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To begin with, parenting has never been a cakewalk, even during the best of times. Therefore, one can jolly well visualize the additional responsibilities and risks it brings in not-so-favourable times. Though globally, parenting is marked by many similarities in terms of nurturing, socializing, educating and training, we find considerable cultural differences in parenting techniques. And there is a reasonably sound logic to each one of them. Consider, for instance, the primitive farm-based cultures (which still exist in some parts of the world), in which kids are taken to be economic rather than emotional assets and are, therefore, treated like that only. Similarly, almost all tribes put great store by individual independence in sharp opposition to non-tribal cultures.

The past few decades have seen a renewed interest in the importance and the effect of various parenting techniques on kids, especially in eastern vs. western cultures. This difference in parenting styles is most clearly visible in terms of a child’s academic performance, self-confidence, emotional development, behaviour and coping mechanisms.

Read: Indian Parenting: Common Mistakes and Solutions

The history and culture of a country or area have a great impact on the prevailing parenting styles there – the Chinese culture, for instance, is significantly influenced by the Confucian philosophy of giving respect to authority, devotion to parents, emotional restraint, and education. It’s no surprise, therefore, that Chinese parenting emphasizes training, governance and love. Similarly, the ancient Indian gurukul system, which is premised on a respect for authority, too emphasizes devotion towards parents and elders, learning and education.

Having said that, this is not to dilute the importance of changing times, cultural diffusion and lateral mobility, which affect parenting methods in a big way. For example, Chinese parents are now becoming more sensitive to their children’s emotions and needs and tend to provide them more independence and autonomy. Similarly, in recent years, Western parents have been having higher expectations of their children in matters of academic achievement and monitor their activities more closely.

Types of Parent-Child Relation

Most parenting styles fall into one of these categories:

1. Authoritarian – disciplinarian
2. Permissive – indulgent and
3. Authoritative

Evidently, authoritarian parents are strict disciplinarians, who wield the proverbial stick in parenting quite often. So, punishment here is quite common and the communication mostly happens unilaterally from parents to children. Such a parenting technique involves dictatorial decision-making, with children having absolutely no say in important household matters. Most often, the products of such parenting are rebellious or submissive and docile adults and face problems with authority figures in their adult lives.

My experience with parental counseling tell me that the authoritarian parenting style is quite popular with India’s middle class, with the parents demanding blood, sweat and tears from their children, notably in pursuit of academic excellence. The flourishing private cram schools of Kota, which is a Rs.75,000 crore p.a. industry, is ample proof of the aggressiveness of Indian parents in this regard. On the contrary, such micro-managing of a child’s lives is rarely found in Western cultures, where children don’t bear the crushing burden of parental expectations. Rather, their delicate sensitivities arouse much more debate in the national discourse and on TV channels.

That such authoritarian parenting doesn’t always work is clear from the rising number of the cases of depression and suicides happening among such adolescents. Every child is endowed with some unique talents; therefore, a plain vanilla approach isn’t the done thing as the parents’ job is to provide a conducive environment to allow their children to develop academic and social-emotional skills. Therefore, in an ideal aces scenario, the parenting style should be adapted to suit a child’s unique personality.  

However, keeping “right” and “wrong” aside, we need to appreciate that each culture emanates from its unique history and that parents always have good intentions, at least from their viewpoint. However, we can always think of what’s desirable and what’s not, which actions could lead to a happy, secure and independent child and which ones could lead to stubborn, defensive and angry ones.

On the other extreme of the Parent-Child Relation spectrum are permissive parents, who behave more like friends in a liberal parenting manner. Obviously, this parenting style often results in an adulthood characterized by little, if any, respect for prevailing rules and such adults have frequent problems with law.

The authoritative parenting style, in which the parents fix reasonable boundaries and also provide guidance and give the kids the freedom to decide and learn from their mistakes is considered the most beneficial in developing a well-adjusted personality later.

12 Steps to More Effective Parenting

The challenges parenting throws at us may not only be tough, but may also lack a personal precedent to guide you. Such challenges have stayed with us since millennia; it’s only that they have become much more diverse and difficult with time. As a case, you may never have expected your so-polite kids to turn into angry teenagers. So how do you tread the tight rope that both of you can survive and begin liking each other? Here’s my list of Top Tips, based on my personal experience of raising two (fairly successful) daughters, which could render your life a little more peaceful and less horrible.

Though the challenges of parenting posed by the modern generation are slightly different (fewer children, busier couples and an ever-connected world through social media), the basics remain the same. Every parent has their unique stories about how they brought their children up despite tough challenges. But in a way of speaking, “bringing up children” is passé now as it is the time for “bringing up parents” because the focus has to shift to making parents more competent in raising their children. Research on child growth and development points to the fact that parents have been in the wrong about several parenting practices.

Frequently, a first-time parent lacks any idea of the future journey as a nurturer. But luckily, plentiful help is always available from one’s own parents, friends and the media. An important warning here, though-  their words of wisdom may work but there cannot be any A-creates-B kind of formula here as children come in all shapes, sizes and colours and behave disparately and unpredictably. So, in my opinion, a parent has to “know” the child before trying out any well-intentioned suggestion. And quite expectedly, it’s a hit-and-trial venture until you discover what’s just the right thing for you and the child. So, remember, constant experimentation is the key here.

Though I could fill a weighty tome on this one, here are some of the best-ever words of parenting wisdom I have learnt bringing up two daughters of mine and watching others do it:

1. Listen

The fact is, listening consumes more labour but it is more important than talking. Listening attentively shows your kids that you respect them and it prepares a positive ground for conversation. In the context of a parent-child relation, while talking,

1. Keep your eye contact
2. Intersperse the kid’s sentences with “Hmm” and “Yeah” to show you are, in fact, listening.
3. Do not interrupt them while they are speaking.
4. Get a clarification if you don’t understand what they are saying with “Would you explain again?

