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Mindset

Getting back to work after a Sabbatical

Here’s how your can bounce back like a #GirlBoss

Being a modern woman is no mean feat.

For one, expectations run high both at work and on the home front. And while, it’s all about balance, sometimes women have to let their professional life take a back seat to manage expectations at home.

Don’t worry though. It’s not all over if you took a break from work to look after your family or
to be a stellar mom to your new born. Nothing can stop you as long you’re not daunted by hard work or have hung up the hat on your dreams.

But I get it – this transition doesn’t happen in a day. So if you’re determined and raring to prove your mettle in the professional space again, keep reading!

Take stock of what it’s going to take:

Sure you’ve been away from the thick of things for a while, and that can feel intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be a massive change you can’t cope with if you do it right. So the first thing you need to wrap your head around is what exactly that will involve:

Getting your mindset right: Are you ready to take full onus of your professional responsibilities once you get back to the workforce?

Organisation: The key here is to enact a balance between your professional and personal life. This is where your stellar organizational skills come into the picture Being disciplined: If you’re going to do it, you must do it right and do it consistently. Get into the habit of being disciplined with small tasks right away.

Being professional: Sometimes, all you’ll want to do is bury your head in your pillows and forget your personal and professional obligations. But diving back into work means you need to get up and show up every day, no matter what.

Work ethic: Both the corporate world as well as the entrepreneurial space are super competitive. And you’ll need excellent work ethic to rise head and shoulders above others.

Chase away those doubts :
- Have I still got it?
- What if I don’t like what I used to do?
- What if I can’t fit in among the go-getters who never took a break?
First off all, stop overthinking. No really. If you keep looking inwards at your doubts, it’ll become a downward spiral you can’t control. Instead, whenever such thoughts up in your mind, try to find a plausible solution.

Still wondering whether you’ve got it? Enroll in a few courses to upgrade your skills.

Worried about fitting in? Remind yourself that you took responsibility when you had to and now you’re ready to dive back and give it your best shot. You owe it to yourself.

Start small:
Don’t let anyone tell you running a house and taking care of your family isn’t exhausting. And since you’re knee-deep in responsibilities, why not start small so that the hand off of responsibilities to your spouse or another family member is smoother?

My advice?
Instead of going full-steam at a 9-5 job, start working from home in your niche. Once you’re comfortable that things around the house will be fine without your intervention and you feel confident that you have your work mojo back, start preparing for interviews or laying the foundations of your brand new business.

Don’t give up on work life balance:
Lack of proper work life balance is why professionals burn out so fast. Don’t let that happen to yourself right after you ease into the professional space.

Here are some tips to keep your head above the water:
- Don’t carry work back home. Sure there may be some late nights, but don’t let that become a norm.
- Plan some one-on-one activities with your kids every day. Nothing’s more fulfilling than this (except perhaps some wine and Netflix…)
- Plan date nights often
- Practice a self-care routine
- Don’t give up on your hobbies
The Wrap

Getting back to work after a sizeable break may seem like a Herculean task.

But take a moment to reflect what it will do to your self-confidence (and your sanity, am I right?).

Apart from financial independence, you’ll be a mom who can give her kids the best of both worlds and be their role model.

Honestly, there’s no time like now. And there’s no room for self-doubt if you’re determined.

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Bullet Journaling

By Bhumika Ramesh

Being organized is never easy. We see a ton of resources everywhere – showing us how to organize with planners, diaries and journals. If you feel these methods are a little too hectic, bullet journaling might be the fit for you!

Well, what is a bullet journal?

Also known as Bujo, these journals were created as a system to organize by Ryder Carroll – a product designer based in New York. In his words, it is something that can help you to ‘track the past, organize the present and plan for the future.”

It is a sort of notebook used for everything under the sun – writing, drawing, planning, to-do lists, calendars, and notes.

It’s an extremely flexible way of noting down anything. With no specific prompts or templates, bullet journaling is all about you. It’s a terrific way of customising your tasks at work, school or just your day-to-day life.

