Jiyo Life with Reading!

Stories are an undervalued section of Human Activity. Yet we all thrive on them in some form or the other. We all love good stories and also like to hear people speak about their experiences. The reasons for us humans to be at the top of the Pyramid, is our ability to think and formulate. This capacity of thinking helps us to create stories and anecdotes. The purpose of fiction is not only to entertain but to also enable a person to think about human nature and how the world works. The reader becomes one with the protagonist of the story and analyses the decisions that the protagonist makes. Good stories captivate the reader and spellbind him.

Stories/Fiction serves many purposes. Besides the obvious fact that they are a source of entertainment, there are many other reasons. Inspirational stories make us evaluate our life and how we have lived it. Then there are anecdotes where morals and good nature are embedded so that we can get a moral direction from them. Stories help us analyze the human psyche. Children are often told tales like the Panchatantra so that they can understand how things work in this world through subtle allegories. What interests me in the art of telling tales is how people can forget any situation he is in and get immersed in them. This is an interesting factor which is very crucial for many people who are stressed out. Non-fictional discourses on many things like philosophy and history are also very helpful in increasing a person’s knowledge and understanding of the world. Many of us today have so many things to worry about and it would be a very exciting experience to be able to stop time and get into a novel. Everyone has experienced the pleasure and excitement after reading a really good novel. Many of these tales have changed the way we behave and this makes stories really important to every one of us, because they are ultimately are tools of enlightenment. So, we suggest that everyone should read a really good book of their choice and make reading a habit. If you are very busy then you could allocate some time everyday religiously towards reading. It will help cure your stress and will help in your all round development as a person.

Happy reading everyone and yes Jiyo Life to the full!

Jiyo Life without forsaking your career.

Your job and your career are very important things. They are the embodiment of of your dreams and aspirations. You work very hard to realize your dreams and make something of yourself. But getting into your job and and your career full-time can also have some adverse effects. Here are some ways in which your career gets into the way of your life. When you see these danger sign you should re-valuate your life and make some tough decisions.

Distractions:

Your jobs distracts you from your day to day personal life. This is generally the case for people who look to prove themselves in their respective fields. Cell Phones and Personal Digital Assistants have improved the quality of work and its efficiency but many grave disasters can also be associated with these new gizmos. The number of fatalities in road accidents have increased due to the habit of texting and driving simultaneously. Next time you are driving a car and the phone rings, consider the possible consequences. Your life is invaluable and work, however important, can wait till you get to the office.

Hostile Work Environment:

We all understand what this means. It affects the best of people for no fault of their own. People dread going to office for this reason. Your productivity and career can take a dive due to this problem. A bad boss or colleagues can seriously affect your mental and physical health. The best thing to do under such circumstances is to forge positive relationships by helping your colleagues and your boss during pressing times. They will appreciate the help. Strong and positive communication can also go a long way to help you adjust into the culture of your office.

Stress:

Stress is a dangerous enemy to play with. It can put the best of us in misery and bad health. The cumulative effects of poor sleep timings, absence of a schedule and stress can lead to major breakdowns, both mentally and physically. To combat this, please ensure a rigorous schedule and plan your day nicely. Try to leave the office early. Catch up on sleep and some quality time with your loved ones without even letting the thought of work creep into your mind.

Sedentary Jobs:

We all know that sitting in one place the whole day and day after day is a very bad idea. Doctors and Nutritionists have been warning us since a long time about this. But we cannot help this as offices demand that you occupy the cubicle and work. To go around this problem, you should organize your schedule in such a way that you periodically get enough time to just walk around the place once an hour. Forget the lift and take the stairs however much your body may fight against it.

We are sure that if you follow these tips and work more on how you can be productive and healthy at the same time, you will live long enough to see yourself achieve your dreams.

Food that helps you combat stress.

We at Jiyo Life, brought you tips to bust stress earlier. Today we will help you with another aspect of stress management. Of-course all what we have said earlier holds true but this is another aspect of stress management altogether- Food. You all know how the right food and the right amount of it can help you be fit. Well I don’t know about y’all but food helps solve most of my problems. There’s scientific evidence that certain kinds of food generate different kinds of mood patterns. In a similar way, the foods that we will be listing are known to have a positive effect on stress management.

