Aastha

Mental Health Awareness Tip: Urge Surfing

Urge surfing is a technique for managing your unwanted behaviors. Rather than giving in to an urge, you will ride it out, like a surfer riding a wave. After a short time, the urge will pass on its own.

1. TRIGGER: An urge is triggered by a person, place, thought, feeling, or something else.

2. RISE: The urge becomes more intense. This may happen gradually or very
suddenly.

3. PEAK: The urge reaches its most intense point. It may feel as if the urge will
never go away.

4. FALL: The urge loses intensity and eventually fades away.

Managing Triggers:
Use coping skills to reduce the power of triggers. Know your triggers ahead of time, and have a strategy or skill prepared for each one.
Examples: deep breathing if stressed, eating if hungry, leaving a location if it is high risk.

Delay & Distraction:
Do something to take your mind off the urge. Every minute you delay increases the chance of the urge weakening on its own.
Examples: go for a walk, listen to music, call a friend, read a book, practice a hobby.

If you feel like you are facing challenges dealing with unwanted triggers on a daily basis and need someone to talk to you and give you some guidance, do not hesitate to reach out to us.

To know more about us, please visit https://aastha.com.bd/.
To sign up for a session, please visit https://aastha.com.bd/packages/.

Mental Health Awareness Tip: Managing Childhood Depression

Caregiver support is critical to the treatment of childhood depression. Although there is no quick fix for depression, caregivers play an important role by maintaining a supportive environment and teaching healthy habits.

1. Kids thrive with routine. Following a daily routine reduces stress by creating predictability, among other benefits. Begin by doing a few important tasks—such as meals and bedtime—at the same time, and in a similar way, every day.

2. Behavioral Action: Depression causes children to lose interest in normal activities. Consequently, they become less active, which causes depression to worsen. Make a point to schedule enjoyable activities every day.

3. Sleep Hygiene: Sleep problems associated with depression include trouble falling asleep, restless or poor quality sleep, and feeling tired during the day. Improve sleep quality by turning off screens an hour before bed, winding down with relaxing activities, and following a regular schedule with consistent sleep and wake times.

4. Socializing: Kids who are depressed may lose interest in seeing friends or socializing. Although it may be tempting to let your child stay home, this will reinforce their isolation.

5. A Chance to Talk: Like adults, sometimes kids just need to talk. Make it part of your routine to spend a few minutes talking about your child’s day.

6. Relaxation Skills: Between school, homework, peers, siblings, and chores, kids have a lot of stress. Relaxation skills such as deep breathing, mindfulness, and progressive muscle relaxation are an excellent way for your child to manage their stress. Practice these skills every day for the greatest benefit.

If you feel like you are facing challenges with children of yours or around you and need someone to talk to you and give you some guidance, do not hesitate to reach out to us.

To know more about us, please visit https://aastha.com.bd/.
To sign up for a session, please visit https://aastha.com.bd/packages/.

We know we have been away for a while, and we deeply & humbly apologize for that. We know how important it is to tackle mental health challenges on a daily basis as soon as it arises, and hence we are here again to give you uninterrupted service whenever needed according to your convenience.

Let's take a moment to recognise the challenges people face in their personal and professional lives everyday today on October 10th, and make mental health & well-being for all a global priority.

To know more about us, please visit https://aastha.com.bd/.
To sign up for a service, please visit https://aastha.cc/packages/.

We want to appreciate every single person who has been with us through our journey, starting from our board members to our therapists to lastly and most importantly, our clients.

We are glad our clients gave us a chance to prove ourselves and hopefully they are leading better lives now after solving their daily life challenges by seeking our expert counsellors' help.

If you are having trouble going through any hurdle in life, please do not hesitate to contact us and sign up for a session. Our counselling sessions are a judgement free zone with therapy provided upon cultural and social context.

To know more about us, please visit https://aastha.cc/
To sign up for a session, please visit https://aastha.cc/packages/
To read our articles, please visit https://aastha.cc/blog/

Eid Mubarak to you and your loved ones all around the globe!

We hope the day brings new joy and bundles of happiness for everyone who’s finally coming out of the pandemic and starting to cope with the pressure of their everyday lives.

"I want to support you on the journey of living your most fulfilling life. I am here for you."
"আপনার মানসিক স্বাস্থ্য বিকাশে ,আমি আছি আপনার পাশে।"

Schedule an online appointment with Mrs. Sara Musarrat today!

Mrs. Musarrat specialises in Acceptance & Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. She is eager to help & guide as many people as she can, while doing so without any judgements. She believes that a healthy mind is often created at home and Sara wants to assist people in improving their self confidence and committing to making changes to bring positivity in their personal & professional lives.

