Like a dog trying to catch his own tail, we’re all guilty of coming in the way of our own progress sometimes. Often, this is because we’re mired with stress or chasing one thought after another without pause for clarity. What we forget is that there are simple techniques available to improve our concentration, and strengthen our minds. Here are five easy exercises to help you be more focused:
Between the successes of Gully Boy and Made in Heaven, it’s been a busy and exciting year for film director and screenwriter Zoya Akhtar. With a career that requires her to regularly harness creative energy – her own and that of those she works with – how does she stay centred?
Below, she chats with Himêya about self care, pet peeves, and the importance of not bringing baggage to bed:
Nighttime routine
I shower to make myself sleepy, and use a Bioderma cleanser every night to get Bombay off my face.
Your version of counting sheep…
Reading!
Current bedtime reading
Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney. When you’re shooting 14 hours a day, you don’t have the bandwidth to read, but I always keep a book in my bag.
The bathroom is a personal space, one that has the possibility of offering more value to your life and day (other than being clean, that is). It’s a place to wash away your troubles, and soothe the senses. To help you make bathing a source of daily pleasure and self care, below are some thoughts on making the most out of bathing:
Jeevan Antony is a Bangalore-based songwriter and producer, best known for his dreamy shoegaze band, Madràs. His introspective music made him our first choice for creating a soundtrack for Himêya.
Below, he talks to us about Sounds of Himêya (SOH): a soundtrack crafted for rest, and an aid to meditation and dreaming.
Having grown up amidst ‘Type A’ notions that glorified sleep deprivation, Gayatri Rangachari Shah is now clear about addressing stress and balance head on. We enjoyed her self-assured views and useful recommendations.
Shah is a contributing writer and columnist to publications such as The Hindu, Vogue India, Architectural Digest and India Head at Tina Brown Live Media, which produces the globally renowned journalism summit, Women in the World.
For actor-writer-director Dhruv Sehgal, restful sleep and a decluttered mind is an ongoing challenge. From his early career days working on independent films and web series’ at Dice Media to his current gig as the perfect Indian boyfriend in Netflix’s Little Things, the 28-year-old has found ways to deal with stress along the way.
At Himêya, we’re inspired by young talent like Dhruv, who seek work-life balance through new ways of being. More from him below: