Varsha Kariya

Joy is a great feeling. It can be brought on to you by a big life event or something as simple as watching a child’s smile.

Did you know? You feel joy in the neurotransmitters in the body. These are responsible for feelings and every aspect of your body. The level of joy also depends on the complex interaction of genes, behaviors, and what’s going on in our lives at a specific moment in time.

Here are few benefits of joy that boosts your overall wellness

1. It promotes a healthier lifestyle 

When you are happy, you tend to eat and sleep better. You might find it smokeless and do more exercise. You will have more energy to do active things. You will have positive chemical changes which improve your health. Being joyful and feeling good about yourself is important to your self-esteem. By being happier, you are doing what is right for your body.

2. It helps you to fight diseases

Being happier can help you to have a stronger immune system. It may help reduce the risk of developing colds and infections. Positive emotions bolster your body’s resistance to viruses and increase antibody activity to fight invaders. Source.

3. It helps you to fight stress and pain

Happier people cope with chronic pain better. The heart of the happy people recovers at the earliest. It helps you divert yourself from the pain and go towards interest and enthusiasm to encourage other positive emotions. The feel-good chemicals which are released promote an overall sense of well-being.

4. Longevity improves

Those who are joyful tend to live longer than those who are not happy. Being joyful can help you to lengthen your life. A study shows that people with a higher level of optimism have a longer life span. They have a greater chance of living past 85 years.

5. Joy protects your heart

Research says happiest people are 22% less likely to develop heart diseases. People who have negative emotions are prone to frequent heart attacks. Being in a joyful mood improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which reduces cardiovascular problems.

6. It strengthens your body and mind

Did you know? 50% of joy you feel is dependent on genetics and 10% on personal circumstances. 

Joy boosts your mood, diminishes pain, and protects you from the effects of stress. Nothing works faster to bring your mind and body back into balance than a joyful moment. It lightens your burden and connects you to others. 

Know that you are meant to feel joy. Try to look for ways where you can add more joy to your life. It is scientifically proven that being joyful has major benefits for your health. If you focus on the things that make you feel joyful, it will improve your life and extend it. Discover the benefits of joy by downloading the Joyscore app.

Joy is a feeling of great pleasure. It is a choice that you can make to be happy in your life, whatever the circumstances. You should be positive and think that there is still hope. 

Joy is within your grasp. It is sometimes subdued with negative feelings. In those times it is important to focus on Joy.

Here are a few ways in which you can find joy in everyday life. 

1. Practice an attitude of gratitude –

It is a conscious habit to express thankfulness and appreciation for every part of your life.  Every day spend five minutes writing down five things that you are grateful for. Expressing gratitude with others multiplies joy. An attitude of gratitude makes you feel happier and creates more positive vibes around you. 

2. Add happiness right now –

Understand what could bring joy to your life. Change your perspective of being happy. Just add happiness and contentment to your life on this day and be cheerful. 

3. Take care of yourself –

Make self-care a part of your routine. You are required to hit the reset button every now and then. This should make you a better version of yourself. Keep aside a few minutes each day just for yourself. It makes you resilient. 

4. Do something that excites you –

Take away a few minutes from your busy life and do an activity you are passionate about. Be it a hobby such as painting/singing or good habits such as daily exercise/meditation, do that. It boosts your mental health and makes you happy.

5. Enjoy and appreciate small things –

Joy is connected to appreciating particular things. Acknowledge small actions which are pleasurable. Enjoy positive experiences to be in a good mood. These small actions create good. Stop worrying about small things. 

6. Be with positive people –

If you spend too much time around the pessimists, you might have a sour mood. When you are around happy people, you tend to feel happier. The positive influence of these people affects your choices in life. 

7. Laugh more –

Laughter has many health benefits. When you laugh endorphins are released into your body which is good for you. It reduces stress and boosts your immunity.

8. Spend time with your loved ones –

Strike up a conversation with friends and family. You tend to be happy when you connect with people. Even if it is a virtual happy hour, just go for it. Social connections and small talk with strangers make you feel happier. 

9. Go outside –

Did you know?  Spending just 5 minutes walking in a natural and green environment will increase happiness.  Great outdoors could make you healthier and happier. Spending time in nature soothes your brain. Exploring a local park or walking through the woods reduces stress and blood pressure. Being with nature increases your creativity and life expectancy. 

10. Find bliss in what you have –

Be aware of what you already have. Appreciate the little things which are just in front of your eyes rather than wishing things were different. Contentment is about peaceful satisfaction. Learn to enjoy simple things in life. 

Joy and happiness are within your grasp, but sometimes just out of reach. Understanding what works best for you is the first step in finding joy in everyday life. Be more joyful by downloading the Joyscore App.

Stress affects your health in many ways but is a part of your life. There are many causes for it so as many ways to relieve it. Learn to manage stress before it gets to be too much.

