denial of hunger
• Refusing to eat in public
• Following a specific diet, even if it does not include necessary nutrition
• Irrational fear of gaining weight
• Reduced sexual desires
• Social withdrawal
• Irritability
• Insomnia
• Lack of interest in social activities
• Frequent mood swings
• Complaining about being fat, even when they are excessively thin
• Frequently checking in the mirror for perceiving flaws

Treating Anorexia Nervosa

Dealing with Anorexia Nervosa, or any other eating disorder for that matter is extremely difficult. It is not a one day thing. Dealing with Anorexia Nervosa is a long process.
Below mentioned are some ways to treat eating disorders, including Anorexia Nervosa.

• Medical care and monitoring: Anyone suffering from eating disorder usually has some inbuilt causes for it. Dealing with the health issues caused due to eating disorder is of primary importance. Thus medical care and monitoring is of utmost importance.
• Nutritional intake: It involves restoring normal weight and stabilizing the same. Proper and balanced diet is of prime importance in this stage.
• Therapy: Therapeutic help can help the individual to know about the underlying cause of eating disorder. It not only help individual to overcome the disorder, by also help develop self confidence and self esteem.
• Medication: Medication is helpful in dealing with anxiety and mood disorder that is usually associated with eating disorder. However medication should only be consumed when prescribed by a health professional.

Though there is no hard and fast rule on which in the most effective way to deal with eating disorder. Every one differs and so does the proportion of effectiveness of each treatment on each individual. Most medical health professionals however suggest the different combination of all the four treatments depending on the physical, mental and emotional state of the individual. Consulting a mental health professionals is the key.

All of us at some point or the other have experienced exhaustion. We all at some point have set unrealistic and unachievable goals, and have been highly disappointed when they are not fulfilled. But the question to address is, Is that productivity actually productive ?

One of the most important thing to keep in mind while striving for productivity is not to over exhaust ourselves. It is worth remembering that we are human and not machines. Even machine wear and tear with time, and we are humans make up of flesh and blood, we are bound to experience exhaustion after a point.

Being productive 24×7 is not possible. Setting unrealistic goals will just disappoint you and nothing more. Toxic productivity does little for quality of work and life.

What is Toxic Productivity?

Toxic productivity is our unhealthy obsession with productivity. A toxic productive person thinks their work are never ending and never enough. It is the obsession with work where quantity matter more than quality.

Toxic productive person usually feel guilty for enjoying free time. They are mostly unsatisfied with their work. But more than focusing on constantly improving their work, they focus on the amount of work done.

Signs of toxic productivity

Toxic productivity is a serious issue. Below are some of the major signs of productivity turning toxic.

• Impacting personal life: Toxic productive person is so overloaded with work that it impacts your personal relationships. They usually are left with no time to maintain real human relationships. They therefore end up being lonely after a point of time.

• Unrealistic expectations: Toxic productive individuals end up having unrealistic expectations from their work. They set unattainable goals and become extremely disappointed when it is not achieved.

• Never satisfied: The individual experiencing toxic productivity are mostly restless and never satisfied with work. They want to achieve it all, but in no time. They think their work is never upto the mark and strive for unattainable perfection.

Deal with toxic productivity

Dealing with toxic productivity is very important for us, to be a satisfied and secured individuals. Some important key to deal with toxic productivity are as follows:

• Set realistic goals: The first step of being productive is setting goals. Not only long term goals, but focus on one day at a time. Productivity is a process. We don’t have to keep working all 24 hours. Productivity is the goal, over exhausting isn’t. Depending on your goal, set to do list for the day.

• Take breaks: Taking break is very important to increase your productivity. If we keep working without any breaks, then our brain becomes monotonous and we usually experience lack of ideas, thus our work quality ends up deteriorating.

• Meditate: Meditation calms your mind. It increases your focus. A calm and focus mind is much more productive.

• Connect with family and friends: If you have a good support network, your productivity will most definitely increase. Connecting to family and friends is very important to get out of the vicious cycle of toxic productivity. They help keeping you in proper sense and not lose your cool.

Arunachal Pradesh, also known as the state of Rising Sun, is a state of India. It is located in the North-eastern region of the country and is one of the seven sister state. It shares borders with Assam and Nagaland to the south. The state also shares international borders with Bhutan in the west, Myanmar in the east and disrupted borders with China in the north.

The state has long been recognised as a region of Indian subcontinent and finds its mentions in ancient Hindu literature like in Kalika Purana and the epic poems of Mahabharata and Ramayana. The state was a part of Assam until it was made a Union Territory in 1972 and in 1987 it was made an Indian state.

Geography and biodiversity

Arunachal Pradesh, is characterized by mountainous ranges and sub mountainous ranges along the northern part. The state encompasses three broad physiological regions. The highest peak of the state is Kangto.
The states extreme eastern peaks are described to as “the land of rising sun” in historic texts. The villages of Dong and Vijaynagar receive the first sunlight in all of India.

Arunachal Pradesh has among the highest diversity of mammals and birds in India. The state is the home of about 750 species of birds and 200 species of mammals. The forest area in the state accounts for about one-third habitat area among Himalayan biodiversity hotspots.

Tribes and Religion

Arunachal Pradesh has a truly varied culture with 26 major tribes and multiple sub-tribes. Each tribe is characterized by its own unique set of culture and traditions.
• The first group of people in Arunachal Pradesh is made of Monpas and Sherdukpens of Tawang and West Kamang district. The following Lamaistic tradition of Mahayana Buddhism.
• The second group are the worshipers of Sun and Moon God, and comprises of Adis, Akas, Apatanis, Bhagnis, Mijis, Mishmis, Nishis and Thongsas.
• The third group consist of Octes and Wanchos tribal communities of Tirap district. They are followers of Vaishnavism and maintain strict village society which is ruled by hereditary chief.

The people of the state mostly practices indigenous religion which is highly inclines towards nature. However Christianity too in practiced by 30% of the population. Certain amount of the state population practice Hinduism. Tibetan Buddhist is practiced in certain parts of the states which is adjacent to Tibet. The central faith along the Burmese border is Theravada Buddhism.

Art and Dance

The state of Arunachal Pradesh possesses great craftsmanship skills. From weaving to painting, carpet making to pottery, wood carving to ornament making, basketry to cane and bamboo work and many more, the local man are skilled for all. The women on the other hand expertise on handloom and handicraft making.

Dance and music are important part of life of Arunachal tribes. Various dance forms are seen in different part of Arunachal Pradesh. They can broadly be divided into four different categories, namely, festival dance, ritual dance, recreational dance and dance drama. Most of the dances are accompanied by chorus songs.

Festivals

The people of Arunachal Pradesh celebrate a string of festivals, and the reason ranges from religious to socio cultural to agricultural. Since agriculture is the main occupation, there are many festival celebrated for good harvest. Some predominant festival of the state include Losar, Solung, Boori- Boot, Mopin, Dree, Nyokum, Reh, Si-Donyi etc.

Everyone has difference in opinions which leads to disagreement and argument with partner, family member and over close to them. At times, we all do things that cause unhappiness to people who care for us. Our actions and words might hurt our loved ones, and we do regret it. However if it becomes a constant and consistent phenomenon, then chances are you are in an abusive relationship.
It is difficult for the victims to get out of an abusive relationships. In most of the cases the victim might start thinking it is their fault and they deserve it, but the fact is no more deserves it. Do not blame yourself for someone else’s behaviour.
Most of us characterise abusive relationships only with domestic abuse, however this might not always be the case.
Here are the types of abusive relationships.

