The Mental Compass

Image by SSL Store Written By : T Mugunthan Chari Counselling Psychologist & Social Observer, Chennai I am a deeply sensitive person, witnessing, discussing or reading about violence—especially against vulnerable segments of society like women, children, and the elderly—takes a heavy emotional toll on me. To stay away from these types of breaking news and discussions, I am away from TV as well as newspapers.                 That is for the same reason, one year back when there was a dowry related death in 2025- of a young girl in Tiruppur town by suicide, I was disturbed so badly. As a couple I & my wife sought help to speak to an elderly psychologist to air our views to let our emotions to calm down. [1] However, the escalation of such instances, combined with the troubling emergence of technology being co-opted into criminal plots, points to a disturbing cultural and psychological shift.Sadly, these sorts of instances are on th...

Image by People Matter Every year on November 19, the world pauses for a moment to talk about men in a way we do not usually do. International Men’s Day often feels quieter compared to the loud celebrations of other special days. There are no big campaigns, no major festivals, and sometimes not even a proper conversation. Yet the day carries a powerful purpose. It opens a space to talk about the emotional worlds of men, the expectations that shape them, and the silent struggles that many carry in their daily lives. From childhood onward, boys are taught very specific ideas about strength. They hear phrases like “Be strong”, “Do not cry”, or “Handle it on your own”. These lessons seem harmless at first but slowly settle into a rigid pattern. Men grow up believing that their value is connected to how well they can hide their fear, pain, or confusion.  Many learn to measure themselves through control rather than connection, and independence rather than vulnerability. This shapes not o...

Image by Brahma Kumaris Have you ever told yourself, “I must not think about this,” only to find that the thought keeps returning? Perhaps it was an embarrassing moment from years ago, an argument with someone you love, an upcoming interview, or a mistake you wish you could undo. You may try distracting yourself, watching a movie, scrolling through social media, or keeping yourself busy. Yet, somewhere in the background, your mind keeps returning to the same thought.  Interestingly, the harder you try to push it away, the more noticeable it seems to become. Why does this happen? Sometimes, our attempts to escape an uncomfortable thought can keep us mentally connected to it. This is where Monitor and Acceptance Theory (MAT) offers an interesting perspective on how we deal with our inner experiences. Monitor and Acceptance Theory helps explain how our relationship with thoughts and emotions can influence the way we experience psychological discomfort. The theory highlights two import...

Beauty is non-negotiable. While your intelligence, wisdom and personality may always stand out, none would deny being more attractive and beautiful than they are, if given an opportunity. People preach acceptance of flaws and comfort in one's skin but when it actually comes to improving their appearance, anyone would hardly step back. And that isn't a bad thing, of course. Just as you work on your internal aspects, the external ones deserve attention too. Why it matters more than we admit Attractiveness, no doubt, plays a major role in how people perceive you or how you perceive yourself. The Halo effect is a well known phenomenon where your physical impression and beauty unconsciously shapes what others assume about your personality or abilities. People who fit the beauty standards of a place somewhat enjoy the confidence their appearance gives them from a young age as they feel more socially included and are more consistently reinforced. This in turn helps them take more step...

"Steven Universe" is a groundbreaking animated series that offers valuable psychological lessons about mental health and the LGBTQ+ community. The show’s portrayal of characters with diverse identities and emotional struggles highlights the importance of understanding and acceptance.  It emphasizes that mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, are universal and that seeking help and support is vital for well-being. Through its storytelling, the series encourages viewers to be empathetic and open-minded, fostering a safe space for conversations about mental health.  The show also plays a crucial role in raising awareness about LGBTQ+ issues. By featuring characters with different sexual orientations and gender identities, "Steven Universe" normalizes diversity and promotes inclusivity. It sends a powerful message that love and identity are valid regardless of societal expectations.  This representation is especially important for young viewers who may be...

There’s a moment that happens in every conversation that we almost never notice. Someone says something, and before the sentence is even finished, you already understand it. You don’t stop and think about how you understood it. You don’t feel like you converted anything. It just lands, clean and immediate, as if the meaning came built into the sound. But if you slow that moment down just a little, it starts to feel less simple, because what actually reaches you first isn’t meaning at all. It’s just air moving. When someone speaks, their voice doesn’t send out “words” in any solid sense. What leaves their mouth is vibration. Their vocal cords move, shaping breath into patterns, and those patterns travel outward as tiny changes in air pressure. That’s all sound really is: air shifting in a very specific way. By the time it reaches you, it’s incredibly subtle. You don’t feel it, and you don’t see it, and yet somehow it carries everything. From your side, it doesn’t feel like receiving vib...

