How do you handle work pressure?

Day 61

Because of the current economy many employers are shying away from recruiting and filling up open job vacancies. As a byproduct of this action, the current employees have increased work load and pressure. The progression of handling pressure will indicate high rate of deviance based on the personality of the employee. Every human handles pressure differently, some will indicate increased efficiency, while others will indicate increased depression. Where is the fine line for an employer to maintain the standards of pressure? 

So here is my question: How do you handle work pressure?

Why do we feel pressured? Does the increased work load create a dispute in our abilities of time management?  Do the challenging priority shifts create a blind spot to the integrity of our focus? When do the implications of quitting or a sense of non-competency or breakpoint intrude our mind?

Studies indicate that people fail under employment pressure are because of the feeling of overburden, lack of direction, inexperience, lack of leadership, and many more similar facts. Because of the high unemployment rate, people have limited opportunities creating a sense of confinement in the present employment. On the contrary, workings under pressure have challenged the caliber of many humans creating an effect of development. Positive pressure generates new inventive methods, increased resource volume, improvements to current procedures, and many more.

How can pressure be manipulated to work in favor and reduce distress? What are the main concepts we learn in schools and universities other than the obvious path of education? All throughout our educational career we have indirectly processed the concepts of managing time and pressure with assignments, homework, quizzes, and exams. Some of the prime technique we make use are focus, analyze, simplify, develop, customize to your strengths and execute.

“Pressure is an opportunist in disguise and all we have to do is brush-away the negativity”

~Lenji Jacob 

Reference

Picture: https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSrivYQRfqno7Tnw9GnI03llbfn9xDnZlvBx82vDNrzk3vJ34OA

Why do people think about committing suicide?

Day 60

In my recent readings of Indian news, I have come across many articles about people committing suicides. Here are some of the examples of the news headlines I saw in the last 10 days.

1.    CBI files closure report in Dr Sachan's death saying forensic report points to suicide  Reported by Anant Zanane, written by Samira Shaikh | Friday September 28, 2012

2.    Woman jumps before train with two children Press Trust of India | Wednesday September 26, 2012

3.    Woman sets herself afire after constant teasing by male classmates, dies Press Trust of India | Wednesday September 26, 2012

4.    Girl kills self after parents scold for talking on phone; boyfriend commits suicide too Press Trust of India | Wednesday September 26, 2012

5.    Geologist suicide: Congress demands investigation against Goa Chief Minister Reported by Rashmi Rajput, Edited by Sabyasachi Dasgupta | Sunday September 23, 2012

6.    Aged couple commits suicide Press Trust of India | Monday September 17, 2012

So these articles intrigued my curiosity and I furthered my research on this topic on United States. I was absolutely speechless and in shock when I saw the results. In an article presented by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention reports a suicide death happens in every 13.7 minutes and approximately every year 1,000,000 people have attempted suicide. The ratio of the suicide death seems higher than the automobile accident death ratio.

So here is my question: Why do people think about committing suicide?

What are some of the main causes that lead people to consider the hard decision of ending their life? Some of the common explanations that claims sucidial causes are classified as depression, pain, emotional distress, etc. At what point do the human ability to fight problems shut down and the philosophy of suicide ramifications enroll in to the human mind? Do you think the ratio of suicides can be reduced if we can overcome the momentary phase of the thought process? What is the state of human mind when the theory of suicide is implanted in human minds?

What is the age group that is most prominent with the suicide cases? Studies have indicated the suicide rate in teenagers have tripled in comparison to the last two decades? What is the potential explanation behind an increase in suicide rates in teenagers? According to the CDC the prime identified age for teenagers at high risk are between the ages of 15 and 25. What are the influences of alcohol, drugs, parent separation, bullying effect, relationship status, networking websites, etc. in the increase rate of suicide cases in young adults? Do you think it is an attempt of attention that was not clearly pre-calculated? 

The more research I performed on this topic, I realize this could be a growing concern at a much faster rate than we realize. The increasing unemployment rate can act as a catalyst to the concern of suicides. There are many organizations in every state of the country promoting support system to reduce the ratio but is that enough. How can we help to save a life at every 13.7 minutes?

“Death byproducts grieve but life elevates new paths to happiness”

~Lenji Jacob

Reference:                                                                                                                           

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (2012) Facts and Figures AFSP: Understanding and Preventing Suicide through Research, Education and Advocacy Retrieved September 29, 2012, from http://www.afsp.org/index.cfm?page_id=04ea1254-bd31-1fa3-c549d77e6ca6aa37

Picture: http://www.eyeonannapolis.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/suicide_speak_reach.jpg

What is the one thing you want people to remember about you?