Pause to see if you are really getting them. You might as well admit “You seem to be angry as I had lost my temper last night.” There is absolutely no harm in apologizing if you really need to as it not only melts the ice between you but also helps you to create a good example.

Try to know about their friends and your own kid through them. It’s sensible to know the names, addresses and phone numbers of their friends as it can be handy in any emergency. Treat their friends respectfully and don’t use them to “spy” on your kid’s activities as it may create trust issues between them.

2. Love You, always

This gem of parent-child relationship wisdom has been drilled into our heads for eternity, but sadly, very few practice it in reality. Of course, a parent is supposed to correct and guide their kid but the manner in which they express it can create a big difference.

Well, the idea is – love your kid, regardless of how they look or perform or achieve. Besides, avoid blaming or criticizing them, which can weaken their self-esteem and cause resentment. Instead, encourage them, even when disciplining them. For instance, if your kid gets a B on a test instead of the hoped-for A, fret or yell not nor blame their friends. Simply convey that you are fine with it but they should try to do better the next time. And try to ensure they know that though you expect them to do better next time, you will always love them, regardless. Period.​

3. Questioning your Questions

In my practice as a life coach, I often advise my clients to reframe several questions of life so as to see their problems in a refreshing new light. Ditto for parents. Framing your queries right can avoid unnecessary trouble and yield better results. So be very clear about it instead of leaving it to your teenager’s interpretation. For instance, instead, “Why didn’t you respond to my call? You really should have picked it!” try, “I was really being worried that you didn’t answer my call. Can we think of a way to talk after school to know if you are OK?”

An important lesson I have learnt is that focusing on your kids’ behavior is much better than judging or labelling them. So in place of “You are damn lazy,” say “I am so disappointed you didn’t give the garbage to the trash man though it’s your responsibility.”

So far as possible, do not make any generalization. The moment they hear such blanket statements, they will search for examples to refute them. So instead of “You never keep your room neat and clean,” try “I saw you didn’t tidy up your room this morning.”

And while at it, stick to one topic at a time. Avoid using sentences like “I want to talk about your school performance today. By the way, I hated the way that you were talking to your younger sister yesterday.” Instead, try “I wanna really talk about your school performance. Would this evening be a good time for that?”

4. Becoming a Role Model

Actions speak louder than words

Experts on child growth and development are of the opinion that in a parent-child relation scenario, the kids never do what they are told to; rather, they tend to do what they see happening around them. They learn a lot from watching their parents and significant other adults in daily life. So before you lash out in the presence of kids, think of it: Is that how you would like your kid to behave? So you need to become a model of the traits you would like them to develop – honesty, truth, mercy, patience or tolerance. My own grown up daughters often tell me that as growing up kids, they always tried copying each single thing I did– habits, manners, activities, hobbies. So, treat your kids the way you expect others to treat you.

Reading stories and sharing the major points with kids was a practice I learnt from Henna Chaplin’s story. Though Ishani and Inayat would sometimes not take to it so kindly in the belief that I was trying to teach them something. But having said that, the values I tried inculcating did seep through their impressionable minds. 

Another thing I learnt from her was treating kids as mature adults. Though I never pressurized them into toeing my line, I did guide and counsel them. There was a constant fear of their being misled as there was a general belief about our “decent” financial standing. Of course, no one knew about the sixty crore rupee debt I owed, though!

Though I did give my kids all the information they needed and counseled them about the pros and cons of various career alternatives, the final choice rested on them. Today, it gladdens me to see them taking successful strides in their chosen careers.   

5. Carrot ‘n’ Stick

Spare the rod and spoil the child.

Though the above proverb need not be taken literally, the kids need to learn early in life that discipline holds the key to success in life. Of course, in the context of child growth and development, there is a near-unanimity among experts that the use of physical force to discipline a kid is a no-no.  They need to learn acceptable behaviour and self-control by staying within certain limits. Having appropriate rules helps them to understand what you expect and develop self-control. The rules have to be framed in a participative manner and should be clearly communicated the old no-TV-until-homework-is-done, no hitting, no abusing, no teasing rules etc..

I can say confidently that it really works to have a system of giving one warning, followed by consequences like “time out” or losing a preferred activity. The idea works only if

1. you apply not occasionally or arbitrarily, but always. You can’t apply it one day and forget about it the next time. Being consistent tells them about your expectations from them.
2. the “consequence” is potent enough to prevent the unwanted behavior but is not so intimidating that it creates a fear of the parent. For example, “time out” for a default is fine but locking up a kid in a bathroom or depriving them of meals is certainly NOT.
3. you use combine it with the opposite – giving them a reward for meeting the targets

6. Adjusting Your Parenting Style

Experts on parental counselling believe that if your kid’s behaviour “lets you down”, it may be time to run a check on your expectations, which may be unrealistic. Since the environment decisively affects our behavior, we can change the situation by changing the environment. If you always say “no” to your 2-year-old child and fail in your efforts, you may have to change your surroundings so that fewer things are off-limits to create less frustration for yourself.

You may need to change your parenting style as what works now may not work a year later. Over time, the kids’ mental faculties grow exponentially and they think, reason, argue and hypothesize with much more efficiency. Many parents consider it to be a sign of rebellion, which is not the case. Instead, you need to respect their developmental process and attendant changes in their opinions and change yourself. For example, teenagers look less to their parents and more to their peers but keep on your part, keep giving guidance and encouragement while allowing them to be more and more independent.

7. Boosting Your Child’s Self-Esteem

As a life coach, I often share with my clients that kids start cultivating a sense of self as babies as they absorb your tone, body language, and facial expressions. Keep in mind that your words and actions affect their self-esteem much more than anything else. So appreciate their achievements, however small, to make them feel self-confident and proud. Let them do things independently to let them feel capable and strong. And always remember (to not apply) the 3 C’s: Comparison, Criticism and Control.

