Life goes on...II

Today I've completed a decade of blogging, quite excited about the fact that I've continued the journey to make this world a better place and quite humbled by all the messages and appreciation I've received along the way. I started on this journey of self help and development quite early in my life for two reasons: firstly, I had no choice :-) like turtle, snake and many other species I was too challenged by life to look for survival of the fittest with so many challenges thrown my way at quite early stage in my life. Still managed to get to where I'm. If it was not for self help and strive to thrive frankly speaking I wouldn't have made it. 

Secondly, it is something that no one can steal from you. What I mean is, money and materialistic comforts are good but hold no value unless you have built a purpose around your life. If you have purpose no one can steal that from you come what may. It is something that inspires you to keep going. No matter if someone likes what you say or hates. You just do it for the heck of doing it because it makes you so much happy in return. Life of fulfilment is life worth lived. 

To continue the honour of development, growth and improvement I have decided that this will be my last blog today. Don't worry I'm not taking retirement as yet :-)... All I'm saying is this is would be my last blog as a blogger since I've decided to morph this blog into a brand new podcast starting next month.

Embracing change is one thing that interests me the most, so here it is folks.. Live it as you want would be a brand new podcast starting next month. I'll recast all my existing blogs into podcasts and will keep on adding one podcast every week.

I will repost all my podcast here as well to keep the scoreboard ticking... So folks, fasten your seatbelts and stow your tea tables as this is going to be a heck of a ride! Woop! Woop!

Life goes on

 

Life goes on...

Lately one of the saying stuck in my head is "Nothing changes, if nothing changes". There are two ways to look at it. Nothing will change if you do nothing or nothing will change if nothing happens. The later is more subjective and former is more objective. Example: Covid-19 changed everything around us, the way we work, the way we travel and the way we make lifestyle choices. 

Nothing would have changed (hopefully) if Corona virus didn't bring this change into force. We saw millions of lives affected by it. Just because a teeny-weeny thing decided to change the world. Corona virus (SARS) has been around since 2003, why did it only decide to take this form in 2019? We may say it is China's fault, meat eating people's fault, greedy economy's fault, political fault etc. However the end result is massive scale change in everyones lifestyle world wide!

I'm not sure if we would ever go back 5 day work in office week anytime soon (specially in office jobs). This was a subjective change, life wanted to find it own course and it did. If we don't bring an objective change in our lifestyle or thinking it will be brought in anyway. So why wait? Before it is too late? Why should we wait for Corona virus to change the world? Why can't we decide and change it ourselves? 

Reason being, we are afraid of change. As humans we like to stay in the comfort zone, our brains are hardwired for keeping us safe like rest of the mammals. However, we are gifted with human intelligence to make things smarter unlike birds, reptiles and other mammals we can perceive things. This is a great gift, but how wisely are we using this gift?

Even if half of the people on this planet start to use our human intelligence wisely our world would become a better place within a decade. But the fear of change keeps us away from seeking out new avenues. Let's take this as wake up call from the mother earth and start working towards change for better. Let's reach out and make this world a better place!

"There are amazingly wonderful people in all walks of life; some familiar to us and others not. Stretch yourself and really get to know people. People are in many ways one of our greatest treasures". -
Bryant H. McGill  

Life is beautiful

Eliseo Orefice: "You're serving. You're not a servant. Serving is a supreme art. God is the first servant. God serves men but he's not a servant to men."

The above excerpt is from one of my must watch films "Life is beautiful". It is story of a man and his son surviving through the holocaust. I always thought how hard it would have been seeing the dance of death in front of your eyes. Until Covid-19 happened, I personally lost two members of my family. It is at such testing times we seek the meaning, it is during storm we hope for the sun.  

Once a friend of mine asked explain me what's life? Why are we here? I said, I'm no guru or preacher but in last 40 years I have learnt that everyone has a purpose. It is not clear to some, some even don't care about it but some of us wallow in it. It is only through the experience we learn and find out what's our purpose. It is only through experience we learn. 

