The Weekend I Was Compelled To Do Nothing

What is your break time activity? (Photo credit)

How many times do we check our phone in a day? And how many times is that an unconscious, almost a reflex action? Imagine if the very act of looking into the screen and trying to read a message made your head spin that you just had to give up? Sounds funny, right? But that's how I spent the last weekend and a couple of more days - couldn't look at the phone for 2 and limited use for the rest. My laptop lay forgotten for almost 3 days. I suffer from Vertigo usually when I travel to places at an altitude. But since I hadn't done that in the recent past, I was surprised on feeling dizzy. looking back, I recalled that I had it once last year due to lack of proper sleep too. But that also wasn't the case this time. The only think I could pin it down to was the extreme humidity in which I was out for meetings and other work the previous week. And the resulting dehydration.

While I did take it casually when it started on Friday, I had to pay the price for it during the weekend. Browsing on my cellphone - which is usually my all-time, any-where activity wasn't possible. What next? Watch a movie? Manageable but that made me dizzy in a few minutes. All I could do was prop myself on pillows and stare at the ceiling or close my eyes. (Lying down was impossible because of dizziness).

So what happens when we are forced to do nothing? Our mind wanders! And for obvious reasons, my mind started grappling with this unusual, unfamiliar state of doing nothing. Not even idly fiddle with my phone! And I started thinking about the last time I was doing nothing - like this? I couldn't come up with an answer for as long back as I could jog my memory. It's usually the frenzied pace of work - blogging (3 posts a week on some lucky weeks), social media, reading (definitely trying to at least), trainings, meetings, business plans, re-planning of plans that don't work, networking events or the frenetic activities of personal life - laundry, cleaning, cooking, bills, running errands, working out and the biggest part of my life - making to-do lists! I realised how much at ransom I was being held by these lists. I even have some for the weekend - household chores to take care of or errands to run - before manic Monday starts all over again.

With all these thoughts going around in my mind, I realised that when we forget to take breaks, nature ensures that we slow down. It always has a way of telling our body and mind that it's time to restore some balance. I don't think I'd have spent my weekend and a couple of weekdays in bed if I wasn't forced to. I slept like I haven't in a long time. It was the oddest feeling to be napping on a tuesday afternoon! Moral of the story: I think we should just take time off before we get carried away doing more than we can handle and things come to a standstill.

One day in a week when we won't even worry about laundry (chore on my weekend too) or grocery shopping. Set out a day to take care of ourselves. Pause the worries and the never ending list of tasks on our To-dos. My sister used to do this on her weekly off years ago - she'd soak her feet in warm water while applying a face pack. Some times, it used to hair pampering. She'd give herself those few hours away from the frenetic pace of every day life. I think it's a great way to take time out.

A day in a week - maybe most of the weekend - put away my list of tasks and take it easy. Not that I believe in digital detox but being away from the phone would make time for a lot of other things that I enjoy. Catch up with reading, colouring or my puzzle book. Things that I struggle to do on work days. And the guilt of not being able to do it only adds to the stress.

I've made my plans for my break time so that I don't have to take forced time out. Stop for a minute and ponder what is the guilty pleasure you'd like to indulge in on a day away from your usually crazy life. What are things that you'd love to find time for - working out, swimming, catching up with friends, learning an instrument? What is going to be your break time activity? Share it with my in your comments. I'd love to know your favourites. Maybe, I'll find something new to add to my list!

8 Ways To Keep Geriatric Depression At Bay

Old age can be great time with the right attitude (Photo credit)

I recently finished a project with a PSU. I had to interview employees of all levels for a training needs survey. The average employee was anywhere between 45 to 59 years of age. Some of them had joined the organisation decades ago soon after they finished their engineering diploma. The ones in their 50’s and nearing retirement are on the verge of a huge transformation. Having to give up a life and routine that they have lived for a good 4 decades of their lives is no small thing. Once they retire, it would be like being thrown out of their comfort zone and find a new way of life for the rest of their life. Imagine having to change the way you’ve lived your life at 60! 

