Psych Junction

The idea that exercise enhances sleep is not a myth; it is a well-supported fact backed by scientific research. Regular physical activity has been shown to significantly improve sleep quality and duration.  #SleepHealth #ExerciseBenefits . Exercise helps regulate the body’s internal clock (circadian rhythm), promote deeper sleep cycles, and reduce the time it takes to fall asleep. It also reduces symptoms of insomnia and sleep apnea. One way exercise improves sleep is by reducing stress and anxiety, which can disrupt sleep. Physical activity triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural mood lifters, which help alleviate anxiety and promote a sense of well-being. Additionally, exercise raises the core body temperature, and the subsequent drop in temperature several hours later signals the body that it’s time to sleep. Various studies, including those published in journals like "Sleep Medicine Reviews" and "The American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine," co...

One day a young married HIV infected person shared with me that she was depressed and wanted to end her life as people around her thought that she was unfaithful to her spouse. The real reason we found out later was that she had undergone multiple surgical procedures in the last 4 years to conceive a baby. Her  Depression was real. The same evening, I met a young working adult who also shared being depressed and wanted to end his life. The reason being his team lead did not like him and spoke sternly to him as he had missed meeting his target consistently for the last 3 days. His Depression was also real.           A little paradoxical as it may sound the reasons may be diverse however the manifestation is real. Being Sad, Unhappy or Depressed especially in young working adults is very a common complaint with phraseology “I am depressed because……… Sometimes the reasons are manageable and sometimes they are not. As a mental health expert,...

I felt  kind of strange when I overheard this phrase at an airport where a fellow passenger was giving this advice to someone on the phone that it was better to move on to another job as they were offering a better pay and other benefits like good work life balance. It set me thinking, why we crave for a better condition, better pay, better life style, less stress and more free time to spend with our significant people. Do we really want that or are we doing this because there are herds of people speaking the same, wishing the same, complaining the same, not doing enough to change their present.   Grass (here it refers to work) is of the same color everywhere on this planet (Corporate World), everywhere we would have targets to meet, perform better then the last time , cost less , save more , bring in efficiency. A  Cow in the Indian context is a life saver, because it gives milk and sustains a family. A working   individual to certain extent behaves in a simila...

A n elephant chained in its growing years continues to remain in check throughout its adult life for it thinks the chain is unbreakable. Remarkable as it may seem the strength of chain is no match for the mighty elephant yet the huge beast remains contained always.  No questions asked.     This is common for us humans as well. We remain confined, limited without questioning the validity of the chain which contains us. In the name of rules, rituals, practices, traditions, dogmas. We remain held, captive for our entire life or generations which follow through us. This proverbial chain is an unique collection of our past experiences both good and bad, individual and collective across the humankind almost ingrained or imprinted on our DNA. It keeps us safe and away from risk, neatly cocooned in our comfort zone. It also keeps the huge mammoth of potential dreams, unlimited creative possibilities and life changing decisions blissfully...

A n ancient sage slept and dreamt he was a fish, when he woke up he was enlightened, free from the worldly bondage… Now he doesn’t know if he is a human who dreamt being a fish, or a fish dreaming a human existence…  Sleep those magical hours of our daily lives where we have no control over our actions or consciousness to understand all that happens to us. It is that part of our alive experience which is on an automatic mode. Fascinating as it is, in those hours of our time we don’t argue, fight, cry, crib, complain, worry, resent, grab, rape, kill, bribe or plot devious strategies. We simply sleep…    Every day we experience a period of 6 to 8 hours, restful, rejuvenating sleep. It is a miraculous phase of our daily existence where the body recharges itself. Millions of cells in the body repair, reorganize, and restore themselves to take on the challenges of the daily living. It the most honest phase of self development. The only time of the day whe...

I n order to supply fresh fish caught far into the oceans, a long distance of many days from the coastlines; fishermen in Japan have water tanks built in their ships to store the catch alive. In addition they put a few sharks into the pool which keeps the fish alive, agile and tasting fresh. Connecting this to our daily lives what are those things which keeps us alive agile and kicking? Years ago a very close family friend of mine in a casual conversation about settling down in our respective professional and personal lives said to me ‘Deepak Only Mud Settles’. Her statement has stayed with me since then. Only Mud Settles! This is my mantra to kick start myself when faced with complacency. Life has a very uncanny way of throwing challenges at us, we finish school , get into college, complete graduation, go into post graduation , get a job , start climbing the career ladder, get married, have kids and cycle starts all over again for our kids. Somewhere along the line r...