After a pretty long break, im back again with some worthy notes to share and to learn !

Was enjoying my time with my family, and getting the much needed recharge which would keep me going amidst the overwhelming encounters that life has me to offer. Today, in my office where there are lots of vacant seats and where there is no meeting requests and no scheduled sessions…im getting some quality time to jot down some human side of my life here in this small space on the world’s dictionary….as i would call it

Life often makes us to think, what really is the ultimate objective we are thriving for, we are competing for, we are so arrogantly after…Is it the position, is it the wealth, is it the top of the ladder in the corporate arena or is it the just being yoruself and enjoying whatever you do ?? This, im sure is a tougher question to ask and ofcourse seems to come right out of a spiritual mind…no worries….im still an interactive developer ;). But at times i feel the huge contrast that lies between the work and life, which nowadays the pros call ‘WORK-LIFE Balance’.

Family, Relations, Love, Care all take a primary priority in life and maintaining it in the right place and playing safe to your career is what is my version of Work-Life Balance. In this starting stage of my career, i feel the pressure for maintaining that balance and it really is a challenge to get over it with cool head. One of the main ingredient of a balanced life is the passion and love for work, without which life could seem too vaccum, and im fortunate enough to be in that genre !

I would say, its half the job done if you are passionate enough for the work that you do. All the other things that you would be doing is pure time management and smart work @ workplace…and you are ready to unwind the treasure of life..which is a completely balanced life

Wishing you all a happy holi and a happy BALANCING

Personal health is the prioritised topic over one’s professional life…atleast its for me ;), and i feel it should be. There are times we are get caught up in the whirlpool of professional life and totally have to ignore the personal health atleast for sometime. But, remember…if you are really ignoring your health over the professional milestones and the deadlines are making you forget about your family and personal well-being, give it a second thought ! You may be risking something very important in your life !

Yes stress can bring a lot of bad in times to come…but not when you are all prepared to handle it and are confident about getting rid of the stress from you mind.

How to Reduce, prevent, and Cope with Stress

If you’re living with high levels of stress, you’re putting your entire well-being at risk. Stress wreaks havoc on your emotional equilibrium, as well as your physical health. It narrows your ability to think clearly, function effectively, and enjoy life.

The goal of stress management is to bring your mind and body back into balance. By adopting a positive attitude, learning healthier ways to cope, and changing the way you deal with stress, you can reduce its hold on your life.

Stress management strategy #1: Avoid unnecessary stress

Not all stress can be avoided, and it’s not healthy to avoid a situation that needs to be addressed. You may be surprised, however, by the number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate.

• Learn how to say “no” – Know your limits and stick to them. Whether in your personal or professional life, refuse to accept added responsibilities when you’re close to reaching them. Taking on more than you can handle is a surefire recipe for stress.
• Avoid people who stress you out – If someone consistently causes stress in your life and you can’t turn the relationship around, limit the amount of time you spend with that person or end the relationship entirely.
• Take control of your environment – If the evening news makes you anxious, turn the TV off. If traffic’s got you tense, take a longer but less-traveled route. If going to the market is an unpleasant chore, do your grocery shopping online.
• Avoid hot-button topics – If you get upset over religion or politics, cross them off your conversation list. If you repeatedly argue about the same subject with the same people, stop bringing it up or excuse yourself when it’s the topic of discussion.
• Pare down your to-do list – Analyze your schedule, responsibilities, and daily tasks. If you’ve got too much on your plate, distinguish between the “shoulds” and the “musts.” Drop tasks that aren’t truly necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them entirely.

Stress management strategy #2: Alter the situation

If you can’t avoid a stressful situation, try to alter it. Figure out what you can do to change things so the problem is avoided in the future. Often, this involves changing the way you communicate and operate in your daily life.

• Express your feelings instead of bottling them up. If something or someone is bothering you, communicate your concerns in an open and respectful way. If you don’t voice your feelings, resentment will build and the situation will likely remain the same.
• Be willing to compromise. When you ask someone to change their behavior, be willing to do the same. If you both are willing to bend at least a little, you’ll have a good chance of finding a happy middle ground.
• Be more assertive. Don’t take a backseat in your own life. Deal with problems head on, doing your best to anticipate and prevent them. If you’ve got an exam to study for and your chatty roommate just got home, say up front that you only have five minutes to talk.
• Manage your time better. Poor time management can cause a lot of stress. When you’re stretched too thin and running behind, it’s hard to stay calm and focused. But if you plan ahead, you can avoid these stress-inducing pitfalls.

Stress management strategy #3: Accept the things you can’t change

Some sources of stress are unavoidable. You can’t prevent or change stressors such as the death of a loved one, a serious illness, or a national recession. In such cases, the best way to cope with stress is to accept things as they are. Acceptance may be difficult, but in the long run, it’s easier than railing against a situation you can’t change.

• Don’t try to control the uncontrollable. Many things in life are beyond our control— particularly the behavior of other people. Rather than stressing out over them, focus on the things you can control such as the way you choose to react to problems.
• Look for the upside. As the saying goes, “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” When facing major challenges, try to look at them as opportunities for personal growth. If your own poor choices contributed to a stressful situation, reflect on them and learn from your mistakes.
• Share your feelings. Talk to a trusted friend or make an appointment with a therapist. Expressing what you’re going through can be very cathartic, even if there’s nothing you can do to alter the stressful situation.
• Learn to forgive. Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world and that people make mistakes. Let go of anger and resentments. Free yourself from negative energy by forgiving and moving on.

Stress management strategy #4: Adapt to the stressor

If you can’t change the stressor, change yourself. You can adapt to stressful situations and regain your sense of control by changing your expectations and attitude.

