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Healthy Habits to Reduce Stress

stress reduction

Ever felt like you don’t have the time to eat, exercise, or interact with friends and family? Have deadlines and responsibilities chained you down in more ways than one? Do you spend most of your time at work with little activity? Are all these situations creating a stressful environment and draining you of your energy and mental health?

If your answer to the above was a yes, it is time you addressed these issues. Coping with expectations at work and at home can be taxing. While these are important, remember that nothing is worth it when it comes at the expense of your health.

The simplest way to reduce stress is to keep your mind at ease and your body healthy with simple lifestyle changes and time management. Letting go of bad habits and introducing a few healthy tweaks can help you rekindle your relationship with your mind and body!

Here are a few changes you can make to reduce stress:

  • Always start your day with breathing exercises or meditation which can keep you calm. You can practice the different forms of Pranayama or some basic stretches that reduce stress and keep you energized throughout the day. To learn how you can meditate the right way, join our GOQii Play Coaches Sheetal Tewari and Ronak Gajjar live on the GOQii app. (www.goqii.com/app)
  • Spend some time to plan your tasks for the day. This will keep you more organized and prevent any last-minute rushes that could lead to stress.
  • Avoid gadgets as much as you can. Use them only for work or as and when needed. Relying too much on your gadgets can cut you off from the real world. Overindulgence in gadgets is known to cause depression as well. Limit your usage timings or fix a particular time for them. Avoid them at least for an hour or two before sleep. 
  • Set alarms for water intake: Dehydration affects the level of cortisol in your body. Cortisol is a stress hormone that not only affects your mind but your body as well. Maintaining water levels in your body can help you reduce stress.
  • Walk whenever possible: If your workplace is at a walking distance, then walk or cycle rather than using a vehicle. You can even walk while taking calls, after lunch or take a few short walks in between work. Walking releases endorphins which elevate your mood, it also improves your heart rate. Remember to choose stairs as opposed to escalators or elevators as it is the best and easiest form of exercise!
  • Take a break: Spend some time with family, relatives and friends. Having a healthy social life is important to form deeper connections and make life more meaningful.
  • Plan a trip or a vacation with your close ones. In fact, you can even go solo! A change in environment and meeting new people will help you exchange thoughts and ideas, boost your creativity and help you be more positive.
  • Eat fruits everyday: Different fruits provide different nutrients that help reduce stress. For instance, Bananas have Tryptophan, Avocados have Vitamin B, Sweet Potatoes have Potassium and Magnesium, all of which help in bringing stress levels down.
  • Indulge in hobbies irrespective of how busy you are. Hobbies help you relax. Whether it is a sport, listening to or practicing music, traveling or painting, set some time aside to do the things you love and your life will be enriched!

Remember the old saying, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”? It’s true! Take some time out for yourself. If you’re only working and aren’t playing then are you really living? Your work targets can be achieved, your relationships with your friends and family can be sustained but only if you are healthy. Make physical and mental health a priority!

Want to know more about managing stress? Check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by our experts on GOQii Play.

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How to lead a Healthy Lifestyle?

Healthy Lifestyle
Living a healthy lifestyle is easy…hmm…really? I am afraid it is not. I have been asked this question an umpteen times and my answer has always remained that one should strive to change their routine or habits to maintain physical and mental health, both of which works simultaneously.

Seldom have we found people doing this. Healthy habits are not taken care of by majority of people. Considering the fast paced techno savvy lives that we all lead money is something that everybody is chasing and in the process forget to take care of themselves and their health.

To lead a healthy life one should eat healthy, exercise regularly, drink lots of water daily and reduce stress.

Here are a few healthy habits that can be practiced in our day to day life with no extra efforts irrespective of what age or gender you are.

In order to live a healthy lifestyle one should have a balance. Here is how you can get a balance in your life:

(i) Exercise for at least 45 mins five times a week

(ii) Consume 2.5 to 3  litres of water daily

(iii) Eat 6 -7 meals a day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner will remain main meals and mid- morning, mid-afternoon, mid-evening will remain small meals).

(iv)  Choose lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, nuts.

(v)   Choose foods that are low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars; look at the labels  because the first listed items on the labels.

(vi)  Control portion sizes; eat the smallest portion that can satisfy hunger and then stop eating.

(vii)  Snacks are OK in moderation and should consist of items like fruit, whole grains, or nuts to satisfy hunger,

(viii) Turn the TV off and get 7-8 hours of sleep everyday

(ix)  Follow a food pyramid which is –keep an eye on your portion size,

(x)   include fresh fruits and vegetables in your daily diet

Physical Wellness (For The Body)

  • Good Nutrition, Eating Right
  • Getting Physically Fit, Beneficial Exercise
  • Adequate Rest
  • Stress Management

It is said that ‘a sound mind is in a sound body’. This old adage is true and I am sure most of you will agree with me.

In order to live a mentally healthy lifestyle it is important to have control on our minds and emotions. It’s just not enough to have a positive attitude, mindful eating is equally important.

Do not let stress take over your life. Try to follow your dreams or engage in some kind of a hobby that relaxes you and relieves you of your stress. Try and avoid junk food as much as you can because that satisfies only your taste buds not your system’s hunger. Our body receives zero nutrients from it.

Emotional Wellness (For The Mind)

  • Positive Thoughts and Viewpoints
  • Positive Self-Image
  • Give and receive
  • Forgive
  • Love
  • Laugh
  • Inner calmness
  • Be outgoing

God gifted us super system it’s BODY so let’s nurture it by promising ourselves to sustain it by inculcating good habits.

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