Wellness

People Book House PBH Kolkata Sketch-itober |Inktober 2021

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on October 14, 2021 0

I am doing Inktober 2021 and I thought I would talk about it only after I am halfway through.

In fact, I am following the People Book House or PBHKolkata’s prompt list for Sketch-itober.

I am almost there and it’s a good way to share my inking journey with my blog readers.

Since I was also writing for MyFriendAlexa it was challenging to remember to draw and share daily . But I somehow managed.

I am following the prompts by PBH Kolkata and theurbanpalette on Instagram. You can check them out under the hashtag #amaexypbh. The prompt list is eclectic and a chance to try to think out of the box with sketching. I am challenging my brain. That’s brain exercise at its most basic.

Did you know dementia has a strong age dependence? But fear not. If you are eating heart-healthy, it’s brain healthy too. Also, brain exercise needs to create the right amount of stress.

Art for me is difficult. But I do ways have fun with it. So it’s now a part of my daily ritual together with walking, gardening, and writing.If you like art stuff then doing sketching or painting habits will be life-altering.It’s not just Art as therapy but art for peace, happiness, and fun. When you approach challenges with a can-do attitude, life becomes easier.

What am I using?

I am using Brusto Watercolour and Aristo pens.

With challenges, always remember to stay rooted for why you are doing it, that’s the reason which will keep you going.

Writing this for MyFriendAlexa and #CauseAchatter Mental health awareness talks.

Update: October 23rd October: I have managed to post even while traveling and even when I have missed a day or two in between I have caught up. The best part is I have a great selection of ready content to schedule on the different platforms.

Skin in the Game: Do You(Really)Need it?

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on October 7, 2021 31

You can’t review books whose authors dare to tell truths.Like Munger and Taleb and Mr.Money Mustache.

Nassim Nicolas Taleb wrote the book, Skin in the Game: The Hidden asymmetries of Daily life, and today I will tell you what happens when you look inside your own brain. That doesn’t make sense. But that’s what happens when you read this book and sift through all your own beliefs, preconceptions, and `understandings.

You go through life feeling like a misfit. But you do well personally and professionally. You miss ruin and troubles sometimes by luck. You automatically identify the shifty-eyed insurance agent as untrustworthy, just like the neighborhood good-for-nothing uncle. In that case, my blog post today is for you, or you can read Miss Marple by Agatha Christie.

The books by these authors I mention should be mandatory reading before you become adults. Yes, even if you are over eighteen, adulting may have skipped you. When I read Skin in the Game, I was confused. How is it that you read important stuff when you least expect it?

The funniest thing about the book:

The author has a fascinating opinion about macroeconomics and journalists. I am being polite here.

The two unpredictable thing about the book?

How something so full of worldly wisdom can make you laugh.

Mr.Taleb’s total lack of fear about being called out by “book reviewers.”

Who is this book not for?

Skin in the Game: The Hidden asymmetries of Daily life is not a book for the faint-hearted. It’s not a book for you, if you only like to talk about roses and always ignore the “thorns.”

If preventive healthcare is not something you like, wisdom that prevents problems may appear rude reading material.
But if you have an open mind or at least think you do. Plus, if journey inside your own mind and asking challenging questions to your own mind doesn’t strike fear in the crevices of your mind.
If you like to do things so that your inner nemesis stops boring you to death with I told you so you must read this book.

Sharing some pearls of wisdom to avoid hidden inequalities

When you have Skin in the Game, you do away with cosmetics. Taking advice from people without Skin in the Game is behind many of your woes.

Strengths are more important than weaknesses. Focus on the former.
The power of peer pressure shouldn’t be underestimated.
Better safe than sorry.Sounds boring but works every time.
First, live, then philosophize. If the choice doesn’t ensure survival, then the option needs to be dunked.

My favorite part :About taking risks and skipping ruin

If there’s a risk of ruin, that’s not worth taking. Mistakes are human but total ruin is not acceptable. If something can cause ruin, the real or alleged benefits can never offset risks.