Even this experience of global pandemic is here to make us realise that life is a gift. It is given to us, some of would learn from that experience and use it wisely. Some of us will forget it once it is over. The truth may not always be pretty but is always available to the seeker. Only if we learn to seek, only if we learn to serve then we learn to rise.

To rise above the pain, agony, trauma and inability we must learn to serve the experience and understand the message it is offering.

"You have been chosen, and you must therefore use such strength and heart and wits as you have. -J. R. R. Tolkien"

Humility

You realise how precious life is at different moments, we won't always be here. Yet some of us stride as if they'll be here forever. Life is all about enjoying the journey, let's not waste our precious time. Smell a rose, watch the sunset, tell the people in your life that you love them, live life with humility, love and as fully as humanly possible.

During this time of pandemic so many of us have lost our near and dear ones, it is a reminder that current moment is a gift that's why its called "The present". So much time we waste, so many ours we sleep, so long we rest but never realise our heart never stops beating, mind never stops thinking and lungs never stop breathing. Let's take a moment to not only thank our creator and people around us but also to our bodies that keeps us alive 24/7.

You may call it spiritual thinking, holistic words or metaphysics however in short it is nothing but living a life of gratitude, helping and loving each other including ourselves. 

Once a good friend of mine was travelling over the public transport and a man with three kids boarded the train. The kids caused so much havoc on the train, fidgeting around rampantly. Finally my friend said to the man "You may want to do something about those kids?" to this the man replied "Yeah, I reckon so. We are coming back from the hospital they just lost their mother to cancer and they don't know how to deal with it and frankly speaking neither do I" my friend felt like absolute garbage. 

Then on he decided whatever is going on in people's lives there must be a good reason for it. So next time, if you see someone brush past you, or overtake on the road, or being rude for no reason, remember there must be a good reason for it. All we need to do is show some humility, love and kindness.

Live a life full of humility, gratitude, intellectual curiosity, and never stop learning. -Gza

Let's share the gift of life over campaign organised by Bollywood Central: Yes, let's help!

The visitor

The Visitor

The middle earth was as beautiful as heaven in autumn. The people, the cattle and the hobbits all were glee, happy go lucky. One fine day a visitor knocked on the door of Frodo the hobbit. Frodo answered, no one was there. Knock again! Frodo got annoyed thinking it was another prank, he rushed to the door fearing he will have to scream at one of the kids. He hated to be rude to littler inhabitants of the wonderland.

He wouldn't want to yell at them but it was becoming a menace. Knock again! There was no one at the door. Frodo got annoyed but happy at the same time since he didn't have to yell at any kids. Fourth time he bursted into anger and hurled towards to door almost fuming "reveal yourself at once". He was flabbergasted to see the unwelcome guest. It didn't have any persona or shape or appearance of any kind.

Frodo froze for a bit just staring into horizon firmly holding the door he was about to slam. The visitor said "aren't you going to invite me in?" it was unreal. Usually the visitor just got into people's lives uninvited not sure why he thought of making an exception this time? Maybe he didn't want to be rude on his first visit to hobbit land. Maybe the hobbits weren't ready for this? Maybe the visitor thought why do I need to be the bad guy always? Why not just try knocking this time? After all that's what visitors usually do, they knock. But he is not used to of knocking? It was not his nature to be hesitant. 

Usually he would assume the demeanour of the inhabitants plain and blunt, without asking for permission, without thinking, without caring about repercussions for the host. He was a visitor of his own kind, unique and almost devilish. Meant to hoard, disrupt, hurt and disdain the host. He didn't care, he just did what he pleased. But this time he decided to knock, why? Maybe the host chose to answer the door? Maybe it was a smarter host after all.  The host who chose to ask him the question! Why? Why me? Anxiety didn't know what to do? It was unreal for anyone to not entertain him. Anxiety thought let me just leave middle earth as it is. Yes you heard it right, without Anxiety! Just peaceful, happy and serene as it was. 

