Dr. Fareha Khatoon

5 ways to cultivate self-awareness

1. Create some space for yourself. When you are in a dark room without windows, it is fairly difficult to see things clearly. The space you create for yourself is that crack on the wall where you allow light to come through. Leave yourself some time and space every day – perhaps first thing in the morning or half an hour before sleep when you stay away from the digital distractions and spend some time with yourself, reading, writing, meditating, and connecting with yourself.

2. Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is the key to self-awareness. Jon kabat-zinn defines mindfulness as “paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally”. Through mindfulness practice, you will be more present with yourself so that you can “be there” to observe what’s going on inside and around you. It is not about sitting cross-legged or suppressing your thoughts. It is about paying attention to your inner state as they arise. You can practice mindfulness at any time you want, through mindful listening, mindful eating or walking.

3. Keep a journal: writing not only helps us process our thoughts but also makes us feel connected and at peace with ourselves. Writing can also create more headspace as you let your thoughts flow out onto paper. Research shows that writing down things we are grateful for or even things we are struggling with helps increase happiness and satisfaction. You can also use the journal to record your inner state. Try this at home –choose a half day on a weekend, pay close attention to your inner world – what you are feeling, what you are saying to yourself, and make a note of what you observe every hour. You may be surprised about what you write down!

4. Practice being a good listener. Listening is not the same as hearing. Listening is about being present and paying attention to other people’s emotions, body movement and language. It is about showing empathy and understanding without constantly evaluating or judging. When you become a good listener, you will also be better at listening to your own inner voice and become the best friend of yourself.

5. Gain different perspectives: ask for feedback. Sometimes we can be too afraid to ask what others think of us – yes sometimes the feedback may be biased or even dishonest but you will be able to differentiate them from real, genuine and balanced feedback as you learn more about yourself and others. Research has shown conducting 360 degree feedback in workplace is a useful tool to improve managers’ self-awareness. We all have blind spots, so it is helpful to gain different perspective to see a fuller picture of ourselves.

Self-awareness, as “arguably the most fundamental issue in psychology, from both a developmental and an evolutionary perspective”, is a rich and complicated subject. As human beings, we may never fully understand ourselves, if there is such a destination. But perhaps it is the journey of exploring, understanding and becoming ourselves that makes life worth living.

Communicating with people is second nature to all of us. But are we doing it effectively? In today’s world, it is impossible not be in constant contact with everyone around us. We have our phones, iPads, tablets and other devices to keep in touch with everyone.

But what happens when we are required to speak to someone face to face? Do we listen to what they have to say or do we simply put our point across regardless of whether the other person has heard us or not? If we want other people to hear what we have to say and understand them effectively we must learn effective strategies.

Here are a few tips for effective communication:

1. Have a plan:

Have a clear plan in mind before you start to express your position or your ideas. Think of all the things you wish to say and write them down. When you have a clear idea of what it is you are going to say, it makes putting your point across much easier.

2. Be conscious of both your verbal and nonverbal actions:

You should  be careful about what you say as well as how you say it. Your tone and volume lets the listener know the overall direction of the conversation. If you are happy, look happy and keep the tone light. If you are angry, you will look angry and keep the tone and volume in tune.

*It is important to note that even if you are angry, yelling will not solve the issue as effectively as a well thought out argument.

3. Wait for the person to finish a thought before interrupting with questions:

Communication is a two-way street. You have to listen as well as talk. Listen to what the other person is saying before jumping to put your point across. You should show the other person the same courtesy that they showed while listening to you.

4. If you’re not sure of the message they are trying to send, ask questions:

It’s okay to ask questions once the other person has finished talking. This way not only do they feel like you are interested in what they are saying they will also know that you were listening to what they had to say.

5. Paraphrase what you heard, so the sender knows you understood the message:

Once the sender has finished speaking, paraphrase what they have said so that you both are on the same page. This way both of you will understand what has been communicated and what needed to be understood from the message.

• Presentation of attention, food or toys, not contingent on pica being attempted
• Differential reinforcement, with positive reinforcement if pica is not attempted and consequences if pica is attempted
• Discrimination training between edible and inedible items, with negative consequences if pica is attempted
• Visual screening, with eyes covered for a short time after pica is attempted
• Aversive presentation, contingent on pica being attempted:

1. oral taste (e.g., lemon)
2. smell sensation (e.g., ammonia)
3. physical sensation (e.g., water mist in face)

• Physical restraint:

1. self-protection devices that prohibit placement of objects in the mouth
2. brief restraint contingent on pica being attempted
3. Time-out contingent on pica being attempted
4. Overcorrection, with attempted pica resulting in required washing of self, disposal of nonedible objects and chore-based punishment
5. Negative practice (non-edible object held against patient's mouth without allowing ingestion)

Infertility is the incapability of a couple to conceive after indulging in unprotected sex multiple times over a long period. It can also be referred to as the biological inability of a man to cause conception or a woman to conceive as well as being unable to carry the pregnancy for the whole duration. Research has shown that female problems contribute to over half of all the infertility cases.

Causes-

Causes of infertility in include:

1. Ovulation Disorders – This is regarded as the most common cause of infertility in women. The disorders can be caused due to conditions like PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), Premature ovarian failure, poor quality of eggs, overactive or underactive thyroid gland and chronic conditions like cancer or AIDS.

2. Problems in fallopian tubes or uterus – Abnormalities in the uterus or fallopian tubes render the woman incapable of conceiving naturally. This might be due to conditions like Endometriosis, previous sterilization treatments or surgeries to correct past problems.

3. Medications or Treatments – There is a possibility of some treatments affecting infertility. Examples include NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy.

Diagnosis-

Usually, the initial steps for diagnosing infertility involve a review of the complete medical history of the patients as well as a physical exam. Post this check-up, some diagnostic tests are conducted for infertility. This might include-

1. Blood and Urine tests: For checking hormone levels.

2. Pap smear:For checking the health of your cervix.

3. X-ray: For outlining the internal shape of the uterus so that blockages in fallopian tubes can be identified.

Risk Factors:

1. Age – Increasing age tends to lower the quality as well as the quantity of a woman's eggs

2. Smoking – Besides damaging your cervix and fallopian tubes, smoking increases your risk of miscarriage. It is also believed to deplete your eggs at a premature stage, thereby reducing your chances of pregnancy.

3. Weight – Normal ovulation is hindered by being overweight or even significantly underweight. This is because lower levels of BMI (body mass index) reduces the frequency of ovulation, reducing the chances of pregnancy.

4. Sexual history – Sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea and Chlamydia can cause damage to the fallopian tubes, resulting in infertility.

Treatments:

Even though it is possible to restore fertility in women using only one or two therapies, a number of treatments might be required before conception is possible. Some of these treatments include:

1. Intrauterine insemination (IUI): deliberately introducing sperm into the uterus of a woman for achieving pregnancy.

2. Stimulating ovulation with fertility drugs.

3. Surgery to restore fertility.

In situations where pregnancy does not happen spontaneously, Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) can be used by couples to achieve a pregnancy. It is any form of fertility treatment which involves the handling of sperm and egg. The entire ART team consists of psychologists, physicians, embryologists, nurses and lab technicians.

One common ART technique is In vitro fertilization (IVF). It is a process where an egg and sperm are manually combined in a laboratory dish, followed by transfer of embryo to the uterus.

 If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an IVF Specialist.