I am loving these YouTube vloggers

I did not know a lot about Youtube, and the youtubers using the platform.

One fine day, my friend and I were hanging out and talking about our life decisions.

As I was planning to start uploading my own videos on Youtube, she told me to watch some youtubers. She is someone who religiously watches a lot of different creators.

So thank you Rucha, I am kind of addicted to Youtube, and I think that is not a bad thing, not as bad as getting addicted to any other social media website.

While some videos have lifted my mood, there are few that have been instrumental to my mental well-being.

Here is the list of Youtubers that I have been enjoy watching:

KALYN NICHOLSON

I stumbled upon Kalyn’s channel randomly, and I am glad I did. Her videos make me feel like someone’s talking to me, and makes me think more about my life too. The best things about her channel is that she is very honest, and shows not only the beautiful, aesthetic aspect of her life, but also the aspect where she takes care of her house, and shares her feelings.

(If you like funny videos that also contain slang words):

SHANE DAWSON

I love Shane’s vlogs with this friends. I think they are very funny. What I love the most about watching his channel is that it feels like they are talking directly to me and they are my friends too!

EMMA CHAMBERLAIN

I came across Emma’s channel randomly on YouTube. She is naturally funny and relatable to me. She aspires me to be myself.

If you watch Youtube, tell me what kind of videos you enjoy watching.

And this is my channel. I have posted 10 videos. I have to be honest, I was a little sad when I stopped making them. I did not take that decision. It just happened. I was working a full time job and was extremely passionate about Youtube. Anyway, I am still very happy and proud about it!

Meanwhile, I’ve watched many youtubers and gained inspiration. I feel that when you watching others’ videos, especially vlog channels, you are, in one way, interacting with someone.

During nights when I could not sleep because of anxiety, I did not know who to talk to. I first started watching videos of people that explained anxiety and who experienced it themselves. This helped me feel included, and helped my mind breathe.

Do you watch Youtube? Are you addicted to Youtube? Haha.

Wishing you a great day. Take care of yourself!

What I am thinking of at 5:36 AM

I had slept at about 10:30 PM last night. I did not waste much time like the evening before by scrolling through Instagram. Last evening.. I do not even remember what I did. I am looking for a new place to move in, and so I was going through options online. Also, I had opened wordpress.com, planning to write a new post. But no, I thought to myself, I can write better when it’s early morning because my mind is clearer than the rest of the day.

It’s now 5:45 AM, and the sun is waiting to rise. And for me, I am writing this post with a couple of yawns, but mostly just being calm, grateful and at peace.

I absolutely love mornings; especially the moment when you wake up, can feel the beautiful silence, and realize how grateful you are to live and and see a different, new day. That’s why I love mornings, and sunrises.

It’s 6:02 am and I can now finally hear some the honking of vehicles on the road outside. But the sun is yet to rise. The lights in my room were switched off, however, I turned them on now and I feel so different. I can now definitely see my keyboard clearly!

I currently value mornings more, because my workplace has rotating shifts. I have a few months to enjoy morning shift until I get to work in the evening shift. And so I am embracing what I have right now.

I have expressed my love for dawn in my previous post titled ‘There is Something Serene about Sunrises’.

It’s 6:09 and I will have to start getting ready at 6:30. I absolutely love getting ready. It’s like I am preparing for a new day, but also living in the moment, and being immersed in doing self care: making bed, tying my pony, singing in the shower, wearing clothes. I value the little things. Or at least I always try to.

Ah! It’s been a long post.

But, I wanna know from you!

Are you a morning person? Do you like mornings?

Tell me in the comments 🙂 Have a nice day and take care

Update on my mental health journey

Hello wordpress fellows,

How are you guys? It has been long since you’ve heard something from me.

They say that speaking out helps make the situation better and also helps you feel better.

So I decided that I will share with you my progress on my mental heath journey here

5 significant things that happened and I am proud of:

I am now more honest with my answers when other question me. I will say ‘no’ and also the reason for saying ‘no’

I am now aware when I experience anxiety and I acknowledge it. I will soon seek help for it.

I at last shared my mental health issues with my Parents. And ever since, I’ve been feeling better.

Coincidentally, I made two friends at my workplace who experience mental health issues. I have company now!

Yeah, I guess that’s about it. Just wanted to write something at the final point here. Thank you WordPress.

