CHANGING TABOO TO TREND

1. Depression and Anxiety

It broke my heart when I opened the newspaper few days back. All of 17, innocent and lovely with a promising career ahead, what prompted Ritika Phogat to take the extreme step of taking her precious life? What was bothering the child, how did the signs go unnoticed by the family, is winning medals worth the cost of a human life? Same questions, every time I read a news item such as this. The thing is suicide is preventable and depression is curable. Then why are we not talking about it, why is the awareness so poor, why do we still consider it a taboo?

WHO puts India at 6th place in the world in suicide among women and 22nd position for men. According to NDTV, an average 381 people committed suicide every day in India in 2019.* Death by suicide has been increasing each year in India and the world at large. According to WHO, One person dies of suicide every 40 seconds. Suicide was the second leading cause of death among young people aged 15-29 years, after road injury.** The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that suicide is a serious public "health problem" and is "preventable" with timely, evidence-based and often low-cost
interventions.

According to WHO, the single largest illness in the world is depression. 300 million + people globally suffer from depression. 240 million+ people suffer from anxiety.

I often come across this question, about how to recognize depression. Here is the thing. Suffering from depression means more than just dealing with a bad week or even a bad month. Depression is a weakening condition that can make it impossible for you to enjoy your daily existence. If you are plagued with feelings of overwhelming sadness, loneliness, worthlessness, and cannot imagine that things will get any better, then you may be suffering from depression.

Depression doesn’t see cast, religion, sex or any other criteria. Rich or poor all are same. Fame, money or family doesn’t matter. It’s a clinical condition and best handled with professional help. Talking about one’s depression helps. It’s not something that needs to be brushed under the carpet.

Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone has been open about her struggle with depression. She says, "The word that best describes my experience of depression is struggle. Every second was a struggle. I felt exhausted the whole time."***

Similarly a host of actors and actresses have suffered depression and have talked about it openly.

Actress Anushka Sharma had talked about her anxiety issues in 2017. “I have anxiety. And I’m treating my anxiety. I’m on medication for my anxiety. Why am I saying this? Because it’s a completely normal thing. It’s a biological problem. In my family there have been cases of depression. More and more people should talk openly about it. There is nothing shameful about it or something to hide. If you had a constant stomach pain, wouldn’t you go to the doctor? It’s that simple.” ****

Hrithik Roshan believes that depression should be treated as a “normal thing”, and must not be stigmatised. He spoke about how he battled with his depression in an interview. “I have experienced depression, I have experienced confusion, as we all do. It’s a normal thing. Millions don’t know they might be suffering from something clinical which is not their fault. It is nothing one should feel awkward
about. A knee, elbow, back or neck problems are something we are unapologetic to talk about. But when we are going to go through deep anxiety, depression, chaos, confusion or addictive behaviour and even though we know we are going through it, we don’t allow ourselves to talk about the problems that deal with the brain. It is because we have been conditioned since birth that it is something to feel embarrassed about. And we need to stamp out that stigma. We need to set ourselves free.” ****

India captain Virat Kohli recently spoke about how he battled depression during a harrowing tour of England in 2014 where he felt like the "loneliest guy in the world" Kohli remembered feeling alone despite the fact that there were supportive people in his life. He said professional help was what he needed. The India captain, considered one of the best batsmen in modern cricket, believes mental health issues cannot be overlooked as they can destroy a person's career.

This is a welcome change. More and more people should come out and talk about their experience in overcoming depression and anxiety. What is important to understand is that like any other illness depression is treatable. One need not and should not wait for it to take over one’s life which sometimes leads to loss of life itself.

*NDTV, Sept 2, 2020

**WHO, 9 Sept, 2019

***India Today, Aug 4, 2019

**** Indian Express, Oct 10, 2019

Top Challenges of New & Old Managers….

Many new managers feel no one understands what they’re going through and find themselves struggling as a manager.

The numbers prove it:

1).20% of managers are doing a poor job, according to their subordinates.

2).26% of managers feel they were not ready to lead others to begin with.

3).Almost 60% say they never received any training when they transitioned into their first leadership role.

It’s tough to make the transition from an individual contributor who does the work well, to a leader who must continue to do the work, plus lead others.

So lets see the common problems most of the new and old managers go through ..

Some other disturbing statistics about the  challenges  are ….

Due to this…..50% of the managers in organizations are rated as ineffective in their career.

