9 Effective Ways to Overcome Loneliness

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It is the 21st century, and we all are connected virtually with one and another. Now and then, inside the closed door and on the road, people are seen scrolling through the social media feeds. However, the irony here is however much we try to connect socially, there are people amidst us who are lonely inside. However much we try to socialize for the sake of clicking good photos and posting on social media, deep inside we are residing in a world of isolation, loneliness, and depression. 

Impact of loneliness on people:
In a 2020 January survey conducted by Cigna, it was found that 61% of the ten thousand adults who were considered as samples felt lonely and sad. Moreover, what’s more depressing is people barely talk about this feeling of loneliness. 

Before you find the answer to how to overcome loneliness, here is how loneliness can impact one: 

(A) Depression 
A study published in The Lancet Psychiatry denotes that adults over 50 suffer more from depression and loneliness. The research also found out that depression and loneliness complement each other. 

(B) Physical health 
Several studies have been successful in linking loneliness and depression with depressed immunity and poor health conditions. Therefore, it is for sure that people suffering from loneliness are likely to experience hazardous health issues. 

(C) Physical pain 
Research proves that the brain areas deal with the social exclusion of a person and the physical pain that one experiences in life. So, when a person is not socially active, he is sure to share some physical discomfort. 

Tips to overcome loneliness 
Here are nine ways to overcome loneliness, which, if followed, will yield the best results. 

1. Be kind to yourself 
When you are facing some difficult situation, do not be hard on yourself. Try to understand your mental condition, be considerate to yourself and be kind to yourself. The harsher you are on yourself, the less you will be able to come out of the challenging situation. Remember, life goes on, and so should you. So, limit yourself from self-blaming and take care of yourself. 

2. Live on the present moment 
Most people suffer from depression because they keep thinking of that one bad incident or bad feeling that they experienced a few days back. But, what is done cannot be undone. You cannot remove the event, good or bad, from your chapter of life. All you can do is stay strong, keep smiling and live in the present. Then, if you feel worse, you can talk to your near and dear ones. 

3. Connect with the world around you 
One of the most practical ways to overcome loneliness is by connecting with your surroundings. Unfortunately, in the era of smartphones and social media, connecting with the real world is complicated. Now, people look more into the phone screens than to the world outside them. To decrease loneliness, the best way would be to build strong social connections in person. 

4. Consider how to spend free time 
When you have spare time, instead of scrolling down the social media feeds, utilize this time to ponder over some hobby that you had in the past. You can start painting or learn some musical instrument, or read a book. Often, when we have some spare time, all we do is sit with our phones. Instead of utilizing the time, this is making you less productive and forgoing your habits of things that ought to get your attention. 

5. Engage more with people 
Research has shown that the more people engage and interact with each other, the less depressed they are. Not only does this improve one’s mood, but it also keeps one happy and fresh. Therefore, get involved in group activities. The more you socialize, the less free time you get to ponder over depressing issues that might bother you and make you feel sad and lonely. 

6. Befriend strangers 
There is no harm in meeting new people and befriending them. This enhances your social circle. At times of need, these are the people that you can count upon. However, this does not mean making friends on social media. For a while, stop looking out for people in the virtual world. Instead, look for people in and around you. 

7. Be active online 
Since digital media is the new buzzword now, none can stay without it. Today, social media is engaging enough to let people participate in various activities. So, instead of simply scrolling through the social media feeds, you can join in some participatory activities. For example, participate in polls, creative writing competitions, or webinars organized on social media. That way, you can not only keep loneliness at bay but also learn something new. And, what else can be more joyful than learning new things each day! 

8. Share real stuffs online 
After using social media for some time, you must be aware of the word ‘share.’ Social media has been developed to share interesting content. Unfortunately, in this rat race of sharing, we often forget to share the reality and run behind those that are ‘perfect’ and unreal. Let us take an example here. Over the years, filters have come up to beautify pictures and correct them to perfection. Unfortunately, almost all of us use them without acknowledging that none of us are perfect. Humans are filled with flaws, and it is normal. So, instead of adding filters to your photos, add them naturally. 