Physical Abuse
Physical abuse is intentional and unwanted contact to you or something close to your body. It might not always leave a bruise, but it is still unhealthy. It includes :
• Scratching, punching, pushing, pulling, biting, or kicking
• Throwing objects at you, like phone, book, plates
• Using weapons like gun, knife
• Forcing you for sexual acts
• Grabbing your face, clothes or you violently
• Pulling your hair

Emotional or Verbal Abuse
Emotional abuse are non physical behaviour, such as threats, humiliation, insults, constant monitoring, excessive texting, stalking. It includes:
• Calling you names and putting you down
• Yelling or screaming at you
• Intentionally embarrassing you when in public
• Not letting you speak to family and friends
• Dictating you what to do and wear
• Accusing you of cheating or flirting
• Stalking you and threating you to spill out your secrets
• Threating you of self harm or harming you or things related to you
• Using gaslighting techniques to manipulate you

Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse is forcing someone to do something sexual that they do not want to and consent to. It is important to understand that “not saying no” is not a “yes”. Unless there is a loud and clear yes, it is a no. In such circumstances, physically resisting can cause even more violence. It is a myth that if the individual did not physically resist, it is not a abuse. In reality it is not the case, the person might be intoxicated or felt pressurised. Sexual abuse includes:
• Unwanted kissing or touching
• Unwanted rough and violent sexual activity
• Rape or attempt to rape
• Using sexual insults
• Not letting someone to use contraception
• Sexual contact when the person is drunk, unconscious or intoxicated
• Pressuring someone to perform sexual acts

Financial Abuse
Financial abuse can be quite subtle. It might include resisting you to buying something or require you to share your bank account details. It may not look like a big of a problem in first place, but no one you are dating has the right to tell you how to spend your own money and restrict you from getting things you desire. Financial abuse includes:
• Looking closely what you buy and how much you spend
• Not letting you to see the joint bank account records
• Forbidding you to work or limiting work hour
• Harassing you, your co-worker or employer so as to get you fired
• Refusing to give you money for food, clothing, rent and medication
• Maxing your credit card for their need
• Using your financial aid for their own benefit
• Using their money to hold power over you
• Giving you gifts and paying your gift and expecting you to return the favour somehow

Digital Abuse
Digital abuse means using digital platforms such as texting or social networks to bully, harass, stalk or intimidate your partner. It is becoming extremely common in recent times. Digital abuse includes:
• Pressurises you to send sexually explicit video or sexts.
• Send you unwanted sexually explicit content and demands you to send the same in return
• Makes decisions with whom you can or cannot be friends on social networking sites
• Steals or forces you to give your passwords
• Using technology, such as GPS to monitor you
• Looks through your phone frequently
• Messaging you constantly and lashing out on you when you reply late
• Sending you negative messages or threats on social networking sites

Stalking
Stalking means you are constantly watched, followed or harassed to the point you feel afraid and unsafe. A stalker can be some you know like an ex partner or any stranger. Stalking includes:
• Showing up at your house or work place unannounced or uninvited
• Sending you unwanted gifts, messages and letters
• Using social media sites to track on you
• Constantly calling you
• Spreading rumours about you
• Use other people as resource to investigate about you
• Damage your property, such as your car, or other property

Experiencing even one or two of these warnings are a major red flag and probably abuse is present in your relationship. Each type of abuse is serious and no one deserves abuse in any form.

People struggle to find happiness in life. Most of the people are not happy with their lives. People usually search for happiness in the outside world and thus causing major unhappiness.
If you want to feel real happiness, look deep within. Happiness which comes from within is the happiness that sustains. One needs to look deep within themselves to search for reasons to be happy.
Happiness begins within. If you think positively about yourself, others and the world around you, you will be in a much happier state. Your words and actions will follow your thoughts.

Reasons leading to unhappiness

• Lack of self-confidence in yourself: Happiness comes with self confidence. Unless an individual is confident of their own self, they cannot be in a happy place. People usually lack the ability to believe in themselves and what they can do. Unless an individual has the courage and confidence to quit the job or relationship that they are not satisfied with, they can never be happy in true sense. Though it is not true for everyone, but majority of the people’s happiness is hindered by their inability to say “I can do it”.

• Focusing on negativity: We have a natural tendency to lean more towards negativity. We focus more on the worst possible outcomes of a situation, than thinking about the best. We tend to be over critical about ourselves. We tend to focus more on your negative traits, rather than focusing on the positivity within us. All this negative thinking weakens our self esteem, thus leading to long term unhappiness.

• Inability to cut off toxic people: Toxicity of an individual can show in their actions or words. If the action and words of someone hurt you physically or psychologically and thus hindering you from attaining your happiness, at the same time make you think negatively of yourself, then chances are you are dealing with individuals who are toxic for you. Cutting off such people from life is of utmost importance, or else your happiness would never be achieved.

Approach towards happiness

Though there is no rules or guide to be happy, but certain tips and approaches can help you be more happier in life .

• Self Acceptance: The key to happiness is acceptance. We usually crib about the things or traits that we do not possess, rather than accepting it. Though we might not be in our best versions, but we do have to accept our current state. Unless we accept ourselves, we cannot be happy in the truest sense. Unless we acknowledge what we do not have, we cannot work towards achieving it and will never be happy.

• Practice Gratitude: Happiness is usually related to how meaningful we think our life is. It is extremely important to generate genuine meaning and appreciation each day. We usually take people, things and opportunities for granted. Appreciation of good things in life is a way to achieving happiness. Take out a few minutes each day and pen down the things you are blessed to have. Practicing gratitude gives you a happiness from within and helps you to be sane.

• Pamper yourself: Cater to your needs the way you cater to others. Taking out time for a nice massage, hot bath or beauty session at a local salon every ones in a while is important. Pampering yourself every now and then is important for being happy.

• Calm your mind: Though it is quite difficult to calm your mind in this hectic schedule, but it is very important. Meditation is a good way to calm the mind and connect to your inner self and discover it’s desires. Taking out time to practice meditation regularly is highly recommended.

• Show love: One of the most positive emotion is love. Doing small acts of kindness without expecting anything in return, making someone smile, forgiving are some acts that foster positivity. By creating positive atmosphere around you, you create happy momentum for yourself too.

• Surrounding yourself with uplifting people: Surrounding yourself with a good social support network always helps. Being around people who see and inspire the best in you does help your well-being. Optimistic, like minded and supportive social circle are key for a happy and contented life.

Pride is a movement of self affirmation, equality, dignity and increasing visibility of the LGBTQ+ community. LGBTQ+ community includes lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer, asexual and everything in between. The pride movement celebrates the spectrum of sexuality.

Pride as a movement is a opposition to the social stigma and shame that surrounds the community, and bolsters the LGBT movements. The month of June is celebrated as the Pride month all over the globe. Common symbol of pride is the rainbow, which is the pride flag.

The historic origin

The Stonewall Riot is often considered as the birth of modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. The first pride parade was held one year after Stonewall riot incident, on 28 June 1970. The parade was then known as Christopher Street Liberation Day March, named after the street on which Stonewall was located.

Back then, the largest LGBTQ+ rights rally was a silent yearly vigil known as the “The Annual Remainder” held in Philadelphia. The event was a remainder to American people that a substantial number of American citizens were denied the right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. It was a sober and orchestrated event. It was a silent event, and both men and women had formal dress code. However after Stonewall riot, the need of an entirely new event arose.

Unlike the Annual Remainder, these new marches had no formal and gender- normative dress code. Rather, the marchers were encouraged to be themselves. It celebrated being gay with utmost pride.

Important people related to the initial movement

The Pride movement was not a one day thing. It took a lot of courage and determination to go ahead with this movement. It was due to the prime contribution of some individuals that we today celebrate the month of June as pride month.
• Mattachine Society, which was one of earlier LGBTQ+ right group in United States.
• Craig Rodwell, a member of Mattachine Society, originally came up with the idea of The Annual Remainder.
• Fred Sargeant was one who organisers of the first march.
• Ellen Brody and Linda Rhodes, activists who along with Rodwell and Sargeant attended the Eastern Regional Conference of Homophile Organisation (ERCHO) in Philadelphia and proposed the resolution of holding a annual march on last Sunday of June to commemorate Stonewall.
• Brenda Howard, known as “Mother of Pride” coordinated week long series of event around the Pride day.
• Activist L. Craig Schoonmaker, the one who suggested the world “Pride” instead of “gay power”.
• Gilbert Baker, designed the Pride flag.