Comparisons are always and comparing a child unfavorably with others makes them feel unwanted and worthless. For instance, “What a foolish idea!” or “Your actions resemble a small baby’s!” can leave immense psychological scars. So, choose the words carefully and show compassion. Let it sink in their minds that everyone makes mistakes and that you still love them, even though you don’t like what they do.

Adolescents need more attention from parents vis a vis younger children. Therefore, you need to do your best to be available for your teenager, when they want to talk to you or be a part of family activities. Going to movies and events with your teenager conveys a friendly attitude and will let you know more about your kid and their friends.

If you are a working parent, this fact need not make you self-blame. After my husband’s untimely death, I had to don the entrepreneurial hat and I have been managing a 100-strong workforce at our plant successfully. Since the plant is located at a place distant from where I live, I always faced a time pressure for my kids. But careful planning and slick execution did help me a lot. Looking back in retrospect, I can assert that the gift of time spent together and the little things we do together — playing carom, window shopping — are cherished much longer by them than the “bigger” and costlier gifts we give them. 

8. Consistency

To see the desired behavioral changes, you will need to show consistency in discipline, rules and curfews, rewards and punishments. Let your kids understand that everything comes with consequences. Dithering or making an exception may earn you temporary reprieve but things will become more difficult in the days to come. So don’t budge and remember, if you cede an inch, a smart teen will try to take away a metre.

9. Keeping time thieves away

Make them turn off the monster time stealers – mobiles and tablets and ask them to put them away in your bedroom. Of course, you have to agree about the modalities in writing as putting the things in black and white has a certain value. I can recall that despite multiple engagements and the very limited time at disposal, sometimes just ten minutes, may be while waiting for a flight, I devoured every single word of Henna Chaplin’s life-changing real-life story. How Charlie Chaplin’s poor and sick mother Henna Chaplin successfully raised such exceptionally capable kids in the most trying circumstances is beyond imagination. Charlie had learnt from her mother only the sterling human qualities of sifting the good from the bad and handling failures in life.

10. Eat Together, Stay Together, Pray Together

There is a big grain of truth in the maxim. Ample research proves the worth of this dictum – a family that eats and prays together, always stays together. But try not to make meal times an after-dinner debate show. Meal times can be great bonding opportunities as you can feed their bodies and their souls at the same time.

11. Earning Pocket Money

My experience shows that they love it. Since part-time jobs aren’t easily available in our country, let your teenagers “earn” their pocket money. You can allocate them some household tasks – pruning the garden, dusting off the racks etc. Not only will they learn some valuable skills, but will also get a feel of satisfaction over earning some pocket money. Besides, they will learn the importance of hard work and savings in life.  

12. “Bright” is fine but “Fight” is NOT

You cannot have a neat and clean room before they leave for school/ college. Just accept this fact and practice living with it to save yourself great heartburn and keep your sanity. At the most, you can have some basic hygiene rules about bathroom cleanliness and dirty clothes. That’s it! Some battles are not worth fighting.

Skills are one of the most valuable assets in your life and learning skills are one of them. Learning skills can be exercised throughout life to communicate effectively and accomplish your goals. These can incessantly be developed and enhanced to complete your everyday tasks and attain your career milestones.

In simple words, learning skills are the capabilities that help you acquire new things or knowledge. You need to develop learning capabilities if you want to learn more efficiently in less time with great outcomes. These skills are highly beneficial for your professional and personal life allowing you to hone your abilities, and be an amended communicator, smarter employee, and more competent.

Examples of learning skills:

• Time management
• Looking for relevant information
• Reading excellently
• Decision making
• Problem-solving
• Analytical skills
• Being focused
• Asking the precise questions

Understanding Learning Skills:

Learning skills incorporate four Cs- Critical Thinking, Creative Thinking, Communication, and Collaboration. These Cs make learning skills vital for your career, success, and beyond. These skills are closely interrelated and allow you to seek relevant information, accept new perspectives, ask the right questions, and interpret knowledge in several contexts. 

Critical Thinking:

Critical thinking means vigilantly evaluating and digesting the knowledge you acquire every day. In today’s digital world we have an overdose of information around us and critical thinking act as a filter that helps you separate the useful and useless information. It allows you to recognize the pertinent sources of information. It is an influential tool for identifying your strong and weak areas that leads to self-improvement. 

Moreover, critical thinking frees you from preconceptions and restrictive beliefs that clasp you back. You evolve as an open-minded person welcoming new ideas and other people’s outlooks which is essential for acquiring new knowledge.  

Creative thinking

Creative thinking is the ability to develop new concepts and eccentric solutions. Many people believe that creative thinking is a gift but it’s also a skill that you can learn. Creative thinking allows you to try new learning approaches that improve learning skills. 

Creative thinking also reflects through conversation. It is a practical skill that lets you tell interesting stories and make jokes. It works as fuel for novelties and innovations that make you create new bits of intelligence and get new ideas that have not existed before.

Communication:

I always say, communication is the key, be it a relationship, career, or life. Communication is an elementary learning skill; we use it to share information with others. You comprehend others and be understood by them by communicating. And communicating skills come from active listening. 

When you listen to a person with complete attention and without any distraction that is called active listening. Active listeners do not just get advantageous knowledge from others but they are also well regarded. It expands your responsiveness, and understanding of emotions, and improves communication. 

Read: Communication Skills Training – Life Coach Ritu Singal

Collaboration:

Collaboration is an indispensable skill that allows you to work efficiently. When you know how to cooperate and collaborate with others, it contributes to a safe work environment and ensures well-organized teamwork. Collaboration allows you to learn and teach, have team support, solve problems, and get encouraged by people around you. 

