The Mental Compass

There’s a quiet kind of heartbreak that doesn’t come from losing people suddenly, but from slowly realising they no longer fit into our lives the way they once did. We outgrow people long before we outgrow the memories we shared with them. And the strangest part is how natural yet unsettling this process feels. One day, someone is a part of your everyday conversations, your inside jokes, your late-night thoughts, and then, without any dramatic ending, life gently places distance between you. Not because of anger, betrayal, or closure, but simply because growth rarely keeps two people on the same page forever. But the memories don’t understand that. The memories still live where they always did, untouched, unchanged, preserved in the emotional language of your mind. The people fade, but the feelings remain. It’s confusing to move on from someone while still being pulled back by the warmth of moments they once gave you. You can forget their routines, their presence, the sound of their la...

"That’s what we storytellers do. We restore order with imagination. We instil hope again and again and again."- Walt Disney Why We Keep Coming Back to Stories Stories aren't just for entertainment. They help us make sense of life, the things around us, and most importantly, help us to build ourselves. There is a very famous saying, “Humans live stories, they are stories”, and it is something that many resonate with. Every moment that we face is something that we can weave into a plot, making a story. Stories help us to see the world, and we each have our own story, viewing the world differently. Whenever we watch or hear a story, our brains notice some patterns. Children can notice goals and outcomes, learned as ‘plot’ and ‘moral of the story’. Adults have a more profound and deep understanding of stories, analyzing and making inferences. What's common is that stories explore ideas and creativity. Stories allow us to live life with a unique meaning, with a purpose. Th...

There are days when we catch ourselves drifting, wondering about the job we didn’t take, the person we didn’t choose, the conversation we never had, the version of ourselves we might have become. These thoughts often feel sweeter, sharper, and strangely more alive than the reality we are living. And sometimes, it scares us how easily our mind wanders into the world of “what could have been.” You’re not alone. And you’re not broken. The brain is built to romanticise possibilities. And there’s something deeply human in longing for stories that never got the chance to unfold. The Psychology Behind the Pull of Possibilities Our brains are wired for anticipation far more than satisfaction. Dopamine, the neurotransmitter of desire is released more intensely when we imagine a possibility than when we actually experience it. That’s why the idea of a love story feels more intoxicating than the real relationship. The fantasy of a different career feels more exciting than the real work. The imagi...

College elections in India may look loud, dramatic, or even chaotic from the outside, but inside that noise something deep is happening. Young people are taking their first steps into public life. They are learning what it means to make decisions that affect not just themselves but also the people around them. When a student fills a nomination form or even listens to a candidate speak, they are participating in a smaller version of the world they will soon enter. College elections are not just about posters, promises, or rallies. They are training grounds for democracy.  For many students, college is the first environment where they see power in action. Until school, most rules come from teachers and parents. But in college, students watch their seniors and peers contest for roles like president or secretary. They see how leaders are chosen not by age but by trust. This shift has a psychological impact. It teaches responsibility. It shows that leadership is not given by authority b...

Written By Gurneet Kaur Jaitly, Counselling Psychologist RPS International, Gurgaon In many Indian homes, the mobile phone has quietly become part of everyday parenting. It keeps children occupied, helps with studies, and offers comfort during boredom or loneliness. At first glance, it feels harmless. But psychologically, its impact runs much deeper than we often realise. The recent and deeply saddening case from Ghaziabad, involving three young sisters, shook the nation. Beyond the shock and grief, it served as a painful eye-opener—reminding us that emotional harm in the digital age often grows silently, within homes that appear safe and loving. Such tragedies force us to confront an uncomfortable truth: children today are navigating digital spaces their developing minds are not fully prepared for. The parts of a child’s brain responsible for judgment, impulse control, and understanding consequences are still maturing. According to UNICEF and WHO observations, increased and unsupervis...

For decades, the dominating conceptualization of depression has been through the prism of serotonin deficiency, or the "chemical imbalance" theory. Yet, even though serotonin, among other neurotransmitters, remains an important piece of the puzzle, recent scientific progress has started to change the landscape in the understanding of depression. Emerging evidence points to a prominent role for inflammation and brain-cell dynamics at the roots of this complex disorder, particularly within young adults facing unique biological and environmental challenges. Although this model has led to the development of many different types of antidepressants, it is only partially explanatory. Increasingly, psychologists and neuroscientists are beginning to think of depression as a complex, multivariate illness that also involves the immune system and problems in the functioning of brain cells. This conceptual shift is especially important for young adults, whose brains and psychological deve...

Human relationships often end suddenly, through breakups, friendship fallouts, family conflicts, or even professional betrayals. When this happens, many of us feel an overwhelming urge for closure. We crave answers, explanations, apologies, or just one final conversation to help us make sense of what went wrong. Psychologically, closure isn't just an emotional desire; it’s a deep cognitive need to complete an unfinished story. This article explores why closure feels so essential, why we often chase it from the very people who hurt us, and how real-life situations reveal just how powerful unresolved endings can be. The Psychology of Closure: Why the Mind Craves Completion  Closure is rooted in what psychologists call cognitive closure,  that sense of relief that comes from certainty and a finished narrative. Our brains don’t handle ambiguity well. When a significant relationship ends unexpectedly, our minds keep searching for missing pieces, trying to fill in the gaps. Several ...

There is a common assumption whispered in classrooms, offices, and even casual conversations that philosophy belongs to people with comfort, leisure, and financial security. According to this belief, only those who have extra time and extra stability can afford to sit and think about the meaning of life. Everyone else must focus on getting through the day. But this idea is not only wrong. It is deeply unfair. Philosophy was never meant to be a luxury. It was born out of confusion, pain, wonder, and the ordinary struggles of people. It is not a subject reserved for the privileged. It is a way of seeing life that belongs to every human being who has questions in the heart and thoughts that refuse to stay silent.  To understand why this belief exists, we must look at how modern society views thinking. We live in a culture that values speed, productivity, and visible results. If something does not create money or show clear output, people assume it has no value. Thinking quietly is see...

There’s a strange kind of exhaustion that comes not from doing too much, but from doing the same things every day. It’s not burnout. It’s not laziness. It’s that quiet fading of motivation that creeps in when life becomes too predictable, when every day looks like a copy-paste version of the last. Many people don’t talk about this feeling because it sounds ungrateful. “ Your life is stable. What more do you want?” they’ll say. But stability and fulfilment are not the same thing. Predictability may keep us safe, but it doesn’t always keep us alive inside. The Psychology Behind the ‘Why Bother?’ Feeling Motivation thrives on dopamine, the brain’s reward chemical released when something feels new, challenging, or meaningful. When life becomes a routine loop, your brain stops releasing the little bursts of anticipation that keep you moving. It’s like running on a treadmill that never speeds up, never slows down, never changes scenery. You’re not tired, you’re under-stimulated. Humans are ...