In today’s image-conscious world, it’s encouraging to see that people are becoming more aware of their health and making conscious efforts to lead a healthy life by nourishing their bodies with the right foods, engaging in regular physical activity, getting enough sleep, and maintaining mental health.

While taking care of yourself is essential, there is a thin line between caring for your body and torturing it to fit societal standards. To fit in, people sometimes engage in unhealthy practices to lose weight. Extreme dieting, excessive exercise, and other harmful practices can lead to malnutrition, weakened immune systems, eating disorders, and long-term psychological issues. Society’s unrealistic standards often prioritize appearance over health, leading many to pursue dangerous methods to achieve a certain look.

Building a positive body image involves shifting your focus from appearance to well-being. Bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and beauty is diverse. To understand the difference, educate yourself on the dangers of extreme dieting and over-exercising. Recognize that health is a holistic concept encompassing physical, mental, and emotional well-being. If you struggle with body image issues, consider seeking help from a professional who can guide you toward healthier habits and a more positive self-perception.

Embracing this diversity and rejecting narrow definitions of attractiveness is key to fostering a healthier relationship with your body. Ultimately, taking care of your body means honoring and respecting it. It means choosing health over societal approval and understanding that true beauty lies in being your authentic, healthy self. By focusing on genuine self-care and rejecting harmful societal standards, you can achieve a balanced, fulfilling, and healthy life.

Written by Drishti Jalan, Psychologist at I’m Powered – Center for Counselling and Wellbeing

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After dilly-dallying my way through, I finally started reading this blog on procrastination. What is procrastination, you ask? It’s the act of delaying or postponing tasks, often leading to stress and a sense of guilt. Despite being well aware of the repercussions, there’s still something that keeps you from starting your tasks on time. So, let’s dive in and try to find out why.

As it turns out, at its core, procrastination is often linked to deeper psychological factors such as fear of failure, perfectionism, and low self-esteem. When faced with a daunting task, the fear of not meeting expectations can be paralysing, leading you to avoid starting the task altogether. Similarly, as a perfectionist, you might delay tasks because you fear you won’t be able to complete them to an impossibly high standard.

Now that makes sense. It’s not that you don’t do anything on time. Come on, you’re not that bad after all, right? It’s the tasks that are more overwhelming and time-consuming (at least in your head) that take time. So, here are a few ways to manage procrastination:

1. Breaking tasks into smaller, more manageable steps: This can reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed and make it easier for you to start working. Setting specific, achievable goals and deadlines can also create a sense of accountability and urgency.
2. Using the Pomodoro Technique: Working in focused intervals with short breaks can improve your productivity and reduce the temptation to procrastinate.
3. Creating a conducive work environment: Minimizing distractions, whether they’re digital or physical, can help you maintain focus.
4. Developing a routine and sticking to it: This can also reinforce productive habits.

Ultimately, overcoming procrastination requires a combination of self-awareness and practical strategies. By understanding the underlying causes and implementing small, consistent changes in how you approach tasks, you can gradually reduce procrastination and enhance your productivity and well-being.

Written by Drishti Jalan, Psychologist at I’m Powered – Center for Counselling and Wellbeing

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As John Watson, a famous behaviorist, said, a child is born as a clean slate. They absorb information from their environment and learn to adapt accordingly. The importance of socializing agents like media, environment, family, and friends in shaping our personality, belief system, and thought process cannot be emphasized enough. Childhood experiences play a pivotal role in shaping who you become as an adult. From your earliest interactions with family to the lessons learned in school, these formative years lay the groundwork for your personality, behavior, and worldview.

Positive experiences, such as loving relationships and supportive environments, foster self-esteem, confidence, and social skills. When children feel secure and valued, they are more likely to develop a positive self-image and healthy coping mechanisms.

