The Creatives January- February 2019 issue

The

Creatives

January-February 2019 Issue 1 Vol.2

YOUNG POET’S CORNER

Winning Poems

Unicorn Artists

DIY

Tye & Dye Back Pack Bag

Healthy Habits

A Column by Dr Momina Salman

eMagazine now Available!

The Creatives is a publication by Ray Academics for children and young adults.

Learn to Reimagine your Future

Calling Writers from all around the World!

Email your entries at info@rayacademics.com Details on page 8

Contents 4

Book Review

4

Travel Diaries

6

Talent Found

7

DIY Back Pack

8

Creative Writing Competition

10

Stories of the Month

14

Fun Activities

16 Young Poet’s Corner

Subscription Countries

Print-on-Demand

Pakistan

Rs 700

eMagazine is available worldwide

To place an order for Print-on-Demand visit: https://www.rayacademics.com/print/

The Creatives|2

21

Unicorn Story

22

Unicorn Artists

24 25

Winners of our Competitions Kiddies in the Kitchen

26

Momi Talks!

Healthy Habits A column by a practising physician in the US

EDITOR’S LETTER Dear Readers, It takes me great pleasure to let our readers know that the new year has already brought many positive changes to “The Creatives”. Previously, we were printonly magazine and our readers all around the world had to wait for long time to receive our magazine. The Creatives will now be availabe in print and online.

Our eMagazine will allow us to be more global and the magazine can be read easily on all electronic devices in Pakistan as well. Print-on-demand is a great solution if you crave for the feel of paper from time to time or would like to preserve your contribution in print.

As our brief encounter with winter leaves us, we look forward to the approaching spring in Lahore. I personally can not wait to set my eyes on the blooming flowers of spring and their mesmerizing colors.

This magazine has fantastic artwork from our unicorn competition and also meticulously crafted poems from our National Poetry Competition. Our next competition is “Creative Writing Competition” and the topic is left open so that you can send in your best written piece to us. Creative and original ideas get extra points and all the stories will be going through a plagiarism check as well. The plagiarism check will help us know if any participant has copied any material from a web site, book, journal or any other media.

Our competitions allow everyone in Pakistan to participate. It is great if your school wants to participate but if they choose not to you can always send in your entry on your own as well.

We are so excited to read all your wonderful stories!

Patron-in-Chief Parveen Akhtar

Student Editorial Team Amn Zain Ryaan Mirza Damia Nauman Ali Balaouch Aaiza Zafar

Photography Zahrah Ehsan

Distributed by Ray Academics 21 Bank Square Market Model Town Lahore, Pakistan Ph: +92-302-8556771

Email: info@rayacademics.com

Printer RN Digital Printers

Enjoy the pleasant weather!

Bushra Ehsan Editor-in-Chief CEO of Ray Academics

The Creatives|3

Book Review

The Thief Lord

By Cornelia Funke

W

hen you think of Venice, in your mind’s eye you see gondolas sweeping across lakes, golden statues, and rich architecture. For Prosper and Bo (brothers), its more than that. It’s the place where they have taken safety from their evil relatives who are trying to pull them apart. When all hope seems lost, they befriend three city rascals, with good hearts, smiles, happiness, and a good home to offer them. These orphans are provided for by a mysterious young boy, who calls himself the Thief Lord. As the name hints, he steals riches, to fend for his young friends.

Prosper and Bo’s happiness is complete until Prosper learns that his Aunt Esther has come to Venice to search for them. With a top notch detective on their trail, a mega thievery to do, and on top of everything, betrayal by their honorary leader, the brothers somehow manage to get together in the end.

This is a cherishing tale, of magic, friendship and secrets hidden in Venice’s cramp streets. Cornelia Funke truly takes the essence of adventure and winds it around her pen. A must-read and highly recommended!

By Amn Zain, 12 years old, Lahore, Pakistan

Sukkur

Travel Diaries

Sinking Blues into the Barrage I checked my phone every now and then, just to see how long would it take to reach Sukkur. The night was cold and my hoodie turned out to be utterly useless. What caught my eye this time was not only the usual city, but the historical significance of this place as well.