Pride Movement in India

In context of India, the Pride movement had a long struggle. During British Rule in 1860, homosexual intercourse was considered a criminal offence under Chapter 16, Section 377 of Indian Penal Code. Post independence, the right to equality was implemented on 26 November 1949, however homosexuality remained a criminal offence.

The first gay protest was conducted on 11 August 1992. In 1999, Kolkata hosted the first Gay Pride parade, however it was a small affairs with only 15 attendees. In 2009 the high court of Delhi held that considering consensual homosexual intercourse between two adults as a crime is violation of fundamental right to equality. However this was overturned by the supreme court in 2013.

Shashi Tharoor introduced the bill to decriminalise homosexuality in the year 2015, however it was rejected by Lok Sabha. In August 2017, the Supreme Court upheld the right to privacy as a fundamental right under the Constitution in the landmark Puttuswamy judgement, giving LGBTQ+ community a new hope. On September 6, 2018, the supreme court decriminalised homosexuality by scrapping Section 377, calling it unconstitutional.
The scrapping of Section 377 has been a partial win for the LGBTQ+ community. However a long battle is still ongoing. The battle is long, but the community is winning small successes.

Assam is one of the state among the seven sisters. It belongs to the north-eastern part of India. The state is famous for its wildlife, archaeological site and tea plantation. Assam tea and Assam silk is very famous all around the globe. Assam was the first site for oil drilling in Asia. Assam is also the home of endangered one horned Indian Rhinoceros.
It you love traveling, then visiting Assam should be in the top of your bucket list. You will be mesmerized by its wildlife, the Brahmaputra and the Barak will leave their impression for long, the Assamese culture will astonish you and the hospitality of the people will touch your soul.

About the state?

The state of red rivers and blue hill, Assam, is the oldest state of the north-east region of India and comprises as the gateway to the Seven Sisters. The state comprises three main geographical areas. They are:
• The Brahmaputra valley
• The Barak valley
• Karbi plateau and North Cachar hills
Assam shares it borders with Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and West Bengal. It shares it’s international borders with Bangladesh and Bhutan. It also is very close to Myanmar.

Must visit

If you are planning to or want to visit the state in near future, then here is a guide to the place you must visit.
• Kaziranga National Park : This protected area is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is the last remaining habitat of the Great Indian One horned Rhinoceros. It is spread in Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Nagaon district of the state. Kaziranga is also the home of highest density of tigers among the protected areas of the world and is declared as a Tiger Reserve in the year 2006.
• Kamakhya Temple: It is an important pilgrimage destination for Hindus. The temple is dedicated to mother Goddess Kamakhya and is one of the oldest of the 51 Shakti Pithas. It is situated on Nilachal hills in the western part of Guwahati city of Assam.
• Umananda Temple: Umananda Devaloi is a Shiva temple located in the peacock island in the middle of Brahmaputra. Umananda is known to be the smallest inhabitant riverine island in the world.
• Manas Wildlife Sanctuary: It is a national park, UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site, a Project Tiger Reserve, elephant reserve and a biosphere reserve in India. The park is famous for its rare and endangered endemic wildlife, like, golden langur, pygmy hog, hispid hare. It is also known for its wild water buffalo.
• Majuli: Majuli is the largest freshwater island is Southeast Asia on the Brahmaputra river. It is famous for its Vaishnavite Satras.
• Ranghar: It is a two storeyed building, which once served a royal sports pavilion to the Ahom kings and nobles. It is located in Sivasagar.
• Kareng ghar: It is also known as The Garhgaon Palace and is located 15 kilometres from Sivasagar, Garhgaon. Of all the Ahom ruins, it is the grandest piece of Ahom architecture.
• Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary: It is also known as Jeypore Rainforest. It is the only sanctuary in India which is the home of 7 different species of wild cat. The rainforest stretches in the district Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Charaideo. This rainforest is very important for elephant habitat and was declared Dehing Patkai elephant reserve under project elephant.

Assam as a state does offer more which includes ,
• Dibru Saikhowa National Park
• Digboi Oil Refinery
• Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary
• Jatinga
• Gupta Khasi
• Tocklai Tea Research Institute
• Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary
• Panidihing Bird Sanctuary

For all the travel geeks, a visit to Assam is a must.

We all at some point of our lives have been subjected to or have been a part of body shaming. We are constantly told thinness is desirable, but being skinny is unacceptable. Magazine constantly give us tips on how to lose weight instantly, without even knowing our medical condition, this is a clear cut example of body shaming , fat shaming to be precise.

Body shaming is present everywhere. Body shaming means criticising yourself or other people around you based on certain aspects of their physical appearance. It usually leads to a vicious cycle of judgement and criticism. It is a serious form of bullying, harassment and humiliation. Women are more subject to body shaming in comparison to men.

Words like “you are too fat”, “try losing weight”, “try gaining weight”, “use some fairness cream” and so much more are all instances of body shaming we face on a daily basis. These statements can come from absolute stranger to close relatives, and can make anyone keep self conscious and humiliated.

We all have been subjected to body shaming at some point. No matter how seemingly “perfect” you look, but everyone of us will be able to recall that one incident when we were made to feel gross about the way we look. We all have incidents when people told us how inappropriate we look in a certain dress because of how stick thin or too fat we are.

How does body shaming feels?

A person experiencing body shaming usually goes through a feeling of unacceptance. It can be both external as well as internet. Researchers also show that a large section of women also restore to self shame, because they do not look like the women in magazines.

Being subjective to body shaming can also make an individual more vulnerable to mental disorders. Individuals may start vigorous exercising or extreme diets in order to gain or lose weight. Many individuals also develop eating disorder as a consequence.

Is the perfect figure practical?

People usually woman has a presumed image of an ideal figure. At 7 they play with Barbie dolls and by 17 they are expected to be just like one. Women are usually expected to have skinny thighs and waist, but fuller bust and hips, however it is most of the time unattainable.

Even the women in the magazines aren’t as perfect as they seem. There are a lot of allegation against these magazines to blatantly photo shop the images. It is important for us to realise that the Instagram pictures of the influences and models also include good amount of editing and filters.

What should one do?

People now are being more vocal about their struggles, their stories, and it is making us realize how important it is to let out. Speaking out about your struggles give others the courage too. It is important for us to realise that though we all are in different boats, but we all are in the same sea, we all are struggling.
Having an accepting position attitude to your body is important.

Self love is the key. Having confidence on yourself and your appearance never goes out of style. If you feel this body shaming has taken a toll on your mental health, asking for help is always an option.

Lastly it is important to accept yourself, keeping aside the judgements of this superficial world. Work on yourself, your knowledge, your skill, your esteem, grow and become a confident individual.

We often have heard people being categorised as extroverts or introverts. A friendly and open person is the one we label as extroverts, and the shy and reserved individuals are often labelled as introverts. Recent times have also witnessed the emergence of another group labelled as ambivert, who form the middle ground between these two extremes.

This is not a recent topic. Theories of extroversion and introversion have been a part of psychological literature for over a century now. According to many theories, an individuals level of extroversion and introversion form a major characteristic of personality.
Extroversion and introversion has a wide range of spectrum. Both has their fair share of pros and cons. It is important for us to understand where do we fall in the spectrum, so that we can address the areas where we are lacking.

What is an introvert, extrovert or ambivert?

Carl Jung was the one who proposed the idea of exploration of personalities, including the construction of extroversion and introversion. He described extroverts as “outward turning of libido” and introverts as “inward turning of libido”.

Introverts think, feel and act in a way that the subject is the prime motivating factor. On the other hand, extroverts think, feel and act in relation to external environment rather than subjectively. Jung also agreed that there is a third category which lies in the middle of the spectrum. The individuals in this category are known as ambiverts, and draws its energy from both the two extremes at varying degrees.

What is extrovert introvert spectrum?

People usually do not exhibit extreme traits and rather show qualities of both and fall somewhere between the two. The extrovert introvert spectrum is a continuous dimension within psychology where we can classify personalities based on their position between the two extremes.

The extrovert introvert spectrum is a bell shaped curve, just like the normal distribution curve. With absolute extroversion at one end of the scale, while absolute introversion at the other end. Individual exhibiting ambivert trait will be at the middle.