To get started, reflect on the purpose you would be using it for. People use it for various goals – for taking down tasks, planning their days or using it as a tracker for goals. Figure out your challenges and go forward.

Gather a simple plain notebook or a dot grid notebook with a few pens. If you’re feeling creative, colours can be added too!

As you continue to customise your bullet journal, include collections. Every page you use in the journal is given a topic and these topics are called collections.

The four collections mentioned below are basic collections that are usually present in most bullet journals.

Index: This section is present at the front of your notebook and functions as a table of contents.

Future log: This section acts as a long-term planner. You can note down yearly goals, tasks, birthdays, and travel plans.

Monthly log: This section acts as a spread of how your month would look like – with tasks and monthly appointments. You can also add other sections regarding finance, eating habits, fitness etc.

Daily log: This section is your daily to-do list.

Making use of a tracking system such as symbols that indicate the status of your tasks is extremely beneficial. It is known as rapid logging.

For example, drawing a circle next to a task and filling it in when it is completed. These, as usual, can be customisable. Do add page numbers if you’re feeling a little meticulous.

Using a bullet journal can help reduce stress levels and improve your mental health. It acts as an outlet for your creative juices to flow after a busy day.

Here’s to happy journaling ahead!

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10 Journal prompts to start your work day right

By Bhumika Ramesh

Having a work-from-home schedule can get hectic and exhausting. The line between devices and the world gets blurry at times. Doing a bit of Journaling in those small pockets of time you get rejuvenates the mind – it gets those cogs working! Journaling is an excellent medium to let those thoughts out.

The prompts in this article will help you think deeper about what the questions would be asking. Introspection of oneself before starting a day provides a clear goal.
1. What can I do today to make my goal(s) easier?
2. What makes me feel empowered?
3. How will today be different from yesterday?
4. What can you do to improve your talents?
5. Write someone a letter with whom you have an unresolved issue.
6. What is one daring thing you would like to do?
7. When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up and why?
8. Picture yourself 10 years from now. What would you like to have achieved and experienced?
9. What new habit would you like to create this week?
10. Pen down a poem or a note on how you’re currently feeling.
Taking that one step back and looking at the big picture can bring big changes to your routine. You’re going to be constantly honing your analytical and creative processes while Journaling, not to mention setting aside goals for the future.

Hoping these prompts help you have a thought-provoking day!

Want more Journaling prompts? We have created this list of 30 Journaling Prompts for you. Click this link to have it delivered to your inbox.

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5 ways to relax when you are stressed

By Bhumika Ramesh

That hustle culture does more harm than you know! Well, life without stress is just a utopian ideal, but we all know stress is just inevitable – especially while facing the pressures of today’s world. Therefore, knowledge of handling stress is crucial to have on hand, especially when chronic stress can unleash damage on your mental and physical health.

Simple relaxing tasks and techniques can do wonders to the levels of stress. Let’s go over a few of them!
- Guided imagery
One of the best ways known to calm the mind down. It is a sort of psychotherapy by which one evokes and creates mental images that stimulate the senses. This practice helps your mind find its focus. These mental images are unique to every person – you can re-visit a nostalgic memory or create a whole new fantasy! Guided imagery releases tension and physically relaxes the body too.
- Take out that trash and tidy up
Dismantling clutter – whether it be in your bedroom or the kitchen, gives the mind a sense of relief and a short term task to focus on. It also gives a sense of gratification after seeing everything spic and span. Cleaning also provides a slight amount of exercise, which also provides endorphins and you finish those tasks on a positive note!
- Listen to those tunes and break out a move
Music has a vigorous effect on the mind and our emotions. Slow and fast tempo beats can definitely impact your mind in different ways – the former calms and soothes whereas the latter improves concentration and focus. Dancing to music can make you feel like you’re floating on a cloud with all the serotonin and can leave you feeling recharged and ready to tackle new tasks!
- Aromatherapy
Often known as essential oil therapy, it makes use of aromatic oils such as lavender, chamomile, clove and others to calm and improve the mind, body and spirit. There are various ways of using these oils: diffusers, oil droplets, bath salts, lotions among many. It stimulates the olfactory system which in turn (via the limbic system) create a subtle soothing effect.
- Write down your thoughts or start Journaling
Penning down feelings, emotions and thoughts gets them off your mind. Writing down what you go through acts as an outlet for your mind. Journaling consists of much more detailed writing but it definitely serves as a great stress management and self-exploration tool. Going through words on paper help you view them from a different perspective – great for problem-solving! Keeping a gratitude journal is also a terrific alternative.