I understand that I have been missing in action here, but, to be honest I want to be regular. So let me make a promise here, that I will be publishing another post next week, on 6th Feb!

How are you all? Comment below!

— Bhavana.

:). Kaleidoscopic

It’s cool. That’s what I tell myself everyday

This is one of the days when I choose to write down my thoughts on WordPress..

HOW ARE YOU DOING? 🙂

Let’s talk about how I am feeling today:

Crazy
Excited
Awakened
Good

Wait.. I used the word, good? I almost wanted to write ‘happy’, which I am. But, my mood swings a lot.

Honestly, also, I am afraid. Because when I say ‘happy’, it means I am happy completely. Which sometimes, I am.

BUT. I am always thinking about something or the other. The good side is my anxiety has reduced. So it’s all well.

You know when I am extremely happy? When I am with my loved ones.
When I am dancing. When I have no social media on my phone, and thinking of what to do.. and I decide to just sing.. with my all my heart.. to myself.
Well this sounds like poetry. But it is really is.

I am enjoying my life for now I do not feel depressed like I was feeling the past year.
I feel better, Everything feels better.
I do not want to promise that I will be regularly writing here.
Because I want to live my life, focusing on one day..

I do not want to say things that I do not believe in… I just want to be genuine.. I want to be true to myself, and also to others. It’s one of the hardest things, but it pays off…. sometimes..

See, I was so happy writing the beginning of the post, and now I have to tell you, that I am thinking of so many things. But one thing is for sure – The WordPress platform – with the support of you, the bloggers.. have made my life much better.

By letting me speak my thoughts out.

Today, I am feeling kaleidoscopic. 🙂

Through my eyes … MENTAL HEALTH

Hey blogger..

“Where is Bhavana? And why is she not posting on her blog?” You may have wondered.

My fellow friends, I am writing this post so we can talk more about mental health and help each other.

Mental health means different to everyone. It depends on a person’s experience.

Discussing mental health can be scary. But taking the first step to talk about it is absolutely worth it.

Why I said ‘scary’ because I honestly do not have people around me talk about it. “What are you doing this weekend” is often asked rather than “Are you doing okay?” and “We can talk”

It has been 2 years and I realized a pattern.

Since the past 2 years, I had began to overthink, cry endlessly because something had happened, and had felt anxiety very differently than I had felt before.

I am not sure if my mind was affected by some illness, as I never sought help from a professional. I felt dark, stuck and frustrated. What kept me going was the hope that I will stop to feel like this and live a normal life again.

What I did to feel better:

Exercise
Eat healthy
Cook
Be nice to people and also to myself
Putting my mental health first

However, all of the above helped me to some extent and momentarily.

Being surrounded by the ones who genuinely love me, was the one of the first times I felt light. I felt liberated. I would forget about all of my problems. I felt at ease.

For me, figuring out my mental state, understanding myself, finding what’s good for me, is a journey.. a journey of unlearning old things, learning new things and loving myself.

It is not easy. But it is easy if someone accepts you the way you are. It starts with you... if you want to talk… Let us talk about it here!

And please tell me how you have been, because after all, this is a happy place.

5 Healthy Habits I Adopted

Hello Beautiful Souls. Gorgeous Humans. I hope you are doing good! Happy Winters!

Well, it is not so cold yet here in my city, but I can sure speak for your cities! The fact that it is November now, tells us that time flies, and so let us embrace time by taking care of ourselves and being happy!

I have been talking about the changes that have happened in my life in the past few months, and today, I am excited to share with you few healthy habits I have adopted in my lifestyle! Please let me know if you tried to adopt these habits too. We can have a great conversation over this!

1. Little to No Sugar:

Having been the kid who used to consume 4 spoons of sugar in almost all drinks, I now understand what is healthier for my body and ensure that I take little to no sugar. I have been doing that since a year, however, it’s only recently that it has become a habit.

2. 10 mins of workout:

I came across 2 videos on Youtube: Exercises for Flat Stomach & Ab Exercises and I have been doing them almost regularly. It is making a difference as my body has toned up. I found out that these videos have worked for me. In case you wish to start working out, try to understand which video you think suits you the most! And enjoy the process.