To know more, please visit https://aastha.cc/.
To sign up, please visit https://aastha.cc/packages/.

Mental Health Awareness Tip: Time Management Tips

1. Writing down your responsibilities has a number of benefits. Not only will it ensure you don’t forget anything, it also reduced stress by allowing you to drop your mental checklist.
2. Focus on completing the most important, and the quickest tasks, first. If you have a few “to-dos” that will only take five minutes, knock them out quickly for the peace of mind.
3. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you have a really big task before you. Breaking big tasks into small pieces will help you get started, which is often the hardest part.
4. Spend a few days recording how much time you spend on distractions such as social media or TV. Then, cut out the distractions you don’t actually enjoy, and schedule time for the ones you do enjoy. Always set an alarm so you know when to get back to work.
5. If you know that you will succumb to distractions, get away from them. Create clear boundaries between work and play by putting up a “Do Not Disturb” sign on your door, turning off your phone, or going to a coffee shop without TV.
6. Plan on arriving to appointments 15 minutes early, and bring something to do in case you find yourself waiting. Schedule some buffer time will help to reduce your stress when things inevitably run long.
7. If you try to complete every task to perfection, some of your other responsibilities won’t get done at all. Focus on completing everything to an acceptable level, and then go back to improve upon your work if you have time.

Time management techniques can often be harder to practice than to preach. If you find yourself still struggling with managing time effectively amongst all the chaos in your city, do not hesitate to schedule an appointment with an Aastha therapist today to get more detailed guidance on how to manage time better.

To know more about us, please visit https://aastha.cc/.
To sign up, please visit https://aastha.cc/packages/.

Happy Independence Day to Bangladeshis all around the globe. It is because of the great sacrifice of many of our ancestors that we can live freely in peace in such a great nation.

If you are having trouble going through these holidays with a smile on your face due to any kind of life challenges you are facing, do not hesitate to talk to one of our counsellors for guidance.

To know more about us, please visit https://aastha.cc/
To sign up, please visit https://aastha.cc/packages/

Happy International Women's Day to every single woman out there. It is because of your constant sacrifices and battling struggles successfully through life, we keep on building a society and community focused on strong mental health to set your example.

After fighting for the recognition for the Bangla language, the idea to celebrate International Mother Language Day was the initiative of Bangladesh.

Our ancestors have gone through a great deal, including being martyrs so that we can speak freely in our own language. Hence, do not ever shy away from speaking your mind.

If you are having trouble communicating with others in a concise and efficient manner, please do not hesitate to talk to one of our therapists for better guidance.

To know more about us, visit https://aastha.cc/.
To sign up for a session, visit https://aastha.cc/packages/.

বাংলা ভাষার স্বীকৃতির জন্য লড়াইয়ের পর বাংলাদেশের উদ্যোগে আন্তর্জাতিক মাতৃভাষা দিবস উদযাপনের ভাবনা।

আমাদের পূর্বপুরুষরা শহীদ হওয়া সহ অনেক কিছু করেছেন যাতে আমরা আমাদের নিজস্ব ভাষায় স্বাধীনভাবে কথা বলতে পারি। অতএব, আপনার মনের কথা বলতে কখনই সংকোচ করবেন না।

আপনি যদি অন্যদের সাথে সংক্ষিপ্ত এবং দক্ষভাবে যোগাযোগ করতে সমস্যায় পড়েন তবে দয়া করে আরও ভাল নির্দেশনার জন্য আমাদের একজন থেরাপিস্টের সাথে কথা বলতে দ্বিধা করবেন না।

আমাদের সম্পর্কে আরও জানতে, https://aastha.cc/ দেখুন।
একটি সেশনের জন্য সাইন আপ করতে, https://aastha.cc/packages/ এ যান।

Mental Health Awareness Tip: The Wise Mind

Your mind has three states: The reasonable mind, the emotional mind, and the wise mind. Everyone possesses each of these states, but most people gravitate toward a specific one most of the time.

The emotional mind is used when feelings control a person’s thoughts and behaviour. They might act impulsively with little regard for consequences.

A person uses their reasonable mind when they approach a situation intellectually. They plan and make decisions based on fact.

The wise mind refers to a balance between the reasonable and emotional halves. They are able to recognise and respect their feelings, while responding to them in a rational manner.

If you ever feel like you are not being able to balance your emotional and reasonable mind to bring forward your strongest wise mind, know that we are here to guide you professionally.

To know more about us, visit https://aastha.cc/.
To sign up for a session, visit https://aastha.cc/packages/.

