Life

Frustration. Worries. Tension. These are describing your daily life. You are stressed and exhausted. You have become desperate as you attempt to cope with the challenges of modern life.

Does this sound familiar? 

You live in a society that expects you to work harder, faster, and longer to accomplish more in less time. You may feel this normal.

But, in reality, this culture is taking a huge toll on your health. You are compromising your happiness and overall well-being to adapt to this non-stop pace. You require a way to regulate and manage yourself. The best way to find the balance you seek is Self-Care.

What is self-care?

Self-care is nourishing yourself. It is a deliberate act of spending time engaging with self-caring activities. It is taking responsibility to meet your physical, mental, and emotional needs. It is also avoiding the situations that deplete your energy and happiness.

Why is self-care important?

Engaging yourself in a self-care routine reduces depression and anxiety. It increases happiness and improves energy. Self-care has been clinically proven to reduce heart disease, stroke, and cancer from a physical health perspective.

Here are few tips for self-care.

Be aware of your rest time

Get adequate rest every day. It is the foundation of self-care. Rest is critically important to elevate your mood and emotional well-being. Give yourself the opportunity to get enough sleep. You will be energetic and alert throughout the day. 

This will help you a long way on your journey to self-care. 

Learn to manage stress

Managing stress should be first on your priority list for self-care. You must learn the strategy for managing stress. The ultimate stress management tool for self-care is meditation. It allows you to see yourself through the eyes of compassion. 

Self-nourishment

Your body requires healthy foods that provide abundant energy. Have nutritious food and stay properly hydrated. Try to minimize caffeine and alcohol intake. Reduce intake of sugary and processed foods. 

Commit to giving yourself nourishment which is required to sustain health and balance.

Have a balance between your life and work

Another key component of self-care is maintaining a work-life balance. As there is a raise in Work From Concept, it is difficult to distinguish between home and work. You need to practice self-care despite you have the urge to remain plugged to work 24X7. You need to connect with yourself to know who you are and what you do for a living.

Exercise

Be active. Your body should always be on the move. Self-care includes giving your body the movement to maintain energy, flexibility, and strength. Keep aside a dedicated amount of time to exercise. You can practice yoga, martial arts, or jog every day. This helps you be hale and healthy.

Self-care is an important act of self-love. It is an imperative act of giving yourself the gift of acceptance and nourishment. Commit to healthier habits. It improves the quality of your life. Give your mind and body a fresh start. Get more tips on self-help and self-care on our Joyscore App. Download now.

World Health Day is an initiative by the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise awareness about the overall health and well-being of people across various countries in the world. It is celebrated on the 7th of April every year. Its purpose is to create awareness of a specific health theme to highlight priority areas of concern for the WHO.

World Health Day is celebrated to mark WHO’s founding. WHO held the first Health Assembly in 1948. This Assembly decided to celebrate the 7th of April each year as World Health Day with effect from 1950. 

Over the years, this has thrown light on important health issues such as diseases, maternal health, and child care. Its focus is to create worldwide attention on these important aspects of global health. The WHO puts together regional, local and international events which are held on this day related to the specified theme.

Each year focuses on different themes. The theme for 2020 was ‘Support nurses and midwives. People around the world spent the day thanking these frontline workers battling the COVID 19. 

The theme for 2021 is ‘Building a fairer, healthier world’. Most of the countries have experienced rapid economic growth, migration, and urbanization. It has created better lives for some and most are left behind. The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed more people into poverty, food insecurity, reduced chances of better healthcare facilities, and social and gender inequalities.  People across the world have less or no access to safe environments, clean air, and water. This has led to unnecessary suffering and deaths which has harmed economies and society. 

This is quite unfair, but preventable. 

“WHO is committed to ensuring that everyone, everywhere, can realize the right to good health.” 

WHO is seeking the support of world leaders to ensure that everyone has living and working conditions that are conducive to good health. It is urging leaders to track health inequalities and ensure that people have access to quality health services when and where they need them. 

What can you do?

As you know, celebrating World Health Day is important. A small contribution from you can make a big difference to the people around the world. Each one can take a hand in improving the overall health of the world. Just start with yourself, your family, and your community. 