The difference between personalities

Introverts are usually perceived as reflective, private and thoughtful individuals whereas extroverts are perceived as happy, assertive, adoptive individuals. Extroverts are usually associated with risk lovers whereas introverts with risk averse.
Being more of an introverted person means you strive to spend more time with your thoughts and ideas. Whereas being more of an extroverted person means you thrive on the energy of the people and thing around you.

Common introversion traits include:
• Enjoy solitude time
• Not wanting to be the centre of attention
• Not usually talkative
• Values close relationships
• Seemingly reserved
• Enjoys quiet and independent working environment
• Deeply focused and thinks about specific interest
• Need alone time to recharge and reflect themselves

Common extroversion traits include:
• Has a large social network
• Enjoy being the centre of attention
• Usually impulsive
• Enjoys being around other people
• Outgoing and free spirited
• Thrive for team oriented and open work settings
• Tends to be loud about opinions and interest
• Enthusiastic individuals

An individual usually does not have traits of a total introvert or total extrovert, rather have traits of both. Individuals usually possesses trait of both the ends in varying degrees. Some may have more of extroversion traits and less of introversion one, while others may have just the opposite. Both the ends have their equal share of advantages and disadvantages. It is important to know our personalities to fix the traits where we are lacking and be a better version of ourselves.

All of us are enchanted by colours. None of us can discount how a bright colourful painting or a vibrant coloured room has uplifted our mood at some point or the other. Just try to recall how mesmerized you were to see a beautiful flower bloom or the sudden bliss you felt on seeing a pretty butterfly in your garden. The one thing which is common between the flowers and butterflies is that both are colourful.

Colours are all around us. Whether or not we pay attention to it, but colours have a profound impact on us. Colours can have a major impact on our physical and mental health. Different colours have different affect and understanding that can help to deal with various mental and physical conditions.

Colour Therapy

Colour Therapy is an idea which believes that, the colour one is surrounded by has direct impact on their physical as well as mental health. Different colours have different impact on the person. According to the colour theory, every colour hue ranging from white to black has different affects on how an individual thinks, behaves and interacts with the world around them.

Researches has showed that different colours have different healing power. This is the major reason why we usually find a pattern of colours in hospitals and health care centres. White and green are used in common ward because of their calming effect, whereas children ward has bright colours to give them a moral boast.
Colour Therapy is also known as chromo therapy. It is the use of different shades and hues to affect the wellbeing. Since each colour has unique light and wavelength, colour therapy principal uses the energy of each shade to improve your mental and physical wellbeing.

Common colours and impacted

• White is a colour which is mostly associated with purity and clarity. This colour helps the body by purifying it and the mind by providing it much needed clarity.
• Red: The colour red stands for passion. Red helps strengthen, stimulates and adds passion to your work. Adding red in your outfit can improve your confidence level on a daily basis.
• Yellow: Surrounding yourself with the colour yellow can help you boast your inner power, positive and level of happiness. For physical health, the colour yellow has positive impacts on nervous and digestive system.
• Blue: Blue is a colour which has a great impact on physical and mental wellbeing. It is a colour which is associated with intelligence, trust and ability to find tranquillity in life. Blue also helps people who suffer from hiccups, sores and even asthma.
• Green: The colour we usually associate with nature, green is highly effective to restore a sense of balance, harmony, security and safety. It helps in reducing our anxiety level and at the same time has positive effect on heart health.
• Orange: The colour orange is extremely helpful in boasting confidence and energy. It is a colour that encourages. It helps to improve the condition of your liver. It also has antidepressant qualities. It also help in pumping up our creativity level.
• Purple: Purple can give a sense of power, increase peace of mind and strengthen spirituality. This colour is also related to relaxation and creativity.

Every colour has a great impact on your lives and we need to incorporate each effectively.

We are all aware of the satisfying feeling we get when our post gets increasing number of likes. Most of us are guilty of posting everything on social media, be it a good picture, meal at a fancy restaurant, an achievement, an artwork, almost everything. Scrolling through your feed, checking the number of likes on your recently uploaded picture and finding that is has more likes than the previous one, gives immense happiness, and no we cannot disagree to that.

Researches have shown that the part of brain that get activated when we get a reward, say a chocolate or money, also gets activated when we see a large number of likes on our posts. Psychologist Emma Kenny explain, “ It’s a reward cycle, you get a squirt of dopamine every time you get a like or positive response on social media.”

Impact of social media validation

Most of us have at some point or the other deleted pictures from our social media. Not because we didn’t liked the picture, but because we were unhappy with the number of likes it received. More than our opinions what mattered was the social media validation.

Social media likes have made us less confident as individuals. As a generation we have started believing that others opinions are facts. More than posting for our happiness, we post for the likes and comments of others. We are all aware of the sudden hit of insecurity when our post do not get the amount of like we expected.
Social media has started affecting the self esteem of individuals, especially teenagers. Instead of being confident of our growth, we seek people’s approval. If you belong to that part of the population who constantly delete posts depending on the number of likes they get, then social media has negatively impacted your self esteem.

How much does others care about your post?

Not everyone who likes our post are actually concerned about the content. For most clicking the like button is a thoughtless action. We ourselves do the same while liking others picture, but then what makes us so insecure when our post gets less likes?
Psychologist Emma Kenny has related it to the inbuilt narcissistic instincts of an individual. We perceive the things that affect us differently than what affects other. We subconsciously do believe that our posts are better and interesting in comparison to others, and as a consequence we believe that the likes we receive are authentic.

Impacts of social media

Just like a coin, social media too has two faces. Social media connect people, give people opportunities and helps people deal with loneliness. However in recent times it does more bad than good. Using social media in wrong way has led to a multitude of mental health issues.

People using social media have reported more cases of loneliness. Reports suggest using social media for more than two hours can increase loneliness rather than reducing it. People especially women are likely at higher risk of mental issues resulting from overuse of social media. They display greater level of insecurity and paranoia. It can also result in depression and anxiety disorders.

Conclusion

Instead of using social media as a tool of inspiration, motivation and aspirations, we use it against ourselves. If social media is making us feel vulnerable, then it is worth taking break from this virtual world. We as individuals hold the steering wheel of our life, if we let social media to dictate us directions, it will most definitely backfire. We need to live a life for ourselves and not just for likes.

Northeast is the collective name of the easternmost states of India. It comprises of 8 culturally and ecologically rich states. It comprises of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. These states are also know as ‘The seven sisters’ and Sikkim being the only brother.

If you are a travel geek, visit to the Northeast must top your bucket list. Each state is very different from each other, yet so similar. Each state can mesmerise you with its beauty. This part of India is so raw and pure, in comparison to the rest of the country and this makes it even more special.

Introduction to each state

• Arunachal Pradesh
The land of rising sun, Arunachal Pradesh, is characterized by mountainous ranges and sub mountainous ranges along the northern part. This state is truly diverse in terms of its culture. Arunachal Pradesh has 26 major tribes and multiple sub-tribes. People of Arunachal Pradesh speak over 50 dialects. Arunachal Pradesh is a green gold. Because of the variation in altitude and climatic condition, it has tropical, subtropical and temperate forest.

• Assam
Assam is a northeastern state popular for its wildlife, archaeological site and tea plantation. Assam is also known for its temples, especially the Kamakhya Temple. The world’s largest river island, Majuli, and the smallest river island, Umananda, are both located in this state. The culture of Assam is a rich and exotic tapestry. Natives of this state are known as Asomiya (Assamese) and it is also the state language of Assam. Weaving is an important part of Assamese culture. Gamocha is one of most easily recognisable cultural symbol, besides many.

• Manipur
Manipur is situated in the eastern frontier of India. Physically Manipur comprises of two parts, hills and valleys. The valley is centred surrounded by hills on all sides. The state has a forest canopy ranging from thickly dense forest to moderately dense forest to open forest. The cultural expression and art form of this state is famous worldwide. Manipuri dance whether folk or classical, is distinct from any other form.