Morel of the story: About the time we became Frodos of our own lives and choose not to entertain this unwelcome guest when it knocks on the door. Anxiety.

Live, learn, work and play!

 

Imagine, create, touch, move, inspire, love, listen, be good… the list goes on and on and on.

Cultivating values we learnt during school into our daily lives is a daunting challenge, especially when you have been locked out of the world due to a global pandemic that only hits this planet once every 100 years. Only when we thought it is over, there are news around the media saying this is going to be new normal. I was reading a report from an ex-tech honcho turned philanthropist Bill Gates, saying pandemics are going to be more frequent now unless we adapt. But how do we adapt? What went wrong?

Now here is an interesting thought, where did we go wrong? Why on earth are we going to be hit by pandemics more frequently? The answer isn’t in a vaccine. It lies in our consciousness! Corona is one tough nut to crack however, normal flu shots makes millions of dollars in revenue to the pharma companies. We are seeing the race to corona’s vaccine has already begun not to cure dying people, but to make additional millions in revenue. Curing people could be a good outcome for such company’s press image. I personally feel the state owned healthcare system in Australia is world class but if you go to US, UK, India and other economies. Medical and Pharma companies are making huge profits out of public health. Why?

How do we stop such madness? The onus is on us. How? Let’s stop the economy of greed. Let’s value learning to live, work and play more often than making millions. We have one life, one planet and one future and let’s make it a good one. So tomorrow when our kids grow up they don’t see another pandemic after pandemic hitting the world. They see more of kindness, courage, determination, empathy and generosity around them. They don’t see economy of greed, they live and play in one world family.

Let’s switch our focus on creating a world full of health, freedom and equality and it begins at home.

Positive Parenting

 Super food of the month: Avocado       

Book of the month: If I have to tell you one more time

Movie of the month: To Sir with love

I hope everyone had a great school holidays season (I know what you thinking, tell me more about it ☺), as much as kids holidays could be pain for the parents. On the flip side, it is an opportunity to build some solid kids-parents bonding. Psychology today says, Just as it is important for both parents to play with the child for the child’s sake, both parents receive benefits from doing so. 

The hormone oxytocin plays a major role in parent-infant bonding and other social and emotional behaviours. Oxytocin levels increase when mothers engage in affectionate play with their infant and when fathers engage in stimulatory play with their infants. Here’s some even greater news: when parents play with children, oxytocin is release in them. Think of it as a relaxing massage for your mind that you don’t have to pay extra for!

Thankfully, we (me and wifey) have gone past the nappy change stage soon to realise Oxytocin has left us completely high and dry. Although we love our 6 year old, but it is quite bizarre to see how quickly sh**t hits the fan and you are yelling on your child over some mundane stuff. I know, I know… life is a hard thing and we all need to teach our kids how to survive in this ruthless world. So we teach them these rules and stuff they get to do before they are loved aka discipline. I remember, when I was a 13 year old and my mum use to lecture me over discipline I use to hum the song (we are in the army now! by status quo ☺).

Fast forward 25 years, I’m the on the other side of the fence lol… It got me thinking, why we (parents) do what we do (yelling)? Law of attraction was at work, and I saw this book (mentioned above in book of the month section). 

So folks the answer is (drum roll)… positive parenting!

Read the book it is self explanatory or for the internet savvy souls here is the website: https://www.positiveparentingsolutions.com/ until next blog adios! 

"To be in your children's memory tomorrow, you have to be in their lives today" - Barbara Johson.

How to push through in tough times

How to push through in tough times?? Tips on WFH Productivity...

I know most of us are feeling it along with rest of Australia and the world. In these testing times of pandemic outbreak. I’m not going to bore you with wash your hands, keep social distancing and cover your mouth etc. I think we all have heard and seen enough.

On contrary, let’s see what can we do while staying at home? How can we be more productive? How to push through?