Here are some steps you can follow:

• Be a volunteer and know about this year’s theme
• Raise awareness about this important issue by planning activities in your community or near your house. Spread the news of the importance of health and threats associated with being unhealthy. 
• You can organize fundraisers to support local clinics and other public health centers.
• Do this every year
• Be a part of promoting global health all around. 

Take care of yourself too!

You can take some extra steps to care for your health. On this day, try to get a gym membership and start going regularly. Start a healthy diet or regular exercise. Make a resolution to have nutritious food and to walk every day. Download the Joyscore app to get more tips on being healthier and happier.

“Sometimes the most important thing in the whole day is the rest between two deep breaths” – Etty Hillesum

Breathing is a process of air exchange that includes the lungs, diaphragm, and intercostal muscles in your body. Your body relies on oxygen. Effective breathing provides you a sense of mental clarity, reduces stress levels, helps you to sleep better, and improves your body’s immunity. 

Just pay attention to your breathing. The benefits that you reap are limitless.

Breathing techniques help you to relax and calm the mind. Finding the right breathing techniques and making it a routine benefits you the most.

Let’s discuss some of the most useful breathing techniques for a healthy life.

Deep breathing 

Try a deep breathing technique to reduce stress and anxiety. Taking a full breath can slow down your heartbeat, which makes you feel calmer.

How to do it?
Sit comfortably and relax your shoulders. Inhale and exhale slowly and completely. Count to 4 for each breath.

Alternate nostril breathing

It is a common part of yoga or meditation practice. It is known as Nadi Shodhan Pranayama which means subtle energy clearing breathing technique. It helps you to be more alert and promotes overall well-being.

How to do it?
Sit in a comfortable position. Close your right nostril with the thumb of one hand and breathe in through the left nostril. Close the left nostril with the fourth finger and remove the thumb. Breath out through the right nostril. 
Similarly, breath in through the right nostril, close it with the thumb and remove the fourth finger on the left. Exhale through the left nostril. Repeat these actions.

4-7-8 breathing

This technique is helpful for you to get more sleep. It helps you to ease your mind and relax. 

How to do it?
Inhale through the nose and count to 4. Hold your breath and count till 7. Part your lips. Exhale loudly through your mouth and count to 8.

Box breathing

Box breathing is also known as square breathing. It helps you to improve concentration and focus. 

How to do it?
Sit upright on a comfortable chair. Inhale through the nose and count to 4. Hold the breath and count to 4. Exhale through the mouth and count to 4. Wait and count to 4 before breathing again.

Pursed lip breathing

Try out this technique if you have lung conditions such as asthma or COPD. This technique helps to get the diaphragm working and increases the amount of oxygen entering the body.

How to do it?
Sit comfortably with your back straight and inhale through the nose. Exhale through the mouth with pursed lips. Exhale slowly, taking twice as long to exhale as you took to inhale. Then repeat by increasing the count.

Mindful breathing

You have to concentrate completely on the breath and use this as a form of meditation. This technique focuses on the natural rhythm of breathing in and out. 

How to do it?
Sit or lie down in a quiet place. Focus only on your breathing. Listen to your body performing the inhaling and exhaling process.

The breathing techniques are best for reducing stress and anxiety. Practice these techniques and make them a part of your daily routine. Try to practice once a day at a fixed time for 10 -20 minutes. Once you have the habit of following a breathing technique, you are likely to feel better and energetic.

Wondering how to get started and improve your breathing practices. JoyScore can help you get started. It is a self-improvement app that helps you develop healthy habits and self-care routines to increase your joy & happiness.  Download the app now to know more.

You may be scared because of the things happening around the world. You may be unhappy or worried. Most of the people are talking about COVID-19 and its impact on their lives. This can make you feel uncomfortable and you are not alone. Many people are feeling the same way right now. There are few things that can make you feel positive and help look after yourself and others.

Here are 6 ways to stay calmer and happier during times of crisis:

Be in touch with friends and family

There are a lot of ways to communicate with loved ones nowadays. If you are not hanging out with your friends or family, as usual, you would do, try to have a video call or group chat. You can even send voice notes over WhatsApp. Share your feelings with them. Be in touch so that you don’t feel alone.

Stay wise; Keep in mind that every news online isn’t true

Be alert and analyze the news which you consider before taking any measures. Remember, not every piece of online news might be true. Refer official news sources always. It is also good to not check the news or scroll through endless updates each day. 