Aastha in association with FlexBiz is launching a campaign exclusively for its members! Our Programme is ‘All-inclusive’ and designed to prioritise ‘Privacy’ & ‘Anonymity’. The focus of this initiative is to make “counselling accessible to all” for FlexBiz Community! members who are going through any kind of trouble to have access to affordable counselling from the comforts of their home.

Our discounted packages are mentioned in this post. Our weekly package consists of TWO 50 minutes sessions/week available at a discounted rate of only BDT 1600 and our monthly package consists of FOUR 50 minutes sessions/month available at a discounted rate of only BDT 3000.

Going through any kind of stress or trouble in today’s life is quite normal and no one has feel ashamed to get professional advice and direction to help lead a better day to day life. And we at Aastha & Flexbiz understand this. Hence do feel free to contact us with any questions you might have.

You can sign up for the packages on the following link: https://aastha.cc/sign-up/.
Do enter the code “FlexBiz200” that is available only for members of this group to avail the discount.
To know more about us, please visit https://aastha.cc/.

Listen to how Cyrus talks about taking care of your mental health as a long term investment.

FlexBiz in association with Aastha Humanity presents to you all a Mental Healthcare Accessibility Programme starting this January 2022. We are pleased to share our Awareness Campaign for this initiative and here’s what Cyrus Anushirvan Faizi has to say about our endeavour to eradicate disparities and societal taboos.

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Happy New Year to everyone out there! Regardless of how 2021 went, we will be there to guide you through any trouble you face in 2022 & onwards.

Hear what one of our advocates have to say about having access to mental healthcare.

FlexBiz in association with Aastha Humanity presents to you all a Mental Healthcare Accessibility Programme starting this January 2022. We are pleased to share our Awareness Campaign for this initiative and here’s what Shams Ishtiaque Rahman has to say about our endeavour to eradicate disparities and societal taboos.

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Hear what one of our advocates have to say about having access to mental healthcare.

FlexBiz in association with Aastha Humanity presents to you all a Mental Healthcare Accessibility Programme starting this January 2022. We are pleased to share our Awareness Campaign for this initiative and here’s what Mezbauddin MD Jibon Chowdhury has to say about our endeavour to eradicate disparities and societal taboos.

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Please read what one of our advocates have to say about the importance of addressing mental health issues, in association with FlexBiz.

FlexBiz in association with Aastha Humanity presents to you all a Mental Healthcare Accessibility Programme starting this January 2022. We are pleased to share our Awareness Campaign for this initiative and here’s what Sajia Afreen Anushka has to say about our endeavour to eradicate disparities and societal taboos.

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Please read what one of our advocates have to say about the importance of addressing mental health issues, in association with FlexBiz.

FlexBiz in association with Aastha Humanity presents to you all a Mental Healthcare Accessibility Programme starting this January 2022. We are pleased to share our Awareness Campaign for this initiative and here’s what Dr Rehab Ar Rahma has to say about our endeavour to eradicate disparities and societal taboos.

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Listen to what the Director of the Bangladesh Cricket Team: The Tigers have to say about the importance of addressing mental health issues to live a daily peaceful life with your loved ones.

To sign up for a session, please visit https://aastha.cc/packages/.

FlexBiz in association with Aastha Humanity presents to you all a Mental Healthcare Accessibility Programme starting this January 2022. We are pleased to share our Awareness Campaign for this initiative and here’s what Mr Obeid R Nizam has to say about our endeavour to eradicate disparities and societal taboos.

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Aastha in association with FlexBiz and it’s founder Ms. Zainah will be launching a campaign for its members from January 2022. Our Programme is ‘All-inclusive’ and designed to prioritise ‘Privacy’ & ‘Anonymity’.

Our program launch is to make “counselling accessible to all” for FlexBiz members who are going through any kind of mental trauma to have access to affordable counselling from the comforts of their home.

Below are the therapists who will be helping us with this campaign by being there for FlexBiz members who just need someone professional to listen to their problems and guide them with the tools and help they deserve to make their daily lives better.

We will soon be launching our discounted packages for FlexBiz members. Please keep a look out on our social media pages by liking & following our page. To know more about us, please visit https://aastha.cc.

Hear from one of our advocates on the importance of a non-judgemental affordable platform to achieve long term mental peace.

FlexBiz in association with Aastha Humanity presents to you all a Mental Healthcare Accessibility Programme starting this January 2022. We are pleased to share our Awareness Campaign for this initiative and here’s what Zoya Sneha Ahmed has to say about our endeavour to eradicate disparities and societal taboos.