No wonder why all the managers feel so overwhelmed all. the time. But why is this problem?

See our next blog for the answer…

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email: teamsamunnati.org

How Samunnati’s Well Being Platform is unique?

The Internet has undoubtedly solved many troubles and paved ways for many new opportunities.

But what about your well-being.🤷‍♀️

Q1).Do you think that all those content out there on social media, talking on well-being can be blindly copied & will give you life satisfaction? 🤔

 Q2). Are you sure the social media well being content  gives you enough tools to come out of your unique life challenges?🤔

 Q3).And even if you think these random tips have increased your well being level, then how to measure this change ? 🧐

4) Moreover,  do you have well-being packages available in the market or do you find a platform which has all the wellbeing practitioners come together and help you grow physically, mentally and emotionally?

Nowadays due to Corona there has been a decline in the well-being level of all. Even when we  think to go for a well being session or therapy, we find it economically draining, and we  have to think twice to just get skilled in an area as foundational as leading a happy/healthy life.

Samunnati has come up with it’s phenomenal approach of affordability, accessibility and assurance of quality in the well-being domain. A place where well-read professionals will facilitate you on well being skills and equip you with essential tools of problem solving & achieve higher life satisfaction.

Watch the video below to know how Samunnati is remarkably a different platform altogether and How it is Changing the idea of mental health from “TABOO TO TREND”😊

Courtesy: Anugya Dixit, Content Writer and Well Being Consultant

Wednesday Wisdom: Lost in the Forest

Five friends had gone for a morning trek in a dense forest and somehow managed to get completely lost.Struggling to find their way out of it for good 8 hours, there came a point where they were hungry, thirsty and tired. They desperately needed to get back now. It was getting dark. They decided to strategise a right plan to find the quickest way back.

The first one thought, we must turn around and attempt to go back in exactly the same direction that we came in.
The second one said his gut feeling said, the exit is to their left.

The third one said, I remember in which direction the sun rose when we came and based on that, technically we must turn right.

The fourth one thought, we must keep marching in the same direction as we were already walking since they had already covered a few miles and there has to be an end to the forest soon.

The fifth one, who was the wisest of all, said we must climb a tree, rise above and take a view from the top and find the shortest way out.

In frustration, they all never came on the same page and each one thought he is right, and the others are wrong. None gave up their point of view, disregarded others wrong opinions and went with their own respective ‘rights’.

Each chose his own path.

  • The fifth one did find the shortest way to a nearest village, he was wise indeed.
  • The fourth one, found a pack of wolves but fought them and learnt how to survive in a forest. He started loving it out there.
  • The third one, found another team of hikers, eventually found his way out with them and made new friends too.
  • The second one, found a farm and was hosted by a lovely family and spent few of the best days of his life before he headed home.
  • The first one, struggled for a good 7 hours, but remembers it as his best night trek ever.

This story reminded us, that everything in life is not about right and wrong.

Rights and wrongs have broken many friendships and spoiled far too many relationships.

A 6 from my side, looks like a 9 from yours. Let’s not impose our views on others.

We may be the wisest one, and may know the quickest fix, but wisdom is, in letting each one, find their own path.

Suggestions are welcome if they aren’t imposed. We must never judge or label those who disagree with us. Agree to disagree, respectfully.

All roads lead to Rome. And all roads have one common outcome, a worthy experience. _

Every time the dice is rolled, a new experience unfolds. And each one enriches us, in its own unique way and eventually adds to our maturity, wisdom and growth._

Let life unfold for each one of us in its own way. Who are we to conclude who’s right and who’s wrong? Everyone is right, in their own way.

Out beyond the ideas of right and wrong, there is a field. I will meet you there.

Written By: Anugya Dixit. Content Writer

Life Lessons of Rudolph

 

Story of Rudolph

Rudolph, a young reindeer, lived at the North Pole, was a lively, happy reindeer, and loved playing in the snow. 

One day the other reindeers noticed his large and bright red nose. His glowing bright red nose was overlooked at the wrong time, made Rudolph the brunt of all jokes. Friends dismissed him from games, and he was publicly humiliated.

So, Rudolph was sad because it was also Christmas Eve. And he was afraid that, because of his shiny nose, he would never be chosen to pull Santa’s sleigh. 

