Dr. Pooja Anand Sharma

Marriage is perhaps the most important relation in an adult’s life. That’s why it needs extra care and attention, especially when things are not exactly gung ho. This is where marriage or marital therapy comes in.

Marriage counseling is the process of counseling the married couple to recognize and to reconcile or at least manage differences and repeating patterns of stressupon the marital relationship.

Basic practices of marital therapy

1. The basic practices of marital therapy focus primarily on the process of communicating. Counselors use a method called active listening.
2. Another method used is called “Cinematic immersion”. Both these methods have one important thing in common- they help counselors create a safe environment where each partner can express feelings and hear the feelings of the other.
3. Emotionally focused therapy for couples or EFT-C is also used. This is based on attachment theory and uses emotion as an agent of change and target, both.
4. Behavioral couples’ therapy is another method used. It is actually a proven way out of marital discord. This method focuses on integrating the twin goals of acceptance and change for couples in therapy.

The successful couples usually make concrete changes to accommodate the needs of the partner and also show greater emotional acceptance of the other.

Role of the relationship counselor
A couple therapist is usually someone with a degree in psychiatry or counseling. And her primary role is to listen, understand and facilitate better communication between the couple. The counselor also:

1. Provides a confidential tete-a tete, which normalizes feelings
2. Enables each partner to be heard and to hear themselves
3. Works as a mirror to reflect the marriage’s difficulties to the partners
4. Outlines the potential and direction for change
5. Delivers important information
6. Improves communication
7. Identifies the repetitive, negative interaction cycle that drives a problematic marriage as a pattern
8. Understands the source of emotions behind that negative pattern
9. Re-organizes these key emotional responses to offset the pattern
10. Creates new patterns of interaction
11. Increases emotional attachment between partners

When should you seek marital therapy?

1. When you avoid communicating or your communication has become negative- This usually means bad language, verbal abuse, and sometimes physical abuse.
2. When you or your partner have sought out other sexual partners – Marital therapy can save a marriage after an affair if both partners want and work out the kinks in their relationship.
3. Lack of intimacy in the marriage- This is the stage when partners just occupy the same space without communication, or exchange of feelings or touch.

Marriage counseling is a long process. And another thing to remember is that it can’t save a marriage that is unsalvageable. So, go in for marital therapy with an aim to do what’s the best for you and your partner.

Sexual abuse is not limited to adults or females. Many children are sexually abused much before they can reach sexual maturity. This can happen in case of both boys and girls and in many cases, the perpetrator is a trusted adult. Many children do not even realize that they have been sexually assaulted until much later. However, this type of abuse leaves a lasting impression on the child and can influence their actions even as adults.  Hence, it is important to address these issues.

Here are a few things you should do.

1. Respond with care: When a child complains of sexual assault, it is important to believe the child and make him or her feel safe. Respond promptly and do not shush the child. It takes a lot of courage for a child to talk about sexual abuse and he or she should be made to feel secure. In many cases, the child’s account of events may change with time. This does not in any way invalidate what happened. 
2. Face the problem: When it comes to sexual abuse, many people find it hard to face the problem but this is something that must be done. As an adult, it is your responsibility to protect your child and make him or her feel that they have done the right thing by talking to you about it. Ensure that your child does not feel responsible for the abuse in any way and that the responsibility lies solely with the abuser. 
3. Reestablish safety: Sexual abuse, especially at the hands of a close family friend or relative, can make it difficult for the child to trust anyone. Reestablish family safety rules and ensure that your child is not left alone with any one person for at least some time. Do not keep the incident from your family members but make them aware of it so that your child can talk to them about it if he or she wants. The more the child talks about it, the lesser it will impact him or her.
4. Get help: There is only so much that the parents can do. Sexual abuse is a serious issue and in many cases, its effects may not be visible until many years later. Hence it is important to seek professional help. Consult a counselor who can help your child cope with what he or she is feeling and strengthen their self-confidence. Do not make the child feel bad about visiting a counselor.

Most of all encourage your child to communicate with you as much as possible and show him or her that you care and only then will you be able to help your child deal with such a situatuion.