Find your humour – A sense of humour is integral part of coping with setbacks. Ask me if you have any doubts? One certainty of life – “it is full of uncertainties”. Who knew 2020 would be like this?

Be one step ahead – It may sound cliché “when going gets tough – tough gets going” to survive in this ever changing business landscape we need to be proactive and plan for at least two checks and balances. Who knew Qantas employees would end up working at woolies?? I’m awaiting arrival of air-hostesses at my local woollies J

Don’t give up – Let’s see what we all can learn from this situation? from Albert Einstein to Opera Winfrey everyone one has stressed up the value to create drive in our lives. Find that thing and don't let it go.

Work in sprints – It applies to WFH scenarios as well. Energy management expert Tony Schwartz suggests, sustained high performance is best achieved by sprinter mentality not marathoner. So make sure you keep some lemon infused water in the kitchen and run up to kitchen to sip every hour.

Better food, better mood – To think, feel and be better we need to eat better. Add more veggies, fruit, lean protein and unrefined carbs to your diet. Remember to add as many colours to your plate as you could.

Finally, to ignite your engines sign up to online fitness challenges or Join me online for a burst of laughter at Chat-Chat-Chat. 

Together we can and we shall overcome this!

Help me raise funds to help locals in need: I'm raising money for keeping local businesses afloat

Yours, @amazing_arvind

Move Your Mind...

Since it is the month of Step-tember and talking to a colleague today morning, I realised we should start back on our Health & Wellbeing journey.

As the Greek adage goes “A sound mind is a sound body” it is evident that our ancestors had it clear. On contrary, we in the digital age are getting stuck with devices, desks, dings and rings of our smart devices. Recent study suggest an average office workers checks their smart phones 165 times a day! Where as the average for a non office worker is 80.

This clearly shows how important it is to get our regular doze of digital detox. Not only to keep our body fit but also our mind healthy. Brain scientists call this as “neuroplasticity” which in essence is the ability of brain’s neural network to change based on habitual routine. Now that’s an important piece of information when it comes to conditioning our body and mind.

The good part is it works both ways i.e. If you want to improve your health then boost your mobility. Movement nourishes your mind, body and spirit alike. You need to choose what method suits you best. Gym, Yoga, Tennis or a simple walk in the park.

This is mental health awareness week and RU-OK day on Thursday 12th of September. Let’s get into the groove and get to move our body and our minds!

Results and Emotions - Dispassion

Results and Emotions - Dispassion 

"Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit" - Conrad Hilton

There are two parts to life, there are results, and then there are emotions. What messes people up is when they tie them together cancerously. Results don't mean anything unless we attach a meaning to them.

Emotions, on an elementary level, are chemical explosions that our brain controls. You don't need to do anything to feel a certain way. Do you? it automatically happens. But awareness of those emotions makes a big difference.

Similarly, a result isn't an emotion. Take any result like earning an income of a million dollars. A million dollars doesn't mean anything until you attach a meaning to it. I have seen people loose their sleep over achieving such goals. So when you attach your emotions to results inseparably it begins to haunt you.

However, there is a better way of doing this. When you can separate emotions and results, you will find a much fulfilling way to achieve your goals. In eastern philosophy, this is known as dispassion theory of keeping oneself grounded.

 "Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better" - Samuel Becket.

The Power of Now

The Power of Now

"No body gets to live life backward. Look ahead, that is where your future lies" - Ann Landers.

There is one great book I read called, “The Power of now" by Eckert Tolle and it discusses the challenge of staying in the present moment and how much power you have when you do stay in the now. For me it was one of the biggest challenges during college days I had either stayed in past or looked towards the future anxiously.

Although both models have their plus and minus, I was young and anxious but also quite naive about expecting things I never knew I would get. It was then one fine day I decided what do I want? What are things I could do that are under my control? I still remember it was 17 November 2002, I wrote my list of 101 things to do before I die. You may call it a bucket list but I called it my "Wish List", it had things like meeting big celebrities, travelling around the world and experience things like Bungy jumping and sky diving.