Imagine watching a film in which a character visits a psychologist. Within minutes, the therapist understands everything about their childhood, identifies the root of their problems, and offers a solution that changes their life. Or perhaps the character with a mental health condition is portrayed as unpredictable, violent, or frightening.  These scenes might make for compelling cinema, but they also leave audiences with impressions about mental health that can be far removed from reality. In a country where conversations about therapy are still growing, Tamil cinema has a particularly important role to play. After all, for many people, the first introduction to a psychological condition or a therapist may not come from a textbook or a consultation room, but from a screen. Tamil films have never shied away from exploring psychological themes. However, the way these themes are presented has often been dramatic rather than accurate. Take Anniyan, for instance. While the film introduc...

Have you ever found yourself staring at your office laptop at 6 p.m., wondering whether you should finally log out or wait for that one last message from your manager? Perhaps you have attended meetings after working hours, answered calls during weekends, or taken on responsibilities that were never part of your job description simply because you did not want to appear uncommitted. For many employees in India, these situations have become part of everyday working life.  But increasingly, people are beginning to draw a line. They complete their assigned work, meet their deadlines, and fulfil their responsibilities, but stop going beyond what is expected of them. This growing workplace behaviour is commonly described as quiet quitting . Despite its name, it does not necessarily mean resigning or refusing to work. It means stepping back from the expectation that one's job should consume every available hour, emotion, and personal ambition. From a career counsellor's perspective, q...

Written by : Ms. Blessy Jenifer Joannah. H Counselling Psychologist and Student Counsellor Blessy Jenifer Joannah H. is a Counselling Psychologist and Student Counsellor at RCM Matriculation School, Avadi. Her professional work and research focus on adolescent mental health, with a strong interest in understanding the emotional and psychological challenges faced by today’s adolescents. She is deeply committed to supporting young minds through counselling, awareness, and early intervention. In the modern world, the relationship between parents and children is gradually transforming. The rise of technology, social media and changing cultural values have influenced the way young people understand life, often creating perspectives that differ from those of their parents who grew up in a more traditional environment with stricter discipline and minimal digital exposure.  As a result, parents and children living in the same home may sometimes feel as though they are living in different w...

When life hits you with a brick, you may get angry and talk about it with your partner or a friend. But if you repeatedly discuss the problem with no solution in sight and focus on the negative consequences, you may become more anxious and stop problem-solving altogether.   Rumination is when you alone start dwelling on the negative thoughts, without finding a solution. On the other hand, Co-Rumination takes place when you start dwelling on problems along with friends or a romantic partner. It is somewhat like ‘self-disclosure’, which involves sharing your inner thoughts as a way of building intimacy, trust and gaining support. It is more prevalent in adolescent children but is easily noticeable in adult life transitions. First, it sounds like relieving yourself of your problems and temporarily feeling better or hopeful because you are sharing comfort with someone, but as time goes on and your problem discussions are still the same, it can turn negative, doing more harm to a r...

DIRECTOR  :  RAJIV MENON CAST : MAMMOOTTY, AJITH KUMAR, TABU, AISHWARYA RAI AND OTHERS "Kandukondain Kandukondain" explores the psychological aspects of relationships, emphasizing mental health awareness. Characters like Bala, battling depression and addiction, Meenakshi, torn between love and family, and Sowmya, demonstrating resilience, highlight how emotional well-being impacts relationships. The film showcases the importance of understanding mental health in navigating love, loss, and familial bonds. The film underscores that emotional trauma and unresolved past issues can significantly impact individuals' capacity to trust and connect, emphasizing the need for psychological awareness and support. The narrative also sheds light on the societal stigma surrounding mental health, especially in traditional settings, where characters like Bala and Meenakshi grapple with feelings of inadequacy and rejection.  Bala’s journey from depression to rediscovering purpose through l...

When everything arrives quickly, what happens to our ability to wait? A message goes unanswered for ten minutes, and we start checking our phones again. A video takes a few seconds to load, and we wonder impatiently if the internet has stopped working. We order something online and find ourselves checking the delivery status before the order has probably even been packed. A question crosses our mind, and within seconds, we have an answer.  Waiting has become an increasingly unfamiliar experience. Modern life has made it possible to get food, entertainment, information, products, and services with remarkable speed. Convenience has removed countless unnecessary delays from everyday life. But it has also changed something less visible: our expectations of how quickly things should happen. The problem isn’t that we have become incapable of waiting. It’s that waiting can now feel strangely out of place. When “now” becomes the default Psychology has long studied why people often prefer s...