How to turn Pessimism into Optimism & Build a Positive Mindset

Over time, as we grow up, we get hurt, cheated, and betrayed; bad things happen, and people disappoint us.  Over time, we become cynical, judgmental, and pessimistic. So here are 2 exercises you can do to build a positive mindset and shift your thinking from pessimism to optimism. Every night before you go to sleep, try to think of one good thing that happened in your life that day. It is like recounting your gratitude. Whatever positive thing happened that day, try to think about it. It is best to write it down in what we call a gratitude journal. If you cannot think of anything positive that happened that day, think about something that happened yesterday or the day before. The goal is to build a habit of thinking about positive things, and your last thought before bed can also influence your unconscious thoughts and belief patterns.

9/11 Survivor's Miraculous Escape

 

9/11 Survivor's Miraculous Escape

A few years ago, a patient came to me who was one of the survivors of the 911 attack on the Twin Towers. She shared her story with me. Sue was working in the South Tower. She could see smoke coming from the North Tower through her window. Then she heard the blast.

She felt the building shake. She got scared. She got up from her desk, and she started to leave. She went to the stairs, and then she heard the announcement, which said, "Everybody, please go back to your desk. Remain in your office. Do not leave. This building is safe." But somehow she felt uneasy. She felt unsafe. She ignored the warning, and she started galloping down the stairs.  She was overweight. She was middle-aged. She had back pain, knee pain, but she did not stop.

She kept on climbing down the stairs one at a time. Sue told me that there was some voice, something deep inside her, that told her to leave the building, not to stay there anymore. In the middle, she met someone else who told her, "You go back to your office space. The building is safe. Do not try to come down." There was a lot of confusion. After the North Tower was hit, a Port Authority official told everyone not to leave the South Tower because they feared that if everyone started leaving and went down, debris from the North Tower would fall on them and hurt them.

Some went back, but she did not. She kept persevering. She kept taking the stairs one at a time, and when she came out into the open, she saw the sky. When she looked back, she saw that the South Tower, where she was working, had also been hit. Black smoke was coming out of the South Tower.  She kept moving as far as she could, running away from the building. This is one of the stories that moved me deeply.  Let me know in your comments below what you think happened. Was it divine providence, coincidence, or mere luck?

Alcohol Related Brain Damage Can reverse with Abstinence

 

Alcohol exposure during adolescence can harm developing brains. However, the brain's neuroplasticity allows it to heal. Abstinence can help damaged parts regrow. #BrainHealth #Neuroplasticity #AlcoholAwareness #BrainDevelopment

The human brain continues to grow from adolescence into the 30s. Any alcohol exposure, even in small amounts, during these formative years of brain development can negatively affect the brain. The human brain is also neuroplastic, and it can heal itself like any other part of the body. If someone is drinking alcohol daily and they stop drinking and go into abstinence, then some of the brain damage related to the alcohol can reverse. During abstinence, the brain can regrow the parts that were lost or damaged due to alcohol consumption.

About Panchajnaya Paul, MD Atlanta Evening Psychiatry

 Are you seeking support for mental health or psychiatric care? My name is Dr. Panchajanya Paul, and I welcome you to Atlanta Evening Psychiatry. I am triple board-certified in child psychiatry, adult psychiatry, and holistic medicine. 

 

I completed my fellowship training at Emory University and was recognized as a fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. With more than 15 years of experience, I have treated over 10,000 patients with conditions including ADHD, major depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorders, sleep disorders, bipolar disorder, psychosis, schizophrenia, addiction, and trauma. I am also the author of two books: Sleep Coaching and Stress Rescue.

 

We are proud to be one of Georgia’s highest-reviewed psychiatry practices, with more than 500 five-star reviews on Google, Zocdoc, and WebMD. In 2026, our practice was ranked the No.1 psychiatric practice in Atlanta by BusinessRates.com. Patients value our compassionate, individualized care and holistic approach, which integrates thorough medication management with supplements, nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle changes. 

 

At Atlanta Evening Psychiatry, we provide comprehensive psychiatric evaluation and medication management for children, adolescents, adults, and seniors, treating a wide range of mental health conditions. We are currently accepting new patients and can often schedule same-day or next-day appointments. We accept most insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, and offer both in-person and telehealth visits. Evening and Saturday online appointments are also available for your convenience.

