Aren’t we all unwinding something or the other every time? Isn’t it too difficult to stay with the same old feeling which blocks our thinking? How about a break, how about times when you just look up to the sapphire sky and breathe, unraveling the mysteries of life and returning back home rejuvenated in the midst of mundane and tiresome routines.

We are prone to feeling fatigued and bored from routines, and perhaps what keeps playing on our mind is a break. Breaks are short periods of time when we change the boring routine of incoming information, which usually arrives via predictable, tedious, and well-worn pathways. And most of us have thought about taking a break, at some point or the other. The nature of breaks can have different forms; it may be a tea break or a power nap, depending on person to person. Each of us has different meanings of breaks and distinct needs that we aim to fulfill via such breaks. Breaks can be either volitional or forced. Volitional breaks are most often voluntary, we decide to take a break and hence we take it, such as a walk in between our work. Whereas on the other hand, forced breaks are unwillingly taken, such as any medical emergency or any urgency on board that can be exhausting too.

We often feel the need to give our minds a booster shot and rejuvenate our mental processes. Our brain requires substantial time to think of innovative ideas or just wander. While talking about wandering, the meaning may in itself take different forms. Wandering is when we diverge; it is not necessary to have any aim in mind. We are usually so structure ridden, that wandering gives us a new lens to view things.

People need free space to create a better capacity to work effectively and efficaciously. On a typical day, there is an overwhelming amount of data that our brains process, which is why there is a necessity to give our brains a break. Recent studies have shown how small periods of diversions from a task can dramatically have an impact on our ability to focus for a longer period. The results suggested that prolonged attention onataskhinders performance. Apart from those mentioned above, meditation and mindfulness training are other ways of taking breaks. Mindfulness is characterized by merely paying precise, nonjudgmental attention to the details of our experience as it arises and subsides, not necessarily rejecting anything. Instead of struggling to get away from the incident we find difficult, we move towards being able to be with them. We bring mindfulness to pleasant experience as well.  Being mindful is not a substitute for actually participating in our lives. In fact, the more mindful we are, the more skillful we can be. There are three basic aspects worked with, in this technique. First, is the environment surrounding our body and body position. Second, working on breath, and last, working on thoughts such as plans for future goals.

Breaks restore our brain’s stores; they encourage productivity and creativity and most essentially increase our attention because our brains are built to detect and respond to change. They enhance our abilities, and give us time to reboot and complete our unfinished businesses.

While on a break, we allow our minds to wander, replay, absorb, and rewrite the blunders we may be committing. It helps to give ourselves moments to craft our own innovative ideas; to have the script ready in our heads and improvise before executing in real life. Breaks are reminders to go back to the past menu and pick out the moments that are now golden and keep a constant check on our growth.  Also, breaks help us note the sensations and experiences of various aspects of life, making our own narrative unique to ourselves. We don’t immediately take actions to get rid of our thoughts. It may take time and we are constantly in the process of learning to be with ourselves. It is of course possible that we’re just daydreaming of impossible acts of heroism or remembering our golden memories, but it’s also possible that we are xylographing the old wood and unraveling our potential.

Well! You can go ahead and take that break.

Anjali Kanojia

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Photography is a medium through which we try to preserve fleeting moments. The photographer makes an attempt to take a photograph from a suitable angle, with appropriate light and colors to make the photograph meaningful. 

Photography dates back 150 years, and has covered a vast journey where it was seen as a perfect documentary medium because of its nature, i.e.,”the   medium ensured, unadulterated, exact replicas of the subject matter.”    

There have been developments in the field of photography in terms of applications like, “Instagram”, “Snapchat”, and “Facebook” to name a few. This is shown in different forms, to give an example, Humans  of New York,   talking about people and aspects of their life through the medium of photography. There has been development in the types of photography,   such as those with a focus on varying subject matter like nature, still life,  abstracts, portraits and fashion. There have been changes in terms of how people perceived photography as something intruding their private space to inclusivity today, where it has become a compulsory ritual in every occasion, social and otherwise. The purpose of photography in itself has changed and extended its limitations from official work to a trend today. 

While talking about photography, I would like to shift the focus to how a photographer makes a photograph. The way in which a photographer notices or understands something using his/her own senses is called perception.   Senses  such as vision, hearing, touch, smell, balance help us create a detailed  understanding of our surroundings, which are then captured through photographs.

We are naturally curious beings, we keep looking, exploring, and wandering along random paths. Some concertize their expression through speaking, some through writing; and some express through photography. For every individual there are differences  in perceptions based on one’s age, sex,culture, and expertise. When  a photographer views a scene, he/she makes meaning of it based on the information they receive from their senses and their past experiences. This further helps the photographer in framing.

Framing refers to the presentation on visual elements in an image, mainly the placement of the subject in regards to other objects. The goal is to bring the focus of the observer on the subject. It is primarily concerned with the position and the perspective of the viewer. There are a couple of factors such as depth of field, white space, vignetting, perspective distortion to name a few. Framing can be of different types,   such as environmental, structural, framing with light or without. They work towards bringing the attention of the observer towards the subject.

A photograph for most of us is like a visual diary of our past memories, feelings, and emotions. A photograph provides an opportunity to revisit our sensations in a more structured form. The essence of photography is not simply about a black machine filled with lenses and flashes, but is a step beyond. It’s about frames: what we are referring to and what we are expecting it to be perceived as by the other side through the senses. 

Our eyes have a dynamic feature to see the brightest and the darkest of colours. Considering the harmonious and disharmonious color patterns Sanocki  and Sulman conducted an Color  Relations Experiment to gauge the impact of color on visual short-term memory. They conducted four trials of both harmonious and disharmonious color palettes. The results showed that participants were better able to remember harmonious color palettes. Color differences between the foreground and the background may enhance one’s ability to focus our attention. 

