Mental Well-Being

9 Tips to Keep Calm & Ride/Drive On

Have you found yourself always fretting over traffic jams? You are not alone. One needs to have extremely high levels of tolerance to sail through the long standstills before once reaches home or work. Research shows that on an average a person spends nearly 2.5 hours on commuting. In metro cities, the annoying honking, choking pollution & tailgating are common plights that are sure to worsen day by day unless there is an amazing invention that can solve all of it.

The next time you see a long strip of red brake lights ahead of you, you will not whine coz we are giving you an exciting set of options that you can try out.

1. Load that Jazz: Be it a heavy rock band or a soothing melody, different people have different tastes when it comes to music genres. Take some time out and create a playlist that can instantly pep your mood or calm you as the case may be.

2. Find your favourite RJs: A lot of interesting stations have come up these days and each is constantly trying to come up the ladder by introducing various kinds of shows with witty RJs. If you haven’t tried tuning in to radio stations, we strongly recommend you try. You may just end up participating in a contest while waiting in traffic!

3. Do your shopping on the go: Try checking all the things on your shopping list by stopping at the provision or grocery store on your way back home. This might indirectly give you the much needed break and give a good amount of distraction that your mind needs.

4. Explore your routes: Instead of taking the same route again and again, consider taking a different route. Who knows- someday you might just end up finding a route that may save a couple of minutes and do you a huge favour. These days a lot of interesting apps like Google Maps, Waze, etc. help you get updated with traffic on a real-time basis.

5. Munch on: Ensure that you’re stocked with snacks that you love, so that you can spend some time munching and making your tummy happy. After all, a hungry tummy has an angry face right?

6. Tag a buddy: Having a travel partner is indeed a brilliant option but make sure that you choose a person with whom you can easily strike a chord.

7. Hands-free calling: How nice it’d be to catch up with buddies in this busy world! It will not only help you stay in touch with friends but also cheer you up while you drive. (Make sure you have a Bluetooth while you do this.)

8. Catch up on news updates: Load your smartphones with news apps that will let you be updated with all the latest happenings around the globe.

9. Work, a strict NO NO: The last thing you’d want to do is to pull things from work and start doing them. Trust us, it will annoy you even more and decrease your efficiency.

10. Listen to a movie: Yes, you heard us right. You can now buy media sources that have the audio of movies loaded. Some people enjoy listening to this by buying their favourite classics and spend time in remembering the scenes while the audio runs in the background.

References:

https://autoportal.com/articles/driving-guide-how-to-stay-cool-in-traffic-jam-2567.html

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/how-to-stay-cool-and-calm-in-traffic-130686

10 Great Ways to Start Your Day with Positivity

10 Great Ways to Start Your Day with Positivity

It is indeed a battle that we fight everyday to wake ourselves up and start the day with energy. During winter, this battle is even more painful. Most resort to caffeine every morning to activate their system. While caffeine does its job, you must understand that there are other easy and natural ways to rejuvenate your body and keep yourself positive throughout the day.

Here are 10 great ways to give you that instant morning boost:

Watch what you eat before you go to bed: In order to wake up fresh you need to have a calm tummy. Avoid eating more than 150 calories before hitting the bed. Remember that if you upset your gut, you will upset your entire day.
Sleep well: One needs around 7-8 hours of sound sleep to feel rejuvenated every morning. Sleep on a positive note. For this you can either read a nice book or listen to some soothing music before hitting the bed.
Pray/Meditate: As soon as you wake up, sit on the bed upright, fold your hands, close your eyes and pray. Keep track of your breath while you do so. Remember to tell yourself everyday that you always need to let go of the past and be in the present.
Look out of the window: Start your day by spending some time staring out of the window or standing on your balcony allowing the sun’s rays to fall on you. Research has shown that early morning sun light activates the happy hormones when they fall on the skin.
Drink warm water: Once you are up, hydrate your body with at least 3 glass of warm water. This is one of the natural ways to flush the toxins out of your system right in the morning.
Kill the snooze: Avoid hitting the snooze button. Your body tends to strain a lot when you tend to nap as soon as you wake up. You will feel more alert and less groggy throughout the day if you give up on the snooze button.
Greet your loved ones: Meet your family members or roommates and wish them a happy morning with a broad smile everyday- you will surely find the difference.
Exercise: We know it’s difficult to get yourself up to workout, but it is proven that when your body gets into active mode, there’s a lot of energy that gets transferred into the body and you automatically tend to feel recharged.
Have a nourishing breakfast: It is better to start your day with a lot of veggies, fruits and green juice. Go for foods that are a mix of complex carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats. Top it off with green tea instead of coffee.
Surround yourself with happy pictures: Have your wall covered with a lot of pictures that make you smile and kindle all the good memories associated with it. Waking up to it everyday can be the best treat you could give your mind.

