Accountability Loop and Victim Loop

Stress and Tension

Mental tensions, frustrations, insecurity, aimlessness are among the most damaging stressors, and psychosomatic studies have shown how often they cause migraine headache, peptic ulcers, heart attacks, hypertension, mental disease, suicide, or just hopeless unhappiness. 

-Hans Selye

Eknath Easwaran's Commentary

A great deal of psychological stress comes from the rush and hurry of a turbulent mind, which jumps recklessly to unwarranted conclusions, rushes to judgments, and often is going too fast to see events and people as they truly are. Such a mind keeps the body under continual tension. It is constantly on the move – desiring, worrying, hoping, fearing, planning, defending, rehearsing, criticizing. It cannot stop or rest except in deep sleep, when the whole body, particularly the nervous system, heaves a sigh of relief and tries to repair the damage of the day. 

Simply by slowing down the mind – the first purpose of meditation – much of this tension can be removed. Then we are free to respond to life’s difficulties not as sources of stress but as challenges, which will draw out of us deeper resources than we ever suspected we had. A one-pointed mind is slow and sound, which gives it immense resilience under stress. With a mind like this, we always have a choice in how we respond to life around us. 

Grounding

Grounding is being totally present in your body and feeling connected to mother earth. Having self-worth, a sense of purpose and deep trust in yourself.

Grounding can be done by:

1. Hugging a tree
2. Connecting with Nature
3. Giving energy to plants - Say thank you to the plants around you; feel love and appreciation towards them.
4. Plantation
5. Walking barefoot on the ground
6. Taking a bath
7. Breathing deeply
8. Yogasan and Pranayam
9. Meditation
10. Serving others
11. Disconnecting from social media and news
12. Positive Affirmations: https://learningspiritualscience.blogspot.com/search/label/Affirmations

Positivity and Optimism

 Yes, positivity can be toxic too.

Let's not discount another's feelings,  or brush away how they're feeling in a moment in time.  Instead,  let's hold space,  be present, be empathetic, and be accessible. Ask what would one need to feel better? Do not forget to check on one's or your own boundaries while you do all or one of these. Let's bring empathy, compassion, and grace back.

Courtesy: Nidhi Singh Samyal

Self Love

As I began to love myself I found that anguish and emotional suffering are only warning signs that I was living against my own truth. Today, I know, this is “AUTHENTICITY”.

As I began to love myself I understood how much it can offend somebody if I try to force my desires on this person, even though I knew the time was not right and the person was not ready for it, and even though this person was me. Today I call it “RESPECT”.

As I began to love myself I stopped craving for a different life, and I could see that everything that surrounded me was inviting me to grow. Today I call it “MATURITY”.

As I began to love myself I understood that at any circumstance, I am in the right place at the right time, and everything happens at the exactly right moment. So I could be calm. Today I call it “SELF-CONFIDENCE”.

As I began to love myself I quit stealing my own time, and I stopped designing huge projects for the future. Today, I only do what brings me joy and happiness, things I love to do and that make my heart cheer, and I do them in my own way and in my own rhythm. Today I call it “SIMPLICITY”.

As I began to love myself I freed myself of anything that is no good for my health – food, people, things, situations, and everything that drew me down and away from myself. At first I called this attitude a healthy egoism. Today I know it is “LOVE OF ONESELF”.

As I began to love myself I quit trying to always be right, and ever since I was wrong less of the time. Today I discovered that is “MODESTY”.

As I began to love myself I refused to go on living in the past and worrying about the future. Now, I only live for the moment, where everything is happening. Today I live each day, day by day, and I call it “FULFILLMENT”.

As I began to love myself I recognized that my mind can disturb me and it can make me sick. But as I connected it to my heart, my mind became a valuable ally. Today I call this connection “WISDOM OF THE HEART”.

We no longer need to fear arguments, confrontations or any kind of problems with ourselves or others. Even stars collide, and out of their crashing new worlds are born. Today I know “THAT IS LIFE”!

- Charlie Chaplin

Composting tips

Composting process is very simple as it requires Kitchen Wet Waste (Nitrogen), dry leaves/shredded paper/cocopeat (Carbon) and Oxygen. First add a layer of crushed dry leaves or cocopeat or dry soil and then put a layer of kitchen green waste (Do not add any cooked food) and cover it again with crushed dry leaves/ shredded paper/cocopeat. Just keep on layering greens and browns every day. 

Few tips:

1. Chop materials before putting them in the compost bin. The smaller it is, the faster it will break down. 

2. Each layer should be around 2 centimeters.

3. Mix up the mixture every week so that the compost will introduce oxygen and speed up the composting process. 

4. Adding few spoons of sour buttermilk every week or 10 days will add microbes and may speed up the composting. Do not make it too wet.

5. Add some existing compost to the bin and this will speed up the process due to microbes present in the compost.

6. If it smells bad, it probably means it's not decomposing properly; maybe your pile might be too wet or you might need to readjust your ratios of greens and browns.

7. The pile should be damp, not soggy.