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Fatigue Fighting Hacks To Supercharge Your Mornings At Home

fatigue fighting hacksTrrriiing! There goes your 6 a.m. alarm! 

Boing! There goes the snooze button hit! Just another ten minutes you plead with your fatigued mind even though you know you’ll be late for that zoom call!  

How often have you caught yourself doing that in a week? The day whizzes by in a blur as you struggle to stay awake through that all-important morning call, exercise restraint from unnecessarily blowing your top at your colleague, force yourself to be patient as your junior takes longer than expected to understand a concept, and stop short of actually dozing and snoring at your comfy workspace at home as the day slowly comes to a close…

Morning fatigue can be pinned down to many reasons: a super-late night, hypothyroidism, too much progesterone, midnight visits to the washroom, sleep apnea, an overworked mind, and more. Chronic fatigue can take a toll on human health, and is best nipped in the bud. Once hormonal imbalances and sleep apnea have been ruled out as the cause of your daily fatigue, try out these fatigue fighting hacks to keep you alert through the day.

Fatigue Fighting Hacks To Supercharge Your Mornings

  1. Set a Double Alarm: A full sleep cycle is approximately 90 minutes. So, if you need to step out of bed at 7 a.m., set an alarm for 5:30 a.m. and another one for 7 a.m. Turn off the 5:30 alarm once it begins to shrill – go back to getting another complete sleep cycle – and bounce out of bed happily when the second alarm goes off! You won’t need the snooze button at all! 
  2. Exercise: If home workout isn’t your style – fret not! Begin your day with a few simple stretches or a 10-minute yoga session. The release of endorphins that this brings on will keep you feeling energized through the day. 
  3. Be a Sunflower: Just like a sunflower thrives on the energizing rays of the sun, so does your body. Throw open your windows, draw back the curtains and revel in the joy that comes along with the morning rays hitting your face. You’ll get a good dose of vitamin D too whilst you are at it.
  4. Power-up with Protein: Skipping breakfast is never an option if you want to feel fresh throughout the day. But choosing the right breakfast foods is important. Begin and end your day with protein-rich foods. Research indicates that protein induces serotonin and subsequent melatonin release that brings on better quality sleep while also leading to a build-up of enzymes that signal the brain to wake-up in the mornings. Plate up the eggs, fish, yoghurt, pulses, peanut butter, and nuts and roll away the sugar-laden carbohydrates.
  5. Tank up on Water: Dehydration can often be the reason for fatigue in the morning and all through the day. A glass of plain water or fruit-infused water is a sure shot way to get your body into “run” mode. Placing this by your bedside and reaching out for it as soon as your alarm goes off will get you moving faster than the Duracell rabbit!  
  6. Alexa to the Rescue: Programme Alexa to play out your favourite music at the exact hour you need to be out of bed. What better way to begin your day than with a blast of pop, hip hop, golden oldies, jazz or Hindi chartbusters? 
  7. Tease your Brain: Alarm clocks and mobiles that need you to perform a mental task before they can be “snoozed” or shut off are now available in the market! Not only will they supercharge your morning, but you’ll have increased your IQ by 5 points at least by the end of the month.

List Of Don’ts Before Bed 

I don’t need to dwell on the much-touted DON’Ts that keep you away from enjoying your mornings, but a quick reminder will reinforce your learning:

  • Limit water intake to just one glass a couple of hours before you hit the sack; then you won’t need to blame your midnight loo visits for your morning fatigue.
  • Cut down the fat at dinner to help you drift away to dreamland sooner.
  • Make sure your bedroom has just the right amount of light and is at the right temperature to allow for some uninterrupted sleep. 
  • Choose the right sleep accessories – pillow, mattress, blanket, and even a cuddly toy, if that’s what will keep your peepers tightly shut for 8 hours straight.
  • Stay away from electronic devices at least an hour before bedtime. Reading a book may be a better bit to bring on deeper sleep.
  • Maintain a sleep schedule so that the natural release of melatonin takes charge at the right time. 
  • Stay away from alcohol and caffeine closer to bedtime; they are diuretics that will cause you to wake up to piddle in the middle of the night! 

