Please Yourself
Chhaya Momaya tells SHIKHA JAIN how to infuse your daily living with moments of pure joy
Life coach, grooming and image consultant, Chhaya Momaya has perfected the art of mixing rigid deadlines while a range of personality-articulating pursuits. Here’s how she does it...
Women can
It is very important to balance work and life whether you are working or a housewife. Women are known for multitasking because they have the ability and capability to do so. Since the entire running of a home revolves around a woman, it is very important to create that balance. Even if you are in your workspace, and your child asks for a snack, you have to arrange for it. It’s very easy and I do it often.
Plan it out
Time management helps you balance your life with you work. On a weekday, I do have a regimen. There are a few things that have to be done in a particular time and I look at the clock, which is again very important. On weekends I tend to take it easy because everyone needs to let their hair down.
Keep exploring
Everyone has to cultivate a kind of art, culture or any form of rejuvenation. Maybe you can have a massage or sing even if you are not a very good singer. I particularly like to do kathak, so I try to create my own steps if I don’t have a teacher that day. I do manage to fit in some things which I like, like designing and painting even though I’m not great at them. It’s my stress buster. I can put on any song and start dancing. I do my workout in a form which I like. I don’t go to the gym nor do I have a fitness trainer. I like to follow my body. It’s a complete pleasure because you are not going by any other rules, but your own body rules. If I’m in the mood for painting, I’ll just pick up paper and start stroking. It’s not necessary that it has to be shown to the world; it is just for you. Sometimes I just want to splurge and shop and I do that. I am not a very good cook, but I do know the flavours of food, so I even cook. It could be even about picking up a needle and thread and creating a flower out of nothing. Just do what you feel like and that’s the biggest stress buster.
Newness factor
It is great to go and learn something new. For example, I went to Neuchatel to the watch-making school. I met up with the master watchmaker and learnt a few things that go into the making of a watch. I went to Grasse to learn perfume making and did a day’s workshop over there. Then I went to Bern to understand how politically inclined they are in the history of politics. I did political history and tried to learn a few things about politics in Switzerland. I went to Rothenberg since there are beautiful castles. I also visited concentration camps in Munich because I just wanted to understand what all this means as I had only read about it. Recently, I went to the olive gardens in south of France to understand how these people pick olives and how the oil is extracted. These are the fun things that are imbued with so much knowledge. I also went to St. Agatha and learnt the basics Italian cooking, the flavours of Italy. These are things that act as stress busters, but you can use it in your day-to-day life while working as it articulates your personality.
I particularly like to do kathak, so I try to create my own steps if I don’t have a teacher that day. I do manage to fit in some things which I like, like designing and painting even though I’m not great at them. It’s my stress buster.