About the human behind the blog

Hi, I'm Akansha. (she/her)

I'm a PhD scholar in Psychology at the Central University of Haryana, and I write about the brain like it's a friend — because, well, it is. Mindful started as my notebook. It's now a small, warm corner of the internet for people who want to feel better without being told to "just meditate."

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What I study

The intersection of anxiety, self-compassion, and the small daily rituals that quietly rewire us. My current dissertation looks at how brief journaling interventions shift rumination in young adults.

What I write about

Mental health translated out of academic jargon and into the language we actually live in. Honest essays, gentle frameworks, and the occasional list of things that have helped me on hard days.

What I won't do

I won't tell you to "manifest" your way out of depression, sell you a 12-step program, or pretend any of this is simple. The science is messy. So are we. That's allowed.

The story so far

A short timeline of how Mindful came to be.
2019

Bachelor's in Psychology, Delhi University

Discovered I loved the research side as much as the people side. Started journaling about every paper that made me cry (there were many).

2021

Master's in Clinical Psychology

Two years of supervised practice. Learned that the best interventions are usually the smallest, repeated daily, with a lot of patience.

2023

PhD admission · Central University of Haryana

Began doctoral work on self-compassion and rumination. Started a private Instagram for friends. They told me to make it public. I didn't, for a year.

2024

Mindful, the blog, was born

One Sunday with chai and too many thoughts. Now: 47 essays, 4,200 readers, and a very gentle community.

2026

Now

Writing weekly. Defending the dissertation in late autumn (hopefully). Drinking too much filter coffee. Cheering you on, quietly.