She. Stronger. Healthier. Everyday.

Don’t we often preach this and get preached? But, how many of us actually experience the power of this statement?

“Take a deep breath…Relax…Now, Start”

We are the 21^st Century women. We are young, forward-thinkers, multi-taskers and yes; we are leaving the rat race each day and successfully climbing the thriving Indian entrepreneurship ladder while all the time trying to ensure happy homes. We are in a state of transition --caught as we are between the illusory safety of performing traditional roles on one hand and the challenge to realize our potential outside the confines of home, on the other hand.

It’s a mad world out there and keeping pace with this madness can be demanding and stressful. Issues including Family & Social Support, Maternity, Parenthood, Menopause, PCOS, Depression, Excessive Fatigue, Common Deficiencies and Health Management often blight our lives in the long run.

Globally, 23 percent of women professionals and executives say they feel “Super-stressed”.  Just to add to that – Stress is a trigger for 70 percent diseases in us.

By no means; do I claim that adopting a certain wellness pattern in life can eliminate our stresses but definitely it can let us take charge of our stresses – inside and out and eventually reduce them. Now, I understand we don’t have THE time to devote a minimum of 45 minutes daily to ourselves. Also, taking out time for a health time-out may not be as crucial a priority as scheduling a meeting with a potential investor. So, how is it that with our present constraints, we can aim at keeping a healthy work-life balance?

Based on my interactions with women from different spheres during my wellness programs; I come to this observation that most of us have similar issues and challenges to overcome those issues irrespective of our roles and background. Hence I am sharing some of my quick rejuvenation secrets which I not only practise myself being an entrepreneur but also share with others, whenever I can.

• Light exercising is the key: easy and quick exercising in any form is good. Climbing up and down the stairs, a ten minutes brisk walk within the office compound, walking while talking on the phone, gentle stretching of the neck, shoulders and the back only for five minutes twice  a day can take care of our basic daily physical wellness needs.

limbing up and down the stairs, a ten minutes brisk walk within the office compound...

• Slowing down the breath is a great way to speed up things: If you carry a lot of work related tension in your neck and shoulders then you may have ‘screen apnoea’. The simple act of breathing with awareness not only relieves the physical stress but also oxygenates even the smallest cells in our body which further develops our immunity to fight common diseases and problems of our stressful lifestyles. Don’t have too much time? Try this simple breathing technique by timing your phone alarm for two and half minutes only. Sit comfortably on a chair or on the floor or you can try this even standing. Close your eyes and take a moment to centre yourself by slowly inhaling through nose. Then exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat this process for eleven breaths to restore peace and calm.

•        Did you laugh enough today? If I were to tell you that ten minutes of belly laughter is equal to thirty minutes of running on a treadmill or just ten minutes of a hearty laugh can burn upto 40 calories, you probably won’t believe me. Try it to believe it! Start small; take a minute or two laughter breaks with your co-workers, friends and family. Are you wondering what to laugh at? If you are up for laughing without the aid of jokes and humour then a simple trick is to laugh in a small group with eye contact. Even if you start with a fake laugh but do it with willingness then just the eye to eye contact can make the laughter contagious and evoke a real laugh. While, it instantly works on your mood, laughter has scientifically proven therapeutic benefits to it including stronger immunity, improved creativity and communication, better relationships and effective stress management.

•   Meditation Time Out: Meditation, Yoga and Prayers could reduce the healthcare costs by 43 percent according to a study at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. If you are new to meditation or cannot practise the silent meditation then try the Reverse Counting technique. Sneak out a ‘me time’ in the day. You can practise this technique while standing, though sitting on the floor or the chair is most recommended. Close your eyes and take a moment to centre yourself by slowly inhaling through nose. Now, start counting 30 to 1 in your mind slowly. You may excel it in the first go or fumble a few times or some other thoughts may cross your mind, which is perfectly fine. Once completed, relax for few seconds and resume your day. This simple activity works as an effective technique for calming, improving concentration and relaxing the nervous system.

We really don’t need grand plans and designs to bring a shift in our holistic health status. Rather, simple and small steps towards a healthy YOU – inside and out can go a long way in bringing that balance. 

Varuna Khullar is a dreamer, learner, Hatha Yoga teacher with 200 hours and more, a life enthusiast and a believer in self. She runs yogawithv.com