References

http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/How-Feel-More-Energized-34935504

http://www.thedailymind.com/how-to/17-ways-to-wake-up-feeling-fresh-in-the-morning/

7 Quick Tips to Stay Calm during a Natural Disaster

Life is filled with surprises. Sometimes it may make you happy while most of the times, it can disrupt your peace of mind. It’s especially true in the case of natural disasters where the basic necessities of life – food, clothing, shelter & water take a big hit- which are probably the issues faced by the people of Chennai because of Cyclone Vardah on Monday. Being calm can solve many of the problems. Having a clear understanding as well as control over your mind, can help you deal with unexpected circumstances with ease. It’s not only good for you but also for the loved ones around you.

Here are some quick tips to stay calm and composed, no matter what:

1. Stay positive: The first thing that you should do is to spread the aura of positivity. We know it’s tough but the point here is to trick your mind into thinking that in the end everything will be alright.

2. Understand the emergency situation: It’s ok if there is an emergency. You need to always anticipate things and learn to manage emergency situations. Don’t let anxiety or nervousness hit you. Keep your mind and heart free of panic attacks. Once you do this, you’ll be able to come up with creative ideas to help yourself in that situation.

3. Fake a smile: The best way to trick your mind is to smile. Research has shown that by simply expanding your facial muscles by smiling, it makes you feel better. Whistle, hum or do whatever that can make you feel less stressful.

4. Take deep breaths: This is a sure shot way to balance your emotions during times of distress. Close your eyes and take in a few deep breaths. Inhale through your nose for 4 counts, hold your breath until 7 and exhale through your mouth slowly and steadily while counting 8. This is called 4-7-8 method and can do wonders.

5. Chat with your family: It is not only important for you to stay calm but you should also help the people in your house to breathe easy. Especially when there are children at home, resort to some interesting board games that may divert your kids. If there are old people at home start a debate or shoot interesting situations and brainstorm.

6. Sleep it off: This is by far the best thing to do. We know it’s insane to even think about sleep when you’re put in a grave situation like that but some people just have the knack to soothe their mind and put themselves off to sleep. What better way can one think of other than this?

7. Turn a deaf ear to rumours: Rumours spread like forest fire. We wonder who derives such a sadistic pleasure by spreading these. Never pay heed to such false news. Tune in to a radio station or watch news on TV if you need credible updates. Stay calm if nothing is accessible.

References:

http://urbansurvivalsite.com/ tips-for-staying-calm-during- a-disaster/

https://www.entrepreneur.com/ article/237694

4 Easy Asanas to Relax the Mind

There’s typically not a single soul that can leave the Earth without experiencing stress, fear, anxiety or depression even once. The intensity of each emotion is where the differences come in. Some tend to build up these emotions while some tend to cope and come out of them. Nevertheless, people from various parts of the world resort to Yoga, when it comes to mental wellbeing. Yoga is a form of exercise to tame the mind, body and soul. A little bit of an emotion is definitely needed to live a healthy life. The problem starts when such emotions persist and start interfering in everyday activities. Yoga helps to maintain a balance such that it helps induce the much needed positivity and strength.

The following are the asanas you can try to achieve this balance and lead a happy and stress-free life in this mechanical world:
1. Shavasana (Corpse Pose): Lie down on the mat with your face up, arms relaxed on the sides and legs extended. Close your eyes and take deep breaths. And while you do so, concentrate on every part of your body one by one from head to toe. This is the easiest of all asanas and is basically like a warm-up session. This asana can also be used to relieve you of fatigue.

2. Viparita Karani (Legs against the wall): Place a pillow on the floor close to the wall and sit on it. Now lie down in such a way that the head is on the floor and the legs are perpendicular to the wall. Relax your arms on the side with your palms facing upwards as this is believed to attract energy from the environment into your body. Now start your deep breathing exercise with your eyes closed for one minute and repeat for 3-4 times. This asana helps ease menstrual cramps and improves blood circulation to the brain apart from calming the mind.

3. Child Pose (Balasana): If you’re suffering from back ache, neck pain, high blood pressure, anxiety or stress, this is an extremely effective asana that you could try. Sit on the yoga mat kneeling while ensuring your knees are together. Rest your buttocks on your feet and slowly lower your torso over your thighs such that your forehead touches the mat and your hands touch the floor (over your head). Take deep breaths for 30 seconds and repeat 3-4 times.