I felt the dark shadows lurking from a spooky night, especially behind those palm trees. The palm trees were a sign that Sukkur was not far because Sukkur is known as the “city of dates.”

I felt highly enthusiastic but when we reached Sukkur we were welcomed by a dreary foggy morning. It felt that cold and chilly. A chill went down my spine every once in a while. The first spot that we reached were on the outskirts where the breakfast seemed to be the highlight of the day. Crispy Naan with fried eggs was the usual morning meal and you could not ask for anything better on this winter morning.

The Creatives|4

Going through the Sukkur barrage, I never realized that how it absorbed all the sadness out of a person. How it’s amazing gates gave your eyes a soothing view. It also gave you historical knowledge with every sign you read as you went along. For me, I would call this a wonder of the world, at least until I see more magnificent things out there.

World map monument near the barrage was somethinf that I would need in my geography class, obviously not the full size but a mini model would work. Whereas, Masoom Shah tomb gave me soulfulness for which I was desperate in my life Apart from dates and briyani, I was carrying a lifelong memory from here. A memory of all the people who were astounding hosts and a great citizens of this country.

By Ali Baloach, Hyderabad, Sindh

Travel Diaries

Jehangir’s Tomb Take a Deep Dip in the Extravagant History of the Mughals

By Damia Nauman, Lahore, Pakistan

J

ahangir, the fourth Mughal emperor died in Rajauri on his way back from Kashmir to Lahore. He was buried in a walled garden of Noor Jehan called the Bagh-e-Dil Khusha on the bank of river Ravi, about 5 kilometers from Lahore. His tomb was built and completed by Shah Jehan at the cost of one million rupees.

The garden is the finest ornament of Historical Lahore and is considered the most magnificent Mughal edifice after the Taj Mahal at Agra.

The exterior side of the monument, including the lowest stage of the tower has a Red Sand stone with rich panel decoration inlaid with decorative marble motifs. The four corner towers with white marble cupolas rise in 5 stages to a height of a hundred feet with a zigzag inlay of white and yellow marble. The building is

divided into a series of vaulted compartments.

The interior is embellished with floral frescos, pietradura and brilliant marble intarsia of various colors. The marble used to make the tomb is delicately engraved so that the ninety-nine names of Allah can be seen.

The tomb suffered much at the hands of Lehna Singh, one of the three Haakims of Lahore before Ranjit Singh. Ranjit Singh also stripped off its ornaments to decorate the Sikh temple at Amritsar. The tomb was also used as residence of Amise, an officer of the Sikh army and Sultan Muhammad Khan, brother of Dost Muhammad Khan of Kabul which caused great damage to the mausoleum. The British Government repaired it in 1989-90. Conservation work continued with some intervals and is still in progress.

The Creatives|5

An exclusive Interview with our Creative of the Month!

Aaiza Zafar

Link for the video: http://bit. ly/2OkFGM1 Follow their YouTube channel!

Talent Found!

Q&A What is your talent?

What do you think will be your chosen profession in the future?

How old are you?

13 years old

I think I will most likely become an author and I would illustrate my own books. And I haven’t figured it out yet, but I also want to do something with my trumpet too. I also really enjoy horse riding, but I don’t think I’ll do any horse shows or anything with it; it’ll just be a hobby.

Writing Music, Art.

Which school do you go to?

Smith Middle School, Glastonbury, Connecticut What do you enjoy the most out of those three?

All of them What do you excel in?

Although I have been working on all three, I seem to have progressed more in Music. I got into my school’s “Hall of Fame” for music. I also auditioned for Eastern Regionals, where you get to play your instrument in a big concert, and I got in.

What is Hall of Fame?

Students who are selected for the Hall of Fame get their picture hung in the hallways for a certain subject: Art, Music, Robotics, etc.

What are Eastern Regionals?

It is a competition in one region to audition to play in a concert. Students from all schools in that region audition. Students from 6th to 12th grade audition.