Dark chocolate:
Well, everyone will agree with me when I say Dark chocolate is about the best thing that has been invented. Chocolate is a mood stimulant which helps us in remaining calm, lowering our stress levels and neutralising our hormonal imbalances. Chocolate releases chemicals which help in reinforcing the positive state of our mind. And they taste good too!

Garlic:
Stress can be the result of hypertension and garlic attacks just that and helps maintain the normal blood pressure of the body.It eases tension and stress and reduces glucose levels in our body. Garlic cannot be used as standalone product in our diet but we can flavor a lot of our dishes with garlic and pickled garlic has the advantage of staying edible and tasty for long.

Citrus fruits:
Fruits in general can be very good for your health but Citrus fruits are way more helpful in combating stress. Citrus fruits like oranges and sweet lime happen be very rich source of natural sugar which will make a world of difference with energy levels.

Green Tea:
If you are hooked on coffee, you may not realise what harm coffee does to your body. The same goes for tea. The solution to a perfect pick-me-up beverage is Green tea which is herbal in nature and can help you cope with stress. These kinds of teas keep your calories in check and also have a great taste. Of the many herbal teas that are available, Gin Seng tea, Tulsi tea etc.

Carry a Snack:
Having some protein-rich, healthful snacks in your car, office, or purse can help you avoid blood sugar level dips and accompanying mood swings and fatigue. Trail mix, granola bars, and certain energy bars all contain good nutrition.Always keep  water handy, as it’s so vital to health and proper physical functioning.

Yoghurt:
Yoghurt has the capacity to relieve the mind during stressful situations and is also a pleasure to eat especially when it is sweetened. There are many variations on yoghurt, like Lichi, Strawberry as well as other interesting flavors. It works very well in summer and it is very easy to digest.

Salmon:
A true beauty booster due to the Omega-3 oils it contains, which not only fights stress but also revitalizes skin making it look younger and healthier. Oily fish help you maintain a steady blood pressure and keep a check on the cholesterol levels in your body. And they help in improving brain function too.

Chicken Soup:
This well known recipe is great for the soul as well flu and other gastric turbulence since it contains anti-inflammatory substances calming down any respiratory problems. Moreover it helps you eat less since after a nice bowl of chicken soup you feel full thus decreasing your intake of calories.

Walnuts:
They happen to  contain amino-acids which unwind blood vessels, stimulating thus the circulation of blood and the oxygenation of skin. Then, the omega-3 oils also contained in walnuts provide elasticity to your skin.

Milk:
One glass of hot milk before going to bed at night, dwindles the effect of  insomnia and ensures a calm and rested sleep. It is better to choose fat free milk over full fat milk so you do not overload your body with oils. You will feel the temperature of your body increasing, relaxing your nervous system and helping you get a very restful sleep.

Follow these tips and you are sure to be in the pink of health and stress-free. So Jiyo Life everyone and help educate your close ones about this too. 

Jiyo Life without Stress - II

We have spoken about how to relieve stress in our previous post. We explained some of the qualities you need to instill in yourself so that you can live a perfectly stress free live. In this post we will give you several more tips on how to achieve a stress-free state of being. The best way to relieve stress is to prevent it before it ever develops. There are a few daily routines that you will have to start  to prevent stressful situations. You cannot do anything about the factors  that may cause stress. but you can relieve it by using these methods.

1) This is the most prominent and useful tip anyone can give you. Even you know its importance. Get a good night’s sleep. It is recommended that you get at least 8 hours of sleep. We know that work is important and many other factors result in you getting less hours of sleep. But try to remember that by denying your body much needed rest, you are actually killing it slowly.


2) We are emotional beings. Emotions are beautiful things which make us feel truly human. But they run the risk of making us vulnerable to many things.Everyone should think rationally and objectively.Emotions should not go beyond our control.


3) Planning and task management is the key to a stress free work place condition. Plan your day and deal accordingly with the situations but also take breathers for 10- 15 minutes between exhaustive tasks.


4) We pride ourselves on our multi-tasking abilities. But we tend to bite more than we can chew. Everyone should pace themselves. Push yourself but not in such a way that can harm you. Relax. Concentrate on the job at hand. When undivided attention is given to one thing at a time, you are bound to do a good job at it.


6) Taking a walk sometimes is a very good reliever of stress. It can provide exercise as well as calm your mind. Walk in areas which are rarely crowded and where you can experience peace.


