Who and What is Avika?

You are that young father who's juggling between a new born baby and work related deadlines

You are that mid manager level person who isnt really sure about what the future in the corporate world holds for you

You are that (over) achiever at work with 3 consecutive promotions and self induced pressure to be the best always

You are that sales person who has targets to meet and the world around you is changing and you arent certain about your tricks of trade anymore

You are that young intern so very hopeful that this stint at work will convert to a full time job you so desperately need

We know all these people, we are these people. Most of us experience anxiety and stress occasionally or perpetually - sometimes due to life events and sometimes in anticipation of work-life events!

Now, let us sit back for a minute and think what we've done in these situations?

Was there anyone who you ended up discussing this with? Not as a water cooler banter about how stressful this is but "really" discussed this to help you get out of this chronic pain?

Was there anyone who went ahead and spoke to a counsellor / psychologist / psychiatrist? Oh, do they actually exist??

In that one-off case where we actually spoke to someone about it, how many of us did take mindfulness / meditation seriously when suggested as tools for calming us down?

Now, let us look at the other side of the spectrum - the organisations that we work in, the place where we spend (either physically or remotely), most of our time at. 

Wouldnt they benefit from ensuring that the mental wellness of the employees is taken care of? Wouldnt they be better off and the choicest place to work for, if their current and potential employees know that they care for employees?

That is what we set out to achieve using Avika.

Avika is a noun, in the sense that, it is the "go to person" for enterprises who intend to lend a helping hand to their employees and cultivate caring and humanise lives. Avika is also a verb, in the sense that. it is what employees would "do" when they are serious about their mental wellness. They embrace openness while being super focussed on privacy. 

With Avika, the employers subscribe to a set of modules - 

1. Digital Wellness Platform that comprises of multiple tools like Journaling, measuring mood, Mindfulness/Meditation techniques as well as host of content that can be consumed
2. Happiness Center - a physical location in the office premises that houses VR experiences for employees to get an immersive experience to help them improve their mental wellness
3. Tele-Consultation with experts (Psychologists and Psychiatrists) for those employees that need or want to speak to a person. This is managed completely seamlessly through the platform while keeping the pre and post wellness plan totally private
4. Physical and In-Person group sessions with experts in the field can be really helpful to raise awareness and cultivate openness within the organisation 

and many more...

As an employee, Avika is that place you go to when you need a platform to set goals for yourself in terms of how mentally fit you intend to be, you can use all the content and tools provided to turn those goals into a reality. And if you need to talk to an expert, they are simply a click away. 

Wellness in general and mental wellness particularly is a journey. With the uncertainties around us, with the often changing and increasing expectations it is imperative that we have a place to go to practice calmness, share our concerns and become the best versions of ourselves.

All of us deserve this!

A grown-up me?

Somehow ended up coming here today...it's ofcourse been a while! And I did what I thought was normal - read the previous blog posts. And then realized something profound - You are what you are, time doesn't age you!

I don't think I've aged in that sense. I can still relate to the vague, dreamy, impulsive person that I am. Am I happy or what? :)

Oh how I wish....

I've read her books (not all though!). I regularly visit her blog. There are some posts that I connect to, get mushy about. I've done her prompts last time around and felt really good about it.
And now, she's back with a new set of prompts and it couldn't have come at a better time. Here's wishing Preeti all the best with her new book

I've more or less had everything I had ever wanted in life - great family, good education, decent job, exciting kids. But who wouldn't want more...

Right now, at this moment I badly need to prioritize things in life. What do I really want, what do I want more - well being of kids, job satisfaction. I need that ever elusive work-home balance. I badly need that since I've been losing sleep over that!

I need to listen more. Listen to my kids blabbering all over the place, my mom/dad whom I rarely call, my in-laws who want to spend time with us, my extended family, my inner self, people at my work place. All I need is that time and peace of mind to listen and STOP thinking about 100 other things while listening to someone.

And yes, I need more money. Am happy with what I have. But I really wish I had more and wouldn't think twice about donating or disconnecting a call when someone from an orphanage calls. I feel guilty eveytime I can't afford to help.

So, what say? Can??

What does an average joe want?

Am I a generalist? Probably yes!
I want to be a good person,
I want to be that great working mom.
I want to be that good daughter, wife
I want to be that great employee...

In this world full of achievers - both super and the worst,
Haven't we forgotten the "average joes"?
Don't they make up the "actual" world?
Am I one of them - oh yeah!!

Do I know what to do with my life, what to achieve?
Do I have a hobby that I can call my "passion"?
Do I want to change and take risks?
It's a NO for all of these but yet I know I do whatever I do well

Do I want to change?
Do I want more clarity?
Do I want to explore new stuff?
It's a YES for all of these but I don't know where to start :)

Me, Myself, and Mine

This has been a relatively laid back Tuesday. Lesser work, a good lunch with friends outside, so why not finish the last Tuesday prompt in style and for a change early :)

1. If you had Rs.50,000 to just blow up (you have to spend it on YOURSELF. Giving to Charity or buying gifts for others not allowed), what would you spend it on and why?

