Month: September 2026

This year, the theme of our Life Class has been People Skills and Emotional Intelligence, and it has been a wonderful journey of learning, reflection, and personal growth.Bhumika Ma’am and Arshi Ma’am have guided us through a series of meaningful discussions and activities that have encouraged us to look beyond academic success and understand the importance of how we interact with ourselves and others.Throughout this journey, we explored fascinating concepts such as amygdala hijacking, the qualities of a good leader, psychological safety, reaction versus response, and the Johari Window. Each of these topics offered valuable insights into human behaviour, relationships, and leadership.My Learning and ReflectionOne of my biggest takeaways from these sessions has been understanding that emotional intelligence is not about ignoring emotions, but about recognising and managing them effectively. Learning about amygdala hijacking helped me understand why people sometimes react impulsively when they feel stressed, frustrated, or threatened. It made me reflect on my own responses and the importance of pausing before reacting.The discussion on reaction versus response was particularly meaningful to me. It reminded me that while I may not always be able to control what happens around me, I can choose how I respond. This is something I hope to practise more consciously in my personal and professional life, especially during moments of disagreement or pressure.The concept of psychological safety also made me reflect on the kind of environment I create for the people around me. I realised that making others feel safe is not just about being approachable; it is also about listening without judgement, respecting different perspectives, and allowing people to express themselves without fear of embarrassment.The Johari Window encouraged me to think more deeply about self-awareness and the importance of feedback. It reminded me that there may be aspects of my personality or behaviour that I do not always recognise, but that others may notice. Being open to feedback, therefore, is an important part of personal growth.The discussions on leadership and how leaders can act as mirrors also made me reflect on my own role as an educator. I realised that leadership is not only about giving instructions or guiding others; it is also about modelling the behaviour, values, and attitudes I hope to see in the people around me. The way I communicate, respond to challenges, and treat others can have a lasting influence.Overall, these sessions have encouraged me to become more mindful of my emotions, more empathetic towards others, and more intentional in the way I communicate. They have reminded me that people skills are not simply concepts to be discussed in a classroom, but skills that need to be practised every day.As I continue to grow both personally and professionally, I hope to carry these lessons with me and become a more self-aware, compassionate, and emotionally intelligent individual.A heartfelt thank you to Bhumika Ma’am and Arshi Ma’am for making our Life Class such a meaningful and enriching experience.

I am one of those people who chose this topic as opposed to my batch and my facilitators who got it involuntarily. I am someone who wants to grow in terms of my social skills and thought this would be beneficial for my growth, after sailing for the 1st 2 days, I was correct, these sessions truly proved to be full of insights, full of solving doubts that I had (creating a few more though) but I’m sure I’ll be able to navigate through them once again.

Obviously in understanding others, we first need to understand ourselves, not only emotionally but even be self aware, and through the Johari Window, that helped us know each others possible blindspots, the facade in our heads and made us mentalize.

I also was able to generalise that in order to grow yourself and others, stopping to think, evaluating other perspectives, and having delayed gratification most likely ensures us to grow as a community and not just personally, but that does require exercising our SABR muscle and that will definitely help us overcome our amygdala hijacks, and not make impulsive decisions that we may regret later, but rather decide emotionally intelligent responses. As emotions can’t be controlled, they can be managed.

During these two days of Life Class, I learned a lot about myself and the way I respond to different situations. One of the most important things I understood was the difference between reacting and responding. I realised that when I experience strong emotions like anger, frustration, or fear, I may sometimes react immediately without thinking about how my words or actions could affect others. Learning about the concept of amygdala hijack helped me understand why this happens. I learned that simply pausing, taking a breath, and giving myself a moment to think can help me respond in a calmer and more thoughtful way.I also learned what it truly means to be a team player. Being part of a team is not only about contributing my own ideas, but also about listening to others, understanding different perspectives, supporting my teammates, and working together towards a common goal. The activities and discussions helped me understand the importance of empathy, active listening, self-awareness, and emotional management.Overall, these two days made me reflect on how I handle my emotions and interact with the people around me. I feel that the skills I learned will help me become more patient, understanding, and responsible in my everyday life. Most importantly, I learned that I cannot always control what happens around me, but I can learn to control how I respond to it.

Over the past two days in Life class, I had a very interesting and meaningful experience learning about emotional intelligence. Before these lessons, I did not fully understand how our emotions could affect the way we think and behave. One of the most memorable topics we discussed was the amygdala hijack. This happens when strong emotions such as anger, fear, or stress take control of our minds and cause us to react without thinking clearly. I realised that I have experienced this before, especially when I am upset or under pressure. However, I learned that taking a moment to pause, breathe deeply, and think before responding can help me stay calm and make better choices. We also learned about self-awareness, empathy, active listening, and the importance of expressing our feelings in a respectful way. These lessons helped me understand myself and other people better. I now know that emotional intelligence is important because it can help me solve problems, handle difficult situations, and build stronger relationships. Overall, the two days in Life class were valuable because I learned skills that I can use not only in school, but also in my everyday life.