Sleep has no replacement. Fatigue is easily prevented. Do your health a huge favour – beat the morning blues! 

We hope these fatigue fighting hacks help you make your work from home more productive! Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below. For more tips, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play. 

To directly interact with your GOQii Coach, subscribe to GOQii now: https://goqiiapp.page.link/wssu

Stay home, stay safe and #BeTheForce 

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How to Disinfect Your Home To Stay Safe During The Pandemic

disinfect your homeWith the coronavirus pandemic showing no signs of abating, it’s up to us to do everything we can to slow its spread. This means protecting ourselves, our families, and those around us, especially the most vulnerable. While social distancing is the most important thing that you can do in this regard it is also important to pay more heed to hygiene. Sanitization and disinfection of your home and surroundings is something that you can actively do to lower the risk of contagion. Although contact with contaminated surfaces is not the primary mode of transmission of COVID-19, it can increase your risk. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), contact with contaminated surfaces is a likely secondary mode of infection. Before you attempt to clean and disinfect your home in panic, take a breath and calm down. To effectively disinfect your home and lower the risk of coronavirus infection, find out which products work, how you should use them, and which areas of your house require your attention.

Disinfectants and Cleansers to Sanitize Your Home

Not every cleanser is effective at killing microorganisms like the coronavirus and some are only effective for bacteria or weaker viral strains. Here are the different categories of cleansers.

  • Bleach: If you’re looking to thoroughly disinfect and kill any pathogen in your house, nothing’s more effective than sodium hypochlorite – the active ingredient in bleach. Bleach is so effective as it destroys the protein and RNA, which is the defining feature of any virus. When cleaning with bleach, make sure to follow package directions and leave it on the surface for at least 10-15 minutes before mopping or wiping down.
  • Surgical Spirit or Ethanol: is one of the most powerful disinfectants you can find. It is therefore a common ingredient in many of the best disinfectants and sanitizers. From research, we know that ethanol can kill most types of coronavirus in about half a minute of exposure. It works in the same manner as bleach, destroying the virus’ RNA. When using surgical spirit or any ethanol-based cleanser, you simply need to moisten a cloth with the solution and rub it over the surface area. The point is to apply the solution over the area, not to rub it or wipe it off, as such liquids evaporate rapidly.
  • Surface Wipes: Depending on the type and quality of surface wipes, efficacy of such products can vary. Many contain antiseptics like benzalkonium chloride, which can kill germs, while some may also have natural antiseptics. The main benefit of such products is that they can help physically remove pathogens from surfaces, but they are unlikely to kill the virus itself.
  • Hand Sanitizers: are extremely useful for disinfection, especially for personal hygiene when you are forced to step outdoors and come in contact with surfaces. Hand sanitizers can also be used to clean household surfaces if needed. They are so effective because of the same primary ingredient in surgical spirit – ethanol. If you are looking for natural or herbal sanitizers, these should also contain alcohol to have any efficacy. An Ayurvedic herbal sanitizer would probably list the alcohol as prasanna or madya.
  • Soap and Water: As stated by health care authorities across the world, soap and water is your first defense against the virus. This is true with hand washing, but there’s a caveat. Almost all soaps and detergents will simply help to remove the virus and allow it be flushed away with water. However, these products will not kill the virus. This means that soaps and detergents, although helpful for hand washing, are not of much use when disinfecting household surfaces.

CAUTION

When using chemical-based disinfectants and cleansers like bleach, you need to exercise great caution. Bleach and other chemicals can be toxic if ingested or inhaled and can also cause severe skin and eye irritation. Make sure to use gloves and ensure good ventilation when using these products. If you’re using herbal Ayurvedic cleansers with ingredients like neem and aloe, this isn’t a concern at all.

When using bleach, make sure to dilute it precisely as directed and avoid mixing it with any other products as this can be deadly. Also keep in mind that bleach isn’t suitable for cleansing all surfaces as it can damage or discolor some surfaces.