There are also Northern Regionals, etc. In the end all the students selected from each of the regionals play together in the Regional Concert. We have about three months to practice the music given, and then only one long rehearsal all together before the concert.

Which instrument do you play?

The Trumpet. It’s a B-flat band instrument.

What is your role in “The Creatives”?

I like to write short stories for the magazine. I am also a regular contributor of the magazine.

The Creatives|6

What would you say to encourage other children to build their talents?

Try. Just try everything, even if it’s scary and you’re afraid of failing, because you won’t learn how to get better if you don’t fail sometimes.

Feeling Creative?

Try making this fabulous Tye and Dye Backpack Materials:

Featured

DIY

A plain white canvas backpack Washable markers A spray bottle with rubbing alcohol

Procedure: Pick out three perfect colours ( I recommend blue, purple and pink) and color your backpack in a very random way with markers (make sure you’re mixing up the colors too) Spray out the rubbing alcohol all over your bag until it’s pretty much saturated If you think your backpack looks a little boring, all you need is an iron-on patch Just iron it wherever you like and you’re ready to go !

By Damia Nauman, Lahore, Pakistan

The Creatives|7

Creative Writing Competition

“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.”— Richard Bach This Creative Writing Contest is being held by Ray Academics to encourage creative thought and proficient writing skills. All children through out Pakistan are welcome to participate in this competition.

RULES & GUIDELINES: Submissions are acceptable from all children and young adults from Pakistan ENTRY FEE: Rs 500 per person.

THEME OF THE SHORT STORY: This is your choice.

ENTRIES: Only one entry is accepted per person.

CATEGORIES: a. Young Writer (6 years old) Word limit: As much as they can write a. Sub-junior (7-9 years) Word limit: 100-150 words b. Junior (10-12 years) Word limit: 200-300 words c. Senior (13-16 years) Word limit: 300-500 words PROOF OF AGE IS REQUIRED; Scanned image of the participant’s birth certificate/passport/B-form (Any entry that is not accompanied by proof of age will be automatically disqualified) Send your story and the proof of age as attachments to info@rayacademics.com Mention the following information below your story: a. Name b. Age c. Category entered d. Title of your story e. Word count (including the title) f. Email address parent’s/teacher’s email address can be used here if necessary) g. Phone number (for correspondence) h. School name i. City

The Creatives|8

(Please note that any misinformation may cause you to miss important dates and delivery of participation certificates may not be possible)

Competition

FORMAT: Type your story using Microsoft Word, and use Times New Roman or Arial 12 point regular font.

ONLINE ENTRY FORM: http://www.rayacademics.com/writing2019 PRIZES: VARIOUS There will be winner(s) in each category.All highly commended and outstanding short stories will be published in our monthly magazine,“The Creatives” All entrants will be given a participation certificate. Winning and shortlisted stories will be printed in “The Creatives” Winners will be announced within the first week of March on facebook and instagram (@rayacademics) and our website .

Winners will also be announced on our website: https://www.rayacademics.com/ DEADLINE FOR THE COMPETITION: 20th of February 2019.

Contact us at info@rayacademics.com or call us at 0302-8556771 for any queries.

Any entry that is not accompanied by proof of age will be automatically disqualified.

The story should be the original, unpublished contribution of the person who is participating in the competition. Any story that is fully or partially copied from any other source will not be accepted. Each entry will be subjected to a complete plagiarism check.

All highly commended and outstanding short stories will be published in our monthly magazine, “TheCreatives” Judges’ decision will be final.

Stories will be judged on the basis of content, language and style of writing.

Contact us at info@rayacademics.com for any queries.

Use of “empathy” in a sentence: He loves children and has a certain empathy with them.

The Creatives|9

Stories of the Month!

The Creatives|10

Rayyan Learns a Lesson

R

By Haris Asad, 9 years old, LGS Defence, Lahore

ayyan can be an interesting kid and a good friend but Rayyan can be friendly and awful some ways.Rayyan is a little short with blonde hair and light blue shiny eyes, and has a tiny nose. He smiles all day long and is also kind but sometimes especially on Mondays Rayyan gets very angry for some odd reason. First he does not do his work. Miss Sophia walked to Rayyan and said, “Why aren’t you working Rayyan?”.