Relationships have often been compared to babies who need nursing and care to slowly mature into an embodiment with character and nature. It is on you and your partner to make your relationship grow and take the necessary steps in the right direction for spending a lifetime of bliss in each other’s presence.

Here are 5 tips to take your relationship to the next level -

1. Reality lies in the present – Often while walking on the path of life you stumble upon numerous instances all of which may not be pleasant, or in your favour. This could have happened to you or your partner. Do not judge him/her based on their past. People mature with time and mistakes often prove to be the best teachers. Rest assured that the person standing next to you is a wiser soul today.
2. Trust is a must – Trust works like a sealing factor in a relationship. Only when you start trusting a person fully, you can say that you are in love and you have accepted someone completely. Trust issues often make us apprehensive and gets us worked up over nothing and has the ability to turn something promising into ash. If there are any misunderstandings or any doubts, clear them out directly. There is no better alternative to clarity and a one to one approach. Doubt only makes things worse.
3. Take a bird’s eye view on your fight – There is no relationship in this world devoid of conflicts and arguments. If your objective is to keep your relationship safe irrespective of its internal dynamics, you should think beyond your own interest and think about the two of you as one entity. Don’t put your conflicts on the backburner, instead look to resolve them at the earliest. You want to get through your day without the unsavoury incident going on a loop in the back of your mind.
4. Expel expectations – Accept life as it comes. Expectations shall disappoint you in more than one level and it also becomes the most probable cause for a number of fights. You must learn to accept your partner as he/she is. Coming from different walks of life you are bound to have differences. Learn to admire the variety instead of trying to even out the disparities and this path shall just seem to be a bit easier.
5. Film-fling-flopped– Romance is not even close to what it is seen in films. 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' has set a sky high false standard in our minds but surely being in love and dancing to no music (if you can recollect this scene where Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol dance to an imaginative piano tune in a forlorn gazebo) does not sound sane. Build your own unique romantic relationship. Find romance in practicality and in daily life. Unlike the reel life, love in real life is not all about glitz and glamour.

A person visits the doctor if he/she is suffering from any illness. However, in case of any mental illness or condition, one either is not aware or ignores it. Many patients also opt for self-treatment measures which are not advisable.

Panic disorder is one of the most common mental illnesses observed in most of the people. The patient suffers from panic attacks in such cases. These attacks are a sudden surge of fear and anxiety. Know about it and take necessary steps if and when it happens.

Symptoms of a Panic Disorder
It is difficult to recognize any mental illness, especially a panic disorder as most of the symptoms of a panic attack are similar to that of a heart attack. However, there are a few symptoms, which help people identify and differentiate between panic attack and heart attack. Some of these are listed below

1. Pounding of the heart
2. Discomfort or chest pain
3. Hyperventilation or shortness of breath
4. Shaking or trembling
5. Feeling detached from the surrounding
6. Excessive sweating
7. Choking
8. Nausea
9. Tingling sensation
10. Cold flashes
11. Feeling of losing control or dying

Causes of having panic attacks
It is almost impossible to identify the exact reason behind the panic attack as various incidents cause the condition. A genetic tendency is one of the major reasons behind the panic attacks. Stress is another primary reason behind these attacks and is common for those people who have recently joined college, a new workplace or are newly married. A panic attack can also be due to other physical or medical conditions.

How to deal with Panic Attacks?
The best way to deal with panic attacks is to consult a professional, who will advise or help the patient handle the situations. If the doctor is not available, then it is suggested to follow a few measures that might help one deal with the condition.

A few measures to follow-

1. It is recommended to avoid any addictive activity such as smoking or drinking as it aggravates panic disorder and increases the frequency in which a person might have panic attacks.
2. It is advised to learn to control the breathing as this helps a lot during the panic attacks. When an attack sets in, the patient loses control over breathing and suffers from shortness of breath, which increases the effect of the attack. It is advised to take deep breaths as it helps improve the situation and relieve the mind from stress.
3. It is suggested to exercise and practice relaxation techniques regularly as this helps control the situation. This also reduced the magnitude and frequency of the panic attack, as it calms the mind, thus relieving stress.

