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How To Maintain Emotional Wellness in Lockdown

emotional wellnessThe Coronavirus pandemic seemed far away from us until a few weeks ago and now, it has created intense volatility in every aspect of our life. With uncertainty looming, the general sense of fear is widespread. It is imperative to maintain emotional wellness now! 

But before I get into the topic, let me narrate a story: 

Once Shri Krishna and Balrama were passing through a jungle full of fierce animals and demons. Suddenly from nowhere, a demon sprung in front of them. It gazed its eyes upon Balrama.

Balrama asked him, “Who are you?” 

The Demon replied, “I am a demon the size of your fear”.

Hearing this, Balrama got petrified and the more he feared, the bigger the demon grew. Finally, when he could handle no more, Balrama fainted. Now the demon turned towards Shri Krishna, yelling at him “I am a demon the size of your fear”. Shri Krishna did not bother and continued to play his flute. The demon turned smaller and smaller until it vanished.

Tips to Maintain Emotional Wellness 

Yes, the time is uncertain and yes, there can be a number of reasons to worry or fear all day. But fear/worry and anxiety are negative emotions. They make us vulnerable and lower our immunity, the same immunity which will keep us safe from the infection so prevalent all around.

So let your faith conquer over your fear in these uncertain times. Hence, I request you to prioritise your current time to:

  • Relax: Stay away from constant news updates. Instead, invest your free time in music, dance, painting or anything that you like.
  • Believe in the power of positive emotions such as kindness, honesty and contentment. Meditate once a day to feel the power of these positive emotions.
  • Open up: Do not bottle yourself up. Speaking your thoughts out loud, sharing what goes on in your mind helps to release the tension from within. Share your thoughts with your GOQii coach if need be.
  • Stay in the company of positive people or be the positive influencer for people around you.
  • Accept and Let Go: When it gets really tough, breathe deeply, use the mantra “this too shall pass”, to make yourself resilient and accepting.

I hope and sincerely do, you will not let yourself be vulnerable, neither physically nor emotionally! If you need to talk to someone, reach out to a close friend or your GOQii Coach or Expert. We are here to help you! 

For sessions on emotional health and how to remain calm during these times, you can also tune in to sessions on emotional wellness on GOQii Play. 

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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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Tips To Get Rid of the Lockdown Boredom!

lockdown boredomRight now, you’re probably experiencing a lot of boredom being in lockdown for this long. No doubt that we’re all dealing with it the best way we can as most of us aren’t used to being idle at home. Another way to look at this is that you get to spend more time with family! So, instead of getting anxious about this situation, let’s see how we can turn all that idle time into something productive! 

8 Ideas To Drive Away The Lockdown Boredom 

  1. Start Your Skincare Routine: Instead of staring at screens all day, give your eyes some rest and your skin some relaxation! Try out homemade masks, ice packs, scrubs 3-4 times a week or intensify your night skin routine. 
  2. Cover Your Sleep Debt and take more rest. Sleep for an extra hour and you can ask everyone at home to do the same. If you’re wondering what sleep debt is, read this article: https://goqii.com/blog/tips-to-sleep-better/
  3. Awaken Your Inner Chef: Trust me, it’s a pleasurable experience. If you want some easy, healthy recipes, check out the articles we’ve published so far on Healthy Reads. Take charge of the kitchen and toss up something yummy! 
  4. Tune In to Tune Out: Update your music playlist and move to the groove while doing your household chores. Have an instrument lying around? Pick it up and learn to play! We’re going to be starting some music classes on GOQii Play so keep an eye and ear out for that. 
  5. Game More: Playing cards, housie, name-place-animal-thin, antakshari, karaoke – the possibilities are endless when you think of it. Nothing like the good old games to bring your family together and drive away the boredom clouds of gloom! 
  6. Re-arrange Your Cupboard: Cupboards are never too tidy. Probably iron your clothes, separate old and new clothes. Keep aside some clothes which you think you can donate. It will keep you occupied and help you declutter for sure! 
  7. Meditate! Meditate! Meditate: Say Aum from your Home! Organize a family meditation hour. You can tune in to GOQii’s Guided Meditation feature in the app or follow our experts on GOQii Play for a session full of bliss, relaxation and who knows – possibly enlightenment too! You can also practice Pranayama and other Breathing Techniques. 
  8. Develop a Healthy Habit: Working on ourselves is a continuous process. It’s the right time to develop a healthy habit or discontinue a bad one. Probably you could start reading, do a mobile detox or take your home workouts to the next level.  

There are many ways you can beat boredom at home. What are you doing to keep boredom away? Let us know in the comments below. 

For more on nutrition, exercise, meditation and recipes – in fact, most of the tips above can all be found on GOQii Play. Download the app now! 

Stay home, stay safe and #BeTheForce 

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Can Regular Exercise Prevent COVID-19?

exerciseApart from all the preventive measures we can take against COVID-19, should exercise be considered one of them? Can regular exercise actually protect us against COVID-19? Some might agree whereas others might not. In 1998, a large study showed that mild to moderate exercise performed about 4-5 times a week reduced the risk of dying during the Hong Kong flu outbreak. Could it be the same for COVID-19? Let’s find out! 

Some Points to Consider

  1. Indulging in regular exercise, mild to moderate, for 30-40 minutes, for 4-5 days a week of your own choice whether it is aerobics, dancing, Zumba, push-ups, squats, Pilates, etc. lifts up mood by releasing dopamine and serotonin (happy hormones) which is critical when faced with the challenge of staying inside with limited resources. 
  2. Exercising regularly can lower and keep your blood sugar level and blood pressure maintained, as people with these medical conditions are at high risk of getting infected with the coronavirus and other infections.
  3. Research shows that exercise can influence the body’s immune system, which is of utmost importance while fighting against infections and viruses. 
  4. Exercise helps you sleep better and manage stress better, which can both be difficult when schedules are disrupted.
  5. It can reduce the risk of other chronic diseases like heart problems, kidney failure, cancer etc.

Bottom Line 

Not much research has been done on COVID-19. At this point in time, it is best to follow WHO guidelines and take necessary measures such as eating right, exercising regularly, maintaining proper hygiene, managing stress and getting good quality sleep. Remember that whatever the disease may be, prevention is always better than cure. 

For more information on this topic, on building immunity and for home workouts, tune in to experts on GOQii Play or read more articles on Healthy Reads. 

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

 

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