Dimension 1 - Concentration

"The secret of concentration is secret of self-discovery. You reach inside yourself to discover your personal resources, and what it takes to match them to challenge".

What is that one important thing you need when you want to sit and study? What is it that helps you perform well in studies? What is it that you wish you had more so that you could enhance your performance in academics?

    The answer to the above mentioned questions is "CONCENTRATION".

          To concentrate means ‘to focus our attention to one single objective’. Concentration helps to improve our ability to learn, remember and recall information far more effectively. Concentration along with the person's ability and hard work plays a crucial role in deciding whether or not we will be successful in studies specifically and different walks of life, in general.

     The span of concentration differs from person to person, but do you know that there are ways in which you can enhance this skill?

     Well, this blog is all about the power of our mind to concentrate and how efforts made towards improving it can open the gates of success for everyone.

So, fasten your seat-belt and let's talk about a few techniques through which you can achieve good concentration.

Few tips to improve concentration:

1. GAMES

Any game which involves planning, remembering earlier moves will help to improve concentration. The perks of playing games are that, they can be played by anyone, there is no age restriction and they're fun. Be it the Rubik's cube or Sudoku, any game involving physical and mental skills has an amazing effect, in the best way possible. So play!

2. MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness meditation can help to improve attention as well as reduce stress level and anxiety. Mindfulness helps to keep our thoughts, focused on one single idea which is why it is great for improving concentration. 10-15 minutes of meditation daily can prove to be useful. There are a number of meditation apps available that can also aid in improving one's concentration.

3. POWER NAP

Power nap is ‘a short sleep taken during the working day in order to restore one's mental alertness’. Mind gets easily distracted when a person is not well rested, so power naps are useful.They restore alertness, performance, and learning ability. Taking power nap after coming home from college or when tired, for about 10 to 20 minutes can boost concentration. Important that the power nap should not extend to sleep.       

4. COMFORTABLE PLACE

Find a place which will help you to concentrate on your work. Library, study lounges and private rooms are the best. Above all, the place that you choose should not be distracting. Try to stay away from other people if you want to concentrate on your work. Adequate light and ventilation will be useful.

5. THE P2 PLAN (Planning and prioritizing)

Always have a plan for whatever you want to do. When you sit down to work without a plan, you may easily get caught in activities like checking mails, instant messaging (chatting) and browsing the web. Without a purpose, you are likely to waste your time. You'll find yourself distracted by a variety of nagging thoughts instead of devoting all your attention to one important task. Thus, make a clear plan that meets your needs beforehand. Take 5 or 10 minutes break in between and move on to your most important task. When making a plan be sure to allocate enough time for entertainment and sleep,  along with studies.

Also sort out priorities. Doing a lot of things at the same time not only divides attention but also leaves you exhausted. Hence, setting priorities and focusing on them instead of going back and forth from one plan to another makes it easier to concentrate. Ordering the jobs from highest to lowest in terms of priority helps in improving concentration and thus, enhances efficacy of the person.

These tips may sound common and routine. However, these simple steps boost our overall cognitive functioning and mental clarity.  Some methods will be more effective than others, you may even combine two techniques or discover new techniques which work best for you!

       Remember, learning to concentrate will require determination and consistent efforts, keep at it!          

An Introduction to Effective Study Skills

Learning is an integral part of our lives. As students, this learning gets tested during examinations. Often, students are aware that they need to study, but do not know how to go about it, and they are especially unaware of the methods to improve one’s study skills.

An effective study skills questionnaire was made available to students of D.G. Ruparel College. This questionnaire measures seven dimensions and yields a score for each.

These scores not only provide us with an insight into our current study methods and techniques, but it also provides us with an understanding of where our strengths and weaknesses lie. Based on this information, the student can direct efforts to the improvement various dimensions.

The seven dimensions tested through a questionnaire are:

1. CONCENTRATION  
Concentration means to focus our attention on the task at hand and enhance the quality of the work done. To concentrate is to focus on studying without allowing other thoughts to waver our attention. Concentrating well helps to boost our productivity and our ability to learn.

2. REMEMBERING 
Remembering is a process that is done by everyone daily. Remembering refers to being able to recall and reproduce what has been learnt. To recall means to bring to mind the information, events, situations, etc. that a person has previously learnt or encountered.

3. ORGANIZING TIME
Time management is a process of organizing and planning how to divide the time between specific activities. Good time management enables a person to work smarter - get more work done in less time. This is also applicable when the time available is less and the pressure is high.

4. STUDYING A CHAPTER  
Textbooks can seem scary but they are not difficult to understand. Focusing on the conceptual meaning of the material while reading enhances the quality of the material which has been learnt. Studying a chapter soon after it has been taught in class helps to gain clarity of the concepts taught.

5. LISTENING AND TAKING NOTES
It refers to actively listening to what is taught in the lecture while simultaneously taking notes of it. Taking effective and reliable notes helps to better understand the key concepts taught. It also helps us to distinguish between various concepts.  

6. TAKING TESTS
Helps a person to know his/ her own capability to remember the material one has studied. Taking a test is a common way to see how much a person has understood and remembers.

7. MOTIVATION 
Motivation is generally talked about as something that keeps us going. Motivation can be defined as a driving force or the reason behind our actions. It refers to our desire to bring about a particular change in behaviour. Unless people are motivated to work hard and bring about a change, it won’t be reflected in their results. It is also one of the reasons to explain why people like to repeat and be consistent with certain behaviours.

Each dimension will be further explained in a series of posts to follow. So, stay tuned!