I started chatting with the HR manager about this huge shift and how it might affect these people. She informed me that they conduct an orientation program a couple of months before the employees’ retirement along with their spouses to prepare them for this change.  They are encouraged to take up post retirement hobbies. Whether they actually take that advice, I think, is a whole new matter. 

This set me thinking and I decided to explore a bit online. It's hard to find the latest stats but I found this story on Indian Express from April this year which says there's a record jump in the senior citizen population in India pushing it the all time high. The number of citizens over the age of 60 jumped 35.5 per cent — from 7.6 crore in 2001 to 10.3 crore in 2011. And by 2050, it is likely to hit a whopping 324 million people! Given that state support for the elderly and the retired is minimal in India, the fact that 70% of these are illiterate isn't reassuring. 

Statistics apart, there are real issues these people grapple with like finances and healthcare. Although, what hit me more was the psychological aspect of it. The 'being thrown out of their comfort zone' bit. And what worsens the situation is retired people mostly give up their own self worth. The thought, "there's nothing to do and nowhere to go" starts becoming a reality. And with rising life expectancy and crumbling joint family system, it's no surprise that 25% of the elderly population is depressed. A big reason for this could be the cultural expectation that children should take care of parents. (Especially in India and other Eastern countries) This leaves an empty nest syndrome behind when that does not happen. In my experience, older people abroad are better prepared mentally to lead their retired life in a fulfilling manner. I have seen so many couples traveling on their own and enjoying the time off from responsibilities and making a living. 

I am no expert in geriatric well being. But from observation and experience, there are a few things which I feel can make life productive for people in that age group. 

1. Be mentally prepared: Waking up in the morning and having nowhere to go after a few decades of routine can be quite disturbing. But looking at it as time out for yourself can help reframe the whole situation. It's like a holiday where your homework is done and you can use this time to do something on your own. Approach retirement positively than looking at it as the beginning of a phase of 'doing nothing'.

2. Stay physically active: With advancing years, health inevitably takes a hit. Minus the daily trips to office and back and one might not have reason or motivation to step out. But it's important to keep the body parts moving so that you are mobile and active to enjoy life to the fullest. Take a walk in the park, join an exercise or a yoga/meditation class. This will give you an opportunity to form a social circle and a reason to get dressed and get out. 

3. Find and cultivate hobbies: I am forever eyeing the ever growing list of books I want to read and can't wait to be 'retired'! Think of what is it that you always wanted to do but never found the time to? It’s never too late to start anything. Singing, painting, drawing, travel, art - whatever interests you. Spending time and money on hobbies is much better than wasting it on therapy to cure depression and loneliness. So take control of your life before the demons take that space in your head. 

4. Be happy for your kids: The empty nest syndrome that I mentioned earlier night be hard to cope with. Even when children live with their parents, the demanding jobs today leave little scope for personal time. Be happy for your kids, as long as they are doing well and are healthy. You've given them an empowered value system and now it's their turn to work hard and make a life for themselves. Take pride in their accomplishments. 

5. Travel: If your health and finances permit, travel and see the world. Our own country is bountiful in beautiful sites and cultural richness. Start from your own city. I have realised that what's closest to us is neglected the most. When was the last time you went out to see the monuments in your city, learnt about their rich cultural significance? 

Traveling is one of the best experiences one can have (Photo credit)

6. Volunteer: If you are still left with a lot of energy, make a difference to other people lives. Take up volunteering. You have a lifetime of knowledge and skills which you can pass on to the younger, lesser privileged population. Not very mobile, there are so many online options to explore. No online access? You can take up teaching your favourite subject to kids in your building. For free, if you have financial security; for a nominal fee, if you need that pocket money. 