“I am tired miss” Rayyan screamed.

“Everyone is working!” the teacher yelled.

Rayyan pushed Miss Sophia on the floor and ran out of the class.

Miss Sophia screamed through the corridor “Rayyan come back!”

After three days Rayyan entered the class. Miss Sophia said, “You will be incharge of cleaning the school.”

“I will not do it,” said Rayyan.

“You will have to.” said Miss Sophia. Rayyan hurled some more insults at the janitors again.

After one week of cleaning, Rayyan learned his lesson and then he was always kind to everyone.

He was especially nicer to the janitors. We hope that Rayyan stays this way as long as it is possible.

Fingers Crossed!

Rayyan sat down in the corridor covering his head with his arms. Miss Sophia took Rayyan to the principal’s office. “ I don’t like you” Rayyan said to the principal. “ You are not allowed to come to school for three days,” said the principal angrily. Rayyan also insulted the janitor passing by. “ You are so stupid!” screamed Rayyan.

Teacher Turns into a Terrifying Bat

By Abdullah Sohail. 11 years old, LGS JT, Lahore,Pakistan

I

came to Ray Academics and brought a big sandwich for my hardworking teacher, Ms.Bushra. I offered her the sandwich. But before I gave her the massive sandwich, a naughty boy put a secret ingredient in the sandwich. The sandwich looked yummy so she ate it.

When she ate all of it, she became a terrifying Vampire Bat. When everybody saw her like this, they ran away from her, screaming and shouting.

Her shoes came off, and she started making weird and ugly sounds. When she saw herself in the mirror, she looked like a Vampire Bat. She was flying in the room, frightening all the students.

The child who put the secret chemical in the sandwich suddenly remembered that the chemical is used to turn humans into bats.

Now I needed to find the magical sentence in a book, which would make her back into a human again. I tried to find it but I couldn’t. I checked it everywhere but it was so difficult to find it.

Then I checked near the window and there it was a book in the corner of the room. I picked it up and opened the page where the spell was written.

The Creatives|11

“Hideous chemical, go back to where you were before.” After that the sandwich reappeared with the antidote inside the sandwich. Ms Bushra ate the sandwich!

She was finally normal again. When she looked in the mirror now, she wasn’t looking like a vampire bat anymore. She became so happy that she thanked me for changing her back into a human. This was an exciting and adventure for me because I was helpful and saved the day. I couldn’t believe that I had saved someone from being a bat. This was the best day of my life.

A Wizard and the Two Magic Wands

By Ahmed Sohail, 8 years old, LGS, Lahore

O

ne Friday afternoon at 3:05 pm in Ray Academics, I finished my work quickly so that I can have a break because I brought my favourite OREO biscuits. After I ate them,I suddenly became a wizard that had two magical wands. I was very happy.

I went out of Ray Academics and scared all the people that were outside and I let some people die too with my two magic wands. I asked my magic wands “ For how long can I be the wizard?”.

The magic wands said,” You can be a wizard for just 24 hours/one day.” Only 8 hours and 50 minutes are left, I thought.

I turned 8 hours and 50 minutes into just 15 minutes with the help of my two magic wands.

When there were just ten minutes left I went behind a tree hiding because I wanted to be normal again. I became normal in 10 minutes.

The Creatives|12

I was very happy and my family too were very happy to see me normal again.

Courses at Ray Academics An improved vocabulary builds stronger reading comprehension skills. The variety of ways in which you can express yourself has a significant impact on writing skills. This program uses materials that are specifically designed to bring vocabulary in a fun and unique way. The incremental lessons have shown drastic improvement in vocabulary building in children.

Mock Sessions for O levels English are available on Fridays and Saturdays.

A thorough analysis and feedback about performance allows students to understand how to improve their grade, This course also includes strategies on ho to attempt the exam paper.

Apart from fun-filled weekends of creativity, we also offer Online O level Sessions.

To find out more about our courses visit www.rayacademics.com or call us at 0302-8556771.