3. Avoiding Deep fried food items

In India, we have got various deep fried food items, some of which I find quite delicious. (see: Samosa). However, I told myself to take control of my eating, especially the deep fried food items. I already know they are not always healthy to eat, and hence I made a decision to cut down on my consumption. Thanks to the people around me, I have been successfully doing that.

4. Taking in more nutrients

I am going to thank my flatmates again, it is them who are always trying to make sure that they meet the nutrients requirements for their bodies. I consume eggs  and milk almost daily. Since I turned vegetarian (I eat eggs) about 11 months ago, I realized that I must consume certain foods in order to get the required nutrients. Although I am yet to learn a lot more about nutrition, it feels nice to be aware of our basic body needs.

5. Drinking enough Water

I had always known this to be a healthy habit, but was never able to adopt it! It is simple, yet it took me quite long to implement it in my daily routine. I do not always have enough water (2 liters) everyday, however I try to have as much water as I can. I have also started taking green tea. The taste isn’t so pleasing for me, but it does feel refreshing!

I am also making efforts to include fruits in my diet. I generally do not like having fruits, however I feel they are too important to ignore. My favorite fruits are pomegranate and bananas. Let me know about yours.

I hope you found this post helpful. Writing this post has helped me become more confident and aware of my choices and will let me continue to practice these habits, and also begin to adopt new ones. 

Comment below, let’s have a supportive chat 🙂

 

Let’s Chat :) My thoughts recently

Dear all! I know I always do this: I take a month’s break and come back with a new post that says ‘Finally I am back and I am so excited to post on my blog regularly.

Well, today, I felt that I needed to share my thoughts, opinions and aspirations with you all. And also get to know your thoughts, opinions and aspirations from you! Sometimes, it is good to share these with yourself, and your closed ones. However, there might be times, when you do not share them with anyone, and would wish to put them up somewhere you think you will get a different perspective from. And a blog post is what I thought would work amazingly, today.

I recently have been watching YouTube videos, as I myself am working on my channel! The ones that inspired me the most were by women who are making videos to help others get better, happier and healthier. I always used to think, the videos that got successful were the ones that were entertaining or funny. But I learned more. These women worked their up, and are now independently staying in apartments.

YouTuber’s Name: Kalyn Nicholson                    (she has fashion related videos too)

 

Kalyn stays with her dog

 

Sure, they may have faced challenges, or they still are, but watching their beautiful videos make me want to create something along those lines. I have been dreaming really big lately, and I wish to accomplish them. I have begun vlogging and have few recordings that I shall edit and put up on my channel, however, as I plan to publish new videos every week, I am working on how I will schedule to pre- record and edit my videos. I really enjoy spreading happiness! And why I like creating videos is that it can be a great, impactful way to help someone get better.

Me posing with my tripod!

I recently quit my second job. That means 2 jobs in 2 years. I wish to work at a workplace that gives me respect. I am looking for good energy around me. It’s true, your work satisfaction is so much about the people you work with. I am tapping on freelancing, though I am still figuring out what I really want to do. I am now at a place where my life is (almost) in my hands. That may be personal information, but I felt this blog would be a proper place to post it, as this platform has supportive people like you!

My learnings recently:

1. Cut out as much negative energy as you can: There were people who demotivated and disrespected me. I tried to hold on and ignore it, but one day, I made a decision to get out of that whole situation. Sometimes, it’s important
2. Take care of yourself: Mentally and physically. Be safe and happy
3.  Trust your instincts: As long as you are not harming anyone (which in most cases you are not), do things that you love. In March, I had stopped writing blog posts and making YouTube videos because a person asked me to ‘be realistic about career decisions’ 
4. Be grateful: Life is really made up of days. Be grateful. If there is nothing to be grateful for, hey, visit wordpress.com and we can chat! So we will be grateful to have each other to share our voices with

All of us have times when we learn great things, and blogosphere is here to share them with one another. Let us comment below, what we have learned from such times, happy, sad, exciting, low, – all of them. Let us help and support someone, to beat anxiety and feel better.

Are you with me?

 

When I celebrated my birthday by Spreading Smiles!

Who cares: It’s been almost 4 months since my birthday.

What I did on birthday: Oh yes, you ought to know!