4. Snake Pose (Bhujangasana): Lie on your stomach with legs stretched and toes touching the ground. Keep your arms at the side with your palm facing the ground, beside your chest. Your forehead should be on the floor. Now slowly raise your head and neck upward and backward while you focus on your breathing (inhale while you lift your thorax and exhale when you come down). This asana is ideal for mind relaxation and also serves to correct the posture of the spine.

References:

http://www.artofliving.org/in- en/yoga/health-and-wellness/yo ga-for-anxiety-disorder

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0 -15860/6-relaxing-yoga-poses-t o-help-you-fall-asleep.html

6 Ways to Beat the Winter Blues

Winter blues are SAD. Like really SAD – where SAD means Seasonal Affective Disorder. It is a form of depression that is usually seen during early winters. One in five people across the world experience serious mood swings, depression and anxiety during the winter season. Although in India winters aren’t as bad as they are in the West, there’s still the incidence of winter doldrums in a certain population making them feel sad, lethargic, exhausted, grouchy, unmotivated or pessimistic every year around the same time. SAD affects more women than men (4:1 ratio) and the number increases as we move to northern latitudes. The good thing about winter blues is that they tend to fade away with the onset of warm weather and is not a serious disorder to be worried about. However to keep yourself going, it is imperative to take a few steps to lift your spirits up.
1. Sleep near windows: Every night before you sleep, make sure your curtains aren’t closed. You need the morning sunlight that’s rich in Vitamin D to activate your body cells and to build a healthy immune system.

2. Move out of your house: It is going to be hard, but it is going to be great for your day. Step out of the house within two hours of waking up, however cold it is and soak yourself in the natural breeze and sunlight.

3. Switch to brighter alarm clocks: Light therapy is a successful treatment for SAD. There are alarm clocks in the market that tend to emit bright light when they go off. Look for these and keep them on your bedside table.

4. Join communities: Become a part of welfare communities or other volunteering associations and start engaging in social activities. This will help you interact with more people and help kill the blues.

5. Dawn Simulators: These little devices tend to mimic sunrise inside your room. By adjusting the light intensity level appropriately it can emulate a perfect summer.

6. Switch to peppy music: Avoid listening to slow melodies as much as possible. Create a peppy playlist and turn it ON the moment you wake up. Shake your body and sing along- this will trick your body into thinking you’re in a happy environment.
References:
http://time.com/3692785/beat-w inter-blues/

https://www.buzzfeed.com/jessi camisener/simple-tips-tricks-f or-beating-the-winter-blues?ut m_term=.xwvywN9Z7#.ln5a5Z7Ww

6 Fun Things to Do While Waiting in a Line

It’s been two weeks since the nation was taken by surprise. ATMs have been overflowing with people since the announcement of demonetization and the queues seem never ending. Most of the Indians have their weekends dedicated for withdrawing money from ATMs. There are still a few people gearing up with headphones in the ears and a refreshing drink in their hands to fight the tediousness. Waiting in queues can be very exhausting and annoying. If the weather isn’t very supportive, you are definitely going to whine and pine till the end of time. Keeping yourself calm and composed during such situations is very important. If possible, try and help old people and pregnant woman and you will feel good about yourself.

Listed below are a few fun things you could try to entertain yourself and stay cool while you’re in that long queue.

1. Play the alphabet game: While you’re waiting outside an ATM, look around and spot objects that start with A,B,C, and so on. Don’t skip letters if you’re finding it deifficult – the trick is to try hard and keep looking to kill the time.
2. Carry a Sudoku book: Play with those numbers on the Sudoku book and activate those brain cells. You will really find yourself progressing faster in the queue .

3. Phone to the rescue: This is the most obvious option. Play games, read the news, reply to mails, chat with friends, play with snapchat filters, browse your gallery etc. – the options are never ending.

4. Clean your wallet/handbag: You would have never realized that your wallet still has bills you got centuries ago. This is the best time to organize and clean up your bag/wallet and while you do so, check the bills and try to remember when got it and any incidents associated to it. You may end up having a few sweet memories!

5. Take your Kindle: If you’re a person who loves to read, it is needless to say that your tablet (or your current book) is your best companion.

6. Rubik’s cube: If you’ve never tried playing with a Rubik’s cube, you are probably missing out on something fun and exciting. Search for videos that help you with hacks to make it more interesting.