 

 To schedule an appointment, please call or text 678-851-3512 or email info@hpsych.org.

 

Atlanta Evening Psychiatry Panchajanya Paul Overview

Are you seeking support for mental health concerns? My name is Dr. Panch Paul, and I welcome you to Atlanta Evening Psychiatry. I am a double-board-certified child and adult psychiatrist trained at Emory University and a fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. With over 15 years of experience, I have authored two books, Sleep Coaching and Stress Rescue. 

We provide comprehensive psychiatric medication management for children, adolescents, and adults, addressing conditions such as ADHD, Autism, Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar, Psychosis, Trauma, and Addiction. Our personalized treatment plans include medication, supplements, problem-solving therapy, exercise, nutrition, and sleep. 

We are proud to be one of Georgia’s top-rated psychiatry practices, with over 500 five-star reviews on Google, Zocdoc, and WebMD. Patients appreciate our compassionate, individualized care. We accept most insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, and offer both in-person and telehealth appointments. Evening and Saturday video appointments are available to accommodate your schedule. 

We are currently accepting new patients and can often provide same-day or next-day appointments. To schedule, please call or text 678-851-3512 or email info@hpsych.org.

10 Natural Ways to Get Sleep

by Dr. Panchajanya 'Panch' Paul , MD

Many of us struggle with sleep. The problems can be many. Some struggle to fall asleep at night, some to maintain sleep throughout the night, and some from too early waking. Whatever the nature of the problem, sleep deprivation weakens the mind and body, and makes us vulnerable to various mental and physical diseases. Here is a list of ten ways to get good sleep every night.

1. Schedule Sleep: Maintain a consistent bed-time routine. Go to bed at the same time every night. Try to keep it the same on weekends in order to keep body's clock tuned.

2. Exercise daily: Try to get some exercise during the day; as little as 20 minutes can help. Aerobics, lifting weights, power yoga, walking- any form of physical exertion will help. However, avoid heavy exercise 2 hours before sleep as the increased arousal from exercise might make sleep difficult.

3. Avoid alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine before bedtime. Alcohol helps to sleep in short term but robs the brain of deep restorative sleep in long term. Caffeine is present in tea, coffee, and soda. Nicotine is present in cigarettes. Both caffeine and nicotine are brain stimulants, which makes one more alert and awake, while making it difficult to fall asleep.

4. Relax before Sleep: Do something relaxing before bedtime like taking a warm bath, reading, or listening to music. Mindfulness exercises can also help.

5. Light Exposure during day. Try to get exposure to sunlight or any full spectrum bright light in the morning. Exposure to light during the day and darkness before bed, will entrain your circadian rhythm to the daily light-dark cycle. This will help you stay alert and active during day, while being tired and sleepy at night.

6. Don't eat before going to bed. Have your dinner at least two hours before sleep time. Avoid food just before bedtime, and never have your food on bed. A heavy meal before bedtime is difficult to digest and will also impair sleep. Also avoid too spicy or sugary food before bed. Food rich in tryptophan like nuts, cheese, oats, beans, lentils, eggs, fish, chicken, turkey can boost sleep.

7. Don't check emails or work on your laptop just before bed. The mind needs to relax and any activation will impair sleep. Avoid TV, Computer, or bright light before sleep as they inhibit the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin.

8. Keep your bedroom quiet, cold, and dark at night. Adjust your thermostat to a lower temperature between 60 to 67 degrees. Use thick curtains to block light and white noise to block sound.

9. The bed should be used for sleep, sex, and some light-reading. Avoiding other activates at bed will help the body associate the bed with sleep.

10. Write your worries before sleep. Many people bring their worries to bed and can't stop thinking about them. Keep a journal at bedside to write down troubling thoughts before going to bed. This will stop the repeated cycle of worrying and enable sleep.

Sleep is vital to life. Seek professional help if you struggle with sleep chronically and experience daytime fatigue. Many of the sleep problems can be resolved with the help of medications and therapy like Cognitive behavioral therapy for Insomnia. In the end, don't neglect any sleep problems, and make every effort to get good sleep for your health and wellbeing.

Here is the Link to the You tube video

I have also written a book on Sleep available online where I discuss all the natural ways to falls asleep using body's healing mechanisms and the with use of supplements.

https://www.amazon.com/Sleep-Coaching-Easy-Without-meds-ebook/dp/B07GX3ZFSP

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