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October 10, 2024 By GOQii Leave a Comment

Exhausted At Work? Here’s Everything You Need To Know About Burnout!

Have you ever woken up on time and still felt tired? You reach work but can’t stop yawning. Random bouts of sleepiness take control as concentration slowly slips away! Ever wondered why even a short commute made you feel like you ran a 200m race? What you’re feeling might be more than just “because I slept late last night”. In fact, what you’re experiencing might be burnout. Not the tyre burnout, but a medical condition that many people face on a daily basis.

WHO recently has declared ‘Burnout’ as a medical condition.

What Is Burnout?

Burnout is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. In simple words, burnout is a state of emotional or physical exhaustion at a workplace.

What Causes Burnout? What Can It Result In?

Stress due to the inability to meet demands
Lack of concentration due to the overwhelming amount of work
Performance issues due to the lack of control over tasks
Sleeping problems due to an imbalance of work and life
Mental problems due to a lack of social support at home or at the office

Even though these are just some of the causes and effects of burnout, what really matters is how we treat this occupational phenomenon.

Burnout Can Be Treated In Several Simple Ways

Take some time off work: You could use up your ‘sick days’ or simply ask for a ‘medical leave’. During your leave you shouldn’t have any contact with your workplace as the entire point of the leave is to relax and clear your mind.
Set aside time for relaxation: Certain techniques of relaxation like yoga, meditation, and deep breathing exercises are known to be de-stressing and can clear your mind of troubles.
Know your work-limits. Learn to say ‘no’ when you’re already burdened with work.
Most importantly, you must keep your cool by doing what relaxes you.
Remember, that burnout causes one to feel negativity, so always stay positive!

A Long-Term Solution

Alexander Den Heijer, an inspirational speaker who aims to help people flourish once said, “When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” In this case, it is not the person that must be treated, but the workplace environment.

A workplace with a casual dress code, fun and positive environment can be a very effective in eliminating burnout.
Stress-busting activities are an easy way to create a feeling of positivity. These activities could be going for walks, having flexible schedules or laughing with your colleagues.

These types of environments are known to increase workplace efficiency and decrease stress and exhaustion. If the workplace can successfully be turned into a fun environment, it can reduce, if not completely eliminate burnout.

Your Health Is More Important Than Work

Even though burnout can lead to some serious emotional and physical conditions, it can, fortunately, be treated easily. With the right care and attention, your workplace can be swiftly converted from a place where you feel burdened with work, to a place that brings you positivity.

If you feel like you might be getting burned out, try these simple relaxation techniques. More so, you can also practice yoga to improve focus, build concentration and beat stress.

If nothing works and you need help, reach out to our experts by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

Was this article helpful? Let us know in the comments below!

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October 9, 2024 By Binita Dhara Leave a Comment

Do You Really Need Protein Supplements Before and After Your Workout?

Along with working out and staying active, it is important to take good care of what we eat before and after a workout for energy and tissue repair respectively. Primarily, the go-to in this case is protein but do you get your protein from protein supplements or from natural sources? Which works better? Let’s find out!

What’s The Difference Between Natural Protein and Protein Supplements?

You can get energy from natural sources as well as protein supplements. Normally, natural foods like fruits, nuts, eggs, chicken, pulses and cereals contain carbohydrates, proteins and good fats which help us get energy for a workout. They also repair tissues. Supplements on the other hand contain amino acids, B vitamins, caffeine, creatine and artificial sweeteners – quality differs from brand to brand.

Who Needs Supplements?

Normally, protein supplements are required for those who perform heavy workouts like athletes, wrestlers and bodybuilders. When the protein requirement is not fulfilled by natural sources, then supplementation is required. Even the amount of protein requirement depends on the person and whether they want to lose or gain weight.

On the other hand, the amount of protein consumed should also be monitored because if it is not used up during the workout, it gets stored in the body as extra calories as 1g protein contains 4 kcal. The ideal protein consumption should be 1.2 to 1.7g per kilogram of body weight or 0.5 – 0.8g per pound of body weight.

There are 3 forms of protein:

Protein Isolates: This consists of only protein (90-95%) and has carbs and fat removed from it through processing. This is mainly made up of whey protein.
Protein Concentrate: is the combination of carbohydrate and fat (20-40%) and protein (20-40%). This is mainly made up of plant sources.
Protein Hydrolysates: This is further processed and breaks the protein into amino acids which makes it more easily absorbed in the body. But it has a big disadvantage – it increases the insulin level of blood mainly which is made from whey protein.

There are many forms of protein supplements available in the market which are derived from various other sources. Comparing the above, try avoiding plant sources as they don’t provide sufficient protein for muscle growth. Whey is easily absorbed and digested whereas casein takes time to get digested but it’s good to consume before sleep as it helps in recovery of muscles and egg protein is another good option as it is easily absorbed by the body.

Taking all of this into consideration, I would like to say that though it has several benefits, protein supplements also have major demerits such as the caffeine and creatine contents which affects blood pressure, creating cardiac issues by increasing heart rate, causing diarrhoea, a disturbed sleep cycle and gut intolerances, etc.

Do note that most of these “health drinks” aren’t regulated by the FDA for safety purposes. So, before you pick a protein supplement, read the ingredients on the label and pick one that fits your requirement. Honestly, what I feel is that it is best to fulfil the protein requirement through natural foods!

We hope this article helps you make a choice! Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below! For more articles on protein, check out Healthy Reads or speak to an expert by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

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October 7, 2024 By Pradnya Shinde 4 Comments

5 Powerful Ways Of Meditation

We know that meditation is very very good for health, especially mental health. But sometimes, we get confused about what exactly to do. So here’s a guide to help you begin. Try these powerful ways of meditation to improve your health and wellbeing!