9. Stop being a narcissist 
In this modern crazy world, our demands have risen to such a level that if they are not fulfilled somehow or the other, we get frustrated and flustered. This is not how things should be. It is good to love yourself, but too much of anything is harmful. Accept yourself just the way you are. Do not keep too many expectations from yourself. 

Above all, have a positive outlook on life. Try to find positivity in whatever you do. Also, pay attention to the things that matter most in your life. Stop looking at what others are doing. Instead, prioritize yourself, your likings, and your dreams. To overcome loneliness, learn to be happy! 

How To Balance Your Personal And Professional Life?

Often, you will come across situations where you fail to meet up the expectations of the family. As a result, your family gives up on you. And, when you are having a tussle with your family, it hampers you both on the professional and the personal front. Although maintaining a balance between personal and professional life is hectic, it is not impossible, provided one knows the right strategy behind it. 

Given below are some that you can follow to maintain personal and professional life balance:

1. Managing time 

In the digital era, you can spend a whole day in front of the computer opening several tabs and doing nothing. If you are attending your office meeting from home via online calls, you can create a workstation separately and sit there so that you don't get bothered by otherworldly pleasures.

2. Set priorities 

To handle both personal and professional life, first, you have to find the difference between personal life and professional life. To do so, create a to-do list in the morning so that you do not miss out on those works of high priority to you.

3. Make a timetable and stick to it 

When you have long working hours or work from home, it is essential to create a timetable and follow it religiously. Unfortunately, many have the habit of making a rigid timetable that they fail to follow at the end. As a result, you see that you are sitting on top of a mountain-like workload by the end of the day.

4. Avoid procrastination

Another bad habit that one needs to maintain a healthy personal life-professional life balance is procrastination. Despite knowing the amount of work that needs to be finished on a particular day, we feel like taking a power nap in the afternoon, which can easily be avoided. The more you procrastinate, the more time is taken for your work to get completed. As a result, your family life is affected because it is already time to go to bed by the time you finish work.

5. Get rid of distraction 

When you live in a world surrounded by digital media all the time, you are sure to get distracted at ease. Many of us have this habit of logging in to different social media platforms. The time that you invest in checking the social media feeds could have been utilized to finish the majority of the work to wrap up soon.

6. Be inventive 

However much you try, there will be situations when some emergencies may demand you to leave your work in between and cater to it. For handling times like these, be prepared with some innovative ideas to finish the job left out for some reason. Also, someday you can work a little extra, to take out your family for a lovely dinner on the weekends.

7. Know about your situation 

Since you have to know how to manage your personal and professional life, you will understand your present situation. For example, if your spouse is a working professional, creating a working schedule that matches your partner's program is essential.

8. Take care of your health 

Amidst striking a balance between personal and professional life, many forget to take care of our health. As a result, we barely pay attention to our health conditions. And by the time we make some time out for devoting to our health, the damage is already done. So, however busy you are, take out some time in the morning for exercises.

9. Do not let your passions die

In life, everybody is attached to some work field or the other. That does not mean your passions will fade away. They might take a back seat and maybe practice occasionally, but never should they be diminished completely. Along with your work, make sure you carry on your passions at regular intervals.

10. Practice saying 'NO' as and when required 

If you have to balance your personal and professional life, you must learn to say NO to certain things. You cannot have everything at the same time. For example, to have a happy family life, you must learn to say NO to friends' night out, clubbing, partying, etc.

11. Reduction in both work life and personal life 

If you are fidgeting with both work and home, know that it is time to make a choice or cut down a bit on both sides. Instead of leading an unhappy life during the 40s with lots of money and a great house, it is better to have a little less bank balance but family people by your side through thick and thin.

12. Have separate personal and professional social media accounts 

Today, social media is used for business and marketing purposes. Never mingle your personal and professional social media accounts. This distinction between personal and professional social media accounts will help you monitor each one of them in a better manner.

13. Know to handle personal and professional data 

If you are working from home, be aware of the company's policies and divide the personal and professional data. Separating this data can be made easy if your company provides you with separate devices to use. Otherwise, you have to be extra careful. 