• Meghalaya
Meghalaya is a hilly state in northeast India. This area is geographically rich, with mountains, stretches of valley and Highland plateau. Mawsynram, Cherrapunji in Meghalaya is the wettest place of earth. Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya is known as the rock capital of India. The forest in Meghalaya are among the richest botanical habitat in Asia. Meghalaya’s forest host 660 species of birds.

• Mizoram
The state with highest literacy rate in Northeast is Mizoram. Among the northeastern states, it is the southern most landlocked state. Mizoram is the state of rolling hills, valleys, rivers and lakes. Traditional festivals in this region revolve around jhum cultivation. This state has several dance forms, including, Cheraw, Khuallam, Chheihlam, Chai.

• Nagaland
Nagaland is largely a mountainous state. It is 16th state of India on 1st December 1963. The state has a monsoon climate with high humidity levels. Nagaland, just like all other northeastern state, is high in flora and fauna. Mithun is the state animal and has also adopted as the official seal of the Government of Nagaland. Music and dance is an intrinsic part of Naga life. The Hornbill festival celebrated in Kohima, capital of Nagaland, is famous worldwide.

• Sikkim
Sikkim is the only northeastern state which is not a part of ‘seven sisters’. It host Kanchenjunga, the highest peak of India and third highest in the world. Sikkim climate ranges from sub tropical in the south to tundra in the north. Sikkim is one of the few states of India to receive snow fall. The state is situated in the ecological hotspot of the Lower Himalayas, one of the only three ecoregions of India.

• Tripura
Tripura is the third most smallest state in the country. The state is characterized by hill ranges, valleys and plains. Tripura has a typical savanna climate. Unakoti in Tripura is popular worldwide. Multiple folklore are famous about Unakoti.

If you are travel freak, a visit to the Northeast is a must. This place won’t disappoint you.

Eating disorder is a mental disorder that is characterized by irregular eating and severe body image issues. Eating disorders may include too little or too much food intake which affects the overall wellbeing of the person.
Eating disorder is extremely common in women. Especially modern urban women are at high risk, though men are catching up fast. Women aged 15-24 commonly report eating disorders. Reports also show that people as young as 7 may also develop symptoms of eating disorders.
There are three types of eating disorder, namely, anorexia nervosa, bulimia and binge eating.

• Anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is eating disorder and is characterized by irrational fear of weight gain. Individuals suffering from anorexia nervosa are obsessed with their weight. These individual tend to exercise and diet to such a point that their body weight is grossly below optimum. These individuals perceive themselves as over weight even if they are extremely under weight. They self starve to a point that it imposes serious threat to life and wellbeing.

• Bulimia
Bulimia is characterized by simultaneous episodes of over eating and purge through techniques of vomiting, laxative abuse, extreme dieting or exercising, drug or alcohol abuse. People suffering from this eating disorder usually are unhappy with their size and shape. The binge and purge cycle is typically done in secret and is usually associated with a feeling of shame and guilt. Bulimia affect 1-3 percent of women and an increasing number of men. Bulimic often suffer from physiological issues such as gastrointestinal problems, severe dehydration and heart diseases.

• Binge eating
Binge eating is characterized by uncontrollable eating. Individuals suffering from binge eating usually lose control over what and how much they eat. Unlike bulimia, binge episodes are not followed by compulsive behaviour like vomiting, laxative abuse and so on. The individuals suffering from this disorder are likely to be obese and may develop many cardiovascular diseases.

Causes of Eating Disorder

Eating disorders are complex in nature. Though the exact cause of eating disorder is not unknown, but it is caused because of the interplay of biological, psychological and environmental factors.
Biological factors include:
• Hormonal imbalance
• Genetic makeup
• Nutritional deficiencies
Psychological factors include:
• Poor self esteem
• Poor body image issues
Environmental factors include:
• Childhood trauma
• Peer pressure
• Poor family dynamics
• Professional requirements

Signs and symptoms of eating disorder

Some of the signs and symptoms of eating disorder are mentioned below. They are:
• Chronic dieting even when the person is underweight.
• Obsessed with fats and calories
• Constant weight fluctuations
• Following a pattern of eating, even when it is negatively impacting body
• Switching periods of overeating and fasting
• Depression
• Avoiding social functions

Treating eating disorders

Since eating disorder is a psychological disorder, so just like other disorder consulting a psychologist or psychiatrist is always prescribed. Taking steps without consulting the health professional can do more harm than good.
Some steps of treating eating disorder are :
• Medical care and monitoring: Treating of the health issues caused due to eating disorder is of primary importance. Thus medical care and monitoring is of utmost importance.
• Nutritional intake: It involves restoring normal weight and stabilizing the same. Proper and balanced diet is of prime importance in this stage.
• Therapy: Therapeutic help can help the individual to know about the underlying cause of eating disorder. It not only help individual to overcome the disorder, by also help develop self confidence and self esteem.
• Medication: Medication is helpful in dealing with anxiety and mood disorder that is usually associated with eating disorder. However medication should only be consumed when prescribed by a health professional.

The combination of the treatments can be extremely helpful in dealing with eating disorders.

Social support is a key component of psychological well-being. Family and close friend who turn up when you need them are a blessing to have. Social support improves the quality of life and give us a buffer against adverse life events.
Whether dealing with a critical situation in life or need some kind of assistance in life or be with people who love and admire you, these relationships play an important role. When in a stressful situation, social support gives us the courage to deal with it and perform better in life.

Social support however is not a one way street. If we are relying on others for emotional support, it is also our responsibility to provide them with the same level of support and comfort when they are in need.

Types of social support

Social support can take up different forms. Each of them are important in some way or other. The three types of social support are mentioned below,
• Emotional support: Some people in our life give us emotional support. They back us when we are in need. They motivate us and boast our confidence. They provide us with a shoulder to lean on when we are in need. This type of social support is extremely necessary when one is stressed or lonely.
• Instrumental support: Some people provide us with financial support when we need it most. They take care of our physical needs and provide us with helping hand when we are in extreme need.
• Informational support: People who provide us with guidance, information, advice and mentoring, are informational supporters. This kind of supports are very important when someone is taking a major life decision. Information from a valid source such as a close friend, a mentor or a guide help us reduce our anxiety level.
People in our social support network can take up one specific role like a teacher who provide us with informational support, or all the three roles like our parents .

Benefits of Social Support

Psychologist and mental health experts have always pointed out the importance of having a social support network. Having supportive family and friends satisfies an individual’s need for love and care. They motivate an individual to strive towards their goal.

Social support whether from an individual or a group can help an individual to reduce the psychological and physiological effects of stress. Social support provides a sense of belonging and security. Human beings are social creature, and it is our primitive instinct to crave for love and sense of belonging. Having a social support network satisfies that need.
Individuals who lack social support tend to be sad and lonely. They tend to be more vulnerable to mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, alcohol abuse, suicidal tendencies and so on. Researches have shown women with a close friend are less likely to be depressed in comparison to one who lacks a close friend.

Social support network have been literal life saver. People who get support from family, friends, peers are more likely to have less vulnerability to poor health and premature death. They are more likely to have immunity than one who lacks such support.

There is a direct relationship with social support network and wellbeing. People who have a good support network are more likely to deal with stressful stimulus, be it loss of job, bereavement, harassment, illness.

Conclusion

Having a close social support network is a blessing and needs to be nurtured. It is a two way process, give and take should go on simultaneously. Social support network helps you deal with your insecurities and make you an emotionally and physically secure individual.

It feels like an eternity that we are undergoing through this pandemic. While lockdown and social distancing is important, it has bought a major toll on people’s mental health. We are all locked in our houses for more than three months now. We have to physically isolate ourselves from friends, school, college and so on.

Lockdown can be a difficult time , and for most it is. No one is used to isolation. However, dealing with this time productively is of utmost importance. If we set schedule and organise our time properly, we can make the most of this lockdown.
Due to this lockdown we are stuck in our houses. We have two options open to us, whether to crib about this lockdown while scrolling through social media or to use this time to learn something new and to revisit the old hobbies.

If latter is your choice, then here are some ways we can make the most of this lockdown and be the better versions of ourselves.