How To Expand Your Learning Skills

Learning has no limitations. Do your research, and look for dependable stuff to grip knowledge. You should seek different thoughts to get a larger picture and understand better. Always try to indulge in various content to keep up with modern trends. Don’t restrict yourself in any way.

• Identify where you lack:

The first step you need to take to develop learning capabilities is to find the areas where you need to work on. You may find that you are weak at adaptability, communication, or decision-making. When you know your weakness, accept that and work on that. Be mindful of how your weakness is affecting your work life. 

For example, I found that my weak area is decision-making. Now I will start observing how it is affecting my work and my life. When I am aware of that I can improve it. I will find out a way to work on it and strengthen my decision-making skill.

• Refine your daily habits:

Your daily habits have a strong impact on your career and life. Practice learning skills in your everyday life. Incorporate such habits that contribute to your learning skills and refine the existing ones. By practicing daily, you can implement them in your professional life. 

For example, if you are talking to someone make sure you clarify your point, and if you are not understanding something ask for clarification to avoid miscommunication. Establish sensible goals for your projects or tasks and finish them within that time frame. If you want to work on adaptability, do something getting out of your comfort zone. 

• Get a course:

Taking a community course can help you better understand the world outside your comfort zone. Get a course that you are not easy with. For example, you can consider a public speaking or creative writing course. It will help you nurture new approaches to writing and speaking in public. 

• Take part in volunteer opportunities:

Volunteer activities can help you polish your communication, empathy, and management skills and improve your learning skills. So, whenever you get a chance get to engage in volunteer activities. Look for something you are enthusiastic about and focus on expanding your learning skills.

• Take professional help:

Some people wish to enhance their learning skills but they have no idea how to work for it. Well in that case you should seek professional help. Talk to the best life coach in India and get result-driven consultation. A life coach knows how you can improve your personal and professional life. They can suggest how you can begin to improve your learning skills. 

Learning Aids Your Well-being

We all know that learning benefits our professional careers and lives but do you know that learning also assists your well-being? See how.

• Cheerfulness:

When you maintain a learning habit in your life, you feel happier. It happens because lifelong learning allows you to keep emerging your interests and passions that bring the feeling of joy and pleasure. You learn about the things that interest you, making you feel happy at that moment. 

Constant learning allows you to pursue your professional and personal development goals. And these achievements bring happiness to your life. It also helps avoid bored feelings that also increase contentment.

• Longevity/Endurance:

Ultimate learning behaviours help sustain healthier brain function as you age. Learning activities also slow down the commencement of Alzheimer’s disease. Spending time developing new skills or practicing learning skills helps improve memories, endurance, and life quality. 

Learning Skills Support Your Professional Life

Constant learning particularly workplace learning offers many professional benefits for organizations and their employees. 

• Upskilling:

Upskilling means improving your existing skills. Learning skills lead to broadening of your existing skills which are beneficial for the companies and their employees. Upskilling equips you with the skills and knowledge you require to pursue your professional goals. For example, if you have a learning capability, you are more likely to get a promotion because of upskilling. 

• Adaptability:

Ongoing revolution is forcing working professionals to follow constant learning as it will help them regularly adapt to technology advancements and new knowledge. Being engaged in learning activities means becoming more comfortable to incorporate advancements and it is vital to keep adapting with time. It empowers employees and companies to stay competitive in their industry, pursue promotions and keep pace with technology shifts every day. 

• Innovation:

Learning skills drive innovation that defines new perspectives, technologies, and cultural developments to solve community issues and improve your societies. Innovation is essential for society because new developments help improve our lives. For example, during the pandemic, many innovative minds came up with various innovations to solve several issues. 

Wrapping Up:

Learning skills matter because this help you better pursue your professional career and feel joyful and fulfilled in your life. Learning habits help maintain improved cognitive function when you get older. Continuous learning activities in organizations help them boost their efficiency, profitability, flexibility to change, and likelihood to innovate their industries. 

Corporate life is a dynamic ever-changing lifestyle that shows changes like the graphs of the stock market. So the ones who are actually in this business growth plan have to deal with a lot of stress and triggers now and then. 

It’s not a 9 to 5 job officially because the constant urge to excel and crack a deal the next day doesn’t let people sleep sometimes. It’s a race where employees of several strata have cut-throat competition 

The juggle between home and workplace is never-ending. Therefore there are only some who have been able to unlock this secret of correct work-life balance. This is where the job of corporate counsellors comes from. 

What comes under corporate counselling? 

Unmotivated and stress are two of the most common symptoms of high-profile 9-to-5 jobs. The greater the position, the greater the responsibilities. This can sometimes have an impact on their daily performance and impression. It’s a common occurrence that affects many people.

But every problem has a solution. You may be unsure what to expect from an HR professional who is willing to provide corporate counselling to his or her employees. H.R. and managers who are aware and understand the drill and mental trauma that every employee can experience during office or non-office hours.

The first and foremost reason can be – 

Workplace Stress, harassment, conflicts with seniors, juniors, and clients, unattainable deadlines, competition, bullying, dissatisfaction with the position or environment in the office, and many others. 

Secondly, Personal reasons such as quarrels at home due to financial stress, relationship issues, difficulty managing work and life balance, and unsure about the goal and career. 

Thirdly, the emotions take a toll on you when you are exposed to an entirely new surrounding just after your lovely college life. There are stress, anxiety, depression, lack of self-confidence and enthusiasm, fatigue, ill-concentrated, and poor time management skills. 

Lastly, what matters is how prepared you are for the job. There are no u-turns for careless mistakes an employee can make during a presentation or cracking a deal. Wrong communication and lack of exposure to handling clients can land employees in disastrous situations. 

This might have worried you a little. But don’t worry, proper consultation and counseling on time can resolve everything consequently. 

Is Corporate Counseling the Need of the Hour? 

