It’s not just the question of belief. Many people dismiss astrology because they consider it a pseudo science. Not me; I don’t question its validity—I confess that I don’t know enough to pass such a judgement.

Astrological Treatments Prevent Spiritual Growth

My reasons for not seeking the help of the occult sciences such as astrology, numerology and palmistry come from an altogether different space. I have come to view problems as necessary for my life experience. I have learned that all growth — physical, emotional, spiritual — is the result of facing and overcoming challenges. Without them, my life would be lackluster and devoid of any meaning. Of course, that doesn’t mean that I rejoice when I face obstacles, or invite them on every occasion. But when they do appear, I know that they have come with a purpose — my growth. Then, if I try to use astrology to eradicate them, I give up this wonderful opportunity to grow.

I have come to view problems as necessary for my life experience

I often observe people who transmute their struggles into success by working sincerely and diligently and yet they credit their astrologer or palmist for their well-deserved success. In doing so, they give away their power to them. I ask them to consider the possibility that their belief in the treatment made it happen, not the treatment itself.

Don’t Strike a Poor Bargain

Having said that, I understand why so many of my friends and loved ones seek out astrologers to resolve their life situations. When pain becomes unbearable, the thought of relief is tempting.

I can say this because I too have succumbed to such temptations in the past, when I erroneously believed that my path should be free of troubles and pain at any cost. But eventually I reconciled that impediments are meant to be crossed, not removed. That’s when I resolved to meet my share of challenges without anyone’s help. This is because I realized that by trying to minimize the impact of ‘destiny’, I may succeed in improving the circumstances of my life in the present — but the price I pay for it is very high.

When I trade in my opportunity to grow in exchange for an easier life, I strike a poor bargain. In my view, ‘ease’ should be the outcome of growth, not a substitute for it.

Conclusion: Why I Leave the Stars Alone

So now I allow the stars to do what they were meant to, while I do what I am inspired to. And when I look upon the night sky, I sense that everything in the cosmos is perfect — even the great challenges and problems that I encounter from time to time. Here’s a secret: these days I notice that the stars appear to be twinkling much more — perhaps they’re winking at me in agreement.

The post No Fault in Our Stars (Or Why I Don’t Consult Astrologers) appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Abhishek Sohni looked stressed out. He had confided in his counsellor Ravi Mazumdar that lately he just couldn’t get himself to focus on his work. Abhishek loved to work; he was the driven type who regularly went beyond the call of his duty. Over the years, he had become known for his work ethic: the guy who never complained about excess work. Not surprisingly he had risen up the ranks quite early in his career.

How could someone like Abhishek suddenly lose all interest in his job? At first Ravi thought it was a case of exhaustion. After all, that is what his symptoms—lethargy, lack of focus and a general disinterest at work—pointed to. But digging deeper he discovered that the cause of Abhishek’s increasing sense of dissatisfaction was not excessive stress but the lack of it. The work that once challenged him now made him weary. He no longer derived any sense of satisfaction from his job, so much so that he had started thinking of retirement although he was only 44. Abhishek was suffering from a different kind of burnout, a phenomenon that results from boredom and lack of eustress or beneficial stress.

We tend to associate the term “burnout” with too much work-related stress. But this is a limited view of a much broader phenomenon. In this issue’s cover story, Dr Steven Berglas tells us the other side of the burnout story—when lack of enough stress and paucity of challenges leads to extended boredom which, in turn, causes burnout. According to him, no matter how good you are at your job and how much you enjoy doing something, after a while you will get bored of doing the same thing over and over again.

Giving examples of athletes who compete against top competitors, salespeople who exceed quotas, and managers who beat deadlines, he says, “Humans are innately challenge-hungry organisms who are rewarded [at a neurological level] by doing something ‘better’ every day… however, should an Olympic-calibre athlete compete against a high school student in his preferred sport, or a salesman reach his annual quota in a few months simply by filing orders from repeat customers, neither individual will derive eustress.”

One could say that true happiness and bliss result from good stress, which absorbs our attention thoroughly and makes us feel worthy. On the other hand, not being challenged enough is bound to make you feel disengaged, causing boredom which ultimately leads to burnout. He calls such burnout Supernova Burnout.

While explaining the concept of Supernova Burnout in detail, Dr Berglas offers a few unique techniques to address it, should you face such a problem in your life. Use these techniques to keep boredom in check while finding new ways to keep your work stimulating and challenging. Because, monotony isn’t good for your wellbeing.

The post February 2016 issue: Preventing burnouts appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.