Areas of Focus When You Disinfect Your Home

1. Household Surfaces
Because of the relative novelty of the COVID-19 virus, there is a lack of extensive research, but we are learning more each day. Studies show that the coronavirus has different survival times on different surfaces. Plastic and stainless steel surfaces deserve the most attention when you disinfect your home, as the virus could survive on such surfaces for up to nine days. On the other hand, paper and cardboard surfaces were found to be most inhospitable to the virus, with survival times of no more than a day.

Keeping this in mind and the efficacy of the various disinfectants that we have already discussed, you should focus on cleansing the following areas in your house.

  •       Kitchen and cabinet counters
  •       Door knobs, door handles, door bells, and all switches
  •       Remote controls, keyboards, joysticks, and other frequently used devices
  •       Laptops, tablets, and phones
  •       The outside of your wallet or bottom and handle of your purse
  •       Mattresses, cushions, and other upholstery that cannot be washed frequently may be cleansed with disinfectant sprays

2. Things You Bring into Your Home
Despite the lockdown and social distancing measures, trips to the ATM, grocery store, or pharmacist can be unavoidable. When you return with groceries and other supplies, you need to be aware of the risk of surface contamination. Every item that you purchase and bring into your home, from the packaging to the individual items, is handled by a chain of people – the employee who stocks the shelves, the cashier, and other customers who may have handled the product before.

This makes the cleansing and sanitizing of all things you bring into the house more important than other household cleansing. Wipe the surfaces of all bottles, cans, plastic bags or boxes, and other containers with disinfectants like sanitizer before you put them in your cabinet or fridge. For the same reason, it would also be a good idea to put your clothes to wash with detergent each time you enter your home. Similarly, it would be a good idea to cleanse your car’s steering wheel, dashboard, and door handles each time you return home.

We hope this article helps you disinfect your home and stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. For more useful information, you can check out Healthy Reads or tune in to experts on GOQii Play. 

Ayurvedic cleansers are available on the GOQii Health Store within the GOQii app as well. 

#BeTheForce 

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Turn Everyday Chores Into Workouts

chores into workoutsSocial distancing can be really hard and not being able to burn all those calories while lying around at home is just unfair. Many of us don’t have any exercise equipment at home, so it’s all the more difficult to get a good workout. Well, a great way to kill two birds with one stone is to turn your daily chores into workouts. 

If you haven’t seen it already, our GOQii Play coaches did a fine job of turning some of their chores into workouts. You can find those videos on our social media pages but for now, let’s see how we can turn household chores into workouts! 

  1. Sweeping & Mopping: Tune in to music and turn up the heat! Grab that mop and start dance cleaning like some good ol’ cliché in a movie, yes? NO! Instead throw away that mop, get down on your fours with a washcloth and start scrubbing those tiles. Now, this is where the gut wrenching part comes in. So all done yet? Well, Congratulations! You have successfully burnt 145 calories per 15 minutes. And for sweeping you don’t need a vacuum cleaner! Use a broom for that extra burn! 
  2. Cooking: Considering the fact  that you are on a preventive healthcare platform, I assume that you are not on any fast, pre-cooked or any kind of junk food. If you aren’t then it is good for you, especially in this situation it’s good for you 2X times! As working on a good home cooked meal can help you vaporise 75 calories including all the cutting, pounding, whisking, stirring etc.
  3. Dish Washing: Now that we have gone through the gut-wrenching part, let me introduce you to the back-bending section. Washing the dishes is a comparatively peaceful activity and needs to be done with a peaceful mind. Although you wouldn’t notice your stiff back until you are done with your chore. It is completely worth it when you finish your washing and crash on your sofa having burnt a total of 100-120 calories within 30 minutes. But don’t worry about your stiff back; it’s just your lazy muscles bent over the sink continuously.
  4. Laundry: Doing the laundry will never feel the same once you know of its health benefits. You can burn up to 78 calories in one hour by just loading and unloading the washing machine, including hanging up the clothes for drying, which equals to 50 sit-ups. Those who prefer washing clothes by hand, you’ll be surprised to know that you can burn anywhere between 100 to 220 calories in 30 minutes. Besides, your arms will get toned from all that scrubbing, rinsing and twirling. Squat while washing clothes, your quads and calves will get a good workout too. 
  5. Ironing: With laundries in lockdown, you’re going to have to iron clothes yourself. There are some perks in it! Apart from burning 60 calories in  20 minutes, it tones your biceps. Also, note that standing rather than sitting while ironing your clothes will help you burn calories as well as wake those core muscles.