Panic disorder is a serious issue, which if not handled properly might lead to severe problems. Hence, it is advised to seek the advice of a professional at the early stage.

How To Help Your Child To Manage Stress And Reduce Anxiety?

While you may think childhood was a carefree period of your life, the same thing does not hold true for children nowadays. Stress is a condition everybody suffers, be it adults or children. If we talk about children, they will need external help to deal with and manage their stress as they may​ ​ not​ ​ even​ ​ know​ ​ they​ ​ are​ ​ going​ ​ through​ ​ any​ ​ problem.As cliche as it may sound, ​ your child is your joy and responsibility as well. You are the first person​ ​ who​ ​ can​ ​ recognize​ ​ if​ ​ your​ ​ child​ ​ is​ ​in troubled,​ ​ anxious​ ​ or​ ​ going​ ​ through​ ​ some​ ​ stress.Let​ ​ me​ ​ get​ ​ you​ ​ started​ ​ with​ ​ a ​ ​ few​ ​ key​ ​ pointers​ ​ to​ ​ detect​ ​ if​ ​ your​ ​ child​ ​ is​ ​ under​ ​ stress.

How​ ​ To​ ​ Know​ ​ If​ ​ My​ ​ Child​ ​ Is​ ​ Under​ ​ Stress ?​ ​

Let’s​ ​ Find​ ​ Out- Kids who are under stress often have trouble with their mood and behavior. You may notice slight​ ​ changes​ ​ like​ ​ unnecessary​ ​ tantrums,​ ​ crying,​ ​ health​ ​ issues​ ​ or​ ​ getting​ ​ irritated​ ​ easily.
Further, the child may withdraw from their favorite activities like playing or going outside. Most often, such kids complain of irregular headaches or stomach ache and have a sudden change in
their​ ​ sleeping​ ​ and​ ​ eating​ ​ pattern.Also, you may notice these kids refusing to go to school and indulging in self-negative talk. That being said, you must remember every child is different and may show other signs of stress. As a parent,​ ​ it​ ​ is​ ​ your​ ​ duty​ ​ to​ ​ help​ ​ your​ ​ child​ ​ out​ ​ and​​ ​ let ​ ​ them ​ ​ know ​ ​ that ​ ​ it’s ​ ​ okay ​.Now, let me share the few things that as a parent can help you handle the situation and teachyour​ ​ kid​ ​ to​ ​ manage​ ​ stress​ ​ and​ ​ reduce​ ​ anxiety​ ​ in​ ​ them.

How​ ​ Can​ ​ I ​ ​ Help​ ​ My​ ​ Child​ ​ Manage​ ​ Stress​ ​ and​ ​ Reduce​ ​ His​ ​ Anxiety ?

1.​ ​ Encourage​ ​ Them​ ​ To​ ​ Face​ ​ Their​ ​ Fears– If your child is under stress due to a situation that is fearsome for them, it is time to teach them how to face it. The fear of getting in an anxiety provoking situation can further increase the anxiety in your child. However, if you let them know how they can go “one step at a time”, their fears​ ​ will​ ​ variably​ ​ reduce​ ​ and​ ​ the​ ​ anxiety​ ​ that​ ​ kicks​ ​ in​ ​ will​ ​ stop​ ​ as​ ​ well. If you can’t take larger steps, it’s okay. Just take baby steps. Remember each step counts when it​ ​ is​ ​ taken​ ​ in​ ​ the​ ​ right​ ​ direction.

2.​ ​ Listen​ ​ To​ ​ Your​ ​ Child- Be your child’s best friend and confidante. Listen to them carefully and attentively. Ask them what’s bothering them. You may feel that your child doesn’t want to open up. But sadly, it is
farther​ ​ from​ ​ the​ ​ truth. Most often, children can’t put a label to what they are feeling. This is a time when you can step in and talk to them. Initiate a conversation. Say something like, “ It seems like you’re sad about
what happened in the school.” or “how are you feeling today?”. Try emoticons like a happy face,sad​ ​ face,​ ​joyful,​ ​ and​ ​ more.​ ​ Let​ ​ them​ ​ identify​ ​ their​ ​ emotions​ ​ and​ ​ connect​ ​ with​ ​ it.Make​ ​ it​ ​ a ​ ​ free​ ​ flowing​ conversation​ ​ and​ ​ let​ ​ your​ ​ child​ ​ share​ ​ his​ ​ concerns​ ​ and​ ​ problems.It is important to hear them out without any blames, anger, or judgement. When you’ll listen tothem, be patient. Let them speak. They’ll know there is someone they can talk to and it’ll help them​ ​ cope​ ​ with​ ​ their​ ​ stress​ ​ more​ ​ easily.

