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October 10, 2019 By Divya Thampi 3 Comments

Let’s Talk About Mental Health

mental healthSurprisingly, even in large metros like Mumbai, awareness of mental health is low, stigma is high and discrimination against people with mental health concerns is a harsh reality. The very recommendation that one should see a therapist or a mental health professional is received with distaste at best and anger at worst.

What is Mental Health?

The world over ‘Mental Health’ week is being observed but do we understand ‘Mental Health’?  It is important that we first understand what “Mental Health” means. It does not just refer to the absence of illness, rather it denotes a state of mind that allows people to believe in their abilities, work productively, cope effectively with day to day stressors, reach out for help when feeling overwhelmed, relate to others, and to work towards their highest potential.

While the mental health condition of a person is established by the individual’s ability to manage his/her thoughts, feelings, actions and interactions with others, mental illnesses and disorders are  often caused by a combination of factors including social discrimination, lack of protective policies, poor working conditions, poverty, lack of education, below average living standards, abuse (verbal, physical and sexual) and absence of familial or/and social support systems. It is true that certain genetics and specific personality attributes can make people more vulnerable to mental health issues, however contrary to popular belief, these are neither the only nor the most significant contributors to mental illnesses or disorders.

According to a survey conducted nationally, in 2018, on the attitudes towards people affected by mental health concerns, the top three attitudes prevalent in India were found to be the following:

  1. People with mental illness should not be given any responsibility
  2. One of the main causes of mental illness is a lack of self-discipline and will-power
  3. Mentally unhealthy people should have their own groups – healthy people need not be contaminated by them.

If one is diagnosed with cancer or with Malaria, would we ask them to get their act together and get better or expect them to use will-power to cure themselves? In terms of its prevalence and the number of people impacted by it, mental health issues are no different to physical health concerns and they need to be addressed with the same care and concern that is adapted to tackle a physical ailment, rather than with disdain and scorn.

With the existing attitudes, it comes as no surprise that the affected people, as well as the families, refrain from talking about their concerns or seeking the support they need due to the fear of being judged or labelled. But there are changes each of us can make that will help in creating an environment that promotes positive mental health.

Here are four steps you could take to do your bit in reducing social stigma attached to mental health concerns:

1. Educate Yourself About Mental Illnesses

General beliefs that people with mental illness are dangerous or are violent are myths which have unfortunately been propagated by movies. Often people with mental illnesses are victims of violence and abuse themselves. Question every stereotype and treat people with respect, irrespective of their diagnoses.

2. Stop Using Labels

Often people say things like ‘she is depressed’ or ‘he is schizophrenic’. The mental illness that someone deals with, is just one aspect of their lives and not their identity. Hence use language that separates the person from the health issue. For example, we could say “she deals with depression” or  “he’s been diagnosed with schizophrenia”. Use language that’s respectful and sensitive.

3. Support People

Remember that people who deal with mental health issues make important contributions to the world. Did you know that Mr. Kjell Magne Bondevik, the ex-Prime Minister of Norway had suffered from a depressive episode in August 1998 while he was still in power? He took some time out to recover and continued as PM till March 2000. Do not judge people to be incompetent or dismiss their capabilities based on a mental health condition they may be suffering from. Treat people with dignity, just like you would like to be treated yourself, had you been in their position. Encourage the actions that your own family members and friends take to overcome mental illness, support their efforts to get well and lead productive lives.

4. Encourage & Initiate Open Discussions

If you yourself have dealt with or are dealing with mental health issues, talk about it. Your courage will help in creating awareness and empower many others. If it is a family member or friend who is dealing with it, talk openly regarding the illness with their permission and in doing so, you will take away the shame attached to it.

The first Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Brock Chisholm, in 1954, had quite aptly declared that “without mental health, there can be no true physical health.” On this very important day, let’s pledge to do our bit by becoming advocates to reducing the stigma surrounding mental health concerns and promote a world of inclusion and sensitivity.

For sessions on Mental Health, to learn more about it and to get your doubts answered, tune in to Emotional Wellness Expert Divya Thampi’s LIVE classes on GOQii Play. Download the app now.

#BeTheForce

September 28, 2019 By GOQii 1 Comment

Fitness for Positivity – How Rupasish Bhattacharjee Overcame the Odds!