Today looking back at it I have achieved a good amount of wishes I wrote for myself, it gives me pleasure and exhilaration. But most of all it gave me one thing that I felt lacked seriously back then “Purpose”. That list is the reason I am living in one of the finest cities in the world, driving a good car, living in a comfortable home. I’m not saying this to boast my achievements but to remind myself and to my blog readers about “Purpose”.

Back then past was a painful place to be, to see all mistakes I did, all the fear of failure and sour memories of what could have been better. On the other hand, the perfect future I wished. I call it the “Yoyo moment” where you are stuck between past and future. I’m sure all of us have such moments, one tool I discovered was “Power of Now” I didn’t know it back then. It gives you immense power to move your life ahead. It is like steering wheel of your car, which gives you direction. It doesn’t work when you are stationary in “Yoyo moment” but works like charm when you push the accelerator.

However, it is immensely significant to look back in the rear view mirror (your past) but you can’t drive your car looking at it all the time. It is of no use, but still significant to know what mistakes to avoid, to judge the road. So to speak power of now is your steering wheel that will direct you towards your purpose. All you got to do is choose the right speed and set course of action. All the best!

"The starting point of all achievement is desire" - Napoleon Hill.

Who moved my Cheese?

Who moved my cheese?

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart” ― Helen Keller

Long ago, I read this book “Who moved my cheese” I learned something about human psychology that day but never understood the real meaning until quite some time, until someone moved my pack of cheese, until I found the real meaning of emotional resilience.

There is something peculiar about us human beings, especially when dealing with emotions. Emotions are distinctive set of body sensations, which we experience under specific situations. These can range from subtle to very strong. There are only three primary colours – Red, Blue and Yellow but we can get spectrum of colours by mixing primary colours. Similarly, there are four types of emotions - Joy, Sadness, Anger and Fear. But we can generate a range of the emotions using combination of these. For example, jealousy is combination of anger and fear, pride is combination of joy and anger. We go through different emotions every moment based on situation to situation testing our psychological response to know if that is going to bring pain or pleasure?

We rely on relations throughout our life. One of the prime areas of our existence that deal with this reaction response every day is relationships. I still remember one of my managers telling relationship is the most important part of your life, be it personal or professional. Relationship does not mean only relationship with people but it also means relationship with profession, relationship with sports, relationship with music and so on. Let’s focus on relationship with some activity such as profession.

In relationships, we experience various primary and secondary emotions like love, pride, respect, envy, anger, frustration, sadness, loss. I remember, when I was ready to move to Australia and resigned my job in India, I was having mix of emotions. I was having emotions of joy, excitement, curiosity to explore new country, meeting new people, gaining wider work experience. But somewhere inside me, I was sad leaving my current job, my friends and my country. To my surprise, I was grieving about the loss and it hit me real hard when I returned after my brother’s wedding back in 2005. Leaving a house full of joy, party, celebration and togetherness to a lonely apartment in Strathfield, it was like a punch in the guts as if a great loss, kind of death.  

Coping with any loss always involves the same dynamics. In every case, whether it’s the loss of a friendship, a career, a limb, whatever, we are forced to admit the fact that we will never experience something or someone again. We are forced to feel an internal emptiness and to accept our pain. Every loss is losing part of us which needs to be rebuilt so that we can replace the loss with new job, new friends and colleagues.

No one can help you unless you get up and start reconstructing the lost part of yourself. I started attending few seminars, going to temple, found a new job and got connected with new people, made new friends “my eagles group” to who I’ll be eternally grateful. I left my comfort zone behind and started taking life head on; I never imagined I would pursue passion for writing and public speaking. Eternal grateful for that change it made me rediscover myself. I had found new cheese, I embraced my new life.

