CHENNAI: Me time — a basic necessity and primary responsibility that everyone consistently ignores,’ read the board inside CurioPlay Activity Space at Alwarpet, on Wednesday, where people gathered for a conversation on ‘Happiness’. It was organised by the Happynesswalas, Vaani and AVIS Viswanathan as part of their conversation series, Happyness Reboot, to discuss themes and stories that impact happiness at the workplace.
“We spend a lot of time at work and we think happiness is outside that sphere of work. So, we unwittingly postpone happiness. We must all reboot our lives to what matters most,” said AVIS.
In the first segment, AVIS suggested the audience to attempt ‘Shubha Mouna Yoga’ — a daily stipulated period of non-speaking. “Do it for an hour for 21 continuous days and it becomes a practice. In the first ten minutes, analyse the past 24 hours; the following ten minutes, set goals for today; next ten minutes, set goals for tomorrow, and set long-term goals in the following ten minutes. In the last 20 minutes, read a book and record your learnings. ‘Me time’ is most important to realise your potential,” said AVIS.
For the second segment, Nandini Nair, Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax, joined AVIS. Despite her high-pressure work schedule, Nair practices art and dance regularly.
“I have been practising art since I was nine years old. In 2012, I started studying for civil services. Even then I practised dance and studied for six hours a day. I feel art was essential for my existence, so I kept investing in it.”
Sharing how these little things gave her joy, she says, “I didn’t do this because I had a lot of free time. It was because art increases my productivity at work. If you do something you like, you are stress-free and can work better. Everyone, including homemakers must do this — find some ‘me time’.”