Rupasish Bhattacharjee

The transition from childhood to adulthood is very delicate. Everything you do during your formative years shape you as a person. If it is your choices that shape you, what happens when you have no choice? What do you do when certain things aren’t in your control? Do you double down or do you find a way to fight? In the face of hurdles, our player Rupasish Bhattacharjee made the choice to overcome them!

Life before GOQii

Hailing from Bengaluru, Rupasish Bhattacharjee was afflicted with a liver complication since birth. Owing to this, he couldn’t eat or play as much as his friends did during childhood. He felt the need to do something about this as he yearned to live a normal life from a very young age. He did not want to miss out on the pleasures of life due to his health issues.

Thanks to this determination, he got an opportunity to enrol for a yoga program at school. He learned poses to improve his liver condition and though not completely cured, his overall health improved by 70%. After seeing the changes, he got interested in physical activities and participated in various sporting events in school. He moved to Sikkim for his graduation and completed his engineering from Manipal University. His health improved further due to god weather and because he started going to the gym for strength training.

Things were going good till the time he began working. The fast-paced routine between family and work left him with no time to think about fitness. He found it extremely difficult to manage food, exercise and sleep due to his changing shifts. This eventually left him unenergetic and depressed. He felt that being physically active had always been the reason his cheerful attitude and now that there wasn’t any, he was demotivated and negative about everything around him.

Finding a New Lease on Life

Before joining GOQii, Rupasish Bhattacharjee was desperately searching for a solution to streamline everything in his life. Around October 2018, one of his uncles who was a GOQii Player directed him to the platform. He found the coaching model impressive and immediately purchased a tracker.

He set his long term goal to be energetic since it was a major issue back then. His GOQii Coach asked him to start with basic walking and clock 8000 steps a day. He always thought that walking is not an exercise and no good would come out of it but his coach said otherwise. Convinced with the benefits, he began walking.

Around February 2019, when the India Steps Challenge was launched, he became obsessed with walking. So much so that one day he managed to clock in 35k steps on a Sunday. On average, he used to clock in 25k steps a day.

This much walking, coupled with late nights at work and proper rest put a lot of stress on his knees. He developed knee pain and had to discontinue physical activities for some time. This is when he discovered that rest is an important part of being healthy as well.

How GOQii Helped Rupasish Bhattacharjee

Earlier, Rupasish had a lot of misconceptions about food, nutrition and how they benefit the body. His GOQii Coach shared a lot of insights on these things and now he feels he is much more aware with knowledge from an expert and is eager to share his knowledge with the world.

He says that GOQii is a one-stop-shop for all your health needs. It has a tracker to track steps, it offers doctor consultations, LIVE Coaching to guide you whenever you falter in eating or exercise and challenges to keep you motivated and test your abilities.

He believes that our body is like a car which needs to be serviced. Good food is the fuel and exercise is what circulates the fuel to all parts of the body, keeping it in good condition to run smoothly. GOQii is like the authorized service centre for your car where all its problems get addressed and resolved in an authentic manner.

He feels that once you’re associated with GOQii, you automatically feel the need to eat balanced food and correct your lifestyle.

Being a Champion of Good Health

Rupasish is elated that he has been given the responsibility to lead one of GOQii’s Active Sunday Chapters at Bengaluru. He organizes sessions every Sunday at 7 AM. He plans to spread the word about Active Sunday activities to all the people in his society.

He says that being healthy is not just about physical fitness but mental health as well. When you’re happy and fit, everything feels positive. Even though his body may age, he always wishes to be a child at heart – full of energy and cheerfulness!

You can watch Rupasish talk about his experience on our User Journey Special on GOQii Play. Download the app to access many more user stories to get your daily dose of inspiration!

Do you want to share your experience and transformation with GOQii? Click here to share your story!

#BeTheForce

July 6, 2019 By GOQii Leave a Comment

“GOQii And I Are Inseparable For Life!” – Madela Bharathi

user journeyThere’s a myth that you can’t be fit and healthy if you’re a homemaker. Some say that it is difficult to look after your own health as you’re so focused on those you want to take care of. But if you have the determination, dedication and drive, nothing can stop you! Well, once you’re already fit, it is all about levelling up, just like our GOQii Player Madela Bharathi.