14. Fix a time when working at home 

When you are working from home, consider it as serious as office work. To get the office environment, you can dress up in formals so that you get that feeling. Also, fix a particular time for working. Make sure that the time you work, none should disturb you, or you should not get distracted in between.

15.Take a lunch break

Amidst your working schedule, take a lunch break so that you feel energized to continue the rest of the work. Also, eating at the right time will help you stay healthy. 

Conclusion 

If you want to enjoy a peaceful work life and family life, follow the points mentioned above. Besides, avoid household chores while you are working. Finally, don't forget to pamper yourself at the end of the day. 

Effective Ways To Boost Productivity At Work

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Does it ever happen that you do not get adequate time to finish work? Well, this happens with a lot of us. You might fix a timetable for the day, and when the day is about to end, you notice that you are left with a lot more to finish. Most of us want to complete more work in less time. Is this at all possible? Of course, it is possible, provided you follow the right strategies. Before you get into the effective ways to boost productivity, know a clear definition of it. 
What is productivity? 
Commonly, productivity is the difference between the input and the output volume of work. To put it simply, productivity at work means the amount of work that has been accomplished in a particular time limit under a specific work environment. Therefore, every organization should focus on the productivity of its employees and its workforce to derive the maximum benefit. 
Measures to increase productivity:
If you are an employee in an organization, what your organization will expect from you is the maximum productivity for their benefit. However, not all are born with the same good time management skills. For those who struggle with managing time, here are some practical measures that you can follow to enhance productivity in the workplace.  
Efficiency:
First, take a look at the present condition of your business or work and see how it is operating now. If you are not satisfied with it and want more from it, know that it is time to change your work policy, which will help you yield better results. This is where you have to improve efficiency for your betterment. Ensure that the task you fix for the day is your priority and you finish it within a prescribed time. If necessary, you can also set a timer to complete the work within the time. 
Delegation:
Delegation means you are given the responsibility for some important task. If you have to increase your job satisfaction and enhance productivity, delegating tasks is essential. If you want delegation in your organization, you can hand over the responsibilities to some capable employees who have proven themselves in the past and can be trusted to deliver a task successfully within the deadline. Being an owner or employee of an organization, you need to give a chance to your employees to show their leadership skills so that they can soar high. 
Get rid of distractions: 
If you genuinely want to increase work efficiency, you have to get rid of social media as it is one of the most dangerous killers of productivity. Other distractions include phone, email notifications, and browsing through multiple websites while you are at work. If you can be organized offline, you have to learn to be organized online as well. If possible, you can switch off your phone unless and until you finish the work. When you feel bored in the middle of the work, shorter breaks can be taken for refreshment. 
Use the correct equipment and tools:
With the development of technology, various apps to increase productivity have been launched to benefit people and organizations. If used correctly, these apps will help you be responsible for finishing your work within the prescribed time. For example, it is useless to waste time waiting for a few pages to get printed because the printing device is not fast enough to print pages as quickly as possible. To save effort and time, invest in some excellent and functional machinery that will yield you the best results within a short period.  
Have a suitable workplace environment:
The environment that you work in plays a vital role to improve workflow efficiency. The room in which you work should have a comfortable temperature that ranges between 68-to-70-degree Fahrenheit. Sitting in a place that is too hot or too cold will distract you as you will have to increase the AC temperature or put on your coats respectively. Whatever be the season, both the air-conditioning and heating systems should be in workable condition. 
Set realistic goals and lend support :
Often, it has been noticed that you get frustrated with your work for not completing it as you had planned. This is mainly because of failing to set realistic and achievable goals. For example, one fine morning, if you feel that you will complete one week’s work in one day and set a timetable accordingly, this is impossible to achieve. For productivity improvement, know your capabilities and then set goals that you can perform at ease. Also, working in a team is crucial to lend a helping hand to other team members to finish the work quickly. 
Have a positive outlook:
One of the most sought-after methods of improving productivity is to look at things positively. If you run an organization, you need to acknowledge employees as the backbone of your organization. Keeping this in mind, know to encourage them, motivate them, and felicitate them for good work. If your employees notice that you think about them, they will charge up themselves and impart a lot more than before. 
Give priority to your work:
There might be other essential things to do in life. But when you have taken up the responsibility of a particular work, that should be your priority. To avoid missing out on essential tasks, prepare a to-do list every day and follow it strictly. 
Finish the most challenging task first in the morning: 
Often, you try to avoid those tasks that you dread the most and keep them for the last. This is where you make a mistake. However complex or complicated the job is, you need to sit with it and finish it right in the morning. Generally, you start your day with a fresh mind. Handling a difficult task in the morning means you can complete it calmly and with lots of energy. 
Conclusion:
Therefore, keeping the points mentioned above in mind, start practicing them today to improve quality and productivity. The more productive you are, the more work can you finish throughout the day. Therefore, it is high time to get rid of all the bad habits and focus more on your work efficiency. 