He set out to visit Santa and Elf, who was always kind to Rudolph and never mentioned his funny nose. They were busy with all their presents, and he started helping them. While they work, the day turned to night.

At last, Santa was ready to leave and asked Elf to pack up the sleigh. 

The Team of 8 reindeer proudly took their places in front of the sleigh. Santa looked around and noticed how foggy the night had become. So he was worried that he would not be able to see his way. Suddenly, he looked at Rudolph, and a bright idea struck him. 

 “Rudolph,” Santa said, “I want YOU-with your shiny nose- to light the way for my sleigh tonight!”

The Team of Reindeer made way for Rudolph. From then onwards, Rudolph was Santa’s first choice every Christmas Eve.

This little story gives us a smile on our faces with some life lessons of success.

Christmas Lessons

  1. 1. Don’t let someone else define our value.In our life, we all hear various kinds of voices in difficult situations. Often we listen to the wrong voices.

    However, like Rudolph, we must value ourselves as who we are, not because of what others say about us. Always there will be people who want to pull us down. They dislike differences and wouldn’t want us to succeed.

    2. Be a light to others who have criticized or condemned us

    Rudolph gave his light to all, even to those who made fun of him. The light was for all. Same way, forgiving somebody who could be the cause of our pain is difficult yet essential because we all go through some darkest times in our lives and come to the brighter side. Hence, we should be light to even those who have criticized or condemned us sometimes. 

    3. Our uniqueness is our gift to the world. 

    Santa’s squad of reindeer was complete, but Rudolph had a unique quality. Due to this quality, he could make his own place in Santa’s gang. 

    Similarly, discovering our unique gift is a part of the success journey. We are born with phenomenal potentials, and uncovering them is our responsibility. It’s certainly easy to see in others and difficult to look it into self. So reflecting on our thoughts, behaviour, and action will help us to uncover our gift. 

    4. Find someone who believes in you.

    It was Santa who changed Rudolph’s future when he brought to light his unique bright red nose. Santa knew that this gift would make a difference in the mission.

    So, we must have somebody who could believe in us. It’s, no doubt, a little troublesome to find a person who would believe in us. But we must continue searching for this person. When we find that one, it will fuel our success.

    5. Difficulties are always opportunities in disguise.

    It’s complicated to recognize an opportunity in difficulty. 

    The way the foggy night paved a new way for Rudolph to be a part of the sleigh team. In the exact same way, we might face trouble thinking of how things can work out when we feel helpless and trapped. Yet, during those dreadful times, creativity saves us. Hence, we need to learn to focus on positives in mid of negativity. It’s a skill that will keep us going.  

 Conclusion

Rudolph’s story is an imaginary tale, but it gives us impactful lessons about life.

Apart from it, it has lessons for leaders. It shows that leaders must provide help to group members to identify their strengths, support them, and help them shine. When each one of us brings our unique talents to the goal, everything falls into place.

 Kindly share what you learned from the story?

GOOD or BAD

We all do it. Isn’t it? We quantify situations hastily.

The parameters of quantification may differ from person to person and depend largely upon the situation, but majorly it is divided into the two …….

No, we are not here to discuss if this polarization is good or bad, but rather to help you understand whether we need this classification or not. See, classifications can make things simpler for us. Undeniable for sure!

It helps us to make decisions faster, and this is how life can keep going without too much analysis or introspection. It is crucial in some cases to classify “good or bad”.  For instance,

                                                                        OR

But in most cases, we look at a situation only at its extremes, which is immature because then you will have only two pictures in your mind, either good or bad, black or white. Clearly, no space for grey(balance).

For an example, assume that while dusting today, you broke a vase! Now, what would you think instantly?

And now your mood becomes a slave of events which happen in your life, and gradually, to your surprise, you will fall prey of low self-image or self-doubting!

If you notice keenly, you can detect that all this process of polarizing events into “good or bad” majorly depend on materialistic influx or efflux because they provide short term pleasure or pain.

Hence, we can say that the parameters of classifying events are based on materialistic illusions, which will change now and then, but can significantly hamper your mental health.

Either there is a need for multiplying the dimension of classification as “good” or “bad” or, we need to look at the entire situation in harmony, by just being mindful of all the odds and accept it as it comes.

Now, you may wonder, as to why did I suggest to “accept as it comes”? Okay, so when we classify the situation into either of the two categories, we generally get carried away by emotions attached to it.