Day 59

Memory of a smiling face

Thank you to the social networking websites that I was able to reconnect with some of friends after over a decade. As soon as their picture surfaced, my mind reconnected to some of the old memories my subconscious mind had carried with me all these years. These were the happy reunions, but let us also think about the sad hearings. When one of the loved one has passed on these social networking websites you would see the chain of RIP posts, and prayers from acquaintance, friends and families. Through our course of life, we have acquainted with hundreds of people, out of which some people we have remembered and some we have forgotten.

So here is my question: What is the one thing you want people to remember about you?

It is an understandable logic that not everyone will have the same memory of the person, but is it possible to have a high volume of people has the same feeling about you as a person? Have you ever thought about how people have classified you as a person in the circle of life? What is that one aspect of your personality that people correlate to you automatically? What are the potential roles that you play in their life?

Sitting back and thinking about these questions, I want people to store me in their memory as “the person who always smiled”. Personally a smiling face of the person is one of the best memories a person can have about another person. It evolves a sense of happiness and I believe the memory of a smiling face to a point is contagious.

I recently came across with some people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Most of them luckily remember some of the best fascinating stories about self or their loved ones. Things brings out one good question, how would you like to remember yourself in life? What is that one thing you would like to remember about you even if you lost all the other memories about you? Do you think that one good memory about yourself would help you? How would you deal with life, if the only memory about yourself is bad?

“We may become dust someday but our memories can become the everlasting dawns.”

~Lenji Jacob 

Reference

Picture: http://www.graphics99.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/smile-picture-for-friendster.jpg

How do you feel about names that are different?

Day 58

My dad’s first name is Jacob, my name is Lenji Jacob and my wife’s last name is Lenji. Every time I have shared this theory with my colleagues, their first reaction is they are confused and as soon as the story unfolds there are fascinated. Let me provide you a little background on this concept, I am a South Indian Christian from Kerala State. In the Christian culture of the state the spouse and the kids take the first name of the husband or the father. So strangely the ancestral tree chain will indicate the last names changing with every generation. This was the confusing part but the idea of the wife taking her husband’s first name as her last name is fascinating for many.

So here is my question: How do you feel about names that are different?

People have been able to pronounce my name quite easily and I feel it to be a blessing in disguise. Let me tell you a story about a Gentleman traveling from England to US after a conference. His name is Hemanth Subramaniam and is pronounced Hey-month Subra-man-yam. His name announced overhead to board the flight by the ticket agent as He-man the Superman. I find this story ironic because I always wondered what is thoughts going through the minds of his co-passengers. Do we really have comic superhero travelling with us?

There are more stories as such we encounter in real life. In reel-life Comedian Russell Peters in one of his acts talks about a gentleman he had encountered in a casino had click attached to his name. He explains his attempts to pronounce the name of the gentleman unaware of the possibility of a click sound to the name.

 What is one of the hardest decisions parents face when a new born baby is born? Naming the baby is one of the top contenders of the new parent dilemma. Many different cultures and religions have different celebrations attached to the ceremony of naming the baby.  The theory of names represents the focus to origin. 

“The Name is one of the most sacred possessions of your identity”

~Lenji Jacob

Reference

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxb_57LJ7XY

Have you ever had steamed crabs?

Day 57

Are you ready for some Crab Feasting?

Every country or every state has a minimum of one unique food item that every traveler must try. The state of Maryland is well known for their Maryland Crabs. As a local resident of the State of Maryland, I am guilty of enjoying the crab feasting moments with my friends and family. My friends and I would dedicate a day to camp out at a restaurant providing us the option of “All you can eat crabs.” We follow this ritual of crab feasting every two to three weeks in a month. Steamed crabs, Old Bay, Beer, and Friends is an excellent remedy to heal from a stressful work week. It is ironic that before the steamed crabs come to the table all the friends are loud and talking but as soon as the crabs approach the table then there is a great silence. The only noise you hear is the noise of the cracking crabs.

So here is my question: Have you ever had steamed crabs?

I am not sure if I would recommend steamed crabs on a first date because it is very hands on. The technique of eating steam crabs is unique and if you are not careful when picking the crab you can injure your fingers. I guess when I am eating steamed crabs with my friends, it is the only time I don’t mind much about the whole community eating theory. To a point all my friends are in sync with each other with breaking the crab claws, and picking the crabs.

As little the crabs are, the crab meat is quickly filling. If you ever wonder why the crab meats are expensive, try picking some steamed crabs. But regardless of the labor involved, every bite of the crab meat makes the whole process worth the effort. Eating crabs has always provoked the happy moments with friends, so the warmth owes itself to both the crabs and longing

“If you are in Maryland and missed the Maryland crabs, you have missed everything.”

~Lenji Jacob

 


Reference

Picture: http://www.imperialscatering.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/crab.7754921_std.png