Every single risk adds up to reduced life expectancy.

It is the consequences that matter. Systemic effects which will affect more than one person should they happen. Tail risk analysis for repeated exposure is often ignored. Understand the tail risk of your choices.

Rationality is avoidance of systemic ruin. Being a rational optimist is a great way to live.

Do you have Skin in the Game?

Then wearing a mask will help fight COVID. As the author talks about the multiplicative fat-tailed risk, I realized why people fail to take prevention seriously. They aren’t aware or don’t care about the people who contact them might be at a higher risk.

Always do What you are afraid to do.
Emerson

If you don’t like truth, facts, unwrapping problems to solve them, give this one a wide berth. It will give you nightmares. You are a sum total of your choices and then something more.

Saying that this is the most thought-provoking book I read in September.

The best part Munger’s principles sit well with what the author writes about. My website and financial independence journey have a lot to do with Charlie Munger and Mr.Money Mustache, and this book is about Life wisdom as they are to making and keeping money.

Sleep well, my friend, because after you read this, you might just lose some sleep! Writing this for My Friend Alexa with Blogchatter.

My Unlikely Wellness Habits

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on September 1, 2021 0

My writing journey is my number one wellness habit. Then comes walking, gardening, painting, and surprise, decluttering.

None of this arrived in my life with a star sign saying-

Hi, I want to make you feel better!

They just came and, over time, have wiggled their way into my daily routine in such a way that I miss them if I don’t do them. Even decluttering.

Clutter is inevitable. That’s why, daily decluttering is the only option to help me stay on top of the cleaning game.Housekeeping is never really done for anyone. Unless you have an army of invisible people doing it.Invisible, because I like my home cleaned and beautiful without feeling awkward about too many people around the house.

I like doing my own work if I have a good company like my husband.He does all the heavy lifting,while I envision my dream spaces. Reality check- it doesn’t happen that way.

We have a supremely messy second bedroom in our rental apartment, undergoing a pre-Durga puja cleanup. Wanting to re-use a much-loved travel cot, we found out it wouldn’t fold! The eight years of not being folded have worked its dust and moisture work its dubious magic to make a folding travel baby cot unfoldable.

The cot is in otherwise perfect condition and pretty. But we have a problem.

Now I digress.

I was talking about wellness habits. I have tried decluttering alone.

I simply fall into a never-ending pit.

I want to recycle, upcycle or reuse everything ,until it falls into dust. But that’s impractical and is a big space hogger.

The husband is practical, but he wasn’t around much for that part of home upkeep. A recent re-juggling of our work schedule, has made it possible for him to declutter half a room in two days. Now we can plan organization better.

I am trying to reuse the stuffing from a few old ignored soft toys, to restuff limp cushions, and that’s strangely fun. Maybe I will even try my hand at using the much ignored Singer sewing machine. For now, it’s not decorating but decluttering, which is giving us a lot of happiness.

So why Decluttering? Why not decorating?

Oh well, as someone wisely said, imagine spending money on storing old torn clothes which will not help anyone?

You can donate.

Reuse, recycle, whatever.

But if I haven’t used it for 8 years, it’s unlikely I will do it now.

That was the thought behind the Decluttering adventure.

The short version of the Decluttering adventure

Focus on one area.
Keep trash bags ready.
Sort into piles according to two main categories. Useful for you /Could be helpful for others
Giveaway if not useful for you.

Marie Kondo says, decluttering works best if you do it with the person whose things they are. Otherwise, it can cause havoc.So be careful about tackling other people’s clutter.

Holding onto old things, emotions, hurt, weigh on us .Over the years, that increases.The sad part is we don’t know when we need help. We change homes, towns, jobs carrying about the clutter inside us and with us. Paying the movers to shift things that we don’t need or love.

A physical decluttering is almost like a mental signal to declutter our minds. Out with the rusty useless thoughts and treasure those golden nuggets that age well and help you navigate your life now.

It’s a life now which gives us happiness . Not the one in the past and nor the imaginary one which is to come.

But they all add up.