Conversely, negative childhood experiences can cast long shadows over your adult life, affecting your relationships, self-esteem, and overall well-being. However, it is possible to heal from these wounds and create a brighter, healthier future. Here are some steps to help you on this journey:

1. Acknowledge and Understand – Reflect on how your childhood experiences have shaped your thoughts and behaviors. Understanding the root causes can provide clarity and empowerment.
2. Seek Professional Help – Consider therapy to process negative experiences. Therapists can offer guidance and support through various effective therapeutic approaches.
3. Build a Support System – Surround yourself with supportive people. Friends, family, and support groups can offer listening ears and validation.
4. Practice Self-Compassion – Treat yourself with kindness and understanding. Recognize your strengths and forgive yourself for perceived shortcomings.
5. Develop Healthy Coping Mechanisms – Engage in activities that promote well-being, such as exercise, mindfulness, and hobbies. Journaling can also help process emotions.
6. Set Boundaries – Establish and maintain healthy boundaries to protect yourself from further harm. Recognize toxic relationships and situations, and distance yourself from them.
7. Rewrite Your Narrative – Challenge negative self-beliefs and replace them with positive affirmations. Focus on your growth and accomplishments.
8. Embrace Personal Growth – View healing as an ongoing process. Celebrate your progress and remain open to learning and evolving.

Healing from negative childhood experiences is challenging but rewarding. By acknowledging your past, seeking support, and practicing self-compassion, you can rebuild your life and thrive. It’s never too late to heal and create the life you deserve.

Written by Drishti Jalan, Psychologist at I’m Powered – Center for Counselling and Wellbeing

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Life throws curveballs every now and then. Honestly, it’s not realistic to expect a happy and sorted life. Every day, every phase is filled with challenges—sometimes manageable, sometimes heartbreaking. But to be able to survive and thrive in this life, one quality that is required is RESILIENCE. In very technical terms, resilience is your ability to bounce back from adversity, adapt to change, and keep going in the face of hardships. It’s what helps you navigate through life’s inevitable setbacks and come out stronger on the other side. It allows you to recover more quickly from stress and reduces the likelihood of prolonged negative impacts on your health.

Important Key Points on What Resilience Is

1. Relying on others
2. Trusting your own abilities
3. Being kind to yourself
4. Knowing you can change the stories you tell yourself
5. Taking the next step, even if it’s small

Now, the question lies in how one can be resilient. Here are a few tips that can help:

1. Continuously learn and develop new skills that align with your goals and interests: Seek opportunities for growth, whether through education, training, or pursuing new hobbies.
2. Practice self-affirmation and celebrate your achievements, no matter how small: Embrace a growth mindset and view failures as learning opportunities.
3. Cultivate meaningful relationships and build a strong support network: Foster open and honest communication, practice active listening, and offer support to others.
4. Reflect on your values and align your actions with them: Embrace integrity, honesty, and empathy in your interactions with others. Emphasize personal growth and embrace challenges as opportunities for character development.
5. Find ways to make a positive impact in the lives of others: Engage in acts of kindness, volunteer, or support causes that resonate with you.
6. Develop healthy coping mechanisms to manage stress and adversity: This can include practices like mindfulness, exercise, journaling, or seeking support from trusted friends or professionals.
7. Identify the aspects of a situation that are within your control and focus your energy on those: Let go of what you cannot change and embrace an adaptive mindset.

By incorporating these strategies, you can build resilience and enhance your ability to navigate life’s challenges with strength and confidence.

Written by Drishti Jalan, Psychologist at I’m Powered – Center for Counselling and Wellbeing

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I don’t know what to tell you about grief except that it comes and goes like waves.

One moment everything is stable and quiet and the next minute you’re hit by a tidal wave of flashes, experiences, and memories of all the times you spent together and all the times that could have been but weren’t.

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There will be so many phases in life when everything will feel out of control.

You won’t be able to figure out the head or tail of things and you’ll be trying your best to make sense of something!

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I wish I could tell you that relationships are easy.

They are not. Of course, in every relationship there needs to be comfort, safety, and stability to a large extent because it’s only then that you get the courage to stick it out and trust that your loved ones will always stand by you; however, it’s not the case all the time.

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Let’s admit that life is not always easy.

We all have our own kinds of struggles. Some days are easy to navigate and some can be really difficult to get by.

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I can’t even recall the times I’ve been lost in life.

Some days it feels as if I’m waking up in a maze and I can’t seem to find a way out. At other times, it feels like I’m lost in a massive jungle and can’t see a clear path in sight, and even though it takes time, I do manage to find my way out somehow.

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The other day, I was looking at old pictures of my mutt and I thought to myself, “Oh my God! He’s changed so much!”

He was barely the size of my palm when we got him 11 years ago and look at him now!

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