MUMBAI: COVID-19 has forced the population to stay indoors; and industries are moving their functions to online. In this unprecedented situation, citizens are counting on the essential service workers who are risking their health to keep the society running smoothly. Some of them have been working silently without us realising that how important they are. Leaders from the media and entertainment industry express their gratitude to healthcare providers and other essential services personnel for their support during the pandemic.
Tag: COVID-19 news
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Tired of COVID-19 news, Indians turn to movies: BARC-Nielsen Report
MUMBAI: Indians have become bored with excessive COVID-19 news. Which is why in week three of lockdown, people have switched over to movie channels, driving the genre viewership up, as per the latest BARC-Nielsen report.
In week 13, viewers spent more than one hour on movie channels and it has grown by 77 per cent week on week. Bangla, Gujarati and Punjabi movie channels recorded the highest viewership growth by 138 per cent, 117 per cent and 90 per cent, respectively. Hindi movie channels witnessed 82 per cent and Telugu movie channels' viewership grew by 51 per cent.
Other language movie channels’ growth rates:
In week 13, overall TV viewership grew by four per cent over week 12. The overall viewership of television is up by 43 per cent compared to the pre-COVID period (11 January 2020-31 January 2020) and COVID disruption week three (28 March 2020- 3 April 2020). This week, the viewership growth is driven largely by movies unlike week 11 and 12 where news was the major growth driver. The viewership in HSM has grown during early morning and late-night time slots during the COVID period.
The report says the top GEC channels’ growth is also driven by movies they aired. Telugu top four GECs witnessed 14 per cent growth in viewership and 20 per cent growth in duration. Tamil top four GECs grew by 128 per cent in viewership and 45 per cent in duration and Malayalam top five GEC witnessed 10 per cent viewership
The average time spent on TV is up by 28 per cent from the pre-COVID period to COVID disruption week three. Viewers watched television for more than three hours per day. The non-primetime slot continues to grow by 81 per cent. HSM witnessed the highest growth by 97 per cent in the non-primetime slot while the south grew by 60 per cent.
The early morning slot, i.e., 4 am to 6 am, is driven by news. People are watching news in the early morning time slot. While late-night viewership, i.e., 1 am to 2 am, is driven both by news and movies. The south market continues to follow its earlier norm of viewing time zone.
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COVID-19: How affirmations can help deal with work from home
At a recent workshop on “How to develop Harmonious Relationships”, my wife, Narayani, and I used a pendulum to demonstrate the power of thoughts, both, positive and negative. We invited a volunteer from the class to come up and sit on a chair facing everyone. Narayani placed the pendulum a few inches above this person’s head and allowed it to settle down until it was perfectly still.
Now, we asked all those present to send positive thoughts to this person, without saying a word. Just inwardly, in their mind. As they did so, the pendulum suddenly began to swing in a clockwise direction. The more powerfully they sent these thoughts the larger and faster the pendulum swung.
Asking them to stop, we allowed the pendulum to return to neutral. As you may have guessed already, we now had them think and project negative thoughts towards this person. The pendulum, awakening from its slumber, gradually began swinging in the opposite direction — anti-clockwise. Everybody in the room was shocked, “Our thoughts did that?”
We’ve all heard about the power that thoughts have to shape and affect our reality, but nobody really takes it that seriously. Often we dismiss them as personal indulgences.
“These are my thoughts, what difference does it make to others?” “I can think whatever I want.”
We think just because no one can hear us, we are not affecting anybody. But seeing this lucid experiment, right before their eyes, they could no longer deny the power. The power that they, you and I, your neighbour, and everyone carry within them.
The world, believe it or not, is responding to these very thoughts and creating for you a reality that corresponds to those thoughts.
Now, the first question is: what thoughts most preoccupy your mind right now?
Fear?
Uncertainty?
Anxiety?
It seems so natural, given the present circumstances, that no one would fault you for having them. But what effect are they having on your immediate surroundings and circumstances?
How do we get out of the habit we have created of constant worry and frustration at our situation?
Easy. By “consciously” re-seeding the ether with fresh new positive thoughts.
For this purpose we will use the technique of AFFIRMATIONS! These affirmations will replace the old habit-driven patterns with purposeful and uplifted thoughts. There is a specific way to do these affirmations to ensure they are most effective.
First, one repeats them out loud: thereby commanding the other thoughts to seize their restless flurry. Then, gradually we repeat the words softer and softer, taking them deep into our subconscious mind, where all our thought patterns are stored. And finally, we say them silently, mentally only, with our eyes closed trying to plant this seed-thought deeper still, into the super-conscious mind.
Now the best times to do an affirmation is right after waking up and just before going to bed. These two time periods are perfect because in those moments we are exposed to both our subconscious mind, through the state of sleep and the conscious mind, in the state of wakefulness. However, in addition, we then continue to repeat them several more times. At least four to eight-time daily.
The affirmation (taken from the book 'Affirmations for Self-Healing' by Swami Kriyananda) that I will share with you today is on “Good Health,” since that is what is preoccupying so many of our minds.
“My body cells obey my will: They dance with infinite vitality! I am well! I am strong! I am a flowing river of boundless power and energy!”
This is step one of the journey towards self-mastery. If you are interested in this journey, then walk with us as we continue to explore different practices, techniques and perspectives that will mould our lives into expressing our highest potential.
(The authors are disciples of Paramhansa Yogananda and are currently the spiritual directors of Ananda Mumbai, a yoga and meditation centre. The views expressed in the article are the authors’ and indiantelevision.com need not subscribe to them.)