The Creatives|13

Fun Activities

Riddles!

1. A doctor and a boy were fishing. The boy was the doctor’s son, but the doctor was not the boy’s father. Who was the doctor?

If six children and two dogs weren’t under an umbrella, how come none of them got wet?

2. Almost everyone needs it, asks for it, gives it, but almost nobody takes it. What is it?

3. If six children and two dogs weren’t under an umbrella, how come none of them got wet?

4. What is something you can put in your pocket that keeps it empty?

5.. What belongs to you but is used more by others?

6.. What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?

Answers: 1. His mother 2. Advice 3. Because it wasn’t raining 4. A large hole 5.. Your name.

6. The letter M -Contributed by Damia Nauman, Lahore, Pakistan

The Creatives|14

Fun Activities

Jokes Scientists recently discovered a new dinosaur that was very intelligent.

It’s called a Thesaurus As a golfer, it’s always smart to wear 2 pairs of pants You know, in case you get a hole in one What do you do if you see a spaceman?

You park your car, man Whoever invented knock knock jokes should get a no bell prize What do you call a fake noodle?

An impasta How did the vacuum cleaner die?

It bit the dust -Contributed by Ryaan Mirza, Lahore, Pakistan

The Creatives|15

Winners of National Poetry Competition 2018 Sub-junior Category Age 7-10 years

Inaya Faraz Shaikh Junior Category Age 11-13 years

Maheen Salman Senior Category Age 14-16 years

Zainab Imran

Young Poet’s

Corner

My feelings by

Inaya Faraz Shaikh, 7 years old, LGS-30 Main When my sister doesn’t listen to me, I become sad.

When she annoys me, I become mad.

Sometimes I cry, when I have to say goodbye.

When I am surprised, I become hyper.

I feel like hunting a deer with a sniper.

When my brother acts like a bunny, he seems to me very funny.

Sometimes I feel like giving a poor man some food And at the same time, I don’t want to be rude.

After you read my poem don’t look at the ceiling, Because I am only telling you about my feelings.

The Creatives|17

Emotions by

Maheen Salman Ahmed, 11 years old, SCIL All living things, I’m sure, Have emotions unlike any before.

Anger, for one, burns bright in my soul Like fire ignited from oil or coal.

And when it comes, overwhelming me, It just doesn’t leave and let me be.

But what does calm me, is happiness, It is by far the very best.

And it comes hand in hand with positivity, Giving limitless scope for amazing creativity.

But the worst thing that comes is fear, The lone thing that drives me when danger is near.

But it can be overcome; that’s for sure, If you fight against it and find a cure.

Sadness, on its own, is hard, It cuts at your heart like a shard.

But, for the mind, it’s important too, For it builds up strength strong and true.

Every day, every week, every month, every year,

The Creatives|18

The Girl in the Mirror Cried by

Zainab Imran, 15 years old, LGS 55-Main I closed the curtains, Hiding myself behind the wall of shame, Hoots and jeers was all I could hear, Glancing by my side, As the girl in the mirror cried.

One by one, Tears streaked her face, Her hands trembled with fright, I stared at her, As her dignity wallowed with grace.

I could hear the words in her mind, Roaring over and over, For deep down in her heart, She felt like a disgrace.

The Creatives|19

I tried to reach out, To comfort her poor soul, But it was as if My bones were bound with burning coal.

Strings of agony played with my heart, I rubbed my arms together, Hesitating to take a step, Towards the ocean of drowning sorrow.

Taking a deep breath, I treaded along the pathway, Holding my hand in her direction, The girl wrapped a bony finger, around my sweaty wrist.

Wings sprung from her shoulders, As the frown turned into a beam, She was beautiful, Like an angel, The girl in the mirror smiled.

