Life

There Is An Ability In Disability

December 5, 2020 by Dikshi Gupta

It is not always essential to portray physical strength to be powerful. It’s not necessary to observe the imposing routines of physical power, forms, and sizes. It is not a validation of emotional and mental failure to have an impairment. At times, strength signifies a more subtle sign that can happen internally. Meaning, anyone can be the smallest individual but still has the power to get over every bad day’s effects. That is why a person with a physical disability happens to be mentally more substantial than those who are not.

Living Well with a Disability

It’s never easy to adapt to life with a disability, but there are ways to help yourself cope with disabilities, overcome obstacles, and develop a rewarding life.

Making the Adjustment

It can be a tough adjustment to adapt to life with a disability. We all tend to take our well being for granted—until it’s gone. But while you cannot reverse the situation or wish away your limitations, you can alter your thinking and cope with your disability. You are still in control of your destiny and can strengthen your freedom, sense of empowerment, and outlook in several respects. No matter your disability, it is entirely possible to overcome the difficulties you face and live a joyful life that is complete and satisfying.

The majority of us expect to live safe, long lives. So, when a disabling illness or injury hits you, it can trigger various disturbing emotions and fears. You may wonder how you’ll be able to work, find or sustain a relationship, or even be happy again. But while it isn’t easy to live with a disability, it doesn’t have to be a tragedy. Having a disability is difficult, but it’s also one of the wealthiest classrooms a human can experience, too. And you are not alone. Millions of people have traveled this path before you (the CDC reports that 1 in 5 Americans is disabled) and discovered ways to survive and prosper positively. You can, too.

Disability is an obsolete word. True happiness is possible in a “broken” body.
Patience can get you through almost anything. Let not physical inability be a deterrent.
Don’t sweat the little things.
Being different is an opportunity. Weakness isn’t always negative.
Life is short. Embrace everything.
Be Mentally healthy and outshine.

Defining by Ability

Don’t ever allow self-pity to cloud your dreams because there’s an ability in disability. What you label disability today could be a springboard to your success tomorrow. If you talk about your disability, then almost everybody has something about them they don’t like. It may be height, skin color, and to some, their physique. Therefore, you know that disability is a thing of the mind.

Whatever challenges you’re facing right now prove that you are healthy and resilient. So pursue your dreams and make them real. Stay strong and focused. And you can set an excellent example of such perseverance! Follow Joyscore for insights on leading a happy, content, peaceful, and grateful life. Download the app now!

How to cope with loneliness this holiday season

November 23, 2020 by Rimikak

It’s started to get cold outside. And everyone knows what that means. Flannel weather and also that the holiday season is around the corner. The holiday season is a time of joy and love, but it can be a depressing time for far too many. Some people live far from family due to job/ personal responsibilities this time of year and miss seeing their loved ones; others dread going without a partner to holiday parties and New Year’s Eve gatherings and end up staying alone at home.

The following suggestions can help you cope up with loneliness this holiday season.

Be Good To Yourself During Holiday Season

It will make you feel better and enjoy your solitude more by taking special care of yourself. Curl up with a good book, engage in a hobby, learn something new, take a relaxing bath, and give yourself spa treatments. Taking time to do stuff will boost your self-esteem and give you a good dose of fun. It will take your mind off feeling alone and will also raise your spirits.

Foster a Pet this holiday season — Foster a Pet

Foster a Friend

Humans aren’t the only creatures who get lonely this time of the year. There are innumerable dogs, cats, bunny rabbits, and all sorts of cute critters who will spend the holidays alone in the shelter. It’s a fact that animal companionship provides an authentic source of connection to the people. It takes the edge off of those feelings of loneliness. If you cannot foster a pet due to some constraints, consider volunteering in an animal shelter, like taking dogs for a walk or playing with the kitty cats. That way, you will have a new friend, and the moments of connection will count.

Make connections

Whether you say hello to neighbors, share nice words with people in the workplace, or pick up the phone and call an old friend you haven’t talked to in a while, reaching out to people and strengthening relationships will make you feel more connected with the outside world.

Give to Others

When you support those who are less fortunate than you, It fills you with feelings of love and pride. It can also remind you of everything you need to be thankful for and even communicate with those who share your passion. You will be part of something greater than yourself and engulfed in the true spirit of the holiday season.

Donate to Needy during this holiday season

Examine Your Feelings

This one does not immediately make you feel better, but if you feel lonely a lot of the time, this might be a clue that there are some changes required for the coming year. You may want to explore what is behind your feelings of isolation, either alone or with a therapist’s assistance.

To Summarize…

Our emotions are just another part of what it means to be human. They are natural. So instead of trying to distract yourself or numb or avoid these feelings of loneliness, choose to accept that it’s ok to feel lonely. Is it possible to have a good holiday season even though you are carrying around some of those feelings of loneliness? Can you work on your health, enjoy some good meals, maybe create a work of art or read something that matters to you even though you are missing your family and friends. If so, that can make a difference.