Striking a balance between these two, therefore, becomes a matter of utmost importance for our

Connect with us to  access our Mental Well Being packages @ www.samunnati.org or cal us @ 9899880845.

 

 

 

 

 

Naturopathy the new lifestyle

Are you naturally healthy?

Ask this question to yourself and if the answer is ‘NO’ than this write-up is for you.

“Nature itself is the best physician.” Hippocrates

Hippocrates, a Greek physician who lived 2400 years ago, first formulated the concept of “the healing power of nature”. This concept has long been at the core of medicine around the world and remains one of the central principles of naturopathic medicine.

FounderBenedict Lust c. 1902, the founder of naturopathy in the U.S.

In North America, naturopathic medicine traces its origins to Dr. Benedict Lust. He used the term “naturopathy” to describe a clinical practice, which integrated such natural healing methods as botanical medicine, homeopathy, nutritional therapy, manipulative therapy, acupuncture and lifestyle counselling.

Naturopathic medical education began in Canada in 1978 with the founding of the Ontario College of Naturopathic Medicine (OCNM) in Toronto.

What is Naturopathy?

Naturopathy or naturopathic medicine is a procedure of alternative treatment.

It is a practice which promotes “natural”, “non-invasive”, or “self-healing” procedures for patients. The naturopathy follows a philosophy and methods which are based on harmonizing vital energy of body and traditional medicine,rather than evidence-based medicine.

Principles of Naturopathy

We naturopathy practitioners help patients to regain their self-healing power with combination of diet, exercises and by alternative healing practices.

Few prominence therapies are listed below.

  • Ayurvedic medicine
  • Acupuncture
  • Acupressure
  • Aromatherapy
  • Bowen technique
  • Homeopathy
  • Hypnotherapy
  • Massage
  • Meditation
  • Mindfulness
  • Reflexology
  • Reiki
  • Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)
  • Western herbal medicine
  • Yoga

All the above are very effective therapies and if guided by trained practitioners it gives an enormously good results for sufferer.

Protection facts –

Most harmonizing and alternative therapies are measured to be harmless when conducted by a trained and experienced practitioner. However, there may be times that a certain therapy may carry higher risks for you.

It is always advisable that instead of getting dependent to drugs for longer time and become a chest full of chemicals, detoxify yourself by natural practices and therapies and live NATURALLY HEALTHY, STRONG AND LONG.

Connect with us for well being workshops, webinar, coaching, counselling (individual and group) and well being packages @ 9818105631 or mail us at training@samunnati.org.

 

 

Art of story telling

“Storytelling is the greatest technology that humans have ever created.” — Jon Westenberg

What is Story telling?

It is an ART!

Yes, storytelling is an art form that uses narrative to communicate something to your audience. It may be factual or facts that are improvised and embellished to make the narrative more appealing and relevant.

When done correctly, research shows the powerful impact storytelling can have on us:

  • Stories are 22 times more memorable than facts & figures alone
  • Our neural activity increases 5X when listening to a story
  • Storytelling lights up the sensory cortex in the brain, allowing the listener to feel, hear, taste, and even smell the story

Storytelling is an incredibly valuable tool in marketing, and sets apart vibrant brands from simple businesses and loyal consumers from one-time, casual shoppers.

https://www.referralcandy.com/blog/ultimate-storytelling-guide-infographic/

Storytelling is an art form that is timeless and has a place in every culture and society. Stories are a universal language that everyone — regardless of dialect, region or heritage — can understand. Stories stimulate imagination and create a sense of community among listeners and tellers alike.

There are two ways to persuade people.*One is to use rhetoric, power point slides, statistics and quotes. This is an intellectual process. The second is putting forth the idea by combining it with emotions. This is done through story telling in which you not only weave lot of information but also appeal to their emotions by arousing the listener’s passion and energy.

A good story has the following aspects:

  1. Entertaining
  2. Informative
  3. Relatable
  4. Well organized
  5. Appeal to emotion and
  6. Memorable

Preparing for the storytelling

Like any other art form, storytelling requires creativity, vision, skill and most important of all practice. To make your storytelling a success you need to keep in mind the following requirements:

  1. Know your audience: To tell a compelling story, understand your target audience, who is going to respond and take action.
  2. Central idea of your story: this should be clearly stated in six to ten words. Your story will unfold around this core message.
  3. What is the outcome you are expecting: Your story will change according to the outcome you expect – expecting some action, creating human values, collaboration or simply educating. Your story and the narrative will change accordingly.
  4. Call to Action: this is similar to your objective but your CTA will establish the action you’d like your audience to take after reading.