Stress is definitely a hurdle we all face, and while focusing on tasks is good, relaxation is equally as important. Relief can be found. Hoping these tips help you to rewind after a dreary day!

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7 Habits that made Steve Jobs remarkable

By Jivitha Shobashree

There have been many entrepreneurs and CEO’s who have all been through failure and defeat, broken through those glasses/risen from the ashes and are now successful. One name which stands out from the others is the tech titan: Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs requires no introduction.

His name inspires and intimidates at the same time.

He was a charismatic pioneer, widely considered a visionary and genius.

He was the founder of Apple along with Steve Wozniak and also the founder of PIXAR.

Yet, before all of this he was also a person struggling to make a sense in this world. While Steve Jobs was trying to achieve his goals, he also went through struggles and hardships and tried hard not to let his stress, anxiety and fear overwhelm him.

To overcome these feelings and to achieve your goals is to have the right set of habits.

So here are some habits which made Steve Jobs remarkable.
1. ATTENTION TO DETAIL
One of the most important traits of Steve Jobs is his attention to detail. His work experience with his father instilled in him the importance of this which later paved way to his success. Attention to detail is essential where errors can be costly in an organisation. Steve Jobs meticulous nature is what made his ideas and visions into a well-executed plan.

In the words of Steve Jobs – “Details matter, it’s worth waiting to get it right”
1. DON’T GIVE UP
Everyone has their own set of failures and difficulties but rising above them is what makes you different from the others. Steve Jobs was an orphan and college dropout but that didn’t stop him from dreaming big. Overcoming those struggles, learning from them and to never lose hope is one of the mantra.

In the words of Steve Jobs – “Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith.”
1. SET NEW GOALS
Steve Jobs used to set goals for the long term and short term. It helped him in strategizing and planning things out on the long run.

When Jobs was fired from Apple by his own (CEO), he still didn’t lose hope and started another company NeXT which later on merged with apple and Jobs came back to his beloved company.

Therefore setting new goals and learning to move on was key.
1. LEARN FROM YOUR FAILURES
Steve Jobs was a perfectionist and his meticulous nature was not appreciated by everyone. He used to fire people who couldn’t meet his idea of perfection but after he was fired from his own company, he learnt from his mistake and started pushing people to achieve the impossible.

Like people say don’t take failure as the end but take it as the beginning of something new.

In the words of Steve Jobs – “Life goes on and you learn from it.”
1. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE
Apple was founded not just by Steve Jobs alone but with a great partner Steve Wozniak.

You need to find the right people or partner in your life to be successful.

The people who you surround yourself with will either make or break your life.
1. TAKE RISKS
You may have the opportunity to try something you love and are excited about.

Sometimes the situation cannot always be in our favour we might face rejections or failures but without trying we won’t know what the future holds for us.
1. BE OPTIMISTIC
Steve Jobs was adopted, he had a difficult childhood but that didn’t stop him from achieving the impossible. It is important to always be optimistic it helps you to have a clear view of things, to make decisions and focus on what’s important.

The biggest problem?

Habits can’t be developed overnight, you will have to consistently build it.

It should be fostered, cultivated and nurtured.

In the words of Steve Jobs – “In the first 30 years of your life, you make your habits. For the last 30 years of your life, your habits make you.”

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What can you learn from failure?