My birthday was on a Friday and I took a sick leave from office (of course). The most happiest thing for me to do that day was – to do something that makes my heart race and excites me – Vlogging. As I had always wanted to do this – hand over cut outs of smileys to people I meet in the park and making them smile, I decided to do that. 8:30 am, the phone watch read. Not knowing if the park would be open that moment, I quickly changed into my top and jeans, took my phone to record, and rushed to the nearest park next to my home.

As I walked through the beautiful lanes of my neighborhood, I shot the scenes with my phone, so I would include these clips to make my video look beautiful. While shooting, though, a rickshaw just honks, and it suddenly occurred to me that it was asking me to make space for it to move ahead (please always make sure you walk safely while shooting). After I finally approach the entrance of the park, I hoped that I could find people in there. I entered and experienced the extreme heat on my skin and felt my hair wet in sweat. Ah! I see few people there. It took me few moments to encourage myself to do what I came here to do.

To get comfortable, I began to walk around in few circles, until I decided to stop, and turn around. I see three aunties (meaning: ladies) approaching me.
I say: ‘Hey! It is my birthday today’.
Them: ‘Happy Birthday!’
Me: I thought of doing something special today, so I am giving out these cut outs of smilies to spread happiness’.
Them: That’s very sweet!

One of the ladies stayed back and following my request to record her, said a few words on how she felt. She then walked ahead and joined the other aunties. I looked around, and saw an uncle sitting on a chair. I happily walked towards him, feeling grateful about already having met people who took my smilies. The uncle and I were having a good conversation for quite a while, about both of our lives. I later realized that him and the lady who I met earlier are a married couple! How nice. They were extremely delighted by my gesture of celebrating my birthday – so they offered me to join them for breakfast at their house!

Never had I felt so rewarded and grateful for something I had decided to do, than I did at this moment. I am glad I stepped out of the house, and spent my time exactly the way I wished to.

I returned home, feeling refreshed, and wondering where I could spend the evening. My Mom and I decided to head to Tea Villa Cafe. I truly am fond of the vibe of that, the friendly staff, and of course the food that they serve!

My Mom gave me a birthday cake after we headed back home. My Dad, Mom and I enjoyed the cake cutting ceremony and I came to my room and concluded this beautiful birthday with a beautiful mind.

I hope you enjoyed reading my story. I want to know from you! How do you celebrate birthdays? Is there a tradition you follow every year? Have your thoughts changed about birthdays? Do you get excited for birthdays like a kid? Do you feel something different about birthdays? Please comment below so that all of us can share our feelings, and discuss here. 

Stay Happy and Take Care!

Do watch my Youtube video to see how my day went about!

Hi, my name is Bhavana and I love to meet people, have new experiences and share them with you! Join in and get ‘Happening to be Happy’!

Join me on my journey of Happiness on Instagram and Twitter. Stay Happy!

When I choose to Change

It has been 46 days and you may be wondering what Bhavana is upto. Although I generally post once every 30 days, I feel as if I am making a comeback. And I am glad this comeback has come along with its new experiences, better thoughts, and significant changes.

I am grateful that I read this book

I recently finished to read a book named ‘The Secret’. I remembered my schoolmates bringing this book to class. I was given this book last week by my cousin brother who stays in Mumbai, too. Never have I ever finished a book so fast, as I did with this one.

The book was an easy read, sure. But what really made it so easy for me to read it was how it made me feel, page after page. I did not quite agree with certain parts of the book, however I did feel my thoughts to change. I began to focus on the positive, and it reaffirmed my belief in choosing to give my energy to the right place.

Simply love making ‘to do lists’; it helps me to be productive

I had made lot of plans a few months back; I accomplished some, and others are kept in the form of ink in between the pages, that are being worked on. I am very glad that I have taken my life seriously in the past year than I ever have in my life, and I have just begun. Like all years in my life, this year I learnt and began acting on quite a lot of things that I want to share with my WordPress friends!

The energy around you has the power to help you achieve things. Since years, when I decided to exercise, I would stop a few days later. For the first time ever, I am now able to follow of a routine of regular exercise after I come back from work. All I did to get started was buy a yoga mat from a shop with my Dad back at home, and when I came back here, I couldn’t contain my excitement to start working out. What inspired me was the infectious energy and dedication that my flatmates had. Them being always aware of what they are eating, motivated me to be conscious of my health. My body is now getting toned up, and I am making much better healthy lifestyle changes.