3.​ ​ Focus​ ​ on​ ​ Positive​ ​ Aspects- Stressed or anxious children can often indulge in negative and self-critical talks. This thinking can slowly creep in every aspect of their life and lead to low-self esteem. Your voice becomes their inner voice. You can save your child by teaching him to ​ see the silver lining under the dark ​ ​ cloud ​. ​ ​Also,​ ​ remember​ ​ your​ ​ child​ ​ does​ ​ what​ ​ he​ ​ sees​ ​ you​ ​ doing.You’re the biggest role model for your child. ​ Before you preach, practice it yourself. Never worry that he is not taking your command, worry that he is watching and observing your actions.
Handle your stress in an ideal way and encourage your child to adopt positive thinking as well.You’ll​ ​ be​ ​ surprised​ ​ how​ ​ small​ ​ changes​ ​ will​ ​ reflect​ ​ immensely​ ​ in​ ​ your​ ​ child’s​ ​ life.

4.​ ​ Educate​ ​ Your​ ​ Child​ ​ To​ ​ Understand​ ​ Their​ ​ Bodies- Your body talks to you. The slight changes can help you detect if you’re overworking yourself or following​ ​ a ​ ​good​ ​ routine.​ ​ Similarly,​ ​ your​ ​ child’s​ ​ body​ ​ goes​ ​ through​ ​ the​ ​ same​ ​ process. Educate your child to understand their bodies and the physiology of the stress. Tell them how
the butterflies they feel in their stomach on the first day of their new class is okay. However,
consistent tummy aches or headaches are a sign that something is not right. It means the child
is​ ​ undergoing​ ​ some​ ​ stress.
These health issues like nausea, muscle pain, low energy and repetitive complains are strong
symptoms​ ​ that​ ​ your​ ​ child​ ​ is​ ​ under​ ​ stress.​ ​ Just​ ​ pay​ ​ attention​ ​ and​ ​ never​ ​ ignore​ ​ such​ ​ signs.

5.​ ​ Engage​ ​ Your​ ​ Child​ ​ In​ ​ Relaxing​ ​ Activities- School exams, co-curricular activities, home tuitions, sports. These are just few of the activities that​ ​ today’s​ ​ children​ ​ have​ ​ to​ ​ do​ ​ in​ ​ a ​ ​ single​ ​ day.​ ​ All​ ​ work​ ​ and​ ​ no​ ​ play​ ​ makes​ ​ Jack​ ​ a ​ ​ dull​ ​ boy. Nowadays, even play (Read: Sports) have become a serious competition for kids and less of a stress buster. I’d suggest you to engage your child in relaxing activities like art or sketching. Just ask​ ​ them​ ​ to​ ​ free​ ​ draw​ ​ anything​ ​ they​ ​ like​ ​ with​ ​ their​ ​ fingers,​ ​ if​ ​ you​ ​ can. P.S​ . It’ll also help you analyze what’s going in your child’s mind by taking their color choices into consideration. For instance, picking a lot of darker shades is often considered a sign ofaggression. You can check the color psychology guides for further analysis of your child behavior. Further, this “​ ART THERAPY​ ” can help your child unveil their deep-rooted emotions and thoughts at the sub-conscious level. Some children also feel relaxed when they write out their emotions​ ​ or​ ​ dance,​ ​ for​ ​ instance. Help your child figure out what they love and you’ll see a great change in their stress management​ ​ and​ ​ life​ ​ as​ ​ well.