Lastly, if you’re not a fan of standing in long queues and you still find yourself crying thinking about it, there are a few start-ups that are offering their services to help you skip those queues. All you have to do is to download the app, pay them and they’ll get someone to wait for you in the queue. You will be intimated when your turn is nearing.

References:
http://liveplayfully.gogosquee z.com/fun-things-to-do-while- waiting-in-line/
http://www.wesh.com/article/18 -ways-to-kill-time-while-waiti ng-in-line-at-a-theme-park/ 4439781

8 Tips to Deal with Teenage Children

Parenting a teenager is bound to be difficult-it’s nature’s law! When you see your kids you may feel that they will never disobey you or never go out of control but don’t worry you’ll eventually be there. Like any other parent with teenage kids in the house, you might struggle every day to battle with them for everything. Adolescence is the period where your child is neither a kid nor an adult and also undergoes a lot of changes physically and mentally. You will be able to successfully cross this phase by adopting a few strategies coupled with extreme levels of patience.

Remember that not all kids will turn out to be disrespectful. Some may just prefer to treat you to silence and scary stares. Just remember the following strategies and breeze through this phase.

1. The most common thing that happens during this phase is frequent mood swings. Your kid may pick up fights with you for anything and everything. It’s OK, learn to stay calm. Avoid using strong/harsh words against them.

2. Every time they come back home, welcome them with a smile and hug. Ask them how the day was. If they refuse to reply, don’t force them into answering you. Give them some time to relax and sit beside them and tell them that you’d like to help them get rid of the things that are causing discomfort to them. But remember not to push them.

3. Use humour as your weapon – if you’re good at it. A good laugh can help lighten the environment and create space for your kids to open up.

4. If you feel your child is comfortable with a family member other than you, don’t get upset. Just be happy about it and get them to talk with that favourite person more often. Once they are done, you can talk to your family member and see how better you can communicate things to your child.

5. Don’t serve up rejection for rejection. If your kid is giving you that shrug or an angry stare, don’t pick up arguments with them. If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all- simple!

6. Rules have to be set in the presence of the kid. Consider their thoughts while setting rules at home and be flexible with them. If you see your child violating the rules later tell him that it was an agreed decision by both sides.

7. Frame your sentences with empathy. Instead of saying, “You’re being rude”, tell them, “I feel hurt when such words are spoken to me”.

8. Appreciate and have a positive interaction with your kids. This makes them feel special and wanted.

Reference:

http://www.helpguide.org/ articles/teen-issues/helping- troubled-teens.htm

https://www.empoweringparents. com/article/disrespectful- kids-and-teens-5-rules-to- help-you-handle-their- behavior/

10 Fun Ways to Deal with Stress at Workplace

Why is Friday so far away from Monday but Monday so close to Friday? The answer is because you may not be enjoying your work and are probably stressed out by it. Not everybody gets to work in fun environments with fancy interiors and relaxation stations. Most of us just try to fit into the space given to us at work and refuse to step out of our comfort zone. If workplace stress is what you’re suffering from, you may want to try out these effective tricks to make your workplace more fun.

1. Decorate your workplace: When you treat your eyes, you treat your heart. Fill your work-space with items that interests you, be it a family picture, your favourite toy car or even your favourite indoor plant that you can spend time watering every day when you take a break.

2. Pass notes: Brighten up your day and your colleagues’ day by writing them notes and dropping them at their desks. You might be delighted to receive some as well.

3. Pitch in for your favourite furniture: If your team room has enough space, your team can pitch in some money to buy a recliner or a relaxing bed (but ensure it’s not against your company’s policies).

4. Group jog in the evening: Team up with a couple of friends and go for a light jog around your office. Similarly, you may also practice walking as a group where you strictly refrain from talking about work.

5. Stock your fridge: Stock your fridge with some sweet delights like ice cream or even chocolates which you can ‘mindfully’ start eat (it’s a promise, ok?).

6. Lighten up your space: If you feel your workspace lacks enough light, feel free to carry a table lamp. If you’re staying late in the evenings you may decorate your space with fairy lights, just to boost your mood up.

7. Stock snacks in your draw: Your files shouldn’t be the only occupants in your draw. Stocking up on healthy snacks like energy bars, nuts or even a banana which is rich in potassium can help de-stress your mind.

8. Take a break to talk: Spend a few minutes to talk to your loved ones while at work. This gives you the much needed break and facilitates the rejuvenation process.