As Steve Jobs says-

“You can only connect the dots looking back.”

For now, collect your wellness dots.

I don’t like housework too much. Who does?

But I like decorating. Again most people like that part.

With the interiors for our new home being finalized with the design team, I am trying to remind myself why I want storage space. What’s going to be there?

It’s overwhelming when you give instructions, and you don’t know.

That’s why inspiredroom.net by Melissa and her room decorating tips have always been my favorite.

What’s not to love about simple, elegant, and pretty?

How often do you declutter?

A Prayer on Janmasthami

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on August 30, 2021 1

“Man is made by his belief. As he believes so he is.”
~Sri krishna says in Bhagwad Gita.

Let us all believe in being our best self.
Happy Janmashtami to everyone!!We can only do the practice.We have no control over the results.

The entire month of August I tried to keep up with the Ultimate Blog Challenge. I did come a long way ,but I hope to do better next time.For now it’s important I keep doing what I do ,because that’s the only thing in my control.The blog traffic,the economics of blogging is a part of the results of blogging,not the entire result.

The best part of blogging is-

The conversations I have with my own head while I write stuff down.
The experience of the Ultimate Blog Challenge in August 2021 when Martha and Paul showed me immense kindness in a tricky situation.

When I decided to write today when I heard of the demise of a college senior.
A smiling beautiful friend ,who is now no more.The many questions which peep into the mind,will forever be left unanswered. Her death reminded me that it takes a lot of strength to live each day well .I don’t know your struggles and you don’t know mine.The least you and I can do is be kind to each other and serve with grace.The work of living is serious practice for this life .To live well and with grace is not easy .

On Janmasthami when we pray to Lord Krishna ,I am reminded of the struggles the baby Krishna went through.But did he give up?No.He fought but with a smile.It’s not the results but our actions that we own.Doing the practice of writing one word after another made it possible for me to write this post.There’s a big need for better policies for occupational health.No one seems to talk about that.All professionals struggle.

Within a few hours or one day it will be September and the ninth month of 2021 when the countdown to Durga Puja will start.We will forget the people we lost in the Pandemic ,in wars,in terror attacks, due to accidents and natural causes.In the end we will all be forgotten.

But maybe someone will carry on the work.The practice.Being a little bit better every day can change the world.

Leaving you with my daughter’s art work for Janmasthami .

17 Women Who Paint Anemones: Painting Flowers together

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on August 26, 2021 3

Every time I paint, I remember Tangi. It’s like a fairy godmother who made Cinderella meet her prince and disappear. It’s unusual to have such a connection with a social media app. Do I miss it because I made friends, learned, earned, or a little bit of all of them?

Maybe it was the positive nature of the Tangi platform. It was a creative platform that helped artists learn, teach, share and grow without stress. My time at Tangi, made me understand the importance of STEAM in education even better.

Today I share paintings of the beautiful Anemone flower.

Anemone flowers symbolize relaxation. At night the flowers close up and open their petals again in the morning. Due to this feature, the anemone can serves as a reminder to enjoy the moment to take in opportunities at the right time.

I had the opportunity to work alongside these talented artists to bring you this fantastic Anemone collaboration.

Come see all the gorgeous Anemones we’ve created, each in our own style. Go ahead and visit the artist’s profile and show some love.

@healthwealthbridge_dramrita

@ih.arte

@hobby.bee

@create__d

@amanda.arteydibujo

@doodlesbytalina

@mariana.blooming

@martywatercolor

@thea.ong

@itzginia

@linda.atrisco.creates

@artbycristinacabrera

@vivigonzalezart

@gabrielayacuarelas

@anjali.wankhede.1

@marcogvphotography

@rajniz_art_rosovyy

*Different ways to paint Anemones*: *Visit the Instagram handle of the artists and see the paintings close up!*

This is the third collab with a beautiful group of painters from all over the world.

First Peonies,

Then Magnolia

Now it’s Anemones

The best part about painting together is seeing the different ways we see flowers and paint them.

Every painting is beautiful. Some more than others, right?