Did you know? 

• 33% of people feel extreme stress
• About 72% of people experience stress that affects their physical and mental health.

Source

Thus stress can take a toll on your well-being. Consider the following suggestions and inculcate them in your daily life to live stress-free.

Improve your health with these simple healthy habits: 

Regular exercise –

Stretch every day for some time. Your muscles would have become stiff and tires, which results in reduced body blood flow. Hence it is necessary to have the habit of exercising regularly.

Take a walk/run outside –

Spending time outside is important to healthy living. It relieves stress and strengthens your immune system. 

Enjoy whatever you do –

Do something that puts you in a good mood. It will affect positively for the rest of the day. Do something that you enjoy every day,  no matter how small.

Sleep well –

Lack of sleep is an indicator of poor health. It affects your stress levels. Get enough sleep to relieve it.

Have a balanced diet –

Most of the experts suggest that drinking tea calms the nerves. It also means you are consuming herbs that are known for relaxation. Having ginger as part of your diet also calms you down. It is considered a homeopathic stress reliever.

Connect with family and friends –

a little bit of fun and laughter with family and friends can do wonders. It relieves tensions. It helps your mind and body to be relaxed.

Just laugh –

laughter increases mood-enhancing endorphins. It helps in reducing stress-causing hormones. Relive your stress by watching a comedy, listening to jokes, or even by telling them!

Avoid unhealthy habits –

Avoid consuming alcohol, cigarettes, caffeine, and drugs. These habits are temporary ways to escape stress. They actually lead to an increased level of stress and have negative long-term effects.

Practice the slow breathing technique –

Oxygenate your body. One of the best ways to deal with stress is slow and deep breathing. It is the time-tested way to beat anxiety and stress. Try out this breathing technique if you are feeling stressed:

• Slowly inhale for air for 5 seconds
• Hold for 5 seconds
• Slowly exhale for 5 seconds
• Repeat the action

Identify the triggers and indications –

Identity what triggers stress for you. Your behavior might indicate whether you are stressed or not. When people are stressed, they bite their nails, sweat, or tap their feet. If you can identify these indicators, you can take a break and go for a walk/ take deep breaths. 

Thus, by practicing these habits you can live a calmer and fulfilled life. 

What are you waiting for? Start a good habit today and reduce your stress levels.

Download Joyscore App for more tips on healthy living and happiness. 

Do you remember Newton’s first Law of motion? It states that if a body is at rest, or moving at a constant speed in a straight line, it will remain at rest or keep moving in a straight line at constant speed unless it is acted upon by a force.  You must be wondering why I’m stating the law of inertia. Well, after a long period of quarantine or staying indoors, maintaining social distancing has considerably slowed down body’s motion. The slowness and stress of dealing with the pandemic leads to procrastination. And you’re not alone.  

As the pandemic drags on way beyond what we expected, it’s getting difficult to get things done. Covid-19 has spawned a worldwide psychological crisis, And it is directly impacting one of human’s harmful tendencies: Procrastination. Experts say it is not a time management problem but an emotion management problem. And practicing mindful habits can help you get over procrastination, at least to some extent. 

Here are few strategies to overcome procrastination and create mindful habits:

Maintain a to-do list

Make a list of things you want to do this week/month/day. You can go old school and write on a chart paper and stick it on the wall, where you can see it every day. You get a sense of accomplishment as you see the list getting whittled down.  

Speak out self-motivating statements

That way you perceive a task can alter our motivation for completing it. You can repeat a few phrases to yourself, like “there’s no time like the present” or “the sooner I complete this, the sooner I can do something that I truly love.” You can put these are reminders on your phone, twice or thrice each day, and see the difference in your attitude. 

Break the task down into smaller pieces

This is the most effective and tested way to combat procrastination. Write all the steps involved in completing the task and recognise these steps in terms of time and efforts metrics. You’ll start to look at it as a manageable job that can be done with a reasonable amount of effort. 

Reward yourself when you accomplish a small goal

Once these small steps are panned out and completed, you can reward yourself by taking a break or calling up a friend, or treating yourself to ice cream, or it can be anything else. But be mindful about it, and don’t take long breaks. 

Don’t be too hard on yourself

Look at your accomplishments, at least once a week or by the end of the day. This will prevent you from being too harsh on yourself. Take a more positive approach consciously. 

Becoming mindful, especially in this very moment, is a very powerful thing. For the mind of a procrastinator, mindfulness is a simple place to be. A dedicated 2 or 3 minutes of regular practice can make the seemingly task bearable. It goes a long way in providing the advantages of meditation. If you want to start practicing mindfulness, JoyScore can help you! You can build mindful habits by completing suggested activities in the app, which are customized as per your needs. You need to fill a short in-app survey before you start. The app is scientifically backed and has many unique features which can help you increase your joy quotient. Download the app today and experience joy!