7. Have a social circle: Most of us are busy with our work and family during the prime of our lives. Friends and relatives do take a back seat at times. So, this is a great time to revive old friendships and maybe make new ones.  There are always groups around your building/colony or your yoga class. Sometimes just a walk in the park everyday is enough to start conversations. 

8. Count your blessings: This one works at any stage in life. We are thrown into rotten situations, lose motivation and want to give so many times through out our lives. We win some, lose some. But having an eye on what we are blessed with will never fail to cheer us up. Your health might not be the best or you may have just enough to get by your expenses. But when you look around, you will certainly find things that light up your life. Things that would leave you worse off in their absence. 

So, if you are retired or know people who are, get them to read this. Pick what appeals to the most and start with one thing. Each phase of life has it's own opportunities and challenges. One could either look at the challenges and give up or turn them into opportunities. Whatever be the situation, the best way to live is to see the what we have and make the most of it. 

6 Reasons Why I Love Social Media Week

My favourite click from Social Media Week, February 2015

The year was 2014. I was looking for something interesting to do. The virtual world caught my attention and I sat up to notice its overarching presence. That piqued my interest and I went on a reading spree online to uncover its uses for my profession.  The world of social media, for a novice, can be quite intimidating! But luckily I stumbled onto some tweets about Social Media Week and started reading up more about it. Voila! I found a week long event that covered every aspect of social media - something I was scouring the web for! And since then I have been a part of three such week long celebrations - including one as volunteer of the social team team in February 2015 and a participant in November 2015.

There is definitely something about this event that has me going back every time. And when I pondered over it, I realized a few things that make it the pioneer in the social media space. Here they are:

1. A sound organizing team: It’s impossible to pull off a mega event like this year after year unless the foundations are strong. The talented team behind SMW has a solid comprehension of social media and all its important components. The event is painstakingly put together and the perfection of its execution vouches for it. Having been a part of the team last year, I have been witness to the frenetic activity that goes on back stage to make it the roaring success that it is. 

2. Relevant themes: The biggest challenge in recurring events is to maintain the novelty of content and relevance for the audience. Social Media Week has a new theme each year which is not just topical but also relevant to the times. I have seen discussions around being upwardly mobile - since that is the buzzword today to celebrating the invisible hand of technology in the forthcoming event this year. 

3. Carefully curated content: Social media is a sea of information. It is hard to put it onto categorised buckets and examine each bit separately. But Social Media Week does this to perfection. The schedule for the event spreads across a few pages feel free to choose the ones that interests you. In fact, most often there is a tie and one needs to choose which good ones to let go! Social media basics to analytics, brand stories to start up case studies - there is something for everyone. This is a unique repository of knowledge on social media which has something new to offer every time I attend it. 

4. Expert Speakers: The experts at the event speak volumes about the repute of Social Media Week. They are the best in their fields with proven track record. This makes for insightful talks engaging discussions between the speakers and the audience. For me, Suhel Seth stood out the last two times with his eloquence and inimitable sense of humour. 

5. Variety of content: Not fond of presentations? Join in for the group discussions. The event has various interesting formats to present content. Q and A sessions, talks, discussions, master classes, workshops - the one on creative writing last year is still fresh in my memory.  

6. Great for networking: I not just made great friends as part of the social media team, but also get to catch up with people I know online. It’s a great place to network with people from the industry and your own social media circle. It’s the best confluence of online meeting the offline. 

And as the next Social Media Week is just round the corner, I can feel the adrenaline rush as the content curation is on and the first list of speakers is out! Although, I am not a part of the official team, I sure have my eyes peeled for what's coming up. Check out their handle on Twitter for discounts and other updates on the upcoming event in June. 