Madela Bharathi is a homemaker who lives in Vizag. She is 43, married and has two children, 17 and 19 years of age. She had always been fitness conscious and she ate healthy as well. Even as a homemaker, her goal was to get fitter, push her limits and go beyond them!

Already Fit? Level Up! 

In August 2018, she got introduced to GOQii through her husband who is an employee at HPCL. They both wanted to participate in the GOQii Corporate Steps Challenge at HPCL. As a part of the onboarding process, she set her long term goals – to stay fit, live disease-free and improve sleep.

When she joined GOQii, her sole motive was to win the Corporate Steps Challenge at HPCL. She used to clock in 50k steps everyday. Walking had become an obsession for her as she wanted to be among the top 10 participants. Her routine only revolved around household chores and walking.

Although her family wasn’t pleased with her walking all day for the challenge, it didn’t deter her motivation to be on top! She saw this as a challenge she wanted to complete, a challenge she wanted to ace without looking back!

As a result, between August 2018 to December 2018, she reduced her weight from 52kg to 49.5kg. Seeing that there was no stopping her, her GOQii Coach asked her to increase her protein intake. She was advised to eat 6 eggs and Sattu along with normal home cooked meals.

During this time, her D3 and B12 levels had dropped and she was asked to take supplements for the same for 6 months.

Crushing Goals and Being on Top! 

In November 2018, Madela Bharathi stood 7th place among the HPCL employees who had participated in the challenge. By December 2018, she was the only woman in the top 10. She stood 1st in Vizag and 2nd in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

She had even participated in the India Steps Challenge but was asked to stop walking completely by her GOQii Coach. That did not stop her from claiming 2 GOQii Vitals for herself!

Current Regime and Habits 

As of now, fitness continues to be an addiction for Madela Bharathi. She works out watching GOQii Play Coach Aliya Imran’s classes within the GOQii app in the morning and evening. She used to be regular on all classes, tuning in and working out but has limited herself to ensure that she doesn’t overtrain and hurt herself.

Madela can hold an elbow plank for 5 minutes and 40 seconds, although she has challenged herself to extend it to 8 minutes. She practices deep breathing techniques suggested by GOQii Play Coach and Yoga Specialist Ronak Gajjar. Thanks to this, her sleep quality has improved immensely.

Her current habits include eating Halim Seeds soaked in water overnight, as soon as she wakes up. She eats a fruit before a workout and a dry fruits milkshake after. She also consumes Whey Protein Isolate and Sattu every alternate day.

What Are Her Thoughts on GOQii?

Madela Bharathi thoroughly enjoys Coach Aliya’s classes. She says that Coach Aliya has been the guiding force behind her motivation to stay fit, accept challenges and constantly keep pushing her limits.

She is happy with her GOQii Coach’s suggestions on nutrition. Consulting with her GOQii Coach helped her regularize her workout regime, got her aware about the nuances of different exercises, form, posture and nutritional support, etc.

“GOQii and I are inseparable for life now,” she says. Even though her husband discontinued with GOQii after the HPCL challenge, she has chosen to stick with GOQii, further adding that, “GOQii has become a means for me to do what I love best. I get all the guidance and information from coaches and cannot ask for anything more!”

Her future plan is to run a marathon and wishes to train for the same.

What Did Her GOQii Coach Have to Say? 

Madela Bharathi is a perfect example of the quote, “Don’t Limit your Challenges, Challenge your Limits!” An enthusiastic woman who joined GOQii to challenge her active lifestyle and work on gaining some muscle mass to take her fitness to the next level.

Madela is a very disciplined woman who is always motivated to try a new habit every time. Be it healthy eating, or level up for workouts, she has always done an excellent job and done justice to the habit, which has definitely helped her in reaching her milestones.

She has always been regular with updating logs and activities on app with all her honesty. She always took my suggestions seriously and made sure that every call done ends up being fruitful. Madela, you truly are an inspiration to today’s women. No matter what the age, it is all about dedication.