Also Read "My life that I am livng"

"What is conditional love and unconditional love"

"Think positive"

How social media comments affect us

 

We all know that social media has a great impact on our lives. We have switched from old age media to a new one where millions of people remain active either by sharing or watching content of influencers. But there is a group of people who have a great influence on social media and they share their blogs or videos on their social media handles. And there is also a group of people who go through that content and share their views about the same in the comment box.

Social media has given us a space for expressing their views and we usually drop those our views while commenting on it. Millions of comments are made b y people through social media accounts like facebook, twitter, insta or through other social media apps. Some people put forth their views in a positive way and some others comment in a negative way or use vulgar language while dropping their stuff in the comment box without even thinking that the comment will be seen by  many other users as well. 

How do comments influence us:

Most of the influencers, bloggers want to get his side by side as they are ones who are viewing their content  rate/share their pages and help the content creator in earning or running ads on their pages. But the followers who may be following the celebrity or any other social media influencer sometimes let them down not only by negative comments but also by their vulgar language that they use while commenting on their content. It not only affects the mental health of the influencer but also restricts them to put forth content on social media apps. They are forced to think about their existence as to why they have invited this kind of hate in their lives

Not all the influencers may be alike but there are good ones who post their amazing content after making/putting maximum effort while making the content for the social media audience. Those who troll social media influencers not only affect their lives but they present themselves in a bad way. Their profiles are disliked and are being looked down for their behaviour on social media. Making these kinds of bad comments becomes a habit in one's life while surfing the internet. These kinds of people also incite violence and have a big role in communal violence incidents and should be blocked or reported. 

How to use social Media accounts:

Every person who spends time on the internet or has any kind of social media account has a great responsibility  while using the stuff on the internet. How to surf, what to like or dislike and how to avoid unnecessary comments should be kept in mind. To avoid the comment that is not going to benefit anyone in the society should not be made at all and one should remain careful while dropping the comment.

He should first know the consequences of it first as to how it is going to influence people or the one on whose content he may be commenting. There may be social media users who may be sharing the unnecessary content and are occupying the space more than they deserve but you should not use your social accounts to let them down, just simply unfollow the page  and move on.

If you don’t like the content you are getting on your accounts, you can block those pages and restrict yourself from dropping bad comments. That will not only make social media a better place but the content that deserves the space will get more views and more people will be benefitted.

In a day, millions of blogs/articles are uploaded everyday on google and to get the audience on those articles is not in one's own hand. No doubt targeting the right keywords while writing a blog or uploading a video may bring traffic to your site or video but  it is only the right and valuable content which gets viewership.

So be careful while you drop your comment on anybody's content. It is not like that you should drop positive comments, you have the right kind of platform to express your views and help in making the society a better place. Your comments are valuable and can change somebody’s life. You are the ones who see this content and share it so that it reaches the maximum number of people and while commenting you yourself are reaching to a number of people around the world who see your comment.

 In the end, I hope you comment anytime, it will be a  good one that will help us in making the world a better place to live in. 

If you like this article, share and comment. Your comments are valuable. 

Also Read "Ego and the Brain"

"What is conditional love and Unconditional love"

"Why people change"