Endometriosis: How I survived it

The stabbing pain of Endometriosis (photo credit)

It all started in June 2008. My periods became unbearably painful. I literally had to stop whatever I was doing and clench my teeth to bear the waves of cramps that came every few minutes. This was definitely unusual for me and a cause for worry. Plus it was crippling to not be able to work for a few days a month. I went to see a gynaec - someone I had just started seeing since I had moved to Mumbai only a few months ago. Her first reaction was to do a pregnancy test which was negative. On further discussion, she suspected endometriosis because of the pain pattern I described to her. Endometriosis pain is not like usual cramps that’s mostly around the lower abdomen and the back. It spreads across the rectal area, back, thighs and down the legs too and comes in waves of stabbing pain. 

I came back home and looked up online. Endometriosis is the growth of uterine tissue outside the uterus. The most common cause is known as retrograde menstruation - where some of the the blood that should flow outside the body starts flowing inwards. And this leads to the formation of the tissue around the fallopian tubes, ovaries and sometimes even the intestines. I think the description itself is scary enough. And with debilitating pain, it’s a deadly assault on the body and mind. To make things worse, my online research revealed that this condition has no cure. It’s either painkillers with lifestyle changes or an occasional surgery when the growth gets out of hand. I was rapidly plunging into depression thinking about going through that pain for the rest of my life.

Meanwhile, the doctor prescribed a laparoscopy for further diagnosis and pain killers for the time being. I couldn’t go through with the invasive laparoscopy because I was too scared and had an ultrasound done instead. The reports were normal and the doctor said that the endometrial lesions were probably not too big to be detected. And I was surprised to know that since the pain I went through felt like I was going to die. The funny thing is that the extent of endometriosis (stage 1 to 4) has nothing to do with the severity of the pain experienced. 

The pain killers she put me on - Spasmo proxyvon - an opiate analgesic which can get you addicted in 5 days straight! It almost amounted to being drugged! All it did was make me numb and put me to sleep pretty much all day. I did not want to sit up or eat or do anything else. The other alternative she gave me was to get pregnant asap - a common solution that allopathy offers Endometriosis patients. Pregnancy means no periods for a few months and time for the lesions to heal. What they overlook or don’t tell you is that once your periods are back, Endometriosis is back too! I did not want to have a child as a temporary solution to a medical problem (and I wasn’t even married for a year at that time). So she put me on oral contraceptives to suppress ovulation and bleed less. 

I dreaded the pain all month. It was like a full stop to quality life and the pain was like a punishment. I have no clue who cooked meals or run the house on those days. I recall an incident where my spouse went out to buy bread at 11 in the night to fix some dinner for me and himself after he finished his work. And he had to force me to sit up and have something since all I wanted to do was sleep. 

Life painfully went on like this - despite pain killers and contraceptives - for about 6 months. I was due to visit my husband’s family in Kerala in December 2008. He suggested that we speak to one of his cousins who is a practicing doctor in Ayurveda. That seemed like a ray of hope. I did not even have to explain to her since she herself had gone through this. She prescribed some medicines in Ayurveda and asked me to take them in the right proportion for 6 months. I cannot describe my relief and happiness when I had no pain the first time I got my periods about a month after I started the new medicines. After all the no-cure stories, this definitely seemed like a miracle. (I did have Endometriosis like pain a year later ironically after I had consumed contraceptives for a month to delay periods. I repeated the 6 month course again just to make sure). I have been pain free and healthy since 2009. I went through a series of unrelated tests last year which showed no trace of Endometriosis. Even if the lesions where too small to be detected by ultrasound earlier, they have disappeared now. 

Once the medicines worked for me, it set me thinking about how the world thinks there is no cure to endometriosis and the internet is flooded with articles about managing the pain better. And yet here I was with these set of medicines with visible results in just a month! It’s not a rare condition. A few million women across the world suffer from this. Katrina Kaif went through a surgery for this very condition in 2009. Celina Jaitley, after being diagnosed with it, has been an actively spreading awareness about it. International personalities like Susan Sarandan and Padma Lakshmi have openly talked about it. We need to continue the dialogue. 