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Hear from Ms. Meghna Alam - Miss Bangladesh about what she has to say about our collective efforts to fight the negative taboo surrounding mental health in our region.

To know more about us, please visit https://aastha.cc/.

FlexBiz in association with Aastha Humanity presents to you all a Mental Healthcare Accessibility Programme starting this January 2022. We are pleased to share our Awareness Campaign for this initiative and here’s what Meghna Alam - Miss Bangladesh 2020 has to say about our endeavour to eradicate disparities and societal taboos.

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We are proud to be working alongside FlexBiz & its Founder Ms. Zainah to make counselling accessible to all and smash stereotypes and taboos surrounding Mental Healthcare.

We will have special packages for FlexBiz group members as we do believe in an inclusive and collaborative approach to tackle social dilemmas personally & collectively on aastha.cc.

Greetings,

This new year - we bring you a profound movement that will endeavour to bridge the gap between individuals of our community and those who can contribute to the betterment of it, with immense pride and honour - we have joined hands with Aastha Humanity to make ‘Counselling accessible to All.’ Our Programme is ‘All-inclusive’ and designed to prioritise ‘Privacy.’ We therefore, welcome you to write to us to address your thoughts and participate in our upcoming Mental-Healthcare Awareness Campaign, starting this week onwards.

Standing in Unity, we are “Collaboratively Creative.”
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Gratitude means appreciating the good things in life, no matter how big or small. Making the practice of gratitude a regular part of your day can build happiness, self-esteem, and provide other health benefits.

1. Gratitude Journal- This isn’t limited to major events. You might be grateful for simple things, such as a good meal, talking to a friend, or overcoming an obstacle.
2. Give Thanks- Make a conscious effort to notice when people do good things, whether for you or others. Tell the person you recognise their good deed, and give a sincere “thank you.”
3. Mindfulness Walk- You can do this by focusing on each of your senses, one at a time. Spend a minute just listening, a minute looking at your surroundings, and so on. Try to notice the sights, sounds, smells, and sensations you would usually miss, such as a cool breeze on your skin, or the clouds in the sky.
4. Gratitude Letter- This could be a person who has had a major impact on your life, or someone who you would like to thank. Write a letter that describes why you appreciate them, including specific examples and details. It's up to you if you’d like to share the letter or not.
5. Grateful Contemplation- The key to this technique is consistency. Think of it like brushing your teeth or exercise—it should be a normal part of daily self-care. This technique can be practiced as part of prayer, meditation, or on its own.
6. Gratitude Conversation- Spend a moment discussing and contemplating each point, rather than hurrying through the list. Make this part of your routine by practicing before a meal, before bed, or at another regular time.

If you are having trouble following these steps and need guidance on how to appreciate and deal with positivity in your daily life, do not hesitate to reach out to an Aastha therapist today. You can know more about us and sign up on our website at https://aastha.cc/.

Mental Health Awareness Tip: The Grieving Process

Everyone deals with grief differently. People cry, laugh, busy themselves with work, throw up, or even feel numb. Some recover quickly, while other take their time. Grief is a natural healing process, and there's no 'right' way to do it.

For some people, grief can become too painful. It can throw into something totally different, like depression or anxiety. Other times, grief might last far too long, and take over a person's life for years on end. This is called "complicated grief".

If you ever feel like you are facing complicated grief, know that we are here to help you.

To know more about us, visit https://aastha.cc/.
To sign up for a session, visit https://aastha.cc/packages/.

Mental Health Awareness Tip: How To Deal with Addiction

The stages of change (precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and relapse) depict the typical course of recovery when dealing with addictions, but they can be used with any difficult change. When clients learn about the stages of change, they can come to understand that ending drug use is a process. It's difficult, and others have been there too.

1. Precontemplation: The costs of the problem behavior (such as drug use) are not yet recognized. The individual is in denial and is not seriously considering changing their behavior. They may have made previous attempts to change, but have since given up.

2. Contemplation: The individual is experiencing ambivalence about change. They can see reasons to change their behavior, but they are still hesitant. The problem behavior continues.

3. Preparation: The individual has decided to change their behavior, and they begin to think about how to do so. During this stage they will begin to make minor changes to support their goal, but they might not have completely ended the unwanted behavior.

4. Action: Significant steps are taken to end the problem behavior. The individual might be avoiding triggers, reaching out for help, or taking other steps to avoid temptation.

5. Maintenance: The changes made during the action stage are maintained. The individual may continue to face challenges, but at this point they have successfully changed their behavior for a significant period of time.

Relapse: After making changes, some individuals will return to their previous problem behavior. This can happen at any time during the previous stages. Not everyone will experience relapse, but it is always a risk.