Keep calm and be active

Keep your mind calm by doing Yoga and meditation. Keep aside some time of your day to relax. You can read a book, try out a new hobby or walk with your pet. 

Keep yourself active by doing some exercises or by taking a stroll every day. This can help your mind and muscles to relax and you can be energetic.

Be kind and help others

It is good to know that people often come together to support each other and help others out. Help out the needy in your community by donating to them. You can feel positive vibes around you and feel that you are making a difference in their life. 

Focus on small things

You can have some fun activities with family or friends. You can watch a comedy or dance around to your favorite song.  Start a new hobby in which your mind will be diverted and also you can have a sense of being responsible towards yourself.

Create a healthy environment around you

A healthy environment is essential for your mental and physical health. You need to follow good hygiene in thinking, behavior, and attitude for a happy life. You need not be affected by other beliefs, lifestyles, and other’s opinions. You need to thrive in all the crises and achieve the goals of having a happy life.

Thus, having a strong mind and health can resist any diseases and viruses. This is a tough time for everyone and you can learn a lot from it. Now, you will realize the importance of spending face-to-face time with people you care about and the happiness tagged with them. There is a need to change the way you approach a crisis and realize the importance of what we have at the moment for a happy and better life.

Wondering how to increase your happiness and track your mood? Download Joyscore App to know more.

In today’s fast-paced world women are prone to more stress and anxiety. They are generally more stressed than men. The stress level will be different for women in various life stages. The challenges with menstruation, pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause can affect women’s mental health.

What is stress?

Stress is a stage in which the human body reacts to a change/challenge. It can be short-term or long-term. Women are more likely to have more mental stress which is caused by depression and anxiety. The most common symptoms of stress are headaches and an upset stomach.

What are the aspects that cause stress?

Women can feel stress or be anxious about many different things. Simple situations such as getting stuck in traffic or an argument with the spouse or even deadlines at work. Some of the causes for long-term stress are financial worries, family/marital problems, discrimination, and traumatic experiences.

How does stress affect women?

Anxiety/Mental stress among women can cause trouble sleeping and a weaker immune system. Here are few other ways that anxiety affects women.

Health problems

Women are more worried about their family’s health rather than their own. When they are worried, they are prone to headaches and migraines. Women are more likely to have an anxiety disorder, panic disorder, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. 

High-stress levels also increase blood pressure and heart rate. An upset stomach is the common result of short-term stress. Also, irregular periods can cause stress in women.

Family and personal issues

Stress also affects the sex life of women. They tend to have a lesser sex drive and are distracted during sex. For some, not being able to get pregnant may cause stress. Family issues such as domestic abuse, arguments with the family, worries about children also affect the mental health of the women. Some women share these problems and seek a therapist for help but some do not. They suffer mentally, which also affects their both mental and physical health.

Obesity and body images issues

A hormone called Cortisol causes a woman’s body to store fat because of stress. A negative feeling about the body image can put women into a stressful condition which may cause eating disorders and depression. They feel pressured because of unrealistic social and cultural beauty ideals. As a result, they are more likely to develop unhealthy thoughts about their own body.

How to manage stress?

Take time for yourself – Set aside some time for yourself to meditate and exercise. This will help you to relax and make you feel less tense. Take deep breaths, listen to music, read a book, play with the children, or just take a stroll around. All these activities make you feel relaxed. 

Healthy diet – Eat nutritious food such as fruits and leafy vegetables than high sugar snacks.

Good sleep – Sleep at least 7 hours per day

Talk to friends/family – Open up your anxiety and stressful thoughts with your friends and family. They will definitely provide you help and support to reduce stress levels.

Get professional help – A therapist can help you control your emotional outbursts. Seek a doctor who can give you counseling and prescribe you antidepressants, if necessary.

Don’t deal with unhealthy ways – Smoking, drinking too much, using drugs, or overeating does not let you cope with stress; instead, it causes more harm to your body.

To conclude:

It’s the need of the hour for women to prioritize their mental health by meditating, getting ample sleep, and other healthy habits. The JoyScore app can help you. With JoyScore, you can enhance your living and lead a joyful life. Give it a try. Download the app now.