I regret not sharing my story with the world for all these years. But #EndometriosisAwarenessMonth seems like the best chance to do it. There’s a lot to be done to spread awareness about the cure to this dreadful condition to women who are going through this dreadful pain month after month. My blog post is my little contribution to getting that word out. Do share this in your network so that people can become aware and find freedom from pain through the miraculous cure that gave me my life back. 

Why Vacations Can Be More Stressful Than Everyday Life

Vacations are a great way to take a break! (Photo credit)

How many times do we wish, on a stressful day, that we were on a nice vacation, sipping a drink and maybe curled up with a book? Ah! The thought itself is so soothing, right? But actually start planning that vacation and most of the times, I just want to go back to work. In my experience, planning a vacation and sometimes even being on one is more stressful. I know I sound weird. I mean mostly with vacations to new places which involve lots of research and planning. And then there’s a whole lot of site seeing - which is tiring if you do and guilty inducing if you travel all the way and don’t. 

I’ve always been iffy about elaborate vacation plans since they require quite a bit of time to plan. Vacations are meant to be times away from our usual routine involving work and home. Most of us are busy in our stressful lives and get to breathe easy during weekends. Taking a break by going to some nice place is a great way of having a long break and de-stress ourselves. Most photos I see of people on travel, sometimes with kids in tow, are about exotic places, adventure sports, landmarks - and pretty much in any season. I so admire their adventurous spirit. They really know how to take a break and live it up too! And I think to myself - the only kind of break I want is to check in to a hotel and go to sleep and order only in-room dining. I don’t want to get up early and look at places because, Hell yeah! I am on vacation! 

We haven’t planned an elaborate vacation to a new place in the last few years. That requires giving up our precious weekend time to planning and booking. And I’ve been okay with a quick weekend getaway to some familiar place where we can just ‘be’ and take it easy. But then we decided to take the plunge and take a vacation in the US this year. Half a weekend was spent in deciding the places we wanted to visit. And once that got done, it was the pressure of finding the time to look up suitable flights and hotels that fit our budget. And when we were finally on our vacation, we were torn between just sleeping in and actually having a day out. (I won't shock you by revealing which city we were in and yet ended up lying around in our room chomping on room service!) We paced it well with enough lying around time but with different timezones and covering 3 cities, it was exhausting. And this set me thinking about how people look at vacations. 

I ran a twitter poll to see what kind of things people like to do. I don't claim that the results of this poll represent the real divide. But I was relieved to see that a majority like to take it easy.

What is your kind of #vacation? Laid back and lazy? Or action packed with places to see? What's ur idea of time off?

— Suman Kher (@Suman_Kher) March 22, 2016

After our vacation this time, I realised that it's best to go with the times and succumb to some new fangled concepts sometimes - the staycation. I just checked and it's already in the dictionary too! Although a twist should be good to ensure we indeed distance ourselves from our humdrum surroundings. Probably check into a hotel in the same city. This essentially eliminates the door bells, the landline phone calls and the temptation to get some work done while I am in my comfort zone at home. This also ensures that one doesn't need elaborate planning or site seeing and also sounds like a real vacation (from planning etc)

What kind of an outing describes your vacation? While I feel I still have some adventure left in me, I still like to take it layer it with easy going time. I am keen to know how others plan their time out. Do tell me in the comments and share with the readers too.

Why The US Is A Strange Country For An Indian Like Me

The first time one lands in the US of A from India, one is enthralled by the super straight roads, tall buildings, traffic signals - that are actually followed - everywhere, the sheer variety in every single thing available on earth, the huge portions of food (indicating abundance as opposed to shortage in our country), smiling strangers greeting you in elevators... Great!! But to me, a few days into this country and I realized what a pain-in-the-ass living here would be.