We are at that stage in our life where we've made some major investments - house, interiors for the house, retirement plans from some life insurance company etc. So, with all the EMIs obviously the credit card is taking the heat. So, I'd seriously go and clear that "amount due" thing from my credit card. That would really give me a lot of peace of mind (who said they can't buy peace of mind, I can!!)

2. Name three of your closest friends (not family or spouse) and say why you love them.

I am that sort of a person who is very approachable and accomodating but I don't know why I haven't made a lot of "close friends". My closest friends have been what I've made in college and that was some 12 years back. They still are my bestest friends. Yeah we don't meet often, we don't call or write often but I know I can pick up the phone and blabber away.
So, Aps, Sammy and Putchu is what it's going to be. Together all four of us were called Fafo - Fabulous Four. And yeah we are fabulous together!!

3. Name three books which have profoundly affected you and which you would recommend to everyone to read.

Godfather - It was to me a typical masala movie watching experience which also gave me that peek into intimate/adult writing

Eric Segal - Love Story : That was a book that introduced me to the fact that even books can make you cry! After that there have been many instances where I've read a book and remained with the characters for a very long while.
Even till date when I finish a book/novel in the night, I just can't sleep. Does that happen to everybody?

Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini - That was one mind numbing experience. Taught me how much different someone else's life could be. Made me appreciate the fact of what I am and where we stay.

4. If you know for certain that you can never ever fail, what would you attempt to do?

I'd probably do my own thing (not sure what it is), probably start a franchise for young kids who need to read more, learn more than what is taught typically in their school.
It is not going to be a run-of-the-mill after school activities but something "different".
But I still need to clear my EMIs so needs to make a lot of business sense too!

5. What is THE ONE THING that you want very very badly?

That ability to spend quality time with both my parents and my kids.

Thanks Preeti for all the fanastic prompts. Now I really want to get enrolled in a creative writing course!
Most importantly continue to write and appreciate what others write.

Me and Tea?

Okay here we go again...
And I'm late...lost my spot#13 in the list that I had for the last 2 prompts.
But nevertheless..here we go

T - Time Management Guru. Nah! I am not that at all. But this is one thing that I would love to "grow" into. With 2 kids, a hectic work-life, weird clients, will it not be a great quality to have? I would love to be able to manage so many things and ensure that I don't have more than 2 "accepted" meetings at the same time :)

E - Energetic. Yes on all counts. I can't remember taking a sick leave for a very long time. You thinking that's called Healthy. No, it is energy. I love being there at the right place (actually all places, all the time) and "looking" energetic and lively even though I've had a loooong day already

A - Accessible. I am that person anyone can come and talk to. Family, Friends, People at work. I love being surrounded by people and am willing to listen to any thing any one has to say.

If that's not enough then...

C - Calm. I normally don't get agitated. Try and be that cool and composed person, at least build a very good facade. Work-wise all the times. Even at home and with people that matter, I am always considered that calm and composed person. But there are a very few people who've seen the "agitated", "doesn't know what to do", "walking time bomb" sort of a person that I really am. All I would say is that they are privileged :)

A - Adventurous. Gotcha! I am not that at all and oh how I love being one. I really admire people who are adventurous.
I am so very "normal" that I don't try going to a new place to eat, even if I go I try and eat the same stuff (not the one who experiements), travel the same road to work everyday, not very thrilled about trying anything new at all!

K - Kite-flyer. I am that person who dreams a lot, flies a lot of kites in the sky. Imagine doing this and that. I know I won't be able to do a lot of that but I still love the dreaming part. Who doesn't? :)

E - Endless gossip lover. I don't look like one and that's again something that I've cultivated i.e. not to look like someone who loves gossip. Nevertheless I am a big fan of gossip. For example, the only "knowledge" of sports that I have is what I gather from gossips. Real sports, what is that?

Thanks Preeti once again for this prompt. This is making people like me write :)

Don't fret!

They were soul mates. Enjoyed life to its fullest, learnt a lot from each other, held each other's hands through the toughest times.
They enjoyed that gossip, sharing the life's dreams, talking about the future all that over a cup of garam chai.
Oh, those were the care-free days where everything was rosy, everything was exciting!
And then suddenly, the college life ended and they were thrown into the big bad world.

Life changed dramatically. They decided to choose their own paths.
She met someone else and they were like chalk and cheese. Nothing in common at all.While one was impulsive, the other one was meticulous.
Given the bond that she shared with her friend (in what looked like a previous life now), she still went ahead and told her friend about the new person in her life.
She wanted her soulmate to understand what this new person means to her now. But then that was not meant to be.

She confided in her new friend as to how bad it felt, how much she needed her friend's approval, how much she still valued her friend's approval. But the relationship is now strained.

She might have lost on one but now she has a new soulmate.

It's not the relationships that change (per se). It is the circumstances that change, the people that change.
Being scared of stains and strains in a relationship would deprive you of what is in store for you.
So, go for it - stain or no stain!

This is in context with Preeti's new prompt

Can a relationship be like a tea-stain? Why or why not?