Nirvana Mantra
Overview
Nirvana Mantra is a personal project that is intended to solve the issue of mental health crisis in today’s world. People face repercussions because they don’t take care of themselves. One barely has the time to develop healthy habits or talk to loved ones. Mind just like the body needs to remain fit for someone to be content and make the most out of what he/she has.
The Problem
The mental stress gathered up due to domestic and work related issues gathers up and affects one’s life in a negative manner. A distracted mind is unable to take wise decisions or solve problems. Hence the problem statement for this project is:
“To find a way for people to destress and take good care of their brains without affecting their day to day activities to a great extent.”
Analyzing the Cause
A hotshot lawyer with a Ferrari sounds like the very definition of success. If so, you should read about how this lawyer sold his priced possession and turned into a priest in the brilliant book “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” by Robin Sharma.
The lifestyle one leads today is responsible for all their agony. The following are the reasons why I think many today suffer from mental stress:
· Procrastination results in large amounts of work with a very short time to complete it. Unplanned working hours and a lazy attitude motivate one to delay work at hand for some activity that provides short term pleasure. Stress develops when the person realizes the consequences of delaying work or feels guilty about it.
· A lack of confidence limits one’s capacity to archive. You can have all the talent in the world but if you are unable to put it forward no one is going to appreciate it. A feeling of guilt and underachievement is what puts pressure on such people.
· Many people complain about work related stress. Not knowing the future of stock markets or simply being unable to concentrate on your report often results in insomnia and depression. The notion of survival of the fittest prevails amongst the society.
· Humans are social beings and depend on one another for survival. But, the workspace of today and isolated the working man from his family. He doesn’t have enough time to talk to his sweetheart or his children. A lack of interaction destroys him from within.
After conducting about 20 interviews and going through material online, here we some other reasons people feel stressed:
· Loved ones expect a lot from us. Parents want to see their child getting the perfect career and selecting a wonderful partner but when their expectations are not met, it makes them question themselves. This is not good for their help especially at old age.
· One can love what he/she does but at the end of the day a family is to be fed and a lifestyle is to be maintained. Financial problems put the person in a very vulnerable position and regrettable decisions can be made if such matters are solved with a calm mind.
Ways to cure stress
After looking into the causes I searched for tried and tested solutions for curing stress which are as follows:
· Meditation is the best way to calm one’s mind. Monks go to great lengths to find a peaceful spot to release tension and achieve inner peace. 10 minutes of mindful meditation in the morning gives one the boost to peacefully go through the entire day.
· Writing down our grievances helps us let go and inking down happy thoughts fill us with positivity and joy. All the great maintain some form of diary and the benefits of writing are widely acclaimed.
· Sexual activities such as cuddling, kissing or sex with your partner also act as stress busters. The release of oxytocin and dopamine is what stimulate this felling pleasure.
· Exercising diverts our mind and helps us maintain a fit body. One’s own body image plays an important role in hoe he/she behaves. Physically fit people tend to be more confident at what they do.
· It is rightly said that laughter is the best medicine. Tuning into your favorite comedy show or having a humorous conversation with loved ones. Laughing induces a feeling of positivity in ourselves.
· Studies show that listening to soft music has positive effects on our brains. The sound of nature helps us feel present and grounded. One can focus more while listening to soft acoustic music. Such tunes are also useful for sleeping.
· The feelings of arrogance and jealousy invoke automatic negative thoughts in our minds which only add to our mental stress. So, we should be grateful for what we have and always think about everyone in a positive manner.
Getting to know my users
The user must be at the core of every design. If one is unable to use your product proper it’s your fault as the designer and because of the lack of knowledge of the user. Mental stress is not restricted to any one category of people. Anyone and everyone can have stress. This gives me a very wide range of users to work with.
What I think should be done
Upon extensive research I found that people who start off the day with positivity and joy are able to maintain a calm mind throughout the day. People who have a negative start tend to move away from their aim and easily fall into an ocean of depression. This is why many successful personalities are a part of Robin Sharma’s famous 5 AM Club. So my aim now is to develop a method to start off the day with a calm mind and gratitude, and be able to carry forward this feeling to help them make wise decisions and fight against situations that may lead to mental stress.
Thinking out loud
I put myself in the shoes of my user and think about my needs. One need to be able to speak out his/her grievances and then let them go. You also need to fill up your mind with positive thoughts and hope. So, I sat down own my table and started sketching.
- I first thought of a mini box garden. The top of the box would contain soil and the user would be provided with suitable seeds to grow. The focus on gardening is because of the metal benefits it provides and the patience it helps develop. This box would also contain a mitti cooled copper mug for drinking fresh mineral water in the morning. A diary would also form an essential part of the design which would allow the user to write bout gratitude and section to pill out his grievances. A section for schedule helps plan the day ahead.
- A box is too small for gardening, so I decided to make a wall mounting which could hold multiple plants. At the top of this mounting would be a clock a digital clock with a meditate button besides it. It would also contain a self-care diary and a calendar.
- The idea of gardening wasn’t working out so I decided to let it go and shrink don the design. I designed a book with a case for your phone, flanked by physical buttons which allows one to play soft music for meditation through the phone. The diary would start with a calendar which helps one develop good habits. The use would use the specially designed pages to write down how he/she feels and plan out the day.
Why I don’t want to make a mobile application
As a modern day User Experience Designer, the first thing that pops up in the mind but one has to also kept in mind that though we can achieve a lot through our smart phones, they also happen to be one of the reasons why today’s generation is so distracted which leads to stress. The following are some pints why one should not pick up their phone first thing in the morning;
· Increased stress and anxiety: Picking up a phone in the morning bombards one with e-mails, to-dos and other stimulus which induce a feeling of stress and anxiety.
· Time and attention are hijacked: No matter how useful a mobile device can be, checking it early in the morning only pollutes one’s thinking. People have enough time later in the day to check their mails and social media.
· You prime your brain for distraction: The information overload that hits you before you are even fully awake only distracts your mind. This feeling is carried forward into the day and results in a lack of concentration which may result in stress.
How it works
And voila
After four days of research and brainstorming, I finally know what the product will be. And now for the fun bit…
Let’s look at how James uses this product:
James is an accountant at IBM and a father of 2. He wakes up at 6 am and freshens in about 15 minutes. He then uses his Nirvana Mantra. As soon as he opens the book he is greeted with a phone case where he inserts his cell phone and connects it through the cable. He already has the Nirvana app installed on his device. He then taps the exercise button which puts on the timer on his phone for 10 minutes. After a few jumping jacks and sit ups he sits down in his chair for meditation. Tapping the meditate button on the book plays soothing music for about 10 minutes.
James also happens to be a smoker, and has been trying to get rid of his bad habit. Every day he doesn’t smoke he puts up a cross on his calendar on the right hand side. Seeing all those crosses in a row only motivates him not to consume harmful substances.
Once he is done with the calendar he moves on to writing. After being greeted by a lovely thought for the day he writes about 5 things he grateful for, followed by whatever feeling he has bottled up in him. Then he plans out his day to make sure he is productive and can take out maximum time for his family.
Back to the future
Due to struggles of gardening especially in a society where many live in high rises and due to the time and dedication required to make a garden I had to let go of that idea. But, the benefits of gardening cannot be neglected. So for a future scope I would like to incorporate an efficient method for gardening in the Nirvana Mantra ecosystem. It would be an additional and people who really want to commit to can purchase it.
See you later alligator
