7 Japanese-Inspired Ways to Heal Procrastination and Low Energy

On January 18, 2026February 2, 2026 By Zeenat Merchant Syal-Counseling Psychologist|Spiritual CounselorIn Emotions, healing, Mind, Mind-Mental Health, Positive Self Reflection, spiritual healingLeave a comment

“The psyche is a self-regulating system. What we resist persists, and what we listen to transforms.” ~ Carl Jung

I would invite us to soften the way we look at “laziness” altogether.

In Japan, what the Western mind often labels as laziness is not viewed as a moral failure or a weak personality. It is understood as information. A symptom. A message from the psyche and the system saying: something here is out of alignment.

Rather than forcing more effort or whipping ourselves with motivation, the Japanese approach asks a gentler, wiser question: What needs to be adjusted in the structure, the environment, or the rhythm of life?

I love this approach because it aligns beautifully with my word/intention for 2026 ~ FLOW 🙂

Here are 7 Japanese-inspired ways of working with low energy, procrastination, and inconsistency, seen through a healing lens…

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How Reducing Cortisol Can Lead to Healing PLUS Simple and Practical Ways to Lower Cortisol

On January 18, 2026 By Zeenat Merchant Syal-Counseling Psychologist|Spiritual CounselorIn Emotions, healing, Mind, Mind-Mental Health, Positive Self Reflection, spiritual healing5 Comments

“Peace is not the absence of stress, but the mastery of it.” ~ Unknown

At the crossroads of mind and spirit, the human body speaks a language of chemistry that reflects our inner world. One of the primary messengers of stress is cortisol, the hormone released when we perceive danger, pressure, or threat. But in modern life, where traffic jams, deadlines, and digital noise rarely let up, cortisol often remains elevated, becoming a chronic companion rather than an occasional ally.

I see elevated cortisol as more than a biochemical signal: it is a sacred alarm calling us to pay attention, not just to what we do, but to how we relate to ourselves, our world, and the rhythms of life.

What is Cortisol? A Bridge Between Body and Psyche

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2026 Word and Intention of the year: FLOW

On January 3, 2026 By Zeenat Merchant Syal-Counseling Psychologist|Spiritual CounselorIn Emotions, healing, Mind, Mind-Mental Health, Positive Self Reflection, spiritual healing7 Comments

“The river does not struggle to reach the ocean.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

I have not set resolutions in many years, because I have always seen how I can never live up to them…and then when I can’t live up to them, I feel crappier than even before I set them. Instead I choose a healing intention for the whole year.

This is easily my favorite year end ritual since the past few years- to choose a word for the year. Which also doubles as the intention of the year as well.

I’ve found that after years of setting goals and resolutions which fizzle out in intensity and appeal after a few weeks, a word based intention creates a wonderful level of focus. It is sort of an anchor to come back to when you feel lost along the way. My word for last year was: Positive. And, I can say with great satisfaction that, that is the first thing I wrote as a something I have achieved in 2025 in my journal. Positive everything, was at the forefront of all that I did in the last year.

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