Things to do during this lockdown

• Set goals: The first step of being productive is setting goals. Not only term goals, but focus on one day at a time. Productivity is a process. Though we have free time, but that doesn’t mean we have to keep working all 24 hours. Productivity is the goal, over exhausting isn’t. Depending on your goal, set to do list for the day.
• Learning something new: Learning something new is always good, not only we learn a new skill, but we also become more confident. You can learn a new language or a new skill. You can get enrolled in some online training course like digital marketing, graphic designing, language and so on.
• Schedule me time: Due to our daily hustle of fast moving life we do not get enough opportunity to spend some time with ourselves. This lockdown can help us to be more close to our true selves. It has given us ample amount of time to introspect ourselves, our wants, our needs. Thus having ‘me time’ during this lockdown is a must.
• Developing new hobbies and revisiting old ones: Dance, sing, draw, write, do whatever you enjoy. Explore your creative talent this lockdown. Nothing can be more fulfilling then doing what you truly enjoy. Use this lockdown to connect this those lost hobbies.
• Invest on yourself: Reading a good book, exercising, meditating, eating healthy are some ways we can invest on ourselves. Attaining physical and psychological well-being should be our aim in this lockdown.
• Clean your room: Doing this will not only make your room look organised, but you will also make your mother happy. Cleaning your room has other perks like you might find your lost childhood album or dairies and so much more.

Toxic Productivity

One of the most important thing to keep in mind while striving for productivity during this lockdown is not to over exhaust ourselves. It is worth remembering that we are dealing with a pandemic, being productive 24×7 is not possible. Setting unrealistic goals will just disappoint you and nothing more. Toxic productivity does little for quality of work and life.
Toxic productivity is our unhealthy obsession with productivity. A toxic productive person thinks their work are never ending and never enough. It is the obsession with work where quantity matter more than quality.

Signs of toxic productivity are as follows:
• You are so overloaded with work that it impacts your personal relationships
• Having unrealistic expectations from work
• Being restless and never satisfied with work

Deal with toxic productivity

Dealing with toxic productivity is very important for us, to be a satisfied and secured individuals. Some important key to deal with toxic productivity are as follows:
• Set realistic goals
• Take breaks
• Meditate
• Connect with family and friends
• Get some accountability

Conclusion

Thus, our goal in this lockdown is to use this time efficiently. To be productive but not over exhaust ourselves. Focusing on daily productivity and not comparing your progress with that of others. Everyone is having a tough time and everyone is dealing with it differently. Having unproductive days are nothing bad, rather taking break is necessary. Lastly work of being ‘ Better versions of yourselves’.

Bullying is a repetitive aggressive behaviour that can be physical or verbal, it can either be online or in person. It is an unwanted aggressive behaviour and stems out from real or perceived power imbalance. Bullying is the intentional harm or discomfort one gives to others.

Bullying is deliberate and ongoing misuse of power in relationships. It involves an individual or group of individuals who misuse their power or perceived power over a person who usually can’t stop the happening.

In order for a behaviour to be called bullying, it should have the following characteristics,
• An imbalance of power
• Repetition
Bullying include activities such as spreading rumours, making threats, attacking someone physically or verbally, excluding someone from group and so on.

Bullying can be physical, verbal or relationship bullying.
• Physical bullying: It involves hitting, kicking and pushing. It may also include stealing, hiding things , humiliating and harassing.
• Verbal bullying: It involves name calling, teasing , taunting, insulting. Thus includes verbal abuse.
• Relationship bullying: It includes spreading rumours or lies, excluding someone from group or refusing to talk to them.
Reports suggest that boys are more likely to get involved in physical bullying , whereas girls are reportedly more involved in verbal bullying. But either type of bullying should not be tolerated.

Cyber Bullying

With the development in digital platform, bullying is no longer limited to public place. One can get bullied even sitting at home via the digital platform. Unlike traditional bullying, cyber bullying does not require face to face contact. It doesn’t require physical power or strength in numbers.
• Cyber bullying come in all shape and form: Almost everyone at internet can be a cyber bully and can be its victim even without revealing their true identity.
• Cyber bullying has no time constraint: A cyber bully can torment you 24 hours a day. It can occur anywhere and just with a single click hundreds of people can see the humiliation.
• Method of cyber bullying can vary: The method people use to cyber bully others can vary with the platform they use. It can be via text, email, stealing someone’s online identity and so on.

Cyber bullying is common both with boys and girls. Since it is so easy to perpetrate, one can easy turn from a victim of cyber bullying to a cyber bully.

Effects of Bullying and Cyber bullying

A victim of bullying or cyber bullying usually experience same effect. These includes:
• Experiencing a turmoil of emotions: A victim usually experiences feeling of anger, isolation, fear, hopelessness, helplessness. If severe the victim might also experience suicidal tendencies.
• Poor mental health: A victim is at a greater risk of developing depression, low self esteem, anxiety and other mental health conditions.
• Reducing social contacts: A victim usually reduces their social contacts. In case of bullying they might leave school, college, workplace , in order to avoid being bullied. In cyber bullying, they may withdraw themselves from social platforms altogether.

Ways to deal with Bully

There is no definite solution or full proof way to deal with bullies. However since bullying and cyber bullying impacts the mental health of a person it is extremely important to deal with bullies . Suffering in silence is never the solution.

• It is not your fault: Do not blame yourself, it is not your fault. No matter what the bully says but you do not deserve this . The bully is the problem, not the victim. Do not change yourself .
• Change your perspective: The bully is usually the one who is insecure with themselves. They want to control your feelings, so you too feel miserable about yourself just like they do . Do not let them break your confidence.
• Don’t dwelling into it: One should try to stay as away from bullies as possible. Do not read hate comments or messages. Instead focus on the good and positive things in life.
• Learn to manage stress: Bullying does induce stress, making it very important for the victim to manage stress. Yoga, meditation, exercise not only helps in dealing with stress but also promotes physical wellbeing.
• Engage in hobbies and fun activities: The more time one spends on hobbies and other activities they get pleasure from , away the person stays from bullying. Hobbies make a person better version of themselves and makes them secure individuals.

If you are a victim of bullying, just remember it is not your fault. You do not deserve it. You are not the problem , your bullies are.

Depression is one of the most common mental disorder. It is classified as a type of mood disorder. It can be characterized as the feeling of sadness, angry or loss which affects the day to day activities of a person.

Sadness and anger are basic human emotions. Every individual does experience these emotions from time to time. But if a person experiences these emotions on a day to day basis, there are high chances that the person might suffer from depression and consulting a mental health expert is highly recommended.

Depression is a serious mental health condition. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) it is the main cause of disability worldwide. Depression can occur at any stage of a person’s life, be it childhood, adolescent or adulthood.

Depression involves persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest from daily activities. Major life events such as death of loved ones, bereavement, loss of job are few events that can cause depression. It is not a passing phase, but a persistent one . It is a serious medical condition and can worst if not treated properly.

Symptoms of Depression

The symptoms of depression are as follows :
• Persistent low mood
• Loss of interest even from activities once enjoyed
• Sudden change in weight
• Reduced sexual desire
• Change in appetite
• Unstable sleeping patterns
• Slow movement or speech
• Agitation and restlessness
• Feeling of worthlessness
• Fatigue or low energy level
• Difficulty in thinking, concentrating and making decisions
• Recurrent thoughts of death and suicidal tendencies

However, the symptoms of depression can vary depending on the age group and gender the persons belong. Usually woman are more likely to develop depressive disorder in comparison to their male counterparts. The symptoms must stay for a minimum of 2 weeks for a person to be diagnosed with depression. It can however stay for several weeks, months and years.

Causes of Depression

Though the medical community can not designated any specific cause of depression, however it can be an interplay of several causes which combined triggers the symptoms.
• Family History : An individual is at high risk of developing depression if they have a family history of the same. Genetics are a predominant factor of any mood disorder.
• Childhood trauma : A person who has had a traumatic childhood, such as experienced physical, emotional or sexual abuse during childhood are at higher risk of developing depressive disorders.
• Substance abuse : A person who has had a history of substance abuse be it drug or alcohol abuse has higher probability of developing depression.
• Brain structure : The vulnerability of depression increases if the frontal lobe of the brain is less active. Scientists however are unsure if this happens before or after the onset of depression symptoms.
• Medical condition : An individual’s mental condition also has an impact. Individual suffering from chronic illness, insomnia or chronic pain usually has higher chances of developing symptoms of depression.