The Creatives|20

A Unicorn Story “The Unicorn’s Candy Land”

by Mahnoor Rahmaan. 11 years old, Lahore, Pakistan

I

couldn’t fall sleep. It was 9 pm but the sheer quietness of night didn’t even let me even close my eyes. I tried hard to doze off but I just couldn’t. A brilliant moon beam was peering through a gap between the curtains and was shining right on to my pillow. Suddenly I saw a silver glow coming from the middle of the forest. My house was surrounded by Pine trees and that’s why I thought it could be a camper with a torch light but no, it neighed like a horse! It came nearer and Oh! It was a Unicorn!!!. I tiptoed from the corridor and straight into the forest.

I felt a shiver running down my spine at the thought of what it could have been. It neighed again, I gently patted on its mane. Even though it was dark, I clearly saw the unicorn by the glamorous glow that it had around it. Was this my imagination or reality ? I thought.

I saw something silver and slimy coming out of the unicorn’s hoof and at that exact moment I realized that it was blood, the Unicorn’s blood! I rushed into the backyard corridor and into the emergency room, took a bandage and wrapped it around the Unicorn’s injured hoof as quickly as I could. It neighed happily and trotted around me, as if to thank me. I sat on it, to see if it would let me to sit on it and it did!

The unicorn was so beautiful with her white mane that was as shiny as a gem. She had pitch black eye lashes and ocean blue eyes. She was the first horse I saw with blue eyes and massive silver wings and it felt like a silver velvet cloth on her. The night sky became dim and milky with twinkling stars. The unicorn flew high up and then I saw a rainbow sprouting out and the Unicorn flew up the rainbow at enormous speed. Then she finally landed into a land of …….

Candies!!! Billions of them! Clouds of candy floss, lakes made of chocolates, fish of jellies, flowers of lollipops, stems of candy canes, leaves of sugared jellies, trees of berries and sun made of fizzy lemon-flavored powder. I couldn’t stop eating but as I took a bite, I realized that the candy magically appeared back. The good thing was that they didn’t finish!

Now the Unicorn took me back safely to my house, I was very tired so I went to bed. After 5 hours my Mom came to wake me up, “Mary! Wake up! Breakfast is ready” she said.

“Good morning Mom! I replied.

“Wait a second is that a chocolate on your chin” she asked curiously. I told my mom everything but she said that I had only eaten a chocolate bar last night! I still believe to this day that I visited the magical land of candies with the most beautiful unicorn in the world.

The Creatives|21

UNICORN ARTISTS!

The Creatives|22

Meesum Tammar, Age 6, Lahore, Pakistan

Abrish Naeen, 6 years old, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Anaya Umar, 6 years old, Lahore, Pakistan

Zoya Mazher Age 6, Multan, Pakistan

ers

Winn

The Creatives|23

Maalik Ashtar-6 years old, Lahore, Pakistan Zahra Abbas Khan, LGS, 9 years old

Winners of our Competitions!

Maheen Salman Ahmed Winner of Junior Category National Poetry Competition 2019

The Creatives|24

Zainab Imran Winner of Senior Category National Poetry Competition 2019

Meesum Tammar Winner of Unicorn Drawing Competition

Kiddies in the Kitchen

Valentine Marshmallow Pops!

Valentine Marshmallow Pops are one of the best things that you could make as a Valentine gift to your mother, father, brother, sister or any person who you want to express your love to! You don’t have to wait for Valentine’s Day and can give this gift at anytime to express yourself with something special!

You just need a few things to make this spectacular gift!

Things you need: -One bag of Strawberry or pink-colored Marshmallows -Melted chocolate -Sprinkles -Lollipop sticks

Packaging: -A jar -Red ribbons -Small cellophane bags (if you want to wrap them up individually)

Directions ~ 1. Push a lollipop stick into each marshmallow.

2. Melt some chocolate (chocolate chips are not recommended) You can also use Dairy Milk Chocolates or some Hershey Kisses.

The quantity of chocoate depends on how many pops you want to make 3. Dip one marshmallow at a time into the chocolate.

4. Allow excess chocolate to drip off.

5. Sprinkle pink, red and white sprinkes on the chocolate-coated marshmallow before the chocolate sets in.

6. Set the marshmallow pop (stick down) in a mug to allow the chocolate to set (you can put the mug of pops in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes) 7. You can now either wrap them individually in cellophane bags or create a bouquet of marshmallow pops for your friends and family

The Creatives|25

An Informational Column for Parents & Teens

Momi Talks!

