Posts

The Afterlife and Other Light Topics

Whenever I hear the word death , my mind immediately takes a detour to the afterlife. Where exactly are we all rushing off to? And if we aren’t happy with where we are right now, what makes us think the next destination will be better? Will it be some sudden, random escape? Like dying in an accident and finding yourself in… what? A cosmic waiting room? Or will it be the slow fade-out after years of pain, disease, or the long stretch of old age? I’ve read plenty. I’ve watched countless shows and films that try to give us a visual of what’s “out there.” And yet… I’m still not sure. Is it a blinding white light? A vacuum? A dark hole? Someone’s Pinterest-worthy home in the clouds? And here’s my favourite question: will I carry my regrets with me? Will I look back and think, Wow, I really should’ve eaten more cake and stressed less about deadlines ? Or does death come with a free memory wipe — the ultimate clean slate — making all of this just an earthly sham we’re overthinking? Differ...

When Did Death First Make Sense to You?

Image
When was the first time you really understood the idea of death? I think I was about seven. My grandfather had just died and everyone around me was speaking in this soft, careful tone, as though if they were too loud, he might come back and complain about the noise. I remember feeling confused — not just about the loss, but about the strange choreography that comes with it. People whispering. Adults saying “he’s gone” without giving any forwarding address. It wasn’t until I was about eleven — give or take, because my memory has the consistency of a leaky sieve — that I truly began to grasp what death meant. And then… I forgot. Not forgot like I forgot death exists (that would be a talent), but forgot the emotional weight of it. Life has a way of tucking certain lessons into the attic until they randomly tumble back down onto your head. And lately, death’s been back in my thoughts, tapping me on the shoulder like, “Hey, remember me?” Here’s the thing: I don’t think the concept of a...

What does your first therapy appointment looks like?

Image
You have A step-by-step guide to your first therapy appointment: 1. Make an appointment     You usually make an appointment through text because therapists are generally in between sessions and won't take calls, so for people who are too anxious to make that call, good news! you have an option to fix your appointment through text. You ask for the availability and confirm it, some therapists take the session for 30 minutes and some take 50 minutes, so you can ask for the timing if you want to be fully prepared. 2. Reach 10 minutes before the appointment     All the therapists usually recommend you to reach 10 minutes before the appointment time to fill out some paperwork which includes your basic information and some may even ask about your family history. 3. Actual meeting time!     Let's just put one thing out of the way first, it's not necessary to lie down on the couch, you can just SIT. In India, most therapists have sitting arrangement only. If you don...

How to tell if you need therapy?

Image
We all have those moments when we have extreme feelings of sadness, anger, anxiety or happiness but does that mean we need therapy to deal with them? Nah, that just means we are humans. Most of the time, we're able to bounce back soon enough from all those events. Well, sometimes we might need a little extra help from family and friends but we do manage them, right? Once someone important in a random video said "Taking care of your mental health strengthens your ability to cope with everyday stressors and handle challenges more effectively," and I don't think anyone can put it in a better way. If you've decided it's time to see a therapist, then you’ve already done the hardest part. Understanding and recognizing that you could use support for your mental health and finally accepting the fact that you are ready for it is a huge step in itself. If you are still struggling with the decision then you're in the right place, I might be able to help you with that...

To everyone struggling right now.

Image
To everyone struggling right now, Remember, you’re not alone. We’re all struggling in some way because we’re part of the same flawed species. We see so many success stories online but very few are from the ones who are still struggling. We see how a certain someone won his battle against depression or an eating disorder or some other deadly mental illness but no one writes about how they’re in the process and how they wake up every day with a horrible thought of ending their life. This letter is not just for the ones struggling but also for my former self who had no clue about anything. Well, I’m still clueless about life but I know one thing for sure: I’m not alone. I have been an explorer and on a quest for understanding life and myself; I still am. It’s a journey you gotta cherish and tolerate throughout. I’ve switched many careers and have tried to make sense of every decision I've made. After 7 career paths, 5 jobs and 3 failed startups, I realized it’s not en...

"I didn't mean to hurt you."

Image
No matter how close you are with your partner, you are bound to have conflicts. Sometimes, they end in hurting feelings that can’t be resolved. If those arguments keep repeating then the relationship will eventually come to a point from where there’s no going back. As long as the partners know how to resolve issues peacefully, they don’t stop learning about each other’s struggles and respect their recovering processes. But when they do everything they can to resolve and still find themselves unable to get past them, they may be unaware that they are amplifying the most common enemy of conflict resolution. It is the all-too-human tendency to excuse one’s own behaviour and blame the other for the hurt he or she is feeling. It shows up as “asking to be excused for what you’ve done because you didn’t mean to hurt them.” “I was just angry. I didn’t mean what I said.” “Just because I said those things doesn’t mean you can’t be a little forgiving.” “I wouldn’t be that way if yo...

Mental strength and suffering

Image
When we talk about mental strength and emotional intelligence and all those big words, we assume that these are not something we can do or even think about them. Some of us don't have time for all this, some have been avoiding the words mental health as they are our biggest enemies and some have tried living stable lives but don't exactly know how. For the longest time, I thought I'm incapable of being vulnerable and open about who I really am and that has held me back from several opportunities in life. I've missed some pretty great stuff because I didn't know what I want or how to get rid of this stiffness in my personality that nobody likes. Those little bad mental habits keeping me from things I could have done, places I could've visited and jobs I could've landed just because I was busy struggling with my own head, not knowing what to do and how to do. All of this came down to three bad mental habits that I've been carrying along for a single rea...