Types of Depression

Depression can be categorised into several types depending on the severity of symptoms the individual experiences. Broadly there are two types of depression, major depressive disorder and persistent depressive disorder.
• Major depressive disorder: It is the more severe form of depression, characterized by persistent feeling of sadness, hopelessness and worthlessness. It is necessary to show minimum of 5 symptoms for at least 2 week period to be diagnosed of clinical depression.
• Persistent depressive disorder: It is the milder form of depression but a chronic one. PPD is usually called dysthymia. To be diagnosed of PPD it is necessary for the symptoms to last for at least 2 years.

Depression is not an ongoing phase , it a serious mental health disorder. Seeking help is nothing wrong rather it is a must.

Mental wellbeing describes one’s mental state , how a person feels and how well can an individual cope with the day to day hustle. It is more of a lifestyle decision . It is a dynamic concept, and does changes from moment to moment.
Mental wellbeing and mental health are not the same, but both exert influence on the other. Poor mental wellbeing can lead to mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, and so on. At the same time, a person with poor mental health will eventually have low mental wellbeing. Basically, though both are not the same, but they are strongly interrelated.

Good Mental Wellbeing

Merely the absence of negative thoughts and feelings can not be labelled as having good mental health. Feeling of anger, sadness, are normal for an individual to experience, what matters is how an individual deals with those emotions. A person with good mental wellbeing ,
• Feels confident with themselves
• Has good interpersonal relationships
• Has a sense of purpose in life
• Has good adaptability
• Works efficiently and productively
• Has good coping skills when faced with stressful situation

Things affecting Mental Wellbeing

Human beings are different. The same stimulus might not trigger the same response from everyone. What affect someone’s mental wellbeing, might not impact someone else in the same way. Mostly it is the individual’s personality that dictates what will affect their mental wellbeing.
However their are certain situation which trigger everyone, through not in the same intensity. These situation are some major life changes on which an individual have little to no control.

Some common life events which may affect someone’s mental wellbeing are:
• Loss or bereavement
• Financial crisis
• Loneliness
• Work related problems
• Relationship issues

Other than these factors, there are also factors that increases one’s vulnerability to have poor mental wellbeing. These are:
• Childhood abuse
• Poor socio economic condition
• Discrimination
• Long term physical health condition
• Significant traumatic experience in adulthood

Tips to Improve Mental Wellbeing

Mental wellbeing is usually not given its due credit and is mostly taken for granted. All it takes is a few tips that can help improve our mental wellbeing. These are:

• Getting enough sleep and rest : Our sleep cycle has a direct impact on our mental wellbeing. A person who gets a proper 8 hours of sleep has a better mental health than anyone those who doesn’t.
• Engaging in activities one enjoys : Taking out time for those activities which a person enjoys doing is of utmost importance. Though in our fast phase life it is difficult, but balancing is the key.
• Proper diet : One’s dietary habits not only impacts their physical health but also mental health. Proper diet and exercise boasts our energy level and improves our overall wellbeing.
• Interpersonal relationships : The relationship one has with others has a direct impact on our wellbeing. An individual with strong connection with others is usually more contented and satisfied in life.
• Stress management skills : An individual’s ability to cope with stressful situation adds up to one’s mental wellbeing. Effective stress management is a life skill. Yoga, meditation, exercise can boast one’s stress management skills.
• Being confidence : A confident individual who is comfortable with their own skin show higher degree of mental wellbeing. The feeling of prolong insecure can be the reason of poor mental health.

Mental wellbeing is of utmost importance

“Calm down” , “it’s all in your mind”, “stop overthinking”, some of the most common remarks a person with anxiety hears. Anxiety is a psychological disorder. Though every person so feel anxiety at some special occasions , such as while undertaking an examination , going for interview and so on , and it does help them to work more efficiently and accurately . However , if the anxiety persist for a longer period , it not only hinders ones performance but also impacts the mental health of the person.

What is Anxiety disorder ?

Anxiety is usually defined as a vague , diffuse , unpleasant feeling of fear and apprehension. Common symptoms of anxiety includes rapid heart rate , shortness of breath , dizziness , loss of appetite , fainting , diarrhoea , frequent urination , sweating , sleeplessness and tumour . An individual with anxiety disorder can show all or combination of some symptoms.

What are its types ?

There are different types of anxiety disorders , namely, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder , phobias , obsessive compulsive disorder , post traumatic stress disorder .

Generalized anxiety disorder : One of the most common anxiety disorder is generalized anxiety disorder . It includes prolonged , vague , intense , unexplained fear which is not related to any object . The symptoms include , worry and apprehension feeling about future and hypervigilance . It is characterized by motor tension , which results are individual to be restless , visible shaky , tense.

Panic disorder : Panic attack denotes an abrupt surge in anxiety level rising to a peak when the thoughts of a particular stimuli is present . These thoughts usually occurs in an unpredictable manner . Symptoms include dizziness, chest pain , nausea , shortage of breath , rapid palpitation , fear of losing control.

Phobia : People with phobia have intense irrational fear relating to a specific object , person or situation . Phobias can further be subdivided into specific phobia , social phobia and agoraphobia . Specific phobia is the most common one. It is the intense fear from a particular animal or person . Social phobia being the irrational and incapacitating fear and embarrassment when dealing with others. Agoraphobia is the phobia which people develop when entering an unfamiliar situation .

Obsessive compulsive disorder : People suffering from this disorder are unable to control their preoccupation with specific ideas and are unable to prevent themselves from carrying out certain activities again and again. Obsessive disorders is the inability to stop thinking about something and compulsive disorder is the need to perform a particular behaviour again and again.

Post traumatic stress disorder : This disorder is often experienced by a person after being exposed to a extremely traumatic situation , such as caught in a major accident , loss of a loved one , break up from a long term relationship . Symptoms include recurrent dream , flashback , impaired concentration and emotional numbing .

Ways to deal with anxiety disorder

The most reliable and effective way to deal with anxiety disorder is to seek help . Consulting a psychologist is highly recommended . A psychologist not only help the individual to deal with their disorder , but also provide them with a judgement free environment to discuss their feelings .

A person with anxiety or any other psychological disorder needs a social support network . Talking to a trustworthy family member or friend also does help . If someone for that matter approaches you to talk about their anxiety , then providing them with a judgement free environment is least one can do . Telling them to stop overthinking or staying calm doesn’t help , since they themselves might not be aware why they are feeling this way .
Listening to their thoughts and providing them comfortable space to share their thoughts does help. Telling them you are with them in this would make them feel supported.

Encouraging them to develop a hobby would also help. Hobbies does divert the mind from the feeling of anxiety . At the same time, since they learn something new it help them boast their confidence.

To all the people going through this, it is not constant .This hard times too shall pass . Let’s fight with the devils of your brain together , you are not alone in this .

Most of us have experienced a sudden increase in heart beat rate and sweaty palm while entering a room full of people or while giving a presentation. Though the experience is not exactly thrilling, but most people get through it .
Social anxiety, also known as social phobia, is a mental health condition. It is the intense fear of getting judged, negatively evaluated in a social or performance situation.

People with social anxiety fear getting judged as awkward, boring or visibly anxious. Due to this fear they often get secluded from social setting , affecting their school, work and other day to day activities.
People with social anxiety disorder also experience symptoms such as rapid heart palpitation, nausea, sweating , they may also experience full blown attack. Though the people with this disorder know that their fear is irrational, but they experience a feeling of powerlessness before their anxiety.

Symptoms of social anxiety can become so severe that it can disrupt the day to day routine of an individual, making it difficult for them to continue schooling or job or any form of social contact. People suffering also have high changes of developing major depressive disorder and alcohol abuse.