We wish you a very happy holiday season. We hope you will be able to create some spaces of belonging, honor some of your traditions safely and responsibly, and that you’ll be able to make the most out of the receding days of the year. We are on a mission to spread joy and help you lead a meaningful and healthy life. Download the JoyScore app now to make these days more joyful with the numerous suggested activities. Happy Holidays!

Hand Hygiene: Need Of The Hour

October 18, 2020 by Shweta Dayal

Scrolling down, are you? Did you know? The screen you’re scrolling on has about 8000 germs per square inch. And this same screen is dirtier than your kitchen counter. I’m not trying to scare you, but everyday you’re exposed to about 60,000 bacteria. Some of these bacteria are infectious while others, not so. So how do you keep infections at bay, especially in this pandemic hit year? Hand Hygiene.

The contamination we are exposed to everyday, while commuting to work, or buying from the grocery store, or just surfing on the internet, is humungous. Especially among Americans, recent tests have shown that they touch the dirtiest surfaces- airport doors, public soap dispensers, airport bathrooms, etc. Following are a few germ hot-spots which have a high level of contamination, enough to spread infections and illness :

Gas pumps handle — 71%
Mailbox handles — 68%
Escalator rails — 43%
ATM buttons — 41%
Parking meters/kiosks — 40%
Vending machines — 38%

When the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread and little was known about the novel coronavirus, one of the World Health Organization (WHO) ‘s first recommendations was a simple, tried-and-true public health measure: Hand Hygiene. This advice persists even today as one of the most fundamental ways, alongside masks, to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Just thirty seconds of scrubbing with water and soap, or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, can wash away the germs—in addition to other common infectious diseases such as typhoid, cholera, and diarrheal pathogens.

Global Handwashing Day can be looked at as an opportunity to design effective and creative ways to encourage people to wash hands regularly. The theme for 2020 is ‘Hand Hygiene for all’. It reminds of the universal access and practice of handwashing with soap and water. Only 66 percent of Americans always wash up after using a public restroom when asked about their handwashing habits, even though 92 percent believe that washing their hands after a visit is essential. The figures are disturbing yet accurate.

But making hand hygiene available to everyone in the society requires a macro and multifarious approach. Especially in America, the access to sustainable hand hygiene services needs to be improved (regular water supply, handwashing facilities, steady water supply, soap or alcohol based handrub etc). Most importantly, our society needs a behaviour change. The drivers which support this change should be addressed and components such as policy reforms, coordination, financing, regulations need to be strengthened.

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This year’s Global Handwashing Day calls on countries to celebrate hand hygiene as a central part of their response to the pandemic and, at the same time start planning to create a safe and better future. Once the immediate crisis is over, strengthening the hygiene systems would be the backbone for building a better and safer future. This would help control the emerging and old diseases and infections like COVID-19, diarrhea, typhoid, cholera, etc. It is crucial for the countries to develop roadmaps for hygiene. It would allow them to leverage the attention COVID-19 has got to implement a long-lasting public health programme.

To Summarise…

We need to change our habits to live a sustainable and infection free life. And these habits can be inculcated only if you’re aware of your patterns and your responses. You can live a mindful life by downloading JoyScore, which is an scientifically backed app which has different activities to lighten up your mood and also help instil new, life changing habits.

The Joyful Parent

September 4, 2020 by Rimikak

I used to be a little too quick to judge parents, especially in stressful situations like grocery stores.

There you are, patiently waiting to check out, and in front of you is a harried mom or dad trying to put items onto the conveyor belt to check out. Their child starts screaming because they want a candy bar,

and the parent has already said ‘no’ more than once. But the child doesn’t want to take ‘no’ for an answer, so they yell, whine and throw a full-fledged tantrum until the parent gives in, and the child wins and gets their hands on the candy. The child has a breakdown, but the parent is also very close to getting one, which exacerbates the case, leaving all those involved miserable.

It took only one moment for that situation to happen to me to promise I would never be judging another parent.

On the other hand, I can recall seeing parents in similar situations who were composed, calm, and controlled.

So here are three tips for instilling the joy back into parenting and a bit of discipline for your children.

Tip #1: Manage Your Behavior

We do so many things instinctively, such as lash out at our children when they misbehave in public. The action also happens because, first and foremost, we want to keep our children under control and prevent any more embarrassment. When you work to manage your behavior first, you effectively neutralize the power struggle.

As a bonus, your kids will usually calm down when you have yourself under control, too. Bear in mind that calm is contagious — and so is fear. If we are nervous or anxious as parents, it causes tension in our children.

Tip #2: Repeat After Me . . .

Rely on your favorite mantras to help you regain composure. Say something to yourself if you anticipate your feelings coming up. From ‘stop’ or ‘breath’ or ‘slow down’ to ‘this too will pass,’ it can be anything. Any words will be a savior, take a moment, and go through a priority list. When a child’s behavior drives you nuts, it’s easy to lose your cool and lash out. But it’s not productive.

Tip #3: If (When) You Do Lose Your Cool, Own It

If your anger has already boiled over and you’ve lost your cool, don’t back away. Instead, own up to what you’ve done wrong. The act of apologizing alone can be calming, and at the same time, you become a good role model for your child.

