The wonders of basic environmental design — Note: If you’re in a hurry, there’s a summary at the bottom. 😄 2020 was an important year for me, and not just for the COVID of it all. This time that year, I was running to the finish of a long-overdue weight loss plan, having lost 19kg (42 lbs). …

The guilt gap between rest and action — 6th July 2019 was a pivotal day in my life, and it’s because I didn’t do a single thing that day. My first job out of college was with a Fortune 100 company as a completely average tech writer, and I hated that job. I hated the way I felt…

A story from a modern Indian — My parents moved in with me, not the other way around, two and a half years ago. For me, it was the challenge of becoming roommates with these figures from my past life. I was making plans for a Saturday, when Ma reminded me that she was going to be…

Part 3 of 3 techniques to reduce social anxiety and improve mental health — There’s a big difference between worrying about something and worrying about something and beating yourself up about it. Anxiety is magnified when it becomes circular, i.e. when you hate yourself for being anxious. When you get into the habit of fighting your anxiety, you exacerbate it, and risk developing a…

Part 2 of 3 techniques to reduce social anxiety and improve mental health — Most people think more about their morning coffee than about you, and that’s fine. That’s because everyone is the central character of their own story, with people around them being various levels of NPC — non-playable characters. Since you’re the main character in your story, you may have a tendency…

Part 1 of 3 techniques to reduce social anxiety and improve mental health — If I told people in my life that I’ve struggled with social anxiety, they’d be surprised. I fit all the outward signs of an “extrovert” — outgoing, energetic, participates in discussions with enthusiasm, likes big conversations, enjoys being the centre of attention, and more. I’ve also said very dumb things…

The most popular new year resolutions in the world are fitness-related. They are also the most commonly failed resolutions. Here are the most common reasons people fail at fitness: They don’t account for a net loss in happiness For any new habit that you’re bringing into your life, you’re re-budgeting your time. It doesn’t matter if you’re the busiest…

Improv, short for improvisation, is a script-less performance art. In an improv performance, all or most things are made up on the spot. The most popular version of improv is improv comedy — where performers act out scenes, come up with punchlines, or play games based on prompts from the…