• Reframe problems. Try to view stressful situations from a more positive perspective. Rather than fuming about a traffic jam, look at it as an opportunity to pause and regroup, listen to your favorite radio station, or enjoy some alone time.
• Look at the big picture. Take perspective of the stressful situation. Ask yourself how important it will be in the long run. Will it matter in a month? A year? Is it really worth getting upset over? If the answer is no, focus your time and energy elsewhere.
• Adjust your standards. Perfectionism is a major source of avoidable stress. Stop setting yourself up for failure by demanding perfection. Set reasonable standards for yourself and others, and learn to be okay with “good enough.”
• Focus on the positive. When stress is getting you down, take a moment to reflect on all the things you appreciate in your life, including your own positive qualities and gifts. This simple strategy can help you keep things in perspective.

Stress reduction tips

Beyond a take-charge approach and a positive attitude, you can reduce stress in your life by making healthy lifestyle choices and taking care of yourself. If you regularly make time for rest and relaxation, you’ll be in a better place to handle life’s stressors when they inevitably come.

Nurture yourself

Don’t get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that you forget to take care of your own needs. Nurturing yourself is a necessity, not a luxury.

• Set aside relaxation time. Include rest and relaxation in your daily schedule. Don’t allow other obligations to encroach. This is your time to take a break from all responsibilities and recharge your batteries.
• Connect with others. Spend time with positive people who enhance your life. A strong support system will buffer you from the negative effects of stress.
• Do something you enjoy every day. Make time for leisure activities that bring you joy, whether it be stargazing, playing the piano, or working on your bike.
• Keep your sense of humor. This includes the ability to laugh at yourself. The act of laughing helps your body fight stress in a number of ways.

Adopt a healthy lifestyle

• Exercise regularly. Physical activity plays a key role in reducing and preventing the effects of stress. Make time for at least 30 minutes of exercise, three times per week. Nothing beats aerobic exercise for releasing pent-up stress and tension.
• Eat a healthy diet. Well-nourished bodies are better prepared to cope with stress, so be mindful of what you eat. Start your day right with breakfast, and keep your energy up and your mind clear with balanced, nutritious meals throughout the day.
• Reduce caffeine and sugar. The temporary “highs” caffeine and sugar provide often end in with a crash in mood and energy. By reducing the amount of coffee, soft drinks, chocolate, and sugar snacks in your diet, you’ll feel more relaxed and you’ll sleep better.
• Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. Self-medicating with alcohol or drugs may provide an easy escape from stress, but the relief is only temporary. Don’t avoid or mask the issue at hand; deal with problems head on and with a clear mind.
• Get enough sleep. Adequate sleep fuels your mind, as well as your body. Feeling tired will increase your stress because it may cause you to think irrationally.

Cant resist posting these snaps. Here in my company headquarters, the guest house is a highlight

My Adorable company…we are the 4th best india and we will be the first !

My Guest house…

Thats a gud pose

The warmth of wordpress doesnt help me to stay warm here now…

The news, that the city is going to witness a null temperature day today is adding to my worries. The greeneries and the lush green coconut trees are replaced by the tall skyscrapers that give a feeling that they are some ladders to another world. The busy professionals tell the tale of long working hours and about the share market readings and the new house that they are buying in the proximity…
This is GURGAON, and im in the indian headquarters of my adorable company SAPIENT. The only thing that i love here, the quality of work and the aggression at work, alongwith the cool guest house that im being provided with.

Im here to learn and that i what i can get in abundance here…lots and lots of new doors open wide for me to explore. Welcome mysticpixels for a period of evolution !

I post this with great satisaction and pain…..
Satisfaction for my inner self and pain for my body

Its time for a recharge, and no other time suits other than this weekend ! Now posting this blog from chennai, im under recharge mode Here for a period of 3 days with my friends, im all ready for a complete recharge.
Time spent enjoying the beautiful things around me, its a different experience. This being my first trip to this city adds to the joy. Looking forward to post some snaps that ill be taking along the way into my flickr account shortly.
Learning to cope up with the pressure and maintain the work-life balance slowly. A long way to go in my career, this will be a good launch pad to withstand hard times to come.

Cmon…..lets chill out pals

Its been quite some time ive posted something. Was pretty busy with a design contest. A intranet portal design contest for the company i work for, infact. We worked for a week, inspite of our late start, and managed to come up with a pretty appealing interface with some feasible ideas in it.
Expectations…expectations….expectations…I realised that it is the single way to distress
We expected our design to get through the first round and were waiting for the second round. But to our shock, we couldnt even find a place in the top 9 list :(. Hard luck for the team and the morale was dropping. But, recovering pretty fast from this tragedy, we have some plans and we ll implement it in times to come.

Watch out for some hot news from mysticpixels !

The passed-by week was one of the important moments in my professional life. There were instances that made me know my shortcomings and there were some eventful days that really brought about a seriousness in me. I was always taking things for granted and that week showed me how dangerous those casual approach will be to one’s career. It has been an eyeopener for me and ive found many key factors that are unavoidable and essential for a clear and successful career.
Being a creative designer, patience is a compulsory trait and that is ought to come through experience. But, ive understood that the soft skills or exceptional talent in designing an awesome layout or sailing through an application are never the skills that would help one designer climb the corporate ladder upwards. Those are just the weapons that one might have to sharpen even more, daily, for surviving in the exploding competition day by day. The things that actually matter are the interpersonal skills and ability to lead an organised life. I personally believe that once you are confident enough in your personal life the confidence in your professional life follows…those just follow. In a drive to set some of my shortcomings right…im focussed on my interpersonal and other skills like concentration and organised approach.

So by now….its all the known fact that success is not a cake walk and ive just realised that…