The answer is a big YES! Because of the way students need counseling during their career choice, similarly, the employees may need some training to sustain their workplace environment. 

The job of a professional counselor is to generate self-awareness and self-esteem in his/her employees. Employees may seem enthusiastic before they join the actual company. But everything is not a cakewalk. There is a need to grind yourselves in the toughest hours. 

This is a corporate advisor’s effort to balance mental health, well-being, and peace in employees’ lives. 

Studies and research on employees show that adequate counselling has massively helped them bring impeccable glory to themselves and their respective companies. Good on-time service delivery, lesser conflicts, cooperation, healthy competition, better client response to responsibilities balancing work and personal life are the real benefits that companies and clients have realized because of proper corporate counselling. 

Counselling is scientific but takes care of the real emotions of people. There are unique fun related activities, and test cases that bring the real self of employees. It can be described as an art that flourishes with experience and interactions. There is a major role in the instincts and constant practice of counselling people. 

You can find several sciences behind this one simple idea. There is psychology, sociology, human resource management, and neurosciences involved in this practice. 

Short programs should be arranged by the company CEOs to let their employees lighten their work stress. Counseling involves two or more professional advisors who are trained to talk and let people express their inner frustrations but in a healthy manner. 

Clients seeking help may find it difficult to communicate with their seniors regarding personal issues. Just because there is a lack of communication, sometimes people tend to develop inferiority complexes. 

Consultants help such clients to recognize their issues and then suggest probable solutions to them. Self-delight develops through the use of these scientific techniques, tools, and processes. 

10 Reasons Why Corporate Counseling Can be Your Ultimate Saviour

• Feasibility in Recruitment: 

Working with machines and working with real-life human beings is a different game. Therefore this skill would help managers in choosing the right candidate for their job vacancies. The right job demands the right person in place. Frequent changes can lead to instability in the job with delays in task fulfillment. 

Machines can manage technical skills. But you need people who have charismatic personalities and communication skills to save your company boat in the middle of the ocean. Therefore the use of skills and psychometric tests, behavioral assessments, and profiling of that employee behavior in different virtual situations can make your job easier. 

Take every weakness positively the way you perceive their strengths. Deduce the examinee’s outlook towards themselves and your company. 

• Getting Prepared for Orientations and Group Discussions: 

Orientations and inductions should be presented to your expected employees before they are burdened with their duties. This helps in bringing clarity to their roles. The candidates will be aware of the expectations of the company from them. It helps in resolving queries, doubts, and misinterpretations regarding their position and the work environment.  

Group discussions are a great way of knowing the actual capabilities of the candidates. Multinational companies also believe in conducting team-building exercises and games to build cooperation and trust among them. 

This instills comfort and employees become more comfortable with their new colleagues. Skills mapping and psychological analysis are crucial because they help in the easy assignment of appraisals and new positions. 

• Real-life Skill Development: 

Nowadays things are not as predictable as ever. Changes are the only constant in this new world. Corporate counseling is the best way to encourage old employees in skills development sessions. They encourage stakeholders to shortlist probable candidates who can work better if they attend certain training and skills development sessions. These sessions are tangible and customizable according to the response of employees received. 

Corporate objectives of conducting ice-breaking programs include anger management, stress busters, teaching leadership goals, conceivable conflict resolution, and better productivity with smart work. 

• Nurturing the Leadership Quality in You: 

Groomed leaders are the flag-bearers of their companies. They should be outspoken with clear thoughts and a go-getter. He/she is a role model for all. A leader’s interpretational and conversation skills should be the talk of the town every morning. A real leader comes up when his/her company is on the verge of striking an iceberg. His presence of mind and conflict-resolution techniques can bring miracles to the organization. 

A lack of self-esteem and self-realization can never let you become the right leader. Therefore realization of one’s potential can let you become a good business administrator at your own right time. 

• Better Acceptances of Changes: 

As discussed above, changes are challenging for many candidates. You cannot stop at the top of the hill and rejoice for long. There are many new accomplishments to be made which can be tougher and unique at the same time. 

But adequate corporate counseling by business coach personnel on how to accept each challenge with a positive mindset of growing can never let you go missing. You might feel uncomfortable and stuck up at times. But your psychological calmness and focus on your goal will help you cross miles unharmed. 

A true leader shines after the toughest wars with the most beautiful satisfaction on his face. 

• Surviving Layoffs in Jobs: 

Ups and downs are a part of business growth. You cannot go smoothly every time. Successes have to meet failures some day or the other. Economic downfalls, unprofitable businesses, retrenchments, and mass losses are part of the job. 

Read: How To Grow Business- Top Tips from Awarded Women Entrepreneur

The recent covid pandemic made many employees lose their settled jobs and become unemployed. There was a grudge, anger, dissatisfaction, confusion, and constant fear of how they will now manage their families. 

This is where the most crucial role of a counselor comes up. It is at this time when employees have to fill up with confidence that such ups and downs are a part of the corporate world. But there is a lot to explore and grab. Finding a good job becomes uncomplicated when you have trust in your abilities. 

• Enrich the Environment Near You: 

It’s dreadful to work in a room of dead people. Similarly, there should be liveliness, and cheerfulness in the work surroundings. It promotes productivity. 

A toxic environment is choking on survival and reduces the interest of clients working over there. Healthy competitions go a long way over politicking and bickering. 

In this smart technology world, everybody loves to be rewarded with trophies, amazon coupons, and holiday trips to their favorite location. These simple solutions have helped reduce friction between employees and increased cooperation in the long run. 

• Building Work-Life Balance: 

Business Coach persons help managers understand the existence of stress in corporate people’s lives. Stress and stress reduction are the hot topics of every counseling session. Everybody is dealing with it and has got their way of tackling it. So it’s the attitude that brings in much of the difference. 