What exactly do you want your readers to do after reading? Do you want them to donate money, subscribe to a newsletter, take a course, or buy a product? Outline this alongside your objective to make sure they line up.

Often a good story comes from your customers. All you need to do to find your story is to ask your customers to speak for themselves. User generated story telling is creditable and easily relatable. You could use their stories as they are or spin a fictional tale based on the reality. In my experience as a trainer I have mostly got my stories from my audience and built on it. I have also used these experiences of my audience as the base for my stories for narrating elsewhere.

Remember “the best stories are not your own, but of your customers and your fans”

Once you’ve found your story, tell your story in the most memorable and impactful manner possible. Be authentic and stay true to your brand message. To make it authentic you can even use real names, settings, and outcomes if it’s possible. Every story has its heroes and villains. In brand storytelling, villains should be problems and hero should be your brand’s solution to these problems.

Our brains recall information better when we associate it with a sensory experience. Stimulate the senses with beautiful visuals, objects, handouts and whatever else you can, so that the listener engages more than one sensory organ.

Brand Storytelling Example 1: The Land Of Land Rovers Campaign**

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNXU1IR2LR8

Land Rover Showcases Why the Best Stories Come From Others

In celebration of Land Rover’s 70th anniversary, the company brought to life the true story of, “The Land of Land Rovers,” a remote area in the Indian Himalayas. The video tells the story of the local drivers who rely on a fleet of meticulously maintained 1957 Land Rover vehicles to provide transport and supplies along the treacherous mountain roads between two small villages, Maneybhanjang and Sandakphu.

To bring this remarkable story to life, Land Rover’s team made the village of Maneybhanjang their home for ten days in order to get to know these brave drivers and experience their everyday life. The end result delights the viewer with its stunning cinematography, while hearing from the drivers and villagers only further reinforces the incredible off-road capabilities of Land Rover vehicles.

Brand Storytelling Example #2: Ikea’s Improve Your Private Life Campaign

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dYpJaAmJj0

IKEA Singapore Highlights the Power Of Humor In Storytelling.

IKEA Singapore’s Shelf Help Guru video campaign stars a ‘Shelf Help Guru,’ who wants to take IKEA customers on a journey of ‘shelf discovery’ to improve their private lives in their most private areas: their bedrooms and bathrooms. It uses humour to captivate the audience and illustrates practical storage and furniture solutions from IKEA positioning it as the go-to retail store for improving your home.

Brand Storytelling Example #3: Sanlam Bank’s #OneRandMan Campaign

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLY_tGjm-9Y

Sanlam Bank Showcases How Storytelling Can Spark Change

In South Africa, research shows that most people do not save much of their salary. So much so, that household debt averages about 75% of their after-tax income. To educate South Africans about the importance of saving money, Sanlam Bank launched a 5-part web series called One Rand Man, featuring a young professional who embarks on a social experiment – getting paid only in one rand coins. For context, one rand coin is about seven cents in U.S. currency. The video series documents his trials and tribulations of paying for everyday expenses in coins. Each week, Sanlam Bank also joined forces with respected local personal finance news outlets to share advice and tips based on the issues faced by the One Rand Man.

The Results

Telling the story of One Rand Man, combined with valuable personal finance thought leadership, sparked a chord in South Africans. The video series was watched over 900,000 times, making it the most-watched ad on YouTube in South Africa during the time of the campaign. Furthermore, the effort generated over 74 million media impressions, earning over 41 million rand worth of media exposure for the company (approx $2.8M U.S. dollars). The wild success of One Rand Man spawned One Rand Family and other similar episodic spin-offs, further inspiring and educating South Africans around the importance of personal finance and saving money.

Storytelling is a trial and error process and no one masters it in the first try. However it is worth mastering for building your brand. Today’s consumer doesn’t decide to buy based on what you’re selling, but rather why you’re selling it. Storytelling helps you communicate that “why” in a creative, engaging and fun way.

 

References

* https://hbr.org/2003/06/storytelling-that-moves-people

** https://www.convinceandconvert.com/content-marketing/brand-storytelling-examples/

***https://www.hubspot.com/marketing/storytelling