By Bhumika Ramesh

“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently”
Henry Ford

Every single one of us has stared failure in the face at some point in our lifetime. You might ask yourself – What exactly is failure?

Failure, as defined by the Oxford Dictionary, fundamentally means a lack of success. This literal definition does not apply to many. Most of us see it as the end of the road or the mountain we can’t climb. However, every cloud has a silver lining – and so does any failure.

Failure has an astonishing potential to teach us. These teachings can very well be life-defining on the path to success.

Let’s go over some of the best lessons we can grasp from failure!
- You begin to look at the hurdles in your path in a different light.
We, as humans, have a basic desire for instant satisfaction. When this isn’t achieved, we have the ability to look at the bigger picture and plan out our goals in a much better manner. When you fail, you realise that there are way more factors that can help you succeed and when approached differently, maybe in a more efficient manner too.
- The word NO isn’t the end.
You start to understand closed doors can be opened – with a little bit of perseverance. You keep on going and pushing, no matter the number of rejections. Persistence is definitely a component of success. Rome wasn’t built in a day!
- Failure changes what you value.
When you fall to the ground, perception changes. The things you most valued once may now be of no importance at all. Instead, unexpected qualities start to take the spotlight. The values you expected to matter in the long run, may have the rug pulled out from underneath their feet. On the path to success, change is definite; permanence is not.
- You understand your emotions and learn how to cope with them in a better way.
When faced with failure, ugly emotions – anger, jealousy, irritation and others of the like surface. It’s hard to stay focused on the goal when these feelings wreak chaos on your well-being. Dealing with these feelings help us manage them far more effectively. When you start preparing your mind to be focused and restrain yourself from distractions, nothing is too hard or too far.
- And probably the most important lesson of them all, you learn to never give up.
It might sound commonplace, but it is the truth. When you have the passion and the belief, no matter how many times you’re knocked over, you get up. You get up and stand again. You progress and walk forward.

Failure is definitely not what we cut it out to be. Nevertheless, it is inevitable, and in the face of it, we rise up – much stronger, knowing better and more passionate about our goals.

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Why grit is the most important quality to be successful?

By Sowmya Narasimhan

We all have our fears. Some fear taking the first step. While others fear the consequences.

But should this stop us from doing what we want to do?

Not at all. We have to face our fears and try to overcome them. To accomplish this you have to have grit.

Grit means to be courageous. It means to make a decision, stand by it, and doing what must be done. It is a blend of passion and persistence.

How does it help you to be successful?
1. Following your passion
Not everyone can achieve what they dream. Most of us are afraid of failures and choose to live our life the monotonous way. But this will not make you successful. You must be brave and never give up. You may fail but be bold and never stop chasing your dreams.

2. Initiation and motivation

“Failure is the stepping stone to success” is a very common proverb we’ve all come across but to come back after a failure, one must have grit. Grit also helps you to be motivated and to keep you focused on your goal.

3. Success and talent

Most of us have a misconception that only talented people are successful. Grit is a far more reliable predictor of success than talent. It is a powerful attitude that helps you to stand out from the crowd. Here’s Duckworth’s formula for success:

Talent X Effort = Skill

Skill X Effort = Achievement

Handling criticism and being a sport

No matter which field you choose you have to know how to deal with criticism. To deal with false allegations and trolls, grit is very important. You may win or lose but you have to be gritty and handle both failure and success with the same attitude.

Grit is the grain of character. A grit mind strengthens all of your strengths. Thus you can clearly say grit is an important quality that you should have in your life.

I would like to conclude by suggesting to you this amazing book written by Angela Duckworth: Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

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How to build Resilience

By Athena Joseph

So What really is “Resilience”?

Resilience is the ability to mentally or emotionally cope with a crisis. What we are dealing with right now, is where the powerful role of resilience comes into play.

Let us look at a few ways to build our resilience and keep it strong.