Now that you have read how you can turn your household chores into workouts, you’re all set for a healthy lockdown. You can help us a little by sharing these tips to your close ones and also by letting us know your thoughts in the comments below! 

If you want an extra burn, you can also try these 5 workouts you can do at home.

Stay home, stay safe, get active and #BeTheForce! 

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5 Simple Exercises You Can Do At Home

simple exercisesAmid the Coronavirus pandemic, social distancing and self-quarantine are in full swing. With everyone locking themselves up indoors, The activity levels have seen a considerable drop. Social distancing has resulted in a 51% drop in step count in the first 15 days of march 2020 according to a recent real time data study of 5 lakh users using GOQii Trackers. This drop in percentage is only likely to increase in the coming days as the fear of spread of this deadly virus is only increasing by the day. However, don’t let the lockdown make you fall into the recesses of a sedentary lifestyle. Get back up and get active at home with these 5 simple exercises!

Start Your Day Right With These 5 Simple Exercises

1.Push Ups: A great upper body exercise to begin your day. Start with lying down in a prone position, place your arms with your palms facing the floor shoulder width apart. Bend elbows and upper body to do a Push Up. Repeat the push ups for 8-10 reps.

2. Balancing Table Pose: This pose is perfect for improving balance, posture, concentration and memory. Start with a kneel down position, while breathing, lift your left arm and adjacent right leg parallel to the floor and exhale, hold for 30secs. Repeat with the other hand and leg. Do this for 5-7 repetitions on each side.

3. Butt-Kickers: As the name suggests, it is simply kicking your Glute (Butt) muscles. Start by standing with your feet about hip distance apart, bring your right leg behind your buttock contracting the hamstring muscles, and touch your Glutes with your right leg,  repeat the same with your left leg. Continue doing it by alternating the legs. Do it for about a minute and repeat the exercise for 3 sets.

4. Wall Sits:Start with sitting against a wall with your back supported by the wall and your feet about 2 feet apart from the wall. Sit in such a position that thighs are parallel to the ground forming a 90 degree angle. Hold the position for 60secs. Repeat for 3 sets. Great exercise for the core muscles, Glutes. Quadriceps and Hamstrings. It is a fantastic lower body workout.

5. Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutation: We all know it, we all have heard about it. It is one of the most impactful and easiest full body stretches to loosen those tight muscles and to energize the body instantly.

Start with a standing position with hands in Namaskar position, bend backwards with hands still in namaskar position, breathing out, bend forward touching the toes, Breathing in, push your right leg back, as far back as possible. Bring the right knee to the floor and look up. Then while breathing take the left leg behind and form a straight line. Gently bring down your knees and let the chest, chin, hands, feet touch the floor with the hips slightly raised, then slide forward and do a Cobra pose, lift your body and bring yourself in an inverted V pose, then  bring the right knee forward in between the two hands, left knee should be on the floor and press the hips down and look up. 

After this pose, get into the standing forward bend position, and then breathing in, roll up the spine. Raise the hands up and bend backward a little bit, pushing the hips slightly outward. And finally end it with the starting position of a standing Namaste. Start off with 5 repetitions of this exercise everyday to yield benefits.

We hope this article on 5 simple exercises helps you stay fit at home. For more home workouts, tune in to fitness experts on GOQii Play. 

#BeTheForce 

From Terminal Illness To Complete Wellness! Ananda Mukherjee Health Story

As we observe World Cancer Day under the powerful theme ‘United by Unique’ (2025-2027)**, we are reminded that every individual’s journey with cancer is distinct, yet united by shared resilience, hope, and the collective fight against this disease. This theme places people at the centre of care and their stories at the heart of the […]