Calm parenting is essential to building a productive, meaningful relationship, and learning how to stop yelling and stay calm as a parent isn’t easy. Work on changing how you are parenting to be the calm you want to see around the world. And when you are calm, you will destress and attain joy; the benefits of feeling more joy will help you in the following way:
Promote a healthier lifestyle, thus improving your self-esteem and self-image.
Boost the immune system, making you stronger both physically and mentally.
Fight stress and pain.

Download JoyScore.

Working From Home Has Got You Working All The Time

September 3, 2020 by Dikshi Gupta

Everyone across the globe is struggling to figure out how to navigate through the new normal and maintain a balance.

People who have had the option of working from home are now joined by those who have been forced to work from home because of the pandemic. People feel trapped under the heap of tasks, like keeping children entertained when they aren’t helping them with online classes.

When you work from home, physical boundaries between work and personal life start fading away, and we find ourselves torn between the two. Despite how organized you are, it can be challenging to manage your career and household in the same space. The disruption of not physically seeing colleagues, friends, family, and uncertainty can lead to burnout and anxiety.

Working from home is going to be with us for quite a while, but here are some tips to better integrate the different facets of life:

Start your day with things that do not revolve around work and make you feel relaxed before the work hour kicks in like a coffee ritual, 10-15 minutes of yoga or a walk.

Avoid waking up to check work emails as it can cause discomfort or tension.

Slip out of your comfortable sleepwear and get dressed – it will give you a sense of working in the office.

Maintain a designated workspace that separates work from personal chores. Keep the doors shut to avoid distractions.

Set a time to focus on specific tasks and stick to it. Do not let household chores interfere with the time allotted for work. Use a timer or block your calendar to manage distractions.

Avoid non-essential activities like scrolling through social media and seek your partner’s help in household chores.

Take breaks to prevent feeling overworked. Get up every hour and stretch or walk around.

Close your laptop and call it a day after a specific time, especially on weekends and holidays. Being available every time sets an expectation and diminishes the work-life balance.

Connect with co-workers through tools like Slack/Teams/Phone/Zoom to effectively communicate and avoid a disconnect in the work structure and team.

Spend 5- 10 minutes to talk with colleagues about non-work events to build a connection with them.

Carve out time for yourself. Call friends and family, spend time with them, or indulge in a hobby.

Watch entertaining content and limit news consumption. Listening to negative news can elevate your anxiety and let your mind wander when required to focus.

WFH does have some benefits – less time spent in the car, more time spent with family and more flexibility in creating a work schedule. So optimize those hours for things like exercise, cooking meals and give yourself a break from the computer screen.

Develop a transition period of at least 30 minutes between ending work and starting your chores. Have a cup of tea, step out for fresh air, explore the JoyScore app to let go of some steam, relax and engage yourself in mindfulness with meditation, doing stretches, learning new nutritional facts, and the list goes on.

Any change requires time to adjust. Maximize the positive lifestyle benefits of working from home. As you adapt to this change, spend more time on the JoyScore app as it will help you calm your mind and improve your life’s Joy Score.

Stuck at Home? Take a Journey Inward

September 2, 2020 by Dikshi Gupta

Six months ago, life was running at its own pace and we were busy in our daily routine. But the pandemic has made our lives come to a screeching halt and left us perplexed, wondering what will happen next as the entire world seems to be in chaos. Now, we are stuck at home and our anxiety is spiraling out of control. The key now is to remain vigilant and arm yourself with facts rather than surrender yourself to worry and anxiety. It’s important to take a journey inward to introspect and be aware of what is going on inside you to overcome the anxiety and stress.

We feel stuck when we are unhappy with where we are and cannot move forward or take any action. Getting stuck in this web of confusion can be frustrating because it feels like you are on the road to nowhere with no alternative. But think of it the other way, as it might be the gift of time we have been craving for, to pause, to take a journey inward and reflect, to befriend our minds, to deepen your understanding of yourself and our place in the universe.

In the hustle and bustle of life, we are sometimes worn to exhaustion that we often struggle to find the time and space to address our interior life. It is vital to take a moment to press the reset button and give yourself some relaxation. The art of meditation is a mysterious journey that takes a lot of practice and a peaceful environment conducive to explore yourself and pay attention to the subtle inner cues without any distractions or devices. Silence gives us the mental space and time to listen to the inner voices we carry and get to know ourselves more intimately.

Meditation improves focus and helps us identify which feelings can be trusted and which instincts might need to be contained, as they might cause us to get off track or get lost en route. It helps you battle your temptation like craving for sweets, repeatedly checking the count of ‘likes’ on our social media. This inward journey makes us grow stronger by setting aside obsessions. It also helps us reduce negative emotions, focus on the present, increase patience and tolerance, and gain a new perspective for stressful situations.

While we were catering to the outer world, you can now utilize this opportunity to attend to your inner self. Cultivate an awareness of the sanctity of life through our app ‘JoyScore.’ Delve within to familiarize yourself with your mind, breath, and heart. The application helps you be mindful. Furthermore, it enables you to find ways to celebrate the simple and slower pace of life and make the journey more gratifying.

The journey to enlightenment is only a click away.