1. Maintain A Hopeful Outlook
Maintaining a positive attitude is critical in our darkest times and adversities. Challenging situations and obstacles are a part and parcel of life. When you’re faced with one or even many at the same time, focus on the good things. Let it be really insignificant to others, all it has to do is to give you a positive hope. Remember the proverbial saying “There is a silver lining in every cloud” — even if it’s not immediately obvious.

2. Have A Strong Social Network
There is this well said proverb “When you share your happiness it gets doubled, when you share your worries it gets halved”. It is social support that builds people up during their tough times and often gives them the strength to carry on and even thrive. Make the bonds with your trusted ones so strong that even when you’re falling apart they know what’s best for you.

3. Bring Out The Creative Part Of Yourself
Through the dark times it is necessary that we do something that makes our inner soul happy as well. Let’s turn to the other side, the “creative side” that we’ve expressed in an activity, pastime, or hobby that lifts our spirits. They also allow us to zoom in on something ahead of us and ignore the stressors maybe even for a few hours.

4. Be Ready To Accept Change
The world around us is changing, progressing rapidly. Sitting quiet or mourning about the change isn’t going to help us in any way. We need to learn to embrace change and understand what is happening. Have it written in your mind that change is an opportunity for us to experience something new and to grow and evolve.

5. Take Care Of Yourself
Max Ehrmann, American writer and poet once said,“Be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars. In the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.”

Taking good care of yourself is paramount to the success of your resilience. Only if you take good care of yourself, you can take the best care for your fellow beings. Amidst this second wave, it is of utmost importance to keep ourselves and others safe.

These sudden, rapid changes in the way we live, coupled with uncertainty, can feel overwhelming. Remember that even in the face of events that seem utterly unimaginable, resilience allows us to marshal the strength to not just survive but to prosper.

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How to decompress after a stressful day

By Tanyika Rai

Stress is the one thing that is extremely hard to avoid. Having a stressful day is inevitable. All of us lead busy lives and we’re constantly troubled by the stress we face in our day-to-day lives.

It affects our health and can wear us out not only physically but mentally and emotionally as well. Our mental health can always take a turn for the worse because of stress.

Stress can never be gotten rid of. There’s no way of completely eliminating it from our lives. Over time we just learn to manage it better and work through it. But all of us should know of some tips that can help you destress and decompress after a stressful day.

Take A Nice Long Walk:

Walking is always a great way to escape from the burdens of stress. Going out for a nice long stroll surrounded by all that nature has to offer and basking in the sun. it just sounds peaceful and relaxing. The sunlight is always beneficial for you.

It can also give you a fresh mind to think with and clear your perspective and it keeps you active, so that’s always a plus.

Aromatherapy:

Honestly speaking, the word ‘Aromatherapy’ itself is relaxing to me.

Some scents have many different benefits on our health and can work wonders on our body. So light a candle or maybe some incense sticks with a comforting but not too strong scent and sit back and relax with some peaceful music playing in the background.

You can also try taking a nice relaxing bath using these scents to wind down.

Lavender scents have proven to reduce stress and produce a calming effect on the body. Vanilla is also a calming and relaxing scent.

Yoga And Meditation:

We all know that yoga and meditation have proved to have many soothing and healing effects on the mind and body.

Coming home after a long and stressful day, taking a couple of minutes to do a little stretching and yoga poses circulates blood in your body and relaxes you. Practicing meditation for just five minutes by taking in long deep breaths helps calm your nerves and helps you focus on the positives rather than the negatives.

Listen To Music & Dance Around:

Pick a fun jam playlist and play it out loud. Just chill and vibe with the music, sing it out loud or dance all the stress away.

It doesn’t matter whether you can dance and sing well or not so do not worry about it. Let your hair loose and dance around your room singing along to the music with no worries. You will literally be able to feel your troubles fading away and the burden on your shoulder lifting up. And at the end of it all you will certainly have a huge grin lighting up your face.

Escape The Ropes Of Technology:

These days, everything in our lives depends on technology and the internet. We spend hours together immersed in the digital world.