7)Nature is the best healer. Take a few days off and go to see nature at its best. It will have a calming effect on you and it is scientifically proven that beautiful scenery and fresh air soothes the nerves.


8) Confront your problems by talking about them with the relevant people. Failure to do this increases bitterness which may stress you and many people out.


9) Listen to music.  Music is highly therapeutic and is very likely to drive stress away because of its property of distracting people from their current state and helping them to imagine a better place and situation.

10) Do not take life so seriously, laugh sometime.Another way to relieve stress is to talk to someone about your problems. It could be a family member, friend or health care professional who will give you the emotional support you need to reduce stress.

Jiyo Life without Stress

Our world is progressing by leaps and bound every year. With technology leaping such great distances, it is very difficult for us humans to adjust with it. All this leads to stress. Stress is no laughing matter. Many of you will obviously know how dangerous stress can be on the mental and physical levels. The body changes, prepares to either confront the challenge or flee from it. Stress causes you to feel anxious, scared, irritable or moody. Stress plays games with your memory. Stress affects behavior and increases dependencies on things like alcohol and drugs which in turn can cause a whole host of problems when overdone.Stress can be caused by many things like peer pressure, work pressure, family problems death etc.

Dealing with stress is not easy. So we have listed simple ways in which you can beat stress and take control of your life.

Meditation:

Meditation is the most helpful and resourceful way to deal with stress. Every day you should keep half and hour or an hour to meditate. By “meditating” I mean you should just free your mind and relax. It will help you keep relaxed and focused when you do work.

Exercise:

Exercise is good for the body. It keeps you fit and also helps to calm stress because it helps you keep your mind focused. Exercise can also include activities like swimming, sports and jogging. Also you shouldn’t jog early in the morning if your sleep isn’t complete. That is why an evening jog makes much more sense.

Positivity:

Changing our outlook towards like can be very challenging but if you cultivate a positive outlook, things will feel better and you will be less stressed out. I don’t mean that you should just be pseudo positive and put up a front, but to actually be positive about things. It will work wonders.

Communication:

You should analyse your communication skills because sometimes people can tend to be very hostile in their manner of speaking and it ends up alienating a lot of other people. Communication is an important aspect of your daily life and you cannot afford to ignore it.

Entertainment:

This is for all the workaholics out there. It is an admirable thing that people can be dedicated to their jobs but doing that at risk of physical and mental well-being is dangerous. Make time for fun and entertainment. Go for a movie with friends. Meet your college mates and relive your college years. Listen to music. There are endless possibilities. But keep a time for all this. We do not intend that you leave your work behind schedule. Just make some time for entertainment.

There are lot of other ways to handle stress so stay tuned for the second part of this article.

Jiyo Life in Thekkady this monsoon

Monsoon rages on our city indefinitely. Now is the time to engineer a perfect getaway from the city even if it means going for just a weekend. The one good place to to really enjoy the monsoons and the moisture soaked earth happens to be ‘God’s own country’. Kerala is a fascinating place to visit throughout the year. But there is real pleasure to be derived from visiting Kerala in the rains. Thekkady in Kerala seems to the perfect place to go to.

Location:

Situated in Kerala, close to the Kerala - Tamil Nadu border town - Kumily, it is located about 257 km (160 miles) from Trivandrum, 114 km from Madurai Airport, 185 km from Cochin International Airport and 114 km from Kottayam railway station.

Tourism:

The sanctuary is renowned for its dense evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist deciduous forests and savanna grass lands. It is home to herds of elephants, sambar, tigers, gaur, lion-tailed Macaques and Nilgiri Langurs. The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is spread across 777 km² (300 sq. miles), of which 360 km² (139 sq. miles) is thick evergreen forest. The Wild Life Sanctuary was declared a Tiger Reserve in 1978. The splendid artificial lake formed by the Mullaiperiyar Dam across the Periyar River adds to the charm of the park. The greatest attraction of Periyar are the herds of wild elephants that come down to play in the lake. Thekkady is considered a heaven for natural spices such as black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon and clove.

Places to visit:

Periyar National Park:

The Periyar National Park is spread over an area of about 777 km² and comprises a thick evergreen forest with exotic wild life. The sanctuary was declared a tiger reserve sometime in 1978. It has an artificial lake formed by the Mullaperiyar Dam, built in 1895 across the Periyar river.

