Convincing Ourselves

Given that its 14th August today (Independence Day of Pakistan), I thought it would be appropriate to make the post about Freedom One of the biggest reasons for depression today is lack of freedom. This can be actual lack of freedom, e.g not having the finances to live on your own, or perceived freedom e.g can't say no to friends. Freedom, the ability to make choices/goals and influence ones own life, is one of the most important needs of humankind. In a traditional hierarchy of needs, I would say it increases in importance throughout the pyramid and supports going up the hierarchy as well. Knowing we can have sex when we want, or eat when we want, provides freedom and enhances capacity to move up the pyramid. Here too, the need for self-actualization is essentially related to self-efficacy i.e the ability to influence one's life. The problem starts when a child feels they cant please their parents no matter how hard they try, or when an employee feels he can't ge...

We daily encounter situations which are uncomfortable. It can be talking to a boss, going into a meeting and for some even getting up to take a walk. Whatever the case, anxiety provoking events are common and everywhere. For severe cases of anxiety or panic, which may be due to some form of trauma or even a deeper mental health issue, I would recommend seeing a professional, however for everyday life, there are many techniques that one can use and one of them is 'nudging' We we need it: Many situations in life make us question ourselves i.e our self concept as well as our abilities. Going into a meeting a young graduate may think that they dont belong there or they cannot contribute enough. Similarly a new CEO may wonder if they have what it takes or even if they are meant to run a company. Such self doubt is common and is often accompanied by even questioning ones role or position in particular situation. However often these are situations one can either not avoid, or p...

All day, everyday, we face negative feelings coming from work, family, friends, chores and what not. We go around hoping from one problem to the other, getting through one deadline to the next. As strong as we may be, no one is totally immune to work, stress and anxiety. Either its too much work, or too little work, or things not working out, whatever the case there is always something out there to turn our mood sour. There is no way around the daily grind, we cannot run away from it and in fact, we all may even need it. However there surely are ways one can manage their mood. Friend/Family First Aid Reminder: All mental health and many alternative medicine techniques, including meditation, are usually about convincing yourself of a new belief. Some use a therapist, some use meditation apps, some use affirmations, however a great technique would be for friends/family to send reminders to each other. These are not generic social media feel good messages that we  send to all...