Before I go any further, I should also mention that I am highly partial when it comes to my country. I love it to bits - all the noise, dirt, pollution, stereotypes, prejudices included - and would never exchange it to live in any - even far better - country. I have travelled to a lot of foreign countries and never felt at home anywhere. Though this was my second trip to the US, I surprisingly don’t seem to remember the same impressions from the last time. Probably, because I was so overwhelmed, it being my first time. Or I had just started traveling and did have much of an opinion about places. 

So here is why the best country in the world failed to impress me:

1. Indian Stretchable Time: This is the first thing on my list and any Indian will understand where I am going with this. It’s nice to be punctual and all but I’m sorry, Indians are not on-the-dot punctual. Period. A buffer of 10-15 minutes is a given for us. And having to follow exact schedules is plain regimental. And a crime on a vacation! But guess what! If the ticket counter closes at half past five, it closes at half past five! 

2. Time zones: For someone used to the same time in Mumbai and Chennai, this seems one fucked up concept. I know this has more to do with geography but I still cannot wrap my head around it. When we started our drive for the Grand Canyon, we were a little short on time. But we’d still make it. Except for a little hitch - our clocks suddenly went an hour ahead on our way. Oh! Nevada to Arizona - two contiguous states - have a time difference of an hour. And remember, the ticket counter closes at half past five! Another time, I woke up nice and early for our flight to Mumbai to finish packing. Just as I got done, I realised that the clock on my phone is an hour ahead of my wrist watch. The auto setting feature on the phone picked up on the daylight saving and it was 10 am instead of 9 am and out of nowhere I lost an hour of my life! (Which is nothing compared to losing 3 hours between Vegas to Orlando!!)

The time zones in the US itself are so varying (Photo credit)

3. The levels of courtesy: I was, and still appreciate to a large extent, the courteous behavior people generally have here. Nodding, greeting, wishing people a great day definitely makes the place more cheerful. Plus, in deference to someone’s personal space ensures that people queue up with 4 ft between each other! Great! But by the end of a week, I had enough of apologising just because I got within 2 inches of people. I mean I don’t have a contagious disease I should be sorry for! Stop queuing up for change! (I always thought queuing up was too goody goody in any city) It’s ok to mind your own business sometimes and leave strangers alone!  

4. Driving hell: I know that we constantly complain about the lack of lane discipline and incessant honking in our country. And we all wish that we’d behave a little more on the roads. Driving in the US is just the opposite - it is like military rule. Yes, after you honk, scream, maneuver your way through the roads of India, driving in the US is like Taliban regime. The lanes are laid out, the speed limit carved in stone and there is absolutely no scope for making a mistake! I shudder to think of how people in the US make it through their learning phase!! While we were stuck in a 45 min traffic jam in Orlando, the first thought that came to my mind was how our ingenious country would have used the side lane, covered up the 4 feet gap between every vehicle and reduced the jam to half!! 

5. Automation heaven?: While I am inspired by the level of automation in the US - where most payments can be made with one swipe of a card - it does go a bit too far, if you ask me. I went through different hues of feeling strange, annoying and intimidating when the lady at an airport cafe told me to pick what I want and scan codes on my own. And at the end of it, I could swipe the card and generate the bill. That is like finding a new profession in my country! It might be a great thing for people living here, but I'm used to someone doing that for me back home. Spoilt, am I? Yes!! Checking in at airline kiosks is a great thing but quite intimidating for a first timer. Filling in petrol in your car on your own should come with a manual of instructions. 

6. Domestic travel: As if time zones and punctuality isn’t enough of a kill joy, try traveling to different cities within the country. I travelled to 3 cities and observed the same things and I think it’s safe for me to confirm them. Security in the US is a pain. Shoes and belts need to come off too. The security personnel are outright scary and eye everyone as if we are all guilty of some crime. There is no buy-all-the-food-you-want hospitality on the planes. So, each time it was - grab a bite at the airport and pick something to eat on the flight. Each checked in baggage costs!! (about 20-25 dollars per bag). The result - people try to pile on all their luggage into the cabin, the overhead storage is crammed, the boarding process crawls because people are trying to cram all the bags they have. (Plus food bags for the journey) I totally feel like a queen traveling in my country!