So if you are at the juncture where someone has moved your cheese then get excited because it’s time to do something you never thought you will do. It is time to look after your physical and emotional state. It is time for new adventures you never tried before. It is time to go for a run or fitness class or any other sports you like. Maybe try out meditation you might discover something that you’ve never experienced before. I remember my first meditation session back in 2002 I felt as light as a feather, a bird set free to roam the skies, it was pure and serene.

It is time for New Year to begin, in essence that is what a new year is all about, who cares about earth spinning round the sun in 365 days? But if you look closer it can be real powerful only if you’ve found your cheese.

“Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form.” Jalaluddin Mevlana Rumi.

Copy of this article is also available on my Linkedin Page.

Fun Fitness Alternatives!

“Hit the gym, quit sugar, cut down alcohol, eat more veggies, meditate, floss your teeth, and get a health cover…”

Cultivating healthy lifestyle can seem like a mammoth task, but there are many ways to make it easier. Staying fit need not be an Olympic level commitment, if you don’t like lifting weights in the gym then don’t do it. If you don’t like running, don’t do it. No point giving grief to your limbs if you are not cut out for it. However! Fitness and well-being is thought process and a lifestyle thing, there are ways to get your exercise dose complete without forking out gym membership.

Consider this: “Your main goal should be for you to enjoy the physical activity” and find a way to do it more than four times a week. Also combine this with making better decision about food you put in your body and that’s it.

Here is a list of my favourite fun fitness alternative that doesn’t feel like exercise:

Hiking, especially with friends: I always love a walk around Woodcraft Lake near Blacktown NSW, I’ll be surprised if you can’t find a place to stroll or hike with family or friends in Australia. In darn blue Aussie accent “Hell yeah maties get on and get going…”

Zumba Fitness: I must admit I tried it myself once or twice apart from being the only guy shaking my booty along in class full of ladies. I felt like quitting every 5 minutes but I stayed on and after 15 mins I was not only enjoying it but sweating like a pig.

Weekly sports night: I love to play Tennis, TT & Badminton and make sure I book at-least one weeknight for it apart from socialising it is great way to stay fit.

Active Video games: Believe it or not Microsoft invented its first video game in 1990’s step dance (which you see at every game parlour) to overcome obesity in American kids. This was even taken further by Wii, Nintendo, Kinetic and Sony, I personally love playing boxing on my Wii and it is bloody entertaining and great work out.

Play childhood games: I don’t mean to push world’s population on name of fitness  J J… However playing with my 3.5 year old daughter gives me a good run for my breath. Best part is you get to re-live your childhood with kids and they never go out of energy J

Adult Gymnastics: That thing that couples do? Yeah? Do more of that, self-explanatory. Moving on! (Don’t laugh)

Clean the house: Yeah, yeah that’s my usual answer to my wife when she asks me to get up and clean when in middle of an interesting TV show on Sunday morning. I know it sucks sometimes but you name it vacuuming, gardening, dishes, moping anything per say does get you sweaty. Isn’t it? So what are you waiting for? Do it for love. Clean house, happy partner and fitness all in one!

Yoga: Build flexibility, strength, sweat and relax all in one. There are million types of yoga, and it is fastest growing fitness industry in Australia so go and check it out yourself.

There are several other ways to keep fit like martial arts, salsa dancing, rock climbing, golf, ice skating, swimming the list goes on and on… Staying fit could never get easier than this best to follow this five point approach if you need a push over the fence.

Say yes to it before you say no, commit in advance, go with a friend or family, and expect to suck in the beginning (like I did with Zumba) and finally have fun.

Make your work break count!

Have you heard new adage “sitting is new smoking” …

When I heard about it I thought hell yeah! better I had quit smoking already now I need to quit sitting too? Until I got diagnosed with chronic back pain couple of years ago. I told my chiropractor “I am quite fit bloke” how come I got back pain in-spite of working out and leading an active lifestyle? He mentioned about science of posture and how human body is meant for hunting in the fields and not sitting in front of a damn computer whole day long. 