If you are having trouble sticking with your lifestyle changes need to battle your addiction and experiencing relapses, do not hesitate to reach out to an Aastha therapist today.

To know more, please visit https://aastha.cc/.
To sign up, please visit https://aastha.cc/packages/.

What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is a mental & physical reaction to perceived threats. In small doses, anxiety is helpful. It protects us from danger, and focuses our attention on problems. But when anxiety is too severe, or occurs too frequently, it can become debilitating.

How Does Anxiety Grow?
Anxiety drives people to avoid the things that scare them. When a "scary" thing is avoided, there is an immediate but short-lived sense of relief. However, the next time a similar threat arises, it feels even scarier. This creates a harmful cycle of avoidance, and worsening anxiety.

Anxiety Treatments?
1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
2. Exposure Therapy
3. Relaxation Skills
4. Medication

If you are struggling with dealing with anxiety on a daily basis, do feel free to reach out to an Aastha therapist to help guide you according to your situation in any/all of the above treatment methods.

To know more about us, visit https://aastha.cc/.
To sign up for a session, visit https://aastha.cc/packages/.
To read our articles, visit https://aastha.cc/blog/.

We all come across the phrase “you need therapy” or “you need help” quite often these days. These phrases are usually used as an insult, a demeaning gesture, or simply as a bad joke.

Most people think and talk negatively about therapy & believe that therapy is reserved only for extreme circumstances.

Aastha therapists respect your individual experiences. We are here to normalize your experience and help you verbalize what you might need to help you get on the right path.

To read the full article, please visit https://aastha.cc/signs-to-consider-for-therapy/.
To sign-up for a session, please visit https://aastha.cc/packages/.

আমরা সকলেই “আপনার থেরাপির প্রয়োজন” বা “আপনার সাহায্যের প্রয়োজন” এই কথাগুলো প্রায়ই শুনি। এই কথাগুলো সাধারণত অপমান, অবমাননাকর ইঙ্গিত বা কেবল একটি খারাপ রকমের মজা হিসাবে ব্যবহৃত হয়।

বেশিরভাগ মানুষ থেরাপি সম্পর্কে নেতিবাচকভাবে চিন্তা করে এবং কথা বলে এবং বিশ্বাস করে যে থেরাপি শুধুমাত্র চরম পরিস্থিতির জন্য সংরক্ষিত।

আস্থা থেরাপিস্টরা আপনার ব্যক্তিগত অভিজ্ঞতাকে সম্মান করে। আমরা এখানে আছি আপনার অভিজ্ঞতাকে স্বাভাবিক করতে এবং সঠিক পথে চলার জন্য আপনার কোন সাহায্যের প্রয়োজন হলে সেক্ষেত্রে আপনাকে মৌখিকভাবে সাহায্য করতে।

সম্পূর্ণ নিবন্ধটি পড়তে দয়া করে https://aastha.cc/bn-signs-to-consider-for-therapy/ দেখুন।
একটি সেশনে সাইন আপ করতে, অনুগ্রহ করে https://aastha.cc/bn-packages/ দেখুন।

We know everyone goes through their own unique journey. And we are here to assist you to deal with the hurdles along your way better.

We are glad to have helped out several people battle with their daily struggles.

Schedule an appointment with an Aastha therapist today to discuss the best possible steps for your course of action in life if you are struggling in any way.

To know more about us, please visit https://aastha.cc/
To sign up for a session, please visit https://aastha.cc/packages/

আমরা জানি প্রত্যেকে তাদের নিজস্ব অনন্য যাত্রার মধ্য দিয়ে যায়। এবং আপনার পথের বাধাগুলোকে আরও ভালোভাবে মোকাবেলায় আপনাকে সহায়তা করার জন্য আমরা এখানে আছি।

আমরা খুশি যে বেশ কয়েকজনকে তাদের দৈনন্দিন সংগ্রামের সাথে লড়াই করতে সাহায্য করতে পেরেছি।

আপনি যদি কোন ভাবেই সংগ্রাম করে থাকেন তাহলে আপনার জীবনের কর্মের জন্য সর্বোত্তম সম্ভাব্য পদক্ষেপগুলি নিয়ে আলোচনা করার জন্য আজই একজন আস্থা থেরাপিস্টের সাথে অ্যাপয়েন্টমেন্টের সময় নির্ধারণ করুন।

আমাদের সম্পর্কে আরও জানতে, দয়া করে https://aastha.cc/bn-home/ দেখুন।
একটি সেশনে সাইন আপ করতে, অনুগ্রহ করে https://aastha.cc/bn-packages/ দেখুন।