Healthy Habits

by Dr Momina Salman, Practising Physician in USA

B

ad lifestyle habits cause most of the modern diseases, so recognizing and changing habits can improve your physical and mental health. The sooner you recognize your habits and the earlier you change them, the better the outcome is.

The basic cycle for every behavior includes the following: Trigger leading to behaviour leading to reward leading to trigger again So this vicious cycle has to be broken and small but persistent changes need to be made to make permanent changes. If done too fast or too aggressively, a lot of people fail and eventually go back to their old habits. A good example of this is the crash dieters. People who crash diet, lose a lot of weight quickly, but then cannot maintain that weight loss strategy so eventually, they go back to their old habits and may even gain more weight.

Here are some common examples: 1. Over eating Trigger usually is negative emotion, causing the behavior to binge eat, leading to the reward of temporary relief which causes negative emotion which is a trigger for the behavior, and so on. Strategy to overcome this involves first recognizing this habit loop. Once you understand why you are eating, for example to avoid or distract from uncomfortable feelings such as anger, sadness or restlessness.

This is your trigger, causing the behavior to eat something that temporarily diminishes the feeling which is the reward, but the reward includes the sugar headache and the feelings

The Creatives|26

never completely go away and so the cycle continues. The mistake most people make is that they define their reward when eating less is weight loss, which takes time. If you define your reward as just being able to eat may be one naan instead of one and a half naan, or just patting yourself on your back for skipping dessert, you will be more successful. So, eat when you are hungry and not for any other reasons. Be mindful of what you eat. Reward your behavior. Also, avoidance of cues. So if you are trying to quit soda, first step would be not to buy, so there are no cues at home and less accessability. Then using the same emotional processing as above, understanding water is better and rewarding yourself even if you replaced only one can of soda with water.

You can also distract yourself when you feel the craving, with meditation, breathing exercises etc.

2. Exercise Everyone knows exercise is good for your health. Not only does it tone your muscles and burns calories, but it also causes production of chemicals in your body that improve your mood. The key to exercising regularly is to start small and slowly build up. So you can start with only 5 minutes of exercise for a week and then increase it to 6 minutes for the next week, then to 7 minutes the week after, and so on. The key is to get into the habit of doing it. So here, you see the importance of routine in habit building. Pick a time that works for you, exercise the same time everyday. Be mindful of your exercise. Pat yourself on the back for even the five minutes you took out to exercise.

Behavi Vicious Circle of Bad Habits

Rewa

er g ig

or

Tr

Social media or excessive use of the internet is rapidly becoming a new addiction. That is because scientifically speaking, talking about ourselves is rewarding. It activates the same part of the brain that is activated by other addictive drugs.

So the trigger is the image seen on social media, leading to pleasant or unpleasant feelings, which cause behavior changes. The behavior causes the birth or new self identity, a new memory of “me”, which becomes a trigger for the cycle all over again. Brain activity changes according to the number of likes the person gets, few vs many.

One of the ways to overcome this addiction is the same method used for alcohol and smoking, i.e avoidance of cues and being mindful of behavior.

Just as you avoid people who offer smokes, or drink or give you drugs, you learn to say “no”, you can put a limit to your screen time and slowly reduce that. Be mindful of your internet/social media usage, just as being mindful when you smoke, it makes you more aware of what you are doing and helps reduce the craving for it. Reward yourself for your positive behavior changes, reward here could just be acknowledgement of your inner strength. Once again, you can distract yourself, when you feel the craving to go on social media by meditation, exercise etc.

rd

3. Facebook addiction disorder (FAD)

As mentioned above, there are many good habits, those that you want to increase and do more, and there are bad habits, that you want to limit.

The key to success is: -Small, persistent steps in the right direction -Building a routine -Being non judgmental -Being mindful, paying attention to what you are actually doing -Avoidance of cues -Redefining your rewards and rewarding yourself for even small changes Best of luck!

The Creatives|27