6.​ ​ Tell​ ​ Them​ ​ It​ ​ Is​ ​ Okay​ ​ To​ ​ Mess​ ​ Up- No one is perfect. Now that’s a fact. While everybody around us is aiming for perfection, children often feel stressed or anxiety when they underperform or get bad grades. Tell them it’s okay​ ​ to​ ​ mess​ ​ up​ ​ and​ ​ just​ ​ fine.​ ​ Share​ ​ your​ ​ failed​ ​ experiences​ ​ and​ ​ what​ ​ you​ ​ learnt​ ​ from​ ​ them.It’s okay to mess up. Everyone does that. The best part is when you keep going even after a
failure. ​ That’s ​ ​ what’s ​ ​ important.

What​ ​ Else​ ​ Can​ ​ I ​ ​ Do​ ​ To​ ​ Make​ ​ My​ ​ Child​ ​ Feel​ ​ Better ?
There are just a few more things you can practice with your child to reduce their stress and anxiety​ ​ issues.
a) Use ​ positive affirmations with your child and educate them about its benefits. Say things like, “​ I am calm. I am peaceful. I am happy. I am beautiful. ​ ” These small statements will makeyour little one feel happy and in bliss. Never address your child with “don’t do this that.”. Instead focus​ ​ on​ ​ saying​ ​ “do​ ​ this​ ​ or​ ​ that”.

b) Children become what you make of them. They are like wet clay in your hands. Tell them it is important to be happy. Practice gratitude. Ask them to daily say thanks and offer gratitude for their life and the uncountable blessings they have. This will make them understand the importance​ ​ of​ ​ being​ ​ grateful​ ​ and​ ​ a ​ ​ lot​ ​ to​ ​ be​ ​ happy​ ​ for.

c) ​ Practice relaxing exercises with your child. The very basic relaxing exercises like taking three deep breaths or counting from 1-10 backwards slowly can help your kid a great deal to just​ ​ slow​ ​ down​ ​ the​ ​ messy​ ​ thoughts​ ​ and​ ​ actually​ ​ focus​ ​ on​ ​ the​ ​ present.Aggressive children can greatly benefit from this technique to help them control their tantrums and​ ​ just​ ​ relax.

d) Lastly, you can introduce your child to progressive muscle relaxation. Put on some good and positive instrumental music (You may search Zen Garden on Youtube) and teach your kids to relax​ ​ their​ ​ bodies​ ​ starting​ ​ from​ ​ the​ ​ toes​ ​ to​ ​ their​ ​ head.They’ll get a hang of it after 2-3 practices. This body muscle relaxation technique calms themind​ ​ and​ ​ helps​ ​ release​ ​ stress​ ​ in​ ​ both​ ​ children​ ​ and​ ​ adults.

e) You can also practice chanting while waking up or putting your child to sleep. OM is a universal mantra that even scientists have found to be highly effective. If you can, teach your children​ ​ to​ ​ chant​ ​ Gayatri​ ​ Mantra..This​ ​ will​ ​ open​ ​ up​ ​ the​ ​ subconscious​ ​ power​ ​ of​ ​ your​ ​ child. Finally,​ ​ Just​ ​ Be​ ​ There​ ​ For​ ​ Your​ ​ Child.You love your child and they know it. However, this busy life doesn’t let you shower them with
love and attention as much as you want. Don’t feel any guilt over it. Children nowadays are intelligent. They understand if you explain your situation with right words and love. Kids today
also prefer quality time over quantity. Give your child an hour of love, care, and undivided attention.​ ​ Never​ ​ forget​ ​ to​ ​ maintain​ ​ eye​ ​ contact​ ​ and​ ​ a ​ ​ loving​ ​ touch.​ ​ Play,​ ​ relax​ ​ or​ ​ just​ ​ listen.

This one hour of quality time will bring your child closer to you and away from any stress or anxiety. If you still feel confused with the behavior of your child, that’s okay. Just ask an expert or a child psychologist who can get your child out of the situation and help you with better parenting​ ​ tips.

I hope this post was helpful for you and your child. Remember, your child needs you andsometimes just being there is enough. 

