Sarah Kirton from MysticMag in conversation with Bindiya Murgai about her journey, her approach to mental healing with her clients, the future of mental health, her Digital Detox Retreats and JOMO Breaks, and the urgency to address digital addiction and advocate digital wellness. An excerpt... The digital hygiene that I fervently advocate, is about drawing boundaries with technology (particularly how you use it) in order to maintain good mental, psychosocial and physical wellbeing in a hyper connected, always-on tech world. And the truth is that tech is becoming a bigger and bigger part of ou ..read more

We meet someone. We think they are special. We want them. Love them. Marry them. And then... We want to change them. Why marry a lemon when what you want is a banana? Just the idea to want your partner to become someone else, "your version" of themselves, is inherently corrosive for any human being, and for a happy and fulfilling relationship. The expectation of wanting your partner to be considerate, respectful and adjusting (think bending, not breaking) is one thing. However, an all too common martial assumption, and also a colossal impediment in staying happily married is that the other pe ..read more

Here's what I shared with them... We must deep-sow the idea that just like nobody has perfect physical health throughout their life, people also have periods of poor mental health. Just like we are not ashamed to discuss our physical ailments, we should also not be afraid to discuss the mental ones. We must give our minds the same respect, care and treatment that we give our bodies. This of course is a much longer discussion, but Twinkl wanted a snappy 60-worder. Check out their link to hear what other mental health professionals and advocates have shared and keep coming back here to the ever ..read more

Lighting has a biological and psychological impact on the physical and mental health of humans. To understand this better, let’s first turn to nature. Sunlight, contrary to popular misconceptions, is not yellow. It’s blue. The purpose of blue sunlight arriving in the morning is to signal our body to wake up by halting the secretion of melatonin, the hormone that helps us sleep. The purpose of daylight is to enable us to rise and get on with our day with agility and alertness. It does so by triggering physiological changes in our body, like a rise in blood pressure and a surge of cortisol, whic ..read more

Stop being so yourself. Stop body shaming yourself. Silence that non-stop, jabbering critic in your head. Replace it with self-love and compassion. Chose your body goals keeping fitness in mind, not people's opinions. Nor the standards set by social media, trends and celebs. Thin slice your body goals so that they are realistic and achievable. For example, if you want to lose 10 kgs, start with aiming to lose a kilo a month, and focus on one month at a time. Make this ONE RITUAL a habit: Every time you critically notice an imperfection or flaw in your body, follow that by pointing out 3 bodil ..read more

Sadfishing is the act of posting sensitive, emotional, or profoundly personal material online to gain sympathy, attention or validation from the online community, or to provoke and get more followers. Celebrities and influencers often do this to get more attention, which will lead to more followers and online buzz. But when done frequently for non-marketing purposes, this could be a sign of attention-seeking behaviour deeper psychological issues, like personality disorders associated with low self-esteem, loneliness, narcissism (an inflated sense of self-importance), or scheming and manipulat ..read more

Grab your daily dose of Sunshine Medicine. It's free, accessible and helps your body and mind work optimally, fending off diseases and depression, boosting immunity, strengthening bones and teeth, improving the metabolism, helping with diabetes, and notching up your overall sense of wellbeing. It's little wonder that several ancient civilizations build practices that would encourage people to spend time engaging with the early morning sun. Like the Surya Namaskaar and Surya Arghya (offering water to the sun ..read more

It's baffling how societal stereotypes continue to promote toxic masculinity by equating the idea of men seeking help as a sign of weakness. There are plenty of cliches that get ingrained into the mind's of boys, like "don't cry like a girl", or "real men don't show their emotions" and when if they do, they are told to "man up." But bottling one's emotions, not seeking help when needed, and displaying a tough, stoic exterior while experiencing emotional pain is damaging for the mental health of men and even linked to higher rates of poor self-worth, anxiety, depression, violence and suicide ..read more

From improving your mental health to increased wisdom there are countless benefits to reading. So do yourself a favour, grab a book and keep reading. Here's what it can do for you: • Reading can reduce feelings of loneliness, boredom, depression, anxiety and can help prevent dementia. • Storytelling can improve mental flexibility, feelings of connectedness and fellowship. Literary fiction, in particular, helps increase your empathy for others, and gain a deeper understanding of other cultures. • Reading is an excellent fuel for creativity as it stimulates the imagination, introduces new and a ..read more

There are close to 8 billion people on this planet. That's a heavy load for our Mother Earth to carry, especially given the speedy pace at which we've ravaged her with our mindless overbreeding, consumerism, consumption, thoughtless industrialisation and development. We have used up all the resources that Earth's natural systems can provide and replace in a year, according to the Global Footprint Network. It's a dismal reality, but we can't afford to whine, resign and leave everything up to our governments to fix. Each of us can pick make small eco-conscious changes in our lives. We can all b ..read more