Preeti ALAGUNDAGI responds to ThinkWellness360 questionnaire.
Your view on beauty?
Compassion for others, as also oneself, defines beauty. This translates to treating the other person, be it a friend, or complete stranger, with compassion and respect. God created beauty, yes; but, we human beings have more or less warped, or distorted, it. Beauty cannot be measured by physical means — it is something that can’t be ‘cloned’ too. Every characteristic that expresses a person’s quintessence, including every feature, including a minor flaw, or distinctive quality, contextualises the description of beauty. The manner in which someone makes you feel, with no connect to their outward appearance, is what that stays in your mind for long — this is beauty unvarnished, also undiluted. Put simply, a combination of the perfect and the imperfect ‘makes’ beauty — one that is tangible and yet infinite.
Your view of health and wellness?
I believe being healthy and happy go hand-in-hand. Wellness starts with good bodily and mental health. Since mental and physical health are connected, any issue in one area may impact the other — positively, or negatively. It is critical to understand that wellness refers to a deliberate, focused, continuous and holistic approach to making wise judgments in every functioning domain of life.
Your ‘take’ on fitness?
To highlight a metaphor — what fine-tuning is to an engine, fitness is to the human body. This enables us to work at the highest level possible. We might think of fitness as a state that makes us feel, look, and perform our best. You should also remember that fitness affects traits like mental acuity and emotional stability, because what we do with our bodies also affects what we do with our minds. Physical activity and exercise are beneficial for everyone. You benefit greatly from exercise, regardless of your physical age, or limitations. Studies actually indicate that ‘taking it easy’ may not be the right prescription to being healthy, fit and also wise. So, have the wind in your sails — and, just do it.
Your ‘take’ on work-life balance?
It is crucial for us to recognise the ‘boundary-less’ connect that exists between work and life and vice versa. Keep it straightforward and well-adjusted. This isn’t ‘easy-come, easy-go.’ We ought to make a conscious effort to giving our family and ourselves good quality time. This will have a perceptible impact and bring everyone’s lives into harmonious balance. I believe that work-life balance is a state where a person prioritises the demands of their career with their personal life — on an even keel.
Your mantra to beat stress?
My mantra to ease stress is simple, also profound — to focus on progress rather than perfection in our work. Most of us think that in order to achieve our best, we must be extremely critical of ourselves — but, the fact is it turns out that this is utterly ‘fixated.’ When circumstances are challenging, practising self-compassion can help one feel less stressed and all geared up to performing better, while ‘learning from mistakes.’ Agreed that it’s natural to making mistakes, but you ought to make sure you give no room to repeating them.
