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This is my first interview blog and I wanted to have some fun with it. So I talked the women who inspire me I think are absolute bosses. I asked them how they unwind after a long week of working tirelessly. Two of them are my teachers and one is my best friend, Basically all the women I love and admire.
“Unwinding after work” means to relax after a stressful week or a period of work. Since relaxing is super subjective and everyone has their own way of relaxing. I decided to talk to my favourites about what they do after getting done with work.
The first person I went to is the mentor of my department in college Ms Sumedha Choudhury ma’am, I’ve always found her inspirational for the work she does, she’s been a renowned journalist of the town and is the reason I started writing on YKA which has been an amazing journey.
Ishika Satwika (IS): Hi Sumedha ma’am and thank you for being a part of this. I’m so happy to have you here, can u introduce yourself for my audience a bit.
Sumedha Choudhury (SC): I’m Sumedha I’m currently an assistant professor in ASCO, Amity University Jharkhand. I joined the mass communication teaching in 2016 after bagging a gold medal in M.Phil. Prior to that I was a field reporter in national print media houses for over a decade.
IS: Wow that sounds like a lot, How do you take a break from work?
SC: After I’m done with my work I’m totally a personal assistant to my mom (laughs) and I also involve myself in the activities of the Ranchi press club and I love to watch web series in my free time usually before going to bed to chill and I’m really into k-drama drama these days.
IS: Damn! K-Drama I’m a huge fan myself, What K- Dramas do you watch?
SC: Twenty-Five Twenty-One and Crash landing on you are a few of my favourites and I’m currently binge watching Flames by TVF. Apart from that I’m also into Retro Bollywood music like “Ek Ajnabee Haseena Se” and I love it. That’s basically it, that’s my idea of unwinding post work.
IS: That’s amazing. Thank you for being such a sport Ma’am. What a fun chat!
The second woman I went to is the one who has inspired me for the longest time. She is Ms Tanima Chatterjee ma’am. She taught me in my high school for a brief period of time but that’s not the only reason I admire her so much, She has been like a big sister to me, from career advices to boy problems, she’s literally just been there. I’ve always been in awe of her style, her humour and everything about her is just AMAZING. She’s love.
Ishika Satwika (IS): Hello ma’am, It’s always so amazing talking to you, Can you introduce yourself for my readers a bit?
Tanima Chatterjee (TS): So I’m Tanima, an assistant professor in Faculty of Computing and Data Sciences at Boston University and the director of undergrad studies there. Along with teaching the students, I happen to be the person who makes changes to improve the undergrad studies.
IS: DAMN! When I tell you that’s how I’m trying to be. You have always been so badass and inspirational it’s crazy and I’m so glad you’re a part of my first interview piece irrespective of the insane time zones. So how do you unwind after a long working week?
TS: There is one thing I have to say, The fact that I get to interact with my students, is a breath of fresh air on itself. I was a postdoc at Yale before this and I used to be stressed all the time. I have realized that I come back home with a smile most days nowadays, It’s amazing how doing something you love, changes your perspective towards jobs.Apart from that, I think painting and poetry are my poisons of choice when it comes to venting out steam when the going gets tough. And since I stay alone, I cook for myself..good music, the right kind of lights and the process of cooking can be therapeutic and I gotta say, it indeed is.
IS: Yass girl I have seen you cooking on the gram and it’s AMAZING, Your art is stunning, it’s like so beautiful and the fact that you have designed all of your tattoos are so cool. So, since you’re away from home in a different city, different country all together. How do you cope up with stress and feel at home?
TS: Tbh work can be stressful but if we can find just one thing in our work that gives us joy, it makes it so much more easier. I tend to overthink and get anxious since I live in a new city and don’t know anyone here to really talk to.. that’s where talking to my parents daily comes in as a blessing and makes me feel at home.
IS: Aww that’s so good to know and I love looking at your pictures with your parents, they are such sweethearts and also the fact that our dads are so similar. Just so cute. Thankyou once again for your time ma’am and I always look forward to talking to you.
The third woman is basically my soulmate and my best friend since middle school. 12-14 years I think, I mean I don’t even remember life without her. I’m not exaggerating when I say I can’t function without her, from books to boys to just the two of us going through life. We’ve literally grown up together. She’s Komal, my best friend. She was in school with my and has recently completed her graduation and is now preparing for India’s toughest exam UPSC. I mean yeahhh!
Ishika Satwika (IS): So Komal I know that you study the entire day, literally 8-12 hours. Do you think that taking a break and unwinding is important while preparing for competitive exams?
Komal Bakshi (KB): So, Firstly the general mindset of anyone preparing for competitive exams is that they can’t take a break because it feels like you’re lagging behind, something is always remaining and your competitors are ahead of you which leads to a lot of anxiety, causes brain fog and you’re basically burnt out. And I’m so glad you’re doing this because taking a break is a must, a break from your everyday schedule, even if it’s not for too long.
IS: That’s true it’s so important to break the monotony and have some time to yourself, So how do you take a break from your studies and deal with stress and anxiety of the exam?
KB: I stay up late on the weekends and spend time with myself introspecting, listening to music, I hate cooking but love eating and that’s super therapeutic to me because good food = good mood, and I also have my cutie, my fur-baby so I give him all my time and then I call you up and talk to you because remember you’re my unpaid therapist? (Laughs) That’s my idea of a break, I basically trauma dump on you and get rid of the exam stress. Lol
IS: Haha I think that’s vice versa, that’s how I cope up with stress too, you’re my unpaid therapist and my punching bag since standard 7th lol. Thankyou for being a part of my blog and sharing your idea of a break.
So I’m a final year college student and I’m interning too so it can get a bit overwhelming sometimes but I’m not complaining as I love what I do. After I’m done attending my college and working, I like to go out on a jog blasting my favourite music, play with my fur babies. They are such stress busters tbh. And I’m into a lot of skin care it’s such a release for me. I’m in my element playing RnB’s, doing a bit of an aroma therapy situation and just good skin care.
I decided to do this because amidst all the hustle culture nobody really talks about how they relax and take a break and the importance of unwinding and taking a break post working. Unwinding after work is as important as working itself. We need to have these conversations because hustle culture is so normalised where more working hours and not taking a break = success. People tend to ignore their mental health and stops listening to their bodies and minds. Also, even if you’re a workaholic, consider this as your reminder to take a breathe in, take a break and relax!
Image source: a still from made in Heaven
A Journalist, Editor, Cinephile, Music enthusiast. I write about pop culture, social issues and primarily advocate for women’s rights through my writings. You can check out more from me @YouthKiAwaaz/Ishikasatwikasingh read more...
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UP Boards Topper Prachi Nigam was trolled on social media for her facial hair; our obsession with appearance is harsh on young minds.
Prachi Nigam’s photo has been doing the rounds on social media for the right reasons. Well, scratch that- I wish the above statement were true. This 15-year-old girl should ideally be revelling in her spectacular achievement of scoring a whopping 98.05% and topping her tenth-grade boards. But oddly enough, along with her marks, it’s something else that garners more attention – her facial hair.
While the trolls are driving themselves giddy by mocking this girl who hasn’t even completed her school yet, the ones who are taking her side are going one step ahead – they are sharing her photoshopped pictures, sans the facial hair, looking nothing less than a celebrity with captions saying – “Prachi Nigam, ten years later”.
Doctors have already diagnosed her with PCOD in their comments, based on photographic evidence. While we have names for people shamed for their weight – body shaming, for their skin colour- racism, for their age- age shaming, for being a female- sexism, this category of shaming where one faces criticism for their appearance has no name. With that, it also has zero shame attached to it.
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