Powerful Ways Of Meditation

1. Concentrative Meditation
As the word suggests, you are supposed to concentrate on one point so you won’t think about other things. When thoughts are scattered, it creates no impact, but sharp attention is a powerful tool. One way to do it is to focus on your own breathing cycle. See how you inhale through the nose, how you feel inside the body and how you exhale. Another way is to focus on sounds like any word or phrase or the sound of a bell. You can also focus on a candle’s flame. Sit in front of the candle, look at the flame and close your eyes. Behold the picture of the flame in front of your mind. When the picture fades, open your eyes and repeat the process.

2. Contemplative Meditation
Instead of trying to stop thinking, contemplative meditation includes focusing on a single thought. Instead of too many different thoughts, it’s thinking about one subject and one thought with complete awareness of the thought. For this, you can contemplate any sentence from a religious scripture or contemplate objects like a flower or a tree. Think about the shape of a particular flower.

Another way is asking a question to yourself, believing in your inner instinct and waiting for an answer to come up. The questions can be:

What am I looking for?
What is it I am resisting?
Knowing I will die, how should I live?
What is my greatest mission?
What do I love?
What do I have fear of?
Who am I?

3. Witness Meditation
Watch your thoughts as if it’s a movie. Let the thoughts come, simply observe them, but do not react or try to reject. Be neutral. This is called being the witness of your thoughts. What does it do? It reduces your attachment from your thoughts. You no longer feel pain with those repetitive thoughts. This is a great technique to let go of resentment from the past.

4. Chanting Mantra
Chanting mantras repeatedly is one way of meditation. Mantra is a sanskrit word. Man means mind and Tra means release. Mantra is supposed to be a set of words which releases your mind from all it’s anxieties. It has been said that chanting mantras provides spiritual growth. But make sure you are paying attention, because that is all what we want. You can chant OM or Gayatri Mantra.

5. Movement Meditation
If you think you can’t sit at one place and focus, practice meditation through body movements. Self defense practices like Tai chi and Qigong are used as a form of meditation for a very long time. Yoga is one excellent example of movement meditation. Yoga involves being fully aware of your breathing and understanding the basic nature of self. But not only this, we can also practice meditation through simply walking or dancing. Just be attentive, pay close attention to your steps, body movements and surroundings.

Next time, when you sit to meditate, you can try something new. Keep it mind, sometimes we might get a little restless but be patient. Don’t get frustrated. Slowly get back to your point of concentration.

We hope these 5 powerful ways of meditation help you! Do leave your thoughts and experiences in the comments below. For more on meditation and yoga, check out Healthy Reads or for further guidance, speak to a certified expert by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

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October 6, 2024 By GOQii Leave a Comment

Attain Freedom From Illness With Lifestyle Coaching!

Have you ever accidentally stubbed your toe on the edge of some furniture in your house and writhed in pain, contemplating all the ways you could have avoided this agonizing experience? While nursing that bruised toe, we think about all the ways in which we could have been mindful or aware and how we could have prevented this mishap. We never realize what could have been unless it is too late. More often than not, this is the case with health too.

During the pandemic, people realized the importance of health and the need to build and maintain a strong immune system. As per the India Fit Report, we saw that a majority of people followed different methods to build their immunity. Some of these methods included drinking lemon water, trying Kadhas, immunity supplements and Ayurveda among other home remedies. While there is nothing wrong with using nutrition to improve your health, are you taking the right quantities? Do you really need vitamin supplements? What kind of food does your body need if you have certain health conditions? How much exercise is good for you? Are you monitoring your sleep and managing your stress?

The Need For Health and Lifestyle Coaching

If the above questions got you thinking, it’s time to connect with an expert, and we’ve got a few reasons why that might be a good idea.

Modifications Based On Need: Is your goal to lose weight or gain weight? Do you want to strengthen your immunity? At this point, we’ve got to realize that one shoe doesn’t fit everyone. Each person is unique and requires a different approach to improve their health. This is where a lifestyle coach or an expert comes in and guides you based on your health goals.
Save Time On Scrolling: There’s nothing wrong with taking accountability for your health by trying to be your own coach, but mindlessly scrolling through different websites trying to figure out the best way to improve your health can be a dicey affair. A coach interacts with you and guides you in real-time, while being aware of any pre-existing conditions. This helps you avoid eating the wrong food or performing the wrong exercise and assist you in making better decisions for your health.
Making Sense Of Data: Using trackers and fitness bands help you monitor your health. They let you know your heart rate, step count, blood pressure and with GOQii devices you can track various parameters. But once you get that data, how do you make sense of it? You need someone to analyze your data, interpret it, and find solutions to any existing problems. That someone is your Lifestyle Coach!
Improve Knowledge and Accountability: Don’t know how to deal with a persistent headache? Confused about mid-meals? How much of a portion should you be consuming? Which exercise can you perform to strengthen your back? A Coach can help you answer all these questions and more! Since you have a Personal Coach, you’ll be accountable to that person, which means visible changes once you follow the modifications they suggest.
Setting Realistic Goals: The most important point! The number one reason most people fail to stick to their health goal is because they set unrealistic numbers. For instance, trying to lose 30kg in 2 months is not realistic and is definitely not healthy. A coach can help you understand why and how you can gradually lose weight and suggest the best practices for sustainable weight management. With correct and achievable goals as well as visible results, you’ll always be motivated!

It’s always better to rely on a Coach and have the right guidance to avoid making mistakes with your health. It is always better to follow the right practices, stay at the peak of your health, and free yourself from illness!

If you’re in need of a Coach to guide and motivate you, then subscribe to GOQii’s Personalized Health Coaching here. You can also find more articles on improving your health and lifestyle here.

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