I think it’s pretty natural to be hit by the almost robotic, rule following lives that people there live after being in a free-in-every-sense country like India. Some sign boards made me want to yell, “How dumb are you! Isn’t it obvious!” So in conclusion, I think they need to become a bit of badasses and we need to straighten up a bit. Both the countries are like extremes of a spectrum. We can meet somewhere midway where they loosen up and we become more stringent. What do you think?

Blogging Break: Putting Things in Perspective

Take a break! (Photo Credit)

So, it’s another come back of sorts to my blog. Does that bother me - the long break? No, it doesn’t. Sometimes it’s just nice to sit quietly and watch the world go by. This time, I also watched the madness of other bloggers go by. This break also proves that one can’t rest on one’s past laurels. And that, one is never invincible after overcoming a challenge (the #NaBloPoMo, in my case) unless one continues to put in efforts. So, I am back with no promises of coming back often. To me, it’s ok to flow with the flow once in a while. It’s ok not to push things to do the way it should be done to conform to some arbitrary rule I did not make. 

Breaks are good. From whatever one does in life. Surprisingly, looking at others go about their frenetic activities while you are on a break makes them appear even more fast paced. So when I think back about blogging related activity that I noticed around me during my hiatus is - there’s just too much of it. Could be because of the effect I told you earlier. But I also felt that everyone is so much in a hurry to blog. To blog more. To blog everyday. To write for every weekly theme. There are so many conversations around how to just keep posting no matter what. I am honestly astounded at how fellow bloggers can not just churn out posts everyday but also share them on various blogging platforms for others to read!! I constantly wonder - how do they manage! I figured that maybe I am not just that hardworking or it’s not in me to be able to do that or just plain ‘don’t care’ attitude! Any which way, I realized that not being in the rat race works for me. 

And I think the more I saw that happening on social media, the more I savoured my luxury of not blogging when I did not want to. To choose to stop typing just because I don’t feel like. And to be ok with it. As I have mentioned earlier, I write for the passion of writing. I write because I feel strongly about something. I don’t know how to write to increase page views (I don’t even know that for my professional blog! “What a fool!”, you say? Well!). I don’t know how to write to drive traffic. (I think this means the same as what I said before). Yes, my professional blog has some semblance of planning for the posts of a month. But that’s about it. Blogging is not the central thing in my life. I am sure avid bloggers reading my post - if anyone’s reading this post at all - might gasp in incredulity at this assertion. But that’s just how blogging works in my life. (Though, hats off to people to who manage all the blogging with kids and full time jobs)

Another reason for the hiatus has been probably a common thing that all of us go through - life takes over and it’s hard to find the time. With some personal issues and the rush of keeping up with my professional blogging, I has to compromise on a few things. And my personal blog is usually the casualty. Plus, once you stop, the languor sets in making it even harder to begin again. You know, you’ve been there! But after avoiding looking straight in the eye of my neglect of this blog, even when I could begin writing, here I am fighting through my lassitude. 

While I was pondering about blogging sitting on the periphery of the blogosphere, I figured what might work for my blog here. I need to work on what works for me. Daily blogging doesn’t. I need to go back to my reasons for writing - the love of it and improving the craft of writing. So consistency through well thought of posts seems to be my kind of plan. I am outright incapable of writing a good post every single day. Maybe, if that was my only profession. So, I need to find a rhythm that keeps me going and the blog too. And I think I have kinda figured what that rhythm could be.

If you have made it all the way here through my rant, thank you so much! Your free gift of good karma should reach you soon! And while you are here, have you been through a phase where you just took a break even from something you love? It could be a hobby or a (weekly) ritual that you followed for a long time. Tell me about it. I’d love to hear about it.