For Breakfast today: Lightly fried Poha (flattened rice) with a cup of Green Tea

I used to be the kid who would add 4 spoons of sugar in almost beverages. I had never thought that today, I will have the courage to almost completely cut down on sugar and also deep fried food items. I am definitely proud of myself.

I recently got a tripod and few necessary equipment to record videos, as I love talking to the camera and sharing my stories. I am fascinated by the power that blogs and videos posses, to empower others across the world and make a significant impact.

Had to capture these beautiful flowers outside a hotel in Meghalaya, India

I have also been feeling grateful for what I have, now. Saying ‘thank you’ and being happy for having to feel and experience simple joys is something I have started to do, and am thoroughly enjoying it.

Certainly, there are few things in life that I have been wanting to change, however, rather than giving my energy to what I don’t want, I want to focus on what I do wish to have. This has helped me in feeling a lot better and also in handling different situations.

We are a community of 146 friends, and I believe, a Meet and Greet post will be a great idea to connect with each other! Please say hi, I am extremely excited to know how you are doing. Stay Happy.

 

Hi, my name is Bhavana and I love to meet people, have new experiences and share them with you! Join in and get ‘Happening to be Happy’!

Join me on my journey of Happiness on Instagram and Twitter. Stay Happy!

 

 

How Toastmasters Helped Turn Things Around For Me

I vaguely remember what I studied in the first year of college, however I do remember how it felt to be there in the year 2012.

Being a shy and a submissive person, I was often told that since I was not good at studies, I need to work harder to ‘make my career’. 

I was a 19 year old girl when I first visited a Toastmasters club. Knowing that ‘Public speaking’ often caused fear amongst people, I sensed that my fear was slightly lesser than most of the people out there.

After a month of continuously running away from the idea of joining the club, I was made to register as a member by my sister. The scariest moment for me had to be when I was asked to come on the stage and give an impromptu speech for a minute.  I ran away in the funniest ways possible, by figuring out excuses to not go to the club.  Some days, I said I had a stomach pain and some other days, a headache. While my sister regularly attended all meetings every Friday, I comfortably chose to stay back home, feeling relieved to have escaped the horror of ‘Impromptu Table Topics Round’, but also feeling feeling unsettled and unsure of the choice I made.

However, it was one of those days when my sister and I together headed to the club. I think she was the Emcee that evening. As we reached, I started to sense a great bonding amongst the people present there. They had a unique charm to them as they gracefully greeted me. I was overwhelmed by their welcoming gestures, and I could very well remember this from the first meeting itself. I thought to myself, perhaps I am missing out on the opportunities of being here and experiencing a friendly exchange like this, and so I decided to head there another Friday.

The old, the young, the suited men and women, the homemakers, the middle aged ones, I met them all under one roof. Never in my life, had I ever witnessed a diversity like this come together at one place, and be so accepting and encouraging.

I gave my first speech ever that summer, where I introduced myself to the audience. Despite the video link not being available with me, I remember I had sung ‘Dream On’ at the end of my speech. Since that day, I have never looked back. My journey in Toastmasters continued as I gave speech after speech, took up roles of emcee, and went on to evaluate other speeches.

Toastmasters not only taught me the various aspects of public speaking, but surprisingly guided me on how to be a better person. I turned a good listener, a better speaker, and a thoughtful person. And so did other members. A lady member who had gone through a divorce began to make sense of things around her, and transformed into a tough, yet cheerful person. A university professor who had conquered his life and overcome the challenges he faced being visually impaired, was looked upon as one of the best speakers, and awarded for his exceptionally amazing speaking skills in the club as well as internationally.

The voices inside us may have at one point, been suppressed by a person, a thing, or even an experience. To me, Toastmasters was the platform where I voiced my opinions and thoughts, told my audience how my Parents have nurtured me and made me who I am today, shared some serious facts about Acid attacks, and also persuaded my audience to practice self love.

Toastmasters really did help turn things around for me. I hope that my experience helps you to get yourself out of your comfort zone, do things that you love and choose happiness!

Check out the Toastmasters website here. You can find and visit a club that is situated near you by visiting this link.

 

Hi, my name is Bhavana and I love to meet people, have new experiences and share them with you! Join in and get ‘Happening to be Happy’!

Join me on my journey of Happiness on Instagram and Twitter. Stay Happy!