Coaches can share their way of handling it when faced with similar situations. This is how the system works. One should never ignore their personal life in the long race to excel in their career. 

• Getting the Right Appraisal at the Right Time: 

Money has always been the driving force for both the company and its clients. We cannot ignore appraisals on exceptional performances otherwise it spreads a wrong message among the hard-working ones. 

Managers are not heartless. Just the way an employee requests the appraisal for promotion makes the objective difference. Managers should also be aware of the right time for breaking the news of appraisal such that it boosts the performance of that client when he has lost hope of doing well in the company. As a manager entrepreneur skills should be certainly known to all. 

• Be the Better Version of Yourself both on and off office hours: 

Conflicts and disagreements are never going to leave your back as long as you keep meeting new people and arranging new teams. But the right conflict resolution techniques will assure that they do not let your mental peace get harmed. 

Upon completion of the complete course of a certified counseling scheme, you will realize that new aroma of energy inside you. You will be more confident and resolved in whatever decisions you take. 

You may not be able to change people and their mindsets towards you but at least your employees would be satisfied to have a manager like you. 

Corporate Counseling in Business Administration

Corporate counseling is like a monthly health checkup you get for your complete body. Similarly, counseling for employees helps them get out of their mentally stressful lifestyles. It should not be confused with boring slide presentation classes but it is more of a fun activity playroom where people interact, share, and exchange perspectives of their lives. 

People from different strata of life come up together with unique entrepreneur skills and this is where the magic happens. Most of the possible conflicts are resolved before they become bigger issues in life. 

How Does  Corporate Counseling Work in India?

Corporate counseling is a flourishing business with promising results for business growth. Any corporation can take this step forward in investment resulting in better growth and income. Supervisors may overlook the harsh lifestyles of their juniors but counselors and H.R can help resolve these issues without breaking anybody’s privacy. 

These practical steps as discussed are strong enough reasons for lightening the stressful crises of the corporate world. More involvement of happy employees helps in building trust among their funding companies. 

You must be often hearing the term depression these days. Sometimes people feel sad, hopeless, or guilty but they don’t know why they are feeling like that. This feeling may remain for weeks, months, and even years. Many people are not well aware of depression, for them, it’s just a down feeling. Depression is a serious disorder that damagingly impacts how you reflect, feel, and act. It can cause many emotional, mental, and physical complications and can diminish your performance at work and at home. 

Luckily, you can deal with depression and improve its negative bearings. Usually, when you feel physically sick, you go to a doctor for proper treatment. However, when you have some emotional or mental health issue, most people are not able to recognize it, try to hide it, or wait for it to get resolved on its own, and rarely consider consulting a therapist or psychologist. 

Highlights:

• Depression is more than just a miserable or sad feeling.
• It is a medical depressive disorder.
• Depression can touch all aspects of life.
• Strong people can also feel depressed.
• Depression doesn’t signify that you are thankless or ungrateful.
• Children are not resistant to depression.
• It is possible to manage and cure depression. 
• Untreated depression can cause self-destruction and suicide.

How Do You Define Depression?

It’s normal to feel sad sometimes and usually, these feelings pass over time. But depression is not the same. Depression is also called a major depressive disorder which can upset anybody, regardless of gender, age, culture, or religion. It may occur with other illnesses (chronic pain, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer) and mental disorders. Depression can slow down the healing and make other ailments worse. 

In simple words, depression is an illness that causes a continual feeling of sorrow and loss of awareness. It influences your behavior, actions, and everyday life. You may feel unable to perform your everyday activity and your life is not worth it. Mild depression may be described as a bad state of mind or sad feeling. It doesn’t halt your normal life but sometimes makes everything difficult. The most severe stage of depression can be deadly and life-threatening where you may feel like destroying yourself. 

Examples of Depression:

As a life coach, I have met with various depression patients. So here I am sharing some examples of how they felt when suffering from depression. 

It begins as feeling sad then I feel like I am shutting down. I was feeling incapable of coping with these feelings. In the end, I was traumatized and empty. 

Sometimes I used to feel like shutting down and sometimes liked crying, screaming, shouting, and kicking. Many times, I was just quiet and locked myself in my room. I tried to be busy with the activities I like to do, to distract my mind. It was the worst phase of my life. 

I used to feel sad and low for no reason. I was not aware of what was happening to me and why it was happening. The other day, I was like, I have lost myself and I could not be the same person ever again. 

Causes Of Depression:

Depression can be caused by a blend of psychological, genetic, and biological factors. It can occur due to specific deviations in the brain or you get trapped in recurring negative thinking patterns. A variety of environmental factors such as workplace problems, divorce, relationship issues, financial problems, or job loss can make people prone to depressive disorders. 

A depressive episode may occur after an upsetting event or circumstantial changes in your life. Significant alterations in the brain and drug or alcohol addiction may also lead to depression. Many women suffer from depression after childbirth, variations, and menstrual cycle or due to weather changes. 

The causes of depression may vary from person to person.

• Family tendency:

You are at high risk of having depression if any of your family members have already encountered the issue or other mood disorders. 

I have seen my mother suffering from a severe mental health condition where she was given electric shocks. Sometimes, when I encounter tough situations and feel anxious or depressed, I feel like I got it from my mother. But the best part is I am aware of these feelings, so I know how to manage and how to avoid them. 

People need to understand, there is nothing bad in feeling depressed. What matters is how you deal with these feelings. 

• Childhood suffering or trauma:

Some upsetting childhood events may disturb the way you react to a traumatic situation. Sometimes childhood trauma remains until adulthood and causes depression. 

• Medical conditions:

Various medical ailments such as insomnia, chronic illness, chronic pain, mental disorders, psychological conditions, or life-threatening diseases make you prone to this disease. 

• Alcohol or drug addiction:

People who consume alcohol or drugs are at higher risk of getting this illness. Moreover, 90 % of people who are addicted to alcohol or drugs experience depression. Alcohol is also referred to as a depressant.