Signs and Symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder

The signs and symptoms which a person with social anxiety disorder faces while dealing with social setting are as follows:
• Heart palpitation , sweating , and feeling of blacking out
• Nausea and feeling sick to their stomach
• Rigid body posture, making little to no eye contact
• Finding it extremely difficult to communicate with people , especially if they don’t already know the person
• Being extremely self conscious in social situations

Causes of Social Anxiety Disorder

There can be several causes of social anxiety. Here are few :
• Social anxiety may have it’s causes in heredity. If social anxiety runs in the family, the person might also suffer from the same.
• Researches has also found that part of human brain are involved in fear and anxiety.
• Misreading others behaviour can also be a cause of social anxiety.
• Underdeveloped social skills can also act as a contributor of social anxiety.

Treating Social Anxiety Disorder

First and foremost is consulting a doctor or health care professional, to make sure that your symptoms are not showing due to some physiological conditions. Then if the symptoms have no physical cause then consulting the psychologist or psychiatrist is always recommended. Getting diagnosed by a mental health expert is of utmost importance.

Social anxiety disorder is usually treated of psychotherapy , medication or both.
• Psychotherapy : Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) a type of psychotherapy is usually effective in dealing with social anxiety disorder. It help individuals by teaching them effective ways of thinking, behaving and dealing with social situations. CBT facilitates the learning of social skills.
• Medication : There are three types of medication effective in this case . They are anti anxiety medication , anti depressants and beta blockers. Medications are only to be taken when prescribed by the psychiatrist. The dose and the duration of medication is to be prescribed by mental health expert. Consuming medication without an expert recommendation can do more harm than any good.
• Support groups : Many people dealing with social anxiety find support groups helpful. In support groups, people get unbiased, honest support from people suffering with same disorder. It provides the person with a judgement free set up, which also help boast one’s confidence.

The amalgamation of the three can be useful for an individual with serious social anxiety disorder. However it is to be prescribed by the expert what is best for an individual only after diagnosis because each individual differ from the other .

Social media is a double edged sword . It gives an individual the ground to showcase their talents and boast their confidence , but over use of social media can fuel up mental disorders , such as anxiety , depression, isolation and so on.

Role of Social Media

Humans are social creature, they always crave for social contact. Companionship of others and strength in our relationships with others impact our mental well-being. When an individual experiences good interpersonal relationship with others , they are much more contented with themselves and happy with the world around them. However if social media becomes our only source of contact then it can do more harm than any good . Rather then doing any good , they become a source of anxiety , depression and stress.

Now a days most of us have started spending greater amount of time on social networking sites , like Facebook , Instagram , Twitter and so on. They do provide us with a field to explore and be more closely connected with people , however they should not be substituted for real world human contact . It is real world interpersonal relationships that satisfy ones social need. Ironically , the social media which promised to bring people closer , has become the cause of being more socially secluded . social media

Positive and Negative Impact of Social Media

Though social media cannot discount the importance of face to face contact , but there are certain merits as well . Social networking sites gives us greater connectivity with the world. They help us to stay up to date with what is happening in the world . They also give us the playing ground to connect with like minded people and thus boast our self worth. Social networking sites can also give us greater exposure to show our creative talents . Social media has also given boast to marketing as well , traditional marketing strategies are now backed with social media marketing .

However just like a coin has two faces , so does social media. Social media has given a major boast to insecurities . Those perfectly clicked and edited social media pictures makes the person viewing it feel inadequate about their lifestyle and appearance. Social media has also instilled the fear of missing out . Youngsters now a days need it all, which is practically not even possible. With the booms in social networking, people have started to compare their talents , lifestyle, growth with that of others leading to major negative impact on mental well-being . Social media has also given boast to troll culture and cyber bullying and not everyone is so strong headed to deal with this negativity. Every move of an individual is now monitored and compared. All this distorts one’s mental peace and cause major mental health issues.

Signs Social Media is impacting Mental Health

Individual are different and unique. It is not the amount of time you spend in phone , not the number of post you make and pictures you upload , that measures whether your mental health is impacted by social media . Rather , the under mentioned reasons are :

• Spending more time and energy on social media than real world friends
• Comparing oneself with others on social media , mostly unfavourably
• Experiencing cyber bullying and trolling
• Being distracted from real world activities , such as school and work
• Having no “me time”
• Engaging in risky behaviour just for gaining likes
• Experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression
• Intensified stress
• Experiencing sleep disorders

Conclusion

Social media is just like a double edged sword , with its fair share of good and bad. It connects us with people all over the world , but at the same time make us distant from our close ones . It helps us realize our self worth but if overused can also make us insecure with ourselves . We as individuals have to set our boundaries , we need to make a distinction between use and abuse of social media . We can spend time on social media , but cannot let that impact our mental well-being . Engaging more time with real world supportive individuals is most important , because nothing is world can discount the importance of healthy interpersonal communication .

“Calm down “ , “it’s all in your mind “ , “stop overthinking “ , some of the most remarks a person with anxiety hears. Anxiety is a psychological disorder. Though every person so feel anxiety at some special occasions , such as while undertaking an examination , going for interview and so on , and it does help them to work more efficiently and accurately . However , if the anxiety persist for a longer period , it not only hinders ones performance but also impacts the mental health of the person.

What is Anxiety Disorder?

Anxiety is usually defined as a vague , diffuse , unpleasant feeling of fear and apprehension. Common symptoms of anxiety includes rapid heart rate , shortness of breath , dizziness , loss of appetite , fainting , diarrhoea , frequent urination , sweating , sleeplessness and tumour . An individual with anxiety disorder can show all or combination of some symptoms.

What are the types of Anxiety Disorder ?

There are different types of anxiety disorders , namely, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder , phobias , obsessive compulsive disorder , post traumatic stress disorder .
Generalized anxiety disorder : One of the most common anxiety disorder is generalized anxiety disorder . It includes prolonged , vague , intense , unexplained fear which is not related to any object . The symptoms include , worry and apprehension feeling about future and hypervigilance . It is characterized by motor tension , which results are individual to be restless , visible shaky , tense.
Panic disorder : Panic attack denotes an abrupt surge in anxiety level rising to a peak when the thoughts of a particular stimuli is present . These thoughts usually occurs in an unpredictable manner . Symptoms include dizziness, chest pain , nausea , shortage of breath , rapid palpitation , fear of losing control.
Phobia : People with phobia have intense irrational fear relating to a specific object , person or situation . Phobias can further be subdivided into specific phobia , social phobia and agoraphobia . Specific phobia is the most common one. It is the intense fear from a particular animal or person . Social phobia being the irrational and incapacitating fear and embarrassment when dealing with others. Agoraphobia is the phobia which people develop when entering an unfamiliar situation .
Obsessive compulsive disorder : People suffering from this disorder are unable to control their preoccupation with specific ideas and are unable to prevent themselves from carrying out certain activities again and again. Obsessive disorders is the inability to stop thinking about something and compulsive disorder is the need to perform a particular behaviour again and again.
Post traumatic stress disorder : This disorder is often experienced by a person after being exposed to a extremely traumatic situation , such as caught in a major accident , loss of a loved one , break up from a long term relationship . Symptoms include recurrent dream , flashback , impaired concentration and emotional numbing .

Dealing with Anxiety Disorder

The most reliable and effective way to deal with anxiety disorder is to seek help . Consulting a psychologist is highly recommended . A psychologist not only help the individual to deal with their disorder , but also provide them with a judgement free environment to discuss their feelings .
A person with anxiety or any other psychological disorder needs a social support network . Talking to a trustworthy family member or friend also does help . If someone for that matter approaches you to talk about their anxiety , then providing them with a judgement free environment is least one can do . Telling them to stop overthinking or staying calm doesn’t help , since they themselves might not be aware why they are feeling this way .
Listening to their thoughts and providing them comfortable space to share their thoughts does help. Telling them you are with them in this would make them feel supported.
Encouraging them to develop a hobby would also help. Hobbies does divert the mind from the feeling of anxiety . At the same time, since they learn something new it help them boast their confidence.

To all the anxious people this is not constant , this hard times too shall pass . Let’s fight with the devils in the brain together , you are not alone in this .