Relationships are either delicate or strong, depending upon the bonding you share with your partner. The bonding depends on various factors. Some of the most essential ones being emotional attachment, friendliness, sense of ease, mental compatibility and a feeling of sustained emotional support from the relationship. This is applicable to all relationships; be it a relationship with your spouse, a parental relation with your children, a relationship with your friends, relatives, etc.

However, it is a common factor that every relationship requires a definite level of friendship, understanding and trust to sustain. However, sometimes you may find eventual signs of distance or detachment, which could be signals of potential violence in the relationship.

1. Sense of complete possession: This is a vital factor that intricately works behind initiating violence in relationships. Possessiveness is a form of extreme emotional condition. A sense of possessiveness lies in every relation. However, over possessiveness leads you to restrict your loved one to share his love with anyone else. It can even be severe when you may even dislike your loved one talking to anyone else. Therefore, it may lead to eventual abuse or violence in the relationship.
2. Distrust: Trust and belief are essential elements in any relation. If you tend to lose trust on someone, you can hardly be normal in the relationship. Disbelief results in doubt and continued doubt and resistance lead you to react violently. If you constantly disbelief a person, you are ought to react out of your general personality sometime.
3. Abuse: Use of abusive language may be a strong indication of emerging distance in a relation. A person indulges in using abusive language out of anger and frustration, both of which could be major signals of potential violence in the near future. Both abusive language and physical violence are considered as forms of violence. Therefore, initial signs of abuses should be considered immediately.
4. Dominance: In every relationship where two persons are involved, you will usually find any one of them to be dominant. However, that is acceptable until the dominance is within a certain limit. However, if it crosses the limits of patience and acceptability, it may sometimes result in violence.
5. Short temper Attitude: If any one of the involved persons in the relationship is short tempered, it will definitely be a lead reason of miscommunication or insufficient communication. Short tempered individuals are mostly characterised with low patience. If you do not have patience, you can never offer understanding. And above that, short-tempered attitude can be an additional disadvantage. These types of individuals fail to control their anxiety and can often be violent in relationships.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Everyone feel worried about things at one point of time or the other. However, for some people, this can go to an extreme and become a disorder. Anxiety disorder is a common mental health condition that can make people anxious about trivial things for days and months so much so that it interferes with their everyday life. Not everyone exhibits the same signs of anxiety disorder. Some people show only mental signs while it impacts the physical health of others.

Here are some of the most common signs and symptoms of anxiety disorder.

1. Excessive worrying: Getting worried about small things and staying worried about them for days and weeks is a characteristic sign of anxiety disorder. Often it can be triggered by factors that are out of the person’s control. Excessive worrying can also be described as being worried about multiple things on most days of the week.
2. Sleep Problems: Anxiety can affect the quantity and quality of sleep a person gets. If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, it could be a sign of anxiety disorder. While this is common when you have an important meeting or task scheduled for the following day, experiencing this regularly is something you should not ignore.
3. Irrational fear: In many cases, anxiety is triggered by a specific factor such as being in a crowded space or flying. The anxiety created by exposure to these factors can often be out of proportion to the actual chance of anything going wrong. This type of anxiety may not always be obvious.
4. Muscle tension: Anxiety can translate into muscle tension as well. This may be visible in the form of clenched fists, a tight jaw or flexed muscles. In many cases, these symptoms often become part of the person’s personality and hence go undetected for years.
5. Indigestion: Chronic digestive problems are often a sign of anxiety disorder. This can be characterized by bloating, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, gas or constipation. This is because the gut is very sensitive to psychological imbalances. Indigestion can also contribute to anxiety disorders by making the person uncomfortable.
6. Self-consciousness: Anxiety can make a person feel as though they are in the spotlight. This can make them feel uncomfortable and result in social withdrawal. Often people suffering from anxiety find it hard to speak in front of a crowd or even have long one-on-one conversations. This can make it hard for them to meet new people and develop relationships.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Anger is a normal emotion. Children are as susceptible to anger as are adults. However, children may not understand how to deal with their anger properly. This can result in tantrums and violent behaviour. Telling a child not to get angry is not the solution to this problem. Instead, a child must be taught how to channelize his or her anger. Here are 5 tips that could help deal with aggressive behaviour.