Murikkady

This place consists of spice and coffee plantations. It is about 5 km from Thekkady.

Chellar Kovil:

This is located about 15 km from Kumily and leads to the Theni district of Tamil Nadu. This place has a lot of waterfalls and cascades. It is very beautiful and extremely serene

Mangala Devi Temple:

It is situated about 15 km from Thekkady and sits at an altitude of 1337 m above sea level. It is only open during the Chitra Pournami festival.

I hope you all will have a fun-filled monsoon trip this heavenly place.

Jiyo Life with Music.

William Shakespeare, the most celebrated dramatist in recorded history says that,“If music be the food of love, then play on”. Music is food for the soul. If everything else fails, music can still be your loyal companion and help raise your spirits. There are songs for every known human emotion which can help people identify themselves with the lyrics and help them have a good time.

Music comes out of the of the inherent human endeavour to find resonance with people and surroundings. Musicians are human beings too, and hence they weave their experiences into their music so that people may identify and appreciate life and rise above all its irritations.The musical field is very diverse and hence people have a large variety of genres to listen to. You may like Indian classical or western popular songs but you are still just submitting to a deeper desire for resonance. How many times have you not felt depressed and and have turned on the stereo to the a song which comforts and soothes you? Ditto for the times that when you felt so happy that you decided only a song can help you express your happiness. Music has infinite power over human beings which can be used for good of the people. Music binds and connects people. Listening to your favourite songs with your friends helps you all come closer and for old friends, kicks in nostalgia of good times that everyone has cherished. Melodies are the strings that bind us together.

Whenever you feel stressful or just down, put on your favourite song and let it take over you and overwhelm you. Life is all about being in tune with all your feelings and emotions and what better and pleasurable way than to get lost in the enchanting world of song.Pick up an instrument and learn to play melodies and your favourite songs or just sing whenever you get the time. It is never too late to learn and it will be a good stress-buster. Jiyo life to the fullest with this wonderful world of symphony.

Jiyo Life Zone comes to Bangalore and Gurgaon.

After touring cities like Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai and Pune, the Jiyo Life Zone comes this weekend to Bangalore and Gurgaon. For all you good people out there, the Jiyo Life Zone is the perfect place to relax and have fun with your family and friends. As you will already know by now, the Jiyo Life Zone has tons of games and events. prominent among these are the ‘Moment Wall’, where you can write your most precious Jiyo Life moments and also post pictures, and the ‘Wish Wall’ where you can pen down your what you think your ideal ‘Jiyo Life’ moment will be. There will be grand prizes for the best entries. Come hither and discover what life is all about!

The venue is Garuda Mall in Bangalore and Ambience Mall, in Gurgaon. The Jiyo Life Zone will be held in these malls on the 7th and 8th of August. Timings are 10.30 am - 8.30 pm. Please check our Facebook Page for more details.

Jiyo Life Zone in Pune on 31st and 1st August.

After resounding successes in cities like Chennai and Delhi, Jiyo life is coming this weekend at SGS Mall at Moledina Road in Pune on 31st July and 1st August. This zone is for all of you and their families to have a memorable weekend and to re-bond with their loved ones. It provides an excellent opportunity for the family to free up from their stressful lifestyle and enjoy pure unadulterated family fun.

We have many many fun activities planned for your family. There will be fun family oriented contests. You can also share a picture with us, which describes your ‘Jiyo Life’ moment. These pictures will be displayed on the Jiyo Life Moment Wall. There will be a ‘Wish’ wall where everyone can share the ideal Jiyo Life moment they are wishing for. The best write-up and picture will win a prize. Look out for random on-the-spot games which we guarantee will be a whole lot of fun.

We welcome you and your family to the Jiyo Life Zone for a memorable weekend.

For more details visit http://jiyolife.com/zone.asp

Travel experiences with a backpack: Malvan

We have travelled a lot on our own. Visited many famous places and some places so exotic that no one knows about them. Sampled cuisines, culture, music and everything else, which is a refreshing change when compared to stagnant city life. And in all such adventure, the mp3 player and back-pack have been stable companions. It is very important to have a sturdy backpack whenever you go out on these trips. Besides being tough, the Backpack needs to be very well organized so that contents can be reached without having to empty the entire thing to get something. The primary reason for carrying a backpack Is that it leaves your hands free to manage various other things without having to resort to ardous means.