May 4, 2019 By GOQii 1 Comment

Nothing Is Difficult If You Try Wholeheartedly! Lijo Paul User Journey

Lijo Paul User Journey

Do you remember your early childhood? All the fun times playing with your friends, running around during recess or participating in sports activities? Childhood, for most of us, is a memorable experience where we recall fun, carefreeness and other fond experiences. On the contrary, for a few of us, childhood might not be the fondest of places in our memory. It was the same for Lijo Paul.

If you’re active on GOQii Play, there is absolutely no way you’ve not come across our player Lijo Paul. A few of you might have interacted with him at some point as well. Recently, we had a chance to speak to him and we’re about to share his story with you!

Early Childhood and Facing the Odds

At the age of 2, Lijo Paul was affected by Seizures. Although he was cured through medication, it wasn’t an easy road ahead. At 6, he was diagnosed with Asthma due to dust and cold. Due to this issue, he was unable to have a normal childhood.

He was unable to walk or run a mile. Climbing stairs was difficult and participating in sports was out of the question. He couldn’t play any games that required physical activity and had to follow a strict diet. In his words, “No kid would love to lead a life where he is unable to play sports or eat the food he likes.” Lijo was affected by sleeplessness as well due to Asthma.

Every doctor and specialist that Lijo visited suggested that he exercise but for him, it meant experiencing breathlessness the next day. He had to spend his childhood with medicines and inhalers. He was also affected by Typhoid twice and vomited blood for which he was on medication again.

After college, he took up a job that consumed 16 hours of his day. Due to this sedentary lifestyle, he developed belly fat and back pain. To combat this, he finally joined a gym but quit within 6 months after not being able to see any results.

Enter GOQii

After much turmoil, Lijo Paul came across GOQii through Axis Bank. Although he was apprehensive at first, he decided to give it a go and subscribed to GOQii in September 2018.

Lijo believed in a myth that healthy food is bland and you need to raw fruits and veggies to stay healthy. This myth was broken by his GOQii Coach who made him realize that losing fat and body weight isn’t about eating boring food but it is about eating the right things at the right time.

In his own words, Lijo said that, “I always troubled my coach with lots of doubts and questions but she ensured that I received proper and adequate knowledge on the topics. She also made sure that I don’t waste money on useless products and kept a frequent track of my food intake.”

His GOQii Coach kept a track of his water intake and began including a lot of fruits and vegetables to his diet. He consumes Apple Cider Vinegar in the morning and gyms for an hour. Green gram sprouts are his post-workout meal.

Since he initially found healthy food boring, his GOQii Coach suggested recipes to make his food more interesting. His initial notion of healthy food has changed drastically. He performs a mix of cardio and weight training, hitting 1 muscle group twice a week and has increased his protein intake as well.

While on GOQii, he tuned in to GOQii Play and followed it diligently. He began following Coach Aliya Imran and her 25-day challenge to lose belly fat.

Witnessing the Change

Within a period of 7 months, he has reduced his weight from 65kg to 60kg. Lijo has seen a drop of body fats from 25% to 12-15%. He can now perform any workout he likes. There has been much improvement in his breathing problem as well.

His confidence levels have sky-rocketed! Due to his awareness about fitness, he guides his friends, colleagues and family as well. In fact, he helped a colleague with PCOS, regularizing her periods and reducing her weight from 85kg to 76kg.

Along with his GOQii Coach, Lijo Paul credits his transformation to our GOQii Play coaches like Aliya Imran, Vishakha Sodha, Tufail Qureshi, Heena Bhimani, Suparna Mukherjee and others. The changes he has experienced from being unfit to fit have made him curious. In the future, he plans on doing a certification course and build a career in fitness.

Lijo Paul believes that it is all about the mindset; nothing is difficult if you do it wholeheartedly. Has Lijo’s story inspired you? Let us know in the comments below!

#BeTheForce

 

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They say being a housewife is a full time job, and quite rightly so. As one among many, 52 year old Sangeeta Jajodia from Mumbai, led a very busy life. Her routine revolved around tending to the needs and demands of her grown up children, cooking, cleaning and … [Read More...]

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We often treat health as a one off objective but what happens once we achieve our goal? Do we fall back to our previous habits? While keeping health goals, it is important to always look at the big picture. While losing weight is a good target, being healthy should always be a lifelong goal! This […]

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