• Death of loved ones:

Heartache after losing a loved one may cause poor appetite, sleep disorders, and disinterest in favorite activities. It is human nature to react this way after losing a beloved person. If these symptoms remain for an extended period, the result is depression. 

When my husband passed away, I realized the real grief. When you lose your dear ones, with whom you share your life, you feel empty and hopeless. You feel like a part of you is separated. 

Symptoms of Depression:

For some people, changes in sleep patterns could be the initial sign of depression. 

• Constant feelings of hopelessness, sadness, emptiness, or tearfulness
• Irritability, frustration, or angry outbursts even over useless matters
• Loss of desire or interest in normal activities such as hobbies or physical intimacy
• Sleep instabilities such as insomnia, lack of sleep, or excess sleeping
• Fatigue, lack of energy, and tiredness
• Reduced hunger and weight loss or increased food cravings and weight gain
• Anxiety, restlessness, tension, or nervousness without any reason
• Memory issues and having difficult concentration or recalling things
• Feeling guilty, useless, worthless, or not enough for everything
• Frequent thoughts of suicide or self-harm like “I should die” and planning to end your life
• Decelerated thinking and speaking ability and slow body movements

Moreover, I have been counseling several people, and I have noticed that different people such as males, females, and children, may experience different symptoms.

Males may have symptoms such as:

• Anger, irritability, aggression, or agitation
• Feeling sad, hopeless or empty
• No interest in favorite activities
• Feeling exhausted easily
• Suicidal thoughts
• Drinking too much alcohol
• Engaging in risky activities
• No desire for sex or poor sexual performance
• Inability to focus and complete tasks
• Getting lost during conversations
• Disturbed sleeping patterns
• Fatigue, digestive issues, headache, and pains

Females may have symptoms such as:

I have met many women ignoring the initial signs of depression. Some women misinterpret these symptoms with hormonal shifts and eventually they start living with these symptoms. They become incapable to deal with depression and anxiety and stress continues and ruins their emotional and mental condition. 

• Irritability, anxiety, hopelessness, and feeling sad
• Lack of interest in beloved doings
• Extraction from social activities
• Thoughts of self-harm or suicide
• Reduced thinking and speaking ability
• Poor sleep patterns
• Fatigue, low energy
• Disturbed appetite and significant weight fluctuations
• Increased cramps and pain
• Severe headaches

Children may have symptoms such as:

• Quick mood changes
• Irritability or crying for no reason
• Feeling useless or incapable e.g. I can’t do anything well
• Intense sadness or feelings of despair
• Poor performance at school
• Refusing to attend school
• Avoiding siblings and friends
• Self-destructive and suicidal thoughts
• Trouble focusing and remembering stuff
• Disturbed sleeping style
• Concerned appetite and digestive problems
• Lack of energy

Physical Symptoms of Depression:

Many people think that depression is just associated with mental and emotional well-being but it may range beyond that. However, it can also impact your physical health with noticeable symptoms. If you are having these kinds of symptoms for a prolonged period without any relief, you need help. In that case, you should talk to a physician to diagnose whether you are suffering from a mental or physical health condition. An experienced life coach can help you manage depression and associated mental health matters. 

• Unintentional weight loss or gain
• Chronic pain
• Heart problems
• Inflammation
• Autoimmune disorders 
• Sexual health issues
• Deteriorating health conditions:

People with existing chronic health issues may experience worse symptoms if they suffer from depression. Chronic illnesses are already very stressful and isolating and depression can aggravate these feelings. 

For instance, a person is having diabetes and also develops depression. Now depression is going to intensify the symptoms of diabetes. The person may also find it difficult to follow two treatment plans making the symptoms worse.

Distinguishing Minor, Moderate, and Severe Depression

All occurrences of depression are not the same. Different people with depression may have various causes of depression and may experience a diverse range of symptoms at different stages. Depression is categorized depending on the harshness of symptoms and how long they remain. 

Mild Depression:

Mild depression includes a few of the above-listed symptoms for a few days or weeks. This level of depression is noticeable but doesn’t interfere with your daily life. It can be hard to detect minor depression because of subtle kinds of symptoms. Once it is diagnosed, it is easy to cure depression as it can be easily managed with lifestyle modifications and medication. 

Moderate Depression:

People suffering from moderate depression may have many symptoms with more seriousness. Some of these symptoms can significantly interfere with your daily life and may also impact your relationships. It can be treated with lifestyle changes, medication, and professional help. 

Severe Depression:

If you are experiencing most of the above-listed symptoms for more than six months, it’s a severe stage of depression. It can cause serious troubles in relationships, careers, and studies. It can make the symptoms worse resulting in self-worth problems. Severely depressed people are at higher risk of getting self-damaging thoughts. Severe depression treatment can be long as it can be done through medication and professional help along with lifestyle alterations. A life coach or a psychiatrist can help you improve symptoms and know your worth.

Risk Factors for Depression:

Everybody feels sad in their lifetime. But depression is triggered by traumatic events. Challenging events may change your outlook on self-worth or cause unwanted stress. Disturbing and upsetting episodes such as

• Devastating illness
• Serious injury
• Chronic health problems
• Losing job
• Conflicts in relationships
• Family issues
• Death of a beloved person

You cannot control the happening of such events and how you feel after that but getting the right treatment for your problem is completely your call. There is nothing like feeling shameful about depression; it is an illness just like other diseases. 

I have seen many young individuals ignoring symptoms and hesitating for getting treatment. Trust me it can make your problem worse and ruin your life. You should look for youth counseling services to understand your condition and get proper solutions before it becomes disastrous.