For photographs to come out in their most natural form,the process of photography needs effort. A photographer needs to have a vision of what the capture of an image will look like. Visualization is  an important aspect in the field of photography, making a vivid final impact. The photographer must be able to see into the mind’s eye of the frame before he/she captures an experience. Mental imagery impacts the processing of perceptions, motor control, and planning. Visualization improves performance of a photographer and enables them to diversify across a variety of perspectives, rather than sticking to a unilateral way of capturing images. A photograph has elements in a frame such as shades, highlights and shadow details, exposure, and so on.

Our perception about an image is about how we structure and give meaning to the information we receive from our visual senses. Understanding the intention of a photograph, the meaning it makes, the feelings it evokes and the impact of an image on our brain is interlinked. Perception can be bidirectional when we consider photography i.e., from the perspective of the photographer and perspective of the observer who is looking at the photograph. There is a story which either connects the two  or a parallel that runs between the two individuals.   

While discussing about photography and perceptions in the two parallels of the photographer, and observer, the schema varies starkly from individual to individual in terms of age, gender and cultural background and expertise. The meaning I make of an object may vary from the meaning you make of it. Similarly, the lens and thereby the intention, with which an individual captures an image may vary from others in terms of its angle, frame, and so forth. 

There are constant themes that we as individuals work towards; one often clicks in the context of a particular theme. The art of photography is from the lens of both the photographer and the observer, from cognition to composition based upon his/her’s visualizations. 

Towards the end I realize that the photographs are too often looked at and rarely looked into, by viewing them through the frame of reference of a photographer. Most of us simply glance over photographs without thinking about the intention behind photographer’s capture. Viewing images within their frames of reference can help viewers make meaning, beyond the cursory glances we often give to the multiple images crowding our feeds. So the next time you view a selfie or a breathtaking landscape, take a moment to contextualize it; maybe you’ll connect with it. 

Anjali Kanojia

Originally posted here

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In courage-you find
no fear
and in courage-no weakness
does appear
In courage-steps toward
danger taken
and in courage-strength
within awaken
In courage- a hero
takes shape
and in courage- the villain
can’t escape
In courage-there is a call
to duty
and in courage-out of ugliness
comes beauty.

By- Dorsey Baker

On Good Friday, I really hope you all find courage in these words to fight the pandemic. Stay safe.

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What do you mean by overcoming?

The dictionary defines it as – “succeed in dealing with (a problem or difficulty).”

For each one of us overcoming is different in its meaning and the ways in which you overcome.

It’s something that is subjective in nature and that which keeps on transforming based on your experiences, your abilities, your resilience and your skill set.

I find this word powerful because it brings in ease even in the state of stress, disappointment, fall, heartbreak or even grief.

Sometimes it takes me back to my school days song, “we shall overcome”, if you haven’t just google it. I assure you, you won’t be able to leave the song halfway. It’s both beautiful and strengthening.

So, what do you think about overcoming? Look back on the pages of the past wherein you overcame, where you triumphed your victory on the smallest and on the biggest things that were once impossible in your own head.

There are different ways, definitely. For some of you it could be surrendering, could be your favourite song, could be a friend who supports you, could be a family member, could be a quote, could be dancing or singing at the top of your voice, could be anything.

Don’t worry, if you are still searching. Keep looking, don’t settle (just like Steve Jobs said it).

Yes, you can overcome. And, I do believe that.

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Most of us experience anxiety at some point or are still struggling with it.

Here I share 10 ways how you can teach your brain to manage anxiety

1. Begin to choose what matters more, you can do so by writing down the why’s – why you want to beat anxiety. Go back to the quotes which help you drive your motivation from.

“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

2. Make willingness a frequent practice. Begin with a non-judgmental attitude. Change your rules, for instance – I can do this. Build on your physical acceptance. Sit with anxiety while facing your fears. Meditation can help you here. You can download apps such as headspace. Learning grounding can calm both your mind & body.

3. Build emotional muscles; your brain is a big bunch of muscles, the more you practice, the better it becomes. It may take time initially just like your first day to gym but you’ll end up becoming stronger.

4. Give up on the idea of perfectionism. It won’t help you overcome. Bring about a growth mindset instead. Share your mistakes and learnings. It will help not just you buy others too.

5. Letting go the can’t handle stuff. You are undermining your potential. Let’s not forget that it comes from perfectionism.

6. Try shifting his you see or perceive your situations. Understand that there can be a cognitive bias hidden there. You can find a list of cognitive distortions from an authentic website and begin working on it with the help of your therapist.

7. Often said but rarely done, take baby steps. Write down your fears and set them in a hierarchy from lowes to highest. You can take help of your therapist.

8. Stay with your fears, I know it’s uncomfortable . Try this, allow yourself to be uncomfortable. Make it an activity and grade it down 1-10. Don’t force yourself, slowly and steadily. Remember small steps.

9. Get support, it is different from dependency. You need support to get up and stay motivated. It is a good thing to have someone around in our journeys. Take support from people who understand you, could be friends, family or your therapist.

10. Stay compassionate towards yourself. Your little wins matters. They go a long way.

I hope this helps you.

believe believe in yourself boost capacity building conscious consistency create deal with disappointment discoverempower engage entreprenuer fitness gratitude growth mindset happiness heal changes light love manifest Mental Healthmotivation new beginning positive power preventionproblemsolving psychology punctuality quotes rise save selfcareselfgrowth selflove stay strong subconscious mind trustunwind wellness work in progress