So how about taking a break from that and actually focus on the real world around you. After a long stressful day, just take a minimum of half an hour to do something that doesn’t involve gadgets. Read a book or maybe do a little painting. It could be anything in the world.

Self Care:

Self care is probably one of the most important things in the world for us. We get super stressed because of work or anything else and get so immersed in it, that we forget to actually focus on ourselves.

Self care can literally be anything for us. It can be taking a nice long shower or bath or it can be cooking one of your favourite dishes for yourself. It could be skin care or exercise too. So try giving your body and soul some attention.

In the end, the only thing that can make us happy and feel less stressed these days is doing something we enjoy. Do whatever you want.

If it’s watching a really good movie or show that you like, ordering food online, shopping, drawing or painting, reading a book, taking a warm bath or even cleaning and organizing. Just do it if it can relax you and make you much happier.

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6 Ways to beat procrastination

By Tanyika Rai

Let’s be honest, everybody procrastinates.

Sometimes we can’t help but put things off till the last minute, it just happens. We lose motivation, get distracted or get tired and then, well, we say ‘I’ll do it tomorrow’. But does tomorrow ever come?

Not always. There are times where because of procrastinating we miss deadlines or we just forget. But most of the time, we’re trying to finish all that we had to get done at the last moment.

Procrastination can not only affect our stress levels but also the quality of our work.

Obviously, we don’t want that. So how do we beat procrastination?

Here’s 6 ways to get things done on time.

Eliminate Your Distractions

The simplest and most obvious way to stop procrastinating is eliminating distractions.

It’s hard to get anything done when you’re constantly getting distracted by social media notifications or text messages. So in the time period that you’re supposed to be focusing on the task at hand, get rid of the distractions around you.

Make a To-Do/Goals list

What are your goals for the day or the week? What do you have to get done on this particular day or week?

Write it all down. Always make sure to write down the estimated time you need for the project and by when you would like to finish it. Having all the work you need to do written down somewhere instead of just stored in the back of your head will stop you from forgetting it and it will also motivate you to get things done.

Writing your goals and aspirations too, serves as good motivation and encouragement.

Fix a proper system or schedule

Fix a particular time period in the day when you can get things done and work your best accordingly.

Take 5 min breaks at regular intervals and do something productive in them like exercise. Do a couple of jumping jacks, maybe some on the spot jogging or walk around. Just don’t sit on your phone and scroll through social media. Trust me, once you get sucked into that world again you will not be able to focus on your work.

Try working at 15-25 minute intervals to prevent getting bored or distracted easily. Our mind and body works best and without getting restless in this time frame rather than hour long intervals.

Get A Work Buddy

Find someone who would be there to motivate you to get back into the game and get things done.

We all get bored and can quickly lose the motivation to complete a task. Having someone by your side to motivate and encourage you is always a good idea. Someone who you can work with together without getting distracted, someone who you can share your goals with and will help you achieve them. And this can go both ways too.

Forget About Perfectionism

Perfectionism is overrated. A lot of the times we start putting off tasks because it isn’t perfect.

But nothing is ever perfect because perfection is an illusion. ‘If it isn’t perfect, it isn’t good’. If we constantly have this idea of perfection in our head then we won’t be happy with the work we’re doing and in the end, it will never get done.

So ditch perfection and focus on getting things done.

But this does not mean you don’t try your best. It means give it your best shot and get things done but don’t be hung up on it not being good enough.

Reward Yourself

Try and reward yourself on a job well done after you finish your tasks.Do not, let yourself get distracted by social media or Netflix calling out you name until you finish all your work for the day.

Once you’re done, go watch that new show or movie you’ve been wanting to watch for so long and treat yourself. Indulge all you want.

The urge to put things off till the end is quite strong. It’s your easiest way. We all struggle with it a lot too, so you’re not alone.

Pick a couple of these tips and implement them. While you might not always be able to beat procrastination, it’s worth a try and you probably might become better at fighting it.

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Mindset

Here’s how your can bounce back like a #GirlBoss