Daily Life Consequences of Depression:

Depression can distress every facet of your life directly or indirectly. Starting from how you eat, sleep, your career, education, concentration, relationships, and overall health. Undiagnosed and untreated depression may cause uncompromised and terrible complications in your daily life as well as your professional and personal life. 

• Feelings of guiltiness
• Difficult mornings
• Not being able to express your feelings
• Bad eating habits
• Inability to focus on anything
• Feeling like not doing anything

Treatment For Depression:

It can be extremely challenging to live with depression. Being a life coach, I have observed that different people hold different assumptions about depression treatment. Some people are not aware of depression, some feel it’s just a sad feeling that will go away itself, some are not able to diagnose even after months, some feel there is no treatment for this and some feel embarrassed to get treatment, etc. 

I remember, some time ago, a young child came to me as he realized that he was encountering a mental health problem. He told me that he thought it was just a sad phase, so he was neglecting it. During our conversation, I came to know that the problem was sourced due to the pressure caused by his parents. 

Same typical problem, where parents pressured him to opt for science for higher studies. The child was not interested in the science stream as he was passionate about music and wanted to make his career in the same. Parents have their typical beliefs, there is no future in music and all. 

The boy agreed with his parents and ended up taking science. As a consequence, his mental condition started to deteriorate. Because he was forced to do that, he was not able to understand the concepts. He spoke to his mother but his father ignored him. 

During the exams, his mental health got worse as he was not understanding things. He was also worried about meeting his parent’s expectations. That child was not able to handle the situation, he was feeling like running away from the circumstances and getting suicidal thoughts. He got a  panic attack when he sat in the examination hall for his first exam. He fainted as he was blank and not able to cope with the condition. 

After that incident, his parents realized they had been neglecting the anxiety and symptoms their child was suffering with. Finally, they decided to consider counseling so they visited me. After a few sessions, the boy started to improve as he was in the early phase of depression. Now, the boy is pursuing a career in music. 

Let’s see what are the different treatment options to cure depression. 

Medication:

Medication for depression includes antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs. These can support you deal with circumstances without having depressed feelings. Just like any medication, these also have benefits as well as possible side effects so it’s very important to follow your doctor’s prescriptions carefully and appropriately. 

Therapy:

I have seen some people who consult a doctor and start taking prescribed medications believing that it will be enough to manage depression. Trust me, medication is not adequate to get rid of depression. Counseling and therapy are extremely vital to treat depression so do not ignore them. 

Different types of therapy can help you manage depression and its symptoms. Psychotherapy or talk therapy is known to be highly effective for depression. A therapist can help you learn about the triggers, how you can avoid them to diminish depressive episodes and how to deal with depression.

Cognitive behavior therapy can help you learn skills to better handle your moods. I know the importance of talking, when a sufferer talks about his experiences and feelings, I can better comprehend the problem. I always try to plan a tailored treatment plan for them for a speedy recovery and better outcomes. 

Other than that, group sessions also help people efficiently cope with depression. This way they get a chance to communicate with people who are facing similar problems. They can discuss their symptoms, their feelings, and coping strategies that are working for them. It makes the sufferer feel that they are not alone, anybody may experience depression. 

Someone visited me for therapy and she asked mam, I swiftly want to be as I was earlier. She assumed that therapy would treat her depression within a few days. I want you to understand that depression is not a fever or headache. You will have a  tablet and it will disappear. No doctor or therapist can treat depression overnight. You need to be positive and patient, you will see gradual amendments, and trust me these improvements and satisfaction will help you for a lifetime. 

Moreover, there are more chances that if an approach worked for someone may not work for you. So, you need to keep that in mind. When you work thoroughly with the service provider, you will find what suits you best. Other than that youth counseling services can help avert the chances of developing depression as counseling makes them aware of the problem. 

Considerable Tips from The Best Life Coach in India Which Will Help You Take Care of Yourself and Combat Depression Effectively:

A healthy and inspiring lifestyle is most important to manage depression along with counseling, therapy, and medication. I know it’s tough to focus on your lifestyle when you are depressed but you have to do it for yourself, to get rid of these miserable feelings. You can try out these steps to revitalize your mood.

• At least 30 minutes of exercise or any physical activity every day. It works like an antidepressant.
• Avoid smoking, substance use, and alcohol as these can make the symptoms unmanageable. 
• Set boundaries in your personal and professional life, and you will feel better.
• Maintain a health-friendly bedtime routine, wake up early in the morning and sleep on time. 
• Take good care of yourself and maintain distance from negative people. 
• Eat healthy to get the required dose of vitamins, it will help ease symptoms.
• Socialize, talk and express your feelings to people whom you trust, who love you and care for you.
• Spend some time with nature. Mother nature can make you feel happier and reduce depression.
• Try meditation, it helps you calm your mind and engage in the present self. 
• Talk therapy from a skilled professional can help you deal with depression. It can give you wonderful results. 

Once you start the appropriate treatment, gradually you can see the improvements. Make sure you don’t treat yourself harshly during the process. Don’t blame yourself for anything and be compassionate to yourself. 

How To Help People You Love, if They Are Depressed?

If your friend, family member, or someone you know experiences depression, you can help them feel better. First, encourage them to seek help from a therapist. You can also consider youth counseling services for better knowledge of depression and how to manage it. Other than that

• Be supportive towards them and make them feel that it’s normal, they will be fine.
• Make them realize that you understand them and they should be patient. 
• Go for walks, meditation camps, outings, and other refreshing activities. 
• Make them feel valued to help them know their worth.  
• Encourage and help them stay on track regarding treatment, therapy, and medication. 

The Closing Words:

Feeling blue or miserable is ok but if it remains for more than a few months, it’s time to consider professional help. Getting depression is not your mistake so don’t feel guilty about that. It’s possible to cure depression with professional help and simple routine changes. Never restrict yourself from getting appropriate help and support. Don’t worry you will be back stronger once you fight the depression.