    

Understanding Feminism

Many people through the course of history think that all feminists hate men. False. The truth is that all misandrists hate men. According to the Merriam Webster, feminism means, “the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes.” And misandry is “the hatred of men.” There are extremists in every group but everyone in the group cannot be defined by these people. Many misandrists operate under a feminist alias, most of the times, unknowingly.

Being a feminist is the same as being a humanist or a person who desires equality. Then why call it feminism? Since, in ancient times, women were given inferior treatment and secondary status, many people fought for their rights and named it feminism.

Emma Watson, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador

The female stars who say that they aren’t feminists because they don’t hate men do not know what feminism means and hence, portray the wrong image of the movement. There are certain misconceptions about feminism. They are:

• People think being a feminist means hating men and calling them inferior. If this was the case then it would be impossible to justify the presence of happily married women in the movement.
• It is understood that feminism is a movement for white women and it does not do justice to women of colour. This problem arises majorly because the people who showed support towards feminism and became recognised for it were mostly white. But, now, people from everywhere regardless of their colour, are in favour of the movement.
• It is assumed that feminists are a group of scary, social activists who are out to destroy everyone, especially men. No, rather, they want to see equality developing among men and women.
• It is believed that feminists want a matriarchal society. No, all they want is an equal society.

Mahatma Jyotiba Phule

But no movement starts off perfectly and that is a part of the process for it to get better.  Moreover, men can be feminists too. Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, who fought for the right to education of women and upliftment of Dalits, can be called a feminist. In modern times, women in the Indian film industry have also greatly promoted feminism. Deepika Padukone through here video “My Choice” gave a message that women must be allowed equal choices like men.

Deepika Padukone

Anti-feminist attitudes existed in the field of psychology as well. In 1890, when philosopher-psychologist William James admitted Mary Whiton Calkins into his graduate seminar all the other male students dropped out. Even when she had completed all of the PhD requirements, Harvard denied her the degree that she had earned. Psychological science has reflected profound changes in the status of women during the last half century.

William James and Mary Calkins

There now exists a branch of psychology called Feminist Psychology. “Feminist psychology critiques historical psychological research as done from a male perspective with the view that males are a norm.” It breaks with the male centric approach and attempts to understand the issues faced by women and other genders. Organizations like Association for Women in Psychology (AWP), Society for the Psychology of Women and the Psychology of the Women Section, of the British Psychological Association were formed with the view of fighting for and raising awareness of gender issues and gender inequality. Feminists have posed many questions that are worthy of being addressed by psychological science.  

The feminist movement idealizes a society where a husband and a wife divide work equally, where the job interviews of women are given as much consideration as men, where transmen and transwomen are given the respect and care that they deserve. When equality prevails in the society, the objective of feminism is achieved.

- Pallavee Joshi

Beating the Dementors

At some point in our lives we have all flipped through the pages of Harry Potter or

binge watched the iconic movie series. The Harry Potter series is filled with

glorious chants & spells, creatures, potions and us muggles! One of the foulest

creatures that has appeared in these series is the breed of Dementors. They infest

the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace,

hope & happiness out of the air around them. Get too near a Dementor & every

good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you.

In an interview, J. K Rowling revealed that the Dementors were inspired from a

rather muggle disorder, Depression. They are symbolic of her own her own years

of struggle with the disorder.

Depression is a very common mental health disorder with more than 10 million

cases per year in India alone. ( Source : Apollo hospital and others)

It is characterized by persistently depressed mood, loss of interest in activities or

causing significant impairment in daily life.Here are a few symptoms :-

✓ Persistent sad, anxious or empty mood

✓ Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism

✓ Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness

✓ Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies & activities

As scary as the symptoms look, coping with depression is a difficult but NOT an

impossible task. Here's a short list of the things you can do to beat the

dementors.

• Seek professional help of a psychiatrist or psychologist:

✓ Seeking professional help is highly recommended.

✓ Needing additional help does not mean you’re weak.

✓ Sometimes the negative thinking in depression can make you feel like

you’re a lost cause, but depression can be treated and you can feel better!

✓ In some cases the professional may need to prescribe medication along

with therapy.

• Reach out and stay connected :

✓ Getting support plays an essential role in overcoming depression.

✓ On your own, it can be difficult to maintain a perspective and sustain the

effort required to beat depression.

✓ You may feel too exhausted to talk, ashamed at your situation, or guilty for

neglecting certain relationships. But this is just the depression talking.

✓ Staying connected to other people and taking part in social activities will

make a world of difference in your mood and outlook.

✓ Reaching out is not a sign of weakness and it won’t mean you’re a burden

to others. Your loved ones care about you and want to help.

•Do things that make you feel good :

In order to overcome depression, you have to do things that relax and energize

you.

✓ This includes following a healthy lifestyle

✓ Learning how to better manage stress

✓ Setting limits on what you’re able to do

✓ Scheduling fun activities into your day.

•Eat healthy and stay healthy:

✓ What you eat has a direct impact on the way you feel.

✓ Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and should not be skipped.

✓ A healthy, nutrition packed diet includes a variety of fruits and vegetables,

sprouts and buttermilk.

✓ Reduce your intake of foods that can adversely affect your brain and mood

✓ These foods are caffeine, alcohol, trans fats, and foods with high levels of

chemical preservatives or hormones (such as certain meats).

• Get moving :

✓ When you’re depressed, just getting out of bed can seem like a daunting

task, let alone working out!

✓ But exercise is a powerful depression fighter—and one of the most

important tools in your recovery arsenal.

✓ Research shows that regular exercise can be as effective as medication for

relieving depression symptoms. It also helps prevent relapse once you’re

well.(source: www.nhs.uk and Apollo hospital)

These are just some of the ways in which you can fight the Dementors & start

LIVING your life to the fullest. So go on, my friend, be your own Patronus because

YOU CAN!

-Sunaina Sharma