But the point is when you paint flowers in watercolor, it’s difficult to really be in complete control.

Nature in Ar

Art not only imitates nature but also completes its deficiencies. Its the way we see it.

Looking at paintings stimulates the reward system and makes you feel good. Thats the reason most of us love painting.

It also helps in social inclusion, mental health recovery, and resilience

Art therapy to reduce stress and boost mental health could work.

But science doesn’t trust evidence that is not backed by facts. Maybe it’s time we built a global initiative to help promote writing, painting, doodling, sculpting, sewing, knitting, and all things art and craft.

I know my friend Martha at the Ultimate Blog challenge sews. She had her own interior decorating firm and now has a Mama’s Minky business on Facebook.

Most of my artist friends on Instagram conduct art classes. Check out their Instagram profiles and DM them if you want to learn from them.

They all have their own distinct style. If you cant take your eyes off them, maybe they are calling you. The Universe and your brain know what you need in your life to feel happy and be healthy. Listen.

When you stop seeing with our soul’s eye, you are frozen. You can’t waste your time with regret and what-ifs. Art can melt frozen hearts. Try it. Madonna said it right!

For further reading

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.650314/full

Art Science and Learning about STEAM

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on August 25, 2021 4

Tangi said goodbye in July 2021. It was a wonderful creative app and it gave me a gift for life.I started painting and drawing because of Tangi. It was like a window opened in my soul.

When you keep all the doors and windows closed and the air conditioner is on, you are comfortable. But when you go out in the fresh air you know it’s different. You breathe better, you feel better and you glow.

So what exactly is STEAM education?

STEAM is integrative learning using Science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics to helps students learn.In STEM, the A was missing.That’s the glow education misses, when we seperate learning into rigid lines.

A friend Leha on Instagram today talked about the art of living . How creative life is our way of living beautifully. Art feeds the soul. Today I am a CANVA champion. It wouldn’t have been possible if Tangi and the friends on Tangi didn’t give me this confidence.

My creative life is dedicated to my daughter and all my Tangi friends who taught me how to create art and live life with art in it.

As a doctor, I had no inkling of any artistic inclination after fourth grade. Even now I suffer from imposter syndrome every time I write, publish or paint . But I keep doing it anyway.

If I want my daughter to live a life full of science and arts and not pick and choose, maybe I could walk the path before her. That’s the best part about STEAM education. It talks about incorporating Arts in education.

Arts are visual and very intuitive. While words are more learned. If there’s a way to have less competition between learning in these two media, the world would open up.

Encouraging curiosity and learning means accepting there are different ways to learn. Ancient texts show a lot of graphics in their language. It was visual and unlike what we write today. So what changed?

Why were arts and science made to feel like they were opposite sides of the coin when they together make up learning?

Have you ever thought about this?

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People Book House PBH Kolkata Sketch-itober |Inktober 2021

What am I using?

Skin in the Game: Do You(Really)Need it?

The funniest thing about the book:

The two unpredictable thing about the book?

Who is this book not for?

Sharing some pearls of wisdom to avoid hidden inequalities

My favorite part :About taking risks and skipping ruin

Do you have Skin in the Game?

My Unlikely Wellness Habits

The short version of the Decluttering adventure

A Prayer on Janmasthami

17 Women Who Paint Anemones: Painting Flowers together

Nature in Ar

Art Science and Learning about STEAM

So what exactly is STEAM education?

Podcasts by Dr.Amrita Basu

Vishakha Talreja

Roshan Radhakrishnan

Wellness

What am I using?

Sharing is good Karma!

The funniest thing about the book:

The two unpredictable thing about the book?

Who is this book not for?

Sharing some pearls of wisdom to avoid hidden inequalities

My favorite part :About taking risks and skipping ruin

Do you have Skin in the Game?

Sharing is good Karma!

The short version of the Decluttering adventure

Sharing is good Karma!

Sharing is good Karma!

Nature in Ar

Sharing is good Karma!

So what exactly is STEAM education?

Sharing is good Karma!

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