December 2021 Editorial

As this tumultuous year draws to a close, the anticipation of a better New Year hangs heavy in the air. People are wishing for better times, and looking forward to a 2022 that’s healthier and happier – both physically and mentally. Even the year-end festivities appear to be subdued as people celebrate cautiously, hoping and praying that these dark clouds of uncertainty will lift, giving way to the sunshine of joy, peace and relief.

With that in mind, we, at the Editorial team, have curated two specific pieces this month – one relates to mental health and engages your creativity as you look for clues to solve the puzzle, and the other relates to relationships and engages your sense of curiosity and connection

Enjoy these contributions from our members, and be sure to put on your creative hats and send in your own contributions in the coming year.

Best,

Mina Dilip
Editor, XpressionZ
December 2021

November 2021 Editorial

The festive season is here, and everyone is excited. Rituals and traditions are a large part of established festivals. Skeptics often undermine the importance of rituals by calling them old-fashioned or superstitious. However, research has shown that rituals have a very important role to play in our mental health. In today’s modern world, where everyone is rushing to get things done, time-tested rituals have a calming and grounding effect.

Psychologically speaking, a ritual, especially one that forms a part of religious or cultural festivities, is a repetitive, systematic behavioral process that is enacted in a specific way. Take, for example, the lighting of lamps during Diwali, a month-long fast for Ramzan, or the decorating of a tree with ornaments at Christmas. These rituals have been around for generations, and we have followed them without question. Similarly, death rituals in each culture follow a specific set of steps in a particular order, marriages and family celebrations have certain unspoken and unwritten ritualistic traditions, and celebrations in general are culture-specific in terms of the rituals involved.

All this is because rituals have the potential to help us regulate our emotions by feeling like we have the situation under control. Such semblance of control often helps us feel calmer and more relaxed, thereby enhancing cognitive function and fostering a sense of well-being. Moreover, rituals tend to bring groups of people together, building community spirit and social connection.

So this festive season, engage in all your favorite rituals, knowing that you are not following some age-old superstition blindly, but that you are engaging in a scientific, psychologically significant activity that is sure to keep you mentally healthy.

Happy festive season!

Mina Dilip

Editor, XpressionZ

November 2021

October 2021 Editorial

October 10th is celebrated the world over as World Mental Health Day, for the purpose of creating global awareness about the importance of mental well being and to fight the stigma attached to this concept. Is just one day in a year sufficient, though? Shouldn’t mental health take center stage in our lives, just like our physical health? Isn’t mental health and well being something we need to completely normalize across cultures and societies?

How is this possible when the laws meant to govern us use terms like “Behavioral Health” in place of “Mental Health”? Behavioral health is an aspect of mental health, which is a much larger umbrella covering so many distinct and varied aspects of an individual’s life.

As forerunners in this domain, it is our collective responsibility as professionals to educate the society about mental health, work towards de-stigmatizing our field and proudly embrace all facets of mental health ourselves.

As editor of XpressionZ, CCF’s very own platform for creative expression, I invite everyone to add your voice to this essential task of helping people acknowledge the importance of mental health and accept it as a part of life.

Warmly,
Mina,
Editor, XpressionZ
October 2021

September 2021 Editorial

Having a safe space for creative expression is grossly underrated! It is practically a basic human need, and famous neuroscientists like Jaak Panksepp, Stephen Porges and Deb Dana have proven it through their extensive research.

XpressionZ is our humble attempt at creating one such safe space for all CCF members to utilize in order to express themselves through various creative pursuits and explorations.

As the editor of XpressionZ, I warmly welcome each and every one of you, and would like to take this opportunity to encourage you to use this space in whatever ways you deem fit.

Enjoy your expressive journey, and thank you in advance for giving me (and the rest of the editorial team) the privilege of being a part of that journey!

Ms. Mina Dilip
Editor
September 2021

Disclaimer:

The views expressed on this page are the personal views of the respective authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the Chennai Counselors’ Foundation (CCF). Any omissions, errors or plagiarism on the part of the author are the author’s to address appropriately and CCF does not assume liability or responsibility for them.

The creatives/content published here is for public consumption and discussions. If you are using a part or whole, please ensure you have the consent of the author/creator and appropriately credit them. Else, the author (rightful owner of the creative) can dispute the same as they deem fit.