Now if this was 1860, I could have done something about “hunting in the fields” part but in 2017 it is a pretty tough gig. Specially living in this civilization makes it even harder to imitate our ancestral modus operandi.

We might have come from the planet of the apes but now since we are in the information age let’s see how we can still quench our postural thirst by staying in “well-being worker” limits. This is what I suggest as our plan of action to make our work breaks count.

Breaks are good, but do we take them? Ask yourself “what makes a good break for me?” taking yourself to local park? calling a friend? checking into gym? Laugh out loud with colleagues?  Or it might be just eating your food mindfully – which one is your fit ? Find it and use it.

Ensure you drink more than 2 litres water: Have you been asked this questions - Do you drink enough water? I am sure you would know the benefit but it has an added advantage of making you run to toilet pretty often and also break the sitting posture cycle for the sake of your bladder.

Get a fitness tracker: A little bit of technology to help you motivated and stay on track, most of the trackers can now start to beep (like mine) every 50th minute of an hour asking you to move your body (I said body…)

Don’t press the send button:  At times you’ll catch yourself sending an email to person sitting at the same floor? Have you done that? I know I have, why not try the alternate and walk to the person to have a chat.

Catch that yawn:  Yawning is actually a signal from your brain craving for oxygen! That is body’s natural response to initiate a break in posture. Next time when you catch yourself yawning at work get up and stretch yourself.

7 min refresher: It is scientifically proven 7 minutes is what it takes to break your postural pattern, experiment all the activities you could do in 7 minutes like brushing your teeth after lunch with an added advantage of dental hygiene.

Power Naps: There is a misconception, you don’t have to actually sleep merely closing your eyes and listening to some relaxing music for 10-20 mins would do the job.

In conclusion, it matters less what you do than why you’re doing it. Pay attention to three aspects of body, mind and spirit to tune into your own energy style and choose work break activities that will truly refresh you.

How to fix bad mood??

Mental well-being is described by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as “the state in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” 

It’s important to understand that well-being is distinct from happiness, which can come and go, whereas well-being is a consistent state of wellness, satisfaction and contentment. In Australia, many of us work and strive to improve our well-being and quality of life, and that of our families. 

Elements that can contribute to a person’s well-being are:

Health.

Personal relationships.

Feelings of safety.

Standard of living.

Sense of achievement and purpose. 

Feeling part of the community.

Future security.

Good mental health is more than just the absence of mental illness. A positive state of well-being includes feeling good and functioning well.  In totality your mental well-being is linked with not only you but people around you, it is in direct proportion to the quality of your personal and professional life. A bad state of mind not only destroys your day but does subsequent harm to family and workplace, let’s look at few ways to tackle a bad mood.

How to fix a bad mood?

•“Remind yourself that whatever it is that’s causing distress, will almost certainly pass (few things last forever)

•“Try to keep negative life events in perspective; ask something like ‘is it really that bad?’ or ‘how bad will this seem in a week, month or year?’

•“Focus more on what you have and less on what you don’t have; more on what’s going well rather than whatever it is that’s not going well

•“Reassure yourself you’re not alone and you don’t have to cope on your own; tell yourself there are others who care and who can help.” 

“Positive thinking is very useful at times, but positive action can be just as or even more powerful.

So in addition to changing our thoughts, one or more of below behaviours could help to overcome  a bad mood:

•“Exercise – activity is not just good for our physical health but also very beneficial for our well-being

•“Put on your favourite tunes and soak up the positive energy.

•“Call a friend – a problem shared is a problem halved.

•“Read, listen to, or watch something funny – laughter is a powerful anti-depressant!”

•Get out of the lazy funk

•Check your mood monitor score:  https://www.mindhealthconnect.org.au/mood-monitor

In conclusion I would like to quote :

There is no passion to be found playing small -  In settling for a life that is less  than the one you are capable of living – Nelson Mandela.

The more a man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and well being – Confucius.