9. Colour code: You may plan themes/ colour codes once every week, and take group pictures to re-energize.

10. Order some dessert: Desserts are all that are needed to make anybody happy. Remember that while doing this, you also get an opportunity to socialize and interact with people which in itself is a natural stress buster.

References:

http://www.huffingtonpost.in/ entry/stress-relief-that- works_n_3842511

http://www.dummies.com/health/ mental-health/ten-ways-to-de- stress-at-work/

Holiday at Home!

All us adults face some form of stress or the other and this takes its toll on our body’s ability to fight infection, maintain vital functions, and even ability to side-step injury; you become more short-tempered, depressed, and fretful, your memory may become worse and you’ll make poorer decisions. A vacation is the best solution to break this stress cycle. All of us have done month-long planning to execute a holiday at a place outside our city. But sometimes the best plan is to cut down expenses and enjoy your holiday within the four walls of your home! It can be as exciting as the ones you do while you travel out of town and if you have not tried it yet, we suggest you give it a try when you have your next long weekend.

Here are a few tips to help you along:

1. Say NO to gadgets: Be it at home or a far-away place-vacation means vacation! You deserve to rejuvenate your mind and soul and relax every cell in your body. So make sure you send those out-of-office mails or other such intimations to all your friends and people at work. Keep priority alerts on your phone for selected contacts and chill.

2. Prepare your home: Vacations mostly involve change of environment. In order to holiday at home, you need to make some changes in your living space. Be it decorating your room with fairy lights, changing the positions of your furniture, using a rich fragrance diffuser, filling the vases with fresh flowers or whatever it is, make sure you have everything you love around you!

3. To Cook or Not? : If you are a person who considers cooking as a hobby, you must definitely explore your culinary skills. For those of you who consider it as a burden, please feel free to order your favourite food and get it delivered at home.

4. Pamper yourself: What’s more soothing than getting a nice massage with aromatic candles lit around you? Call a masseuse home and enjoy a peaceful experience at home!

5. Films & Music: Nothing can beat dancing to your favourite music at home while you’re still in your pajamas. Create a playlist of your favourite films and music and binge watch like it’s the end of the world.

6. Outing, maybe? : Not everybody would want to dress up and go out while on a home holiday. But if you’re not that kind, make a list of places you wish to visit inside your city and do it in style.

7. Skip the chores: While vacationing at home, all you have to remember is to do things that are not part of your everyday life. Make deviations and break rules if it gives you peace. After all, your mind deserves to be treated that way.

References: http://urbannaturale.com/stayc ations-good-for-your-mind-and- the-environment/ http://www.idiva.com/news-heal th/how-to-take-a-staycation- and-relax-and-rejuvenate-in- the-comfort-of-your-home/ 1610136

All You Need to Know About Dementia

Dementia, by itself is not a specific disease. It is a collective term used to denote a variety of symptoms that result in the loss of the normal functioning of the brain due to the damage caused to the brain cells. As a result, the person may not be able to perform his day-to-day activities independently. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60-80 percent of the cases and vascular dementia is the second most commonly occurring type and is usually the after-effects of stroke. Dementia is mostly prevalent in old people but is considered to be a normally occurring phenomenon. People have to know that Dementia, like any other disease also requires treatment.
The following are the common symptoms that can be noticed in people suffering from dementia:

· Poor reasoning skills

· Difficulty in handling money in shops

· Forgetting familiar environments and names of people

· Inability to do basic calculations and remembering vocabulary

· Garbled speech

Early symptoms of dementia also known as cognitive impairment, are often not very prominent and can easily get unnoticed. Most of the times, later stages of dementia cannot be cured easily but when detected early, it can be reversed with cognitive treatments and medication.

The risk factors of dementia include:

· Addiction to alcohol & smoking

· Depression

· Increased blood pressure, cholesterol & sugar

· Sleep apnea

Proper care has to be taken while dealing with such patients and here are a few dos & donts:
1. Such patients might get aggressive with their statements. It’s better to not force the person into doing something unless and until it is unavoidable.
2. Most of the time, these patients may disown their place of stay and would want to go elsewhere even though they’ve been living there their entire life. Under such cases it is better to have ‘short’ conversations with them to make them feel safe. Remember that lengthy conversations to reason things out may not work most of the time.
3. There is a high chance of dementia patients repeating whatever they say. In such cases it is imperative that you stay calm and repeat your answers. Getting angry may intimidate them and make them feel more insecure.
References:

http://www.aplaceformom.com/bl og/2013-02-08-dealing-with-dem entia-behavior/

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/d ementia-guide/Pages/symptoms-o f-dementia.aspx

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