1. Do not use physical punishments as a form of discipline: Children inculcate actions they see at home. While you may hit your child out of frustration when he or she does something wrong, the child may see this as an acceptable form of venting anger. Thus, hitting your child can indirectly reinforce a child’s aggressive behaviour. Just as you do not expect your child to go about hitting other people, do not hit him yourself.
2. Develop a feeling vocabulary: A child’s aggressive behaviour is usually the result of frustration at not being able to explain what he or she may be experiencing. Thus, encourage your child to develop a vocabulary to speak his mind. Teach them to use words like angry, frustrated, irritated and anxious. When your child says that he or she is angry, do not ignore him but encourage him to talk it out. You could also encourage them to find other creative outlets for their anger such as drawing and painting.
3. Praise good behaviour: All children seek appreciation. When your child deals with anger is a good way, praise him and reinforce the behaviour. This lets your child know that his behaviour is being noticed. Tell your child it is ok to be angry as long as it is dealt with in the right way.
4. Set firm limits: Children need limits to know what sort of behaviour is acceptable and what isn’t. These limits should be kept very clear and consistent. The child’s teachers and other caregivers should also be made aware of these rules along with the response to be given if the child breaks a rule. When a child does cross the limits set by you, they should be immediately reprimanded so that they understand their mistake.
5. Let your child cool off: It is no use trying to explain why something the child has done is wrong when they are in a state of anger. Instead, give them time to cool down by telling them to go to their room or sit down someplace. Once the child has cooled off, explain why his or her behaviour was wrong and discuss ways he or she could have dealt with the situation better.  

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

We all have come across the situation where we have to deal with difficult people in our life. Emotional abuse is a worse form of abuse as it destroys your self-esteem. Emotional abuse takes place when an individual intentionally or otherwise, involves in a kind of behaviour that puts other person down and exert control over them. Threats, intimidation, betrayal are a harmful form of emotional abuse which person can face.

Many examples of emotional abuse are seen like in a parent-child relationship, those faced by co-workers at the workplace, in a sexual relationship. For e.g. In case of a sexual relationship, where the other partner wants to leave the relationship because of the abusive sexual behaviour of his/her spouse, the abuser will manipulate by convincing the partner in threatening, abusive way, by putting you down making you feel guilty. Unwanted sexual acts which would make you feel uneasy like “if you love me you would do this for me” this is beginning of abuse in which partner is trying to take control over other.

Traits of toxic people

1. Narcissist, criticizer.
2. Controlling the other persons.
3. Boaster.
4. Manipulative and judgemental.
5. Always wants to prove themselves to you even if they are wrong.
6. They will try to defend themselves by manipulating in which they are best as they are not interested in your point of view.
7. Censorious, critical, fault finder.
8. They will not apologize.
9. They always force onto relationships.
10. Everything should go according to their experience.
11. Liars.
12. Always talks negative about other people instead of focusing on good things.
13. Always tends up hurting others by their actions and are always self-absorbed.
14. Frequent loss of control over temper

Impact of toxic people on our lives

1. When you are peace but you suddenly start feeling guilty or being scorned by people who use to care about you chances are you might be manipulated by toxic people.
2. Low self-esteem.
3. A feeling that someone is controlling you.
4. A feeling of shame for no reason.
5. Avoiding to meet people.
6. Emotional instability.
7. A feeling of helplessness.

How to deal with it

1. Stay calm don’t take toxic people’s behaviour personally. Walk off if required.
2. Practice defenceless.
3. Confront them face to face.
4. Move on without them. Don’t let their behaviour affect your mental peace.
5. Don’t have to help them in every crisis, let them deal their own drama.Recognise your strengths and weakness.
6. Don’t be a victim.
7. Spend time with your beloved ones who are trustworthy.
8. Be in charge of your own emotions.
9. Always focus on the solution rather focusing on the problem.
10. Stand for yourself when they try to bully you.
11. Set your limits to respond only when necessary.
12. Forgive but don’t forget.
13. Don’t pity yourself.
14. Take time out for yourself, pamper yourself by taking a break.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Were you looking for ways to biohack your physical, psychological and spiritual areas? Here is all that you were looking for.

Biohacking is not a rocket science but a do-it-yourself phenomenon which refers to bringing in lifestyle changes on your own. All your conscious actions that make your life healthy and happy.

In this article, the focus is to help you bring some changes in mental, physical and spiritual areas. Of course, you need not do all of them in one go. Take it slow and see what helps you and what modifications you need based on your preference. So let’s go one by one from one area to another:

Physical Area

• Exercise: Begin your day with exercise. Now that we have a wide range such as aerobics, zumba, yoga, gym, pilates. You may choose the one that interests you the most because if you don’t like it, you procrastinate it all the time. So, go for trials, read, ask your friends, and figure out a way you would like to take it up. It doesn’t have to be at the beginning of your day but anytime you find yourself rocking on the chair for way too long, just stand up and move yourself a little bit. Movement not only keeps you away from feeling tired or lethargic but keeps your brain active.

• Play frequently: Go back to reminiscing the good old times, when you would wait for Sundays to go to the park and play. How happy it would make you feel and made you spontaneous. Playing gives you a dopamine rush. And if in case if you were one of those indoor players, don’t worry, instead start looking for your board games or video games. It has amazing benefits such as increasing your concentration levels, enhances problem-solving, kills boredom, improves memory and stimulates the growth of cerebral cortex

• Add colours to your meals: Adding colours to meals does not mean adding synthetic colours but a wide variety of veggies, fruits, cereals of different colours and varieties in your meals. Why add colours? The reason is simple, each colour has its own benefits for instance beetroot is rich in iron, similarly, eggplant is rich in potassium.

Moving on to the Psychological Area-

1. Stress: Stress can become debilitating when it comes to the cognitive functioning of any individual. It disrupts your functioning, thus it is essential to control stress. You must have experienced high levels of stress at some point in your life. Prolonged states of high stress can sometimes lead to shutting down. Alongside, it has an adverse effect on the other areas as well such as a decrease in sleep, appetite, processing information, memory to name a few. However, if stress is too low, most often one tends to procrastinate, decreases productivity. Therefore, an optimal level of stress enhances your productivity.
2. Stop replaying the past: One of the biggest mistakes that you keep doing is replaying the past. When you keep digging into the negative past events and replay it thousand of times, it wounds you. It is essential to pick on the hurts and stop digging deep into them because they will only harm and be of no good to you. Instead, let go of them and reminisce the events from past which gives you happiness and makes you feel better about who you are.
3. Positive affirmations: No one will come and tell you that you are doing a good job, you have to take that initiative for yourself because being happy is a do-it-yourself project. And it depends on you how you do it. Make a list of all the good you have done in your day, feel good about yourself. It not only helps in reducing stress but also boosts your self-esteem.

Spiritual Area- 

The spiritual area doesn’t necessarily mean being ritualistic or focussing on a particular religion. It can be anything that gives you strength, grounds you and makes you feel high on your energies.

1. Meditate: You must be aware of the benefits of meditation on your brain functioning and your body. It helps in healing and aids in gaining emotional balance. It not only provides you the space to relax and rejuvenate but also helps to bring clarity in thoughts, improving communication skills. It is also a great way to gain inner stability. There are many ways you can choose from for meditating such as guided meditation, mindfulness, to name a few.
2. Introspect: Everyday spend some time with yourself, you can also start by maintaining a journal. Introspection makes you build a close contact with your conscience which fosters better choices and decision making. Furthermore, helps in broadening your horizon and brings you closer to the centre within you.
3. A pinch of gratefulness: The focus on gratefulness is increasing these days because you are forgetting to notice the good that is in and around you but constantly engaging in self-loathing. Just pause for a moment or two and engage in all the things that you have in the here and now. It is one way in which you can grow at a faster rate in all the areas, may it be physical, psychological or spiritual. It cultivates your core and does not take much but just a few minutes of your day.

You have the ability and can choose to transform yourself as many times as you want because you do deserve the best. So, go ahead biohack yourself with some alternatives, you have never tried before.