One of the earliest trips we can remember is to the beachside area of Malvan, in Maharashtra. It much quiter a place than Goa, if you want complete peace of mind and a seamless sync with nature. It is still something of a virgin area and many people don’t know about it. The beaches are magnificent and the food is epic in its goodness. For those of you who are into simple cuisine which is robust and tasty as hell, this place is for you. And the best part is that it is so ridiculously cheap to stay there as compared to other beach spots. A couple of my close buddies had joined me there and we had the time of our lives. Also if you want to extend your vacation, Goa is a mere 50-60 km away! Malvan has breathtaking scenery, lush forests, beautiful beach front and also a rock garden. The best time to go there is during the month leading up to winter. Here are a few tourist attractions which may interest you.

§  Sindhudurg - A sea fort. This impressive Sindhudurg (meaning Ocean Fort), was built in 1664 by the great 17th century Maratha King, Shivaji on "Kurte" island to the glory of the Maratha Empire. The construction of a sea fort is a stupendous task, and at Sindhudurg, no efforts were spared. Over 4000 mounds of iron were used for casting and the foundation stones were laid down firmly in lead. Even today, as one approaches the fort past a rocky reef, navigable through a narrow channel, one marvels at the transportation of such heavy material through such choppy waters.

§  Tarkarli - A serene beach located 8 km off Malvan town. This beach is a favorite with sand particles devoid of any red tinge and sky reflecting waters. Further north about another 6–7 km, is the Tarkarli creek and a lovely estuary. A boat ride on the Tarkarli creek is a pleasant way to spend some time.

§  Rock Garden - The Rock garden is situated near the Arase Mahal and on the Rocky Shore of Malvan.

We hope you all have an awesome trip there, if you decide to go and also please tell me about any other such places.  

Go ahead and Jiyo Life at this exotic beach destination! Would love to hear your comments if you have been here already. Jiyo Life!

Jiyo Life at the Jiyo Life Zone in Chennai and Delhi

 Zone is back this weekend!. We understand that the good people of other cities shouldn’t miss out on all the fun, Hence the Jiyo Life Zone is coming this weekend to Delhi and once again to Chennai too. The Jiyo Life zone will be set  up at City Centre Mall, Chennai and also at DLF Square and City Square in Delhi, on the 10th and 11^th of July. This zone is for all those people and their families to have a memorable weekend and to re-bond with their loved ones.

There are many exciting events planned. There will be fun family oriented contests. You can also share a picture with us, which describes your ‘Jiyo Life’ moment. These pictures will be displayed on the Jiyo Life Moment Wall. There will be a ‘Wish’ wall where everyone can share the ideal Jiyo Life moment they are wishing for. The best entries in these contests will receive attractive prizes. There is also fun drawing contest where the whole family can participate. Look out for random on-the-spot games which we guarantee will be a whole lot of fun. And to add to the vibrant mix of the activities, a fusion Band will also be performing in Chennai.

So, everyone in Delhi and Chennai, come to celebrate life to its fullest. Help make this weekend, a one you will remember.

For more details visit http://jiyolife.com/zone.asp

Celebrate life at Ampa Mall in Chennai

In taking the ethos  of ‘Jiyo Life’ forward, we bring you the Jiyo Life Zone, on 26th & 27^th of June at Ampa Mall in Chennai.  We will be setting up a Jiyo Life Zone at Ampa Mall specifically for all those people and their families who have had their Jiyo Life moments and would like to share them with us.

There are many exciting events planned. There will be fun family oriented contests. You can also share a picture with us, which describes your ‘Jiyo Life’ moment. These pictures will be displayed on the Jiyo Life Moment Wall . Also, there will be a ‘Wish’ wall where everyone can share the ideal Jiyo Life moment they are wishing for. The best entries in these contests will receive attractive prizes.

So, everyone in Chennai, come hither at Ampa Mall to celebrate life to its fullest. Help make this weekend, a one you will remember.

Gross National Happiness

 Our nation is progressing by leaps and bounds. Our progress is measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Well, of-course it is a good indicator of the economy of the country but I believe it is not a complete system. Economists have long known that GDP is not a perfect system. What if there existed a system which can better judge a nation’s economical progress with better means than the GDP.

Well, such a method exists and is currently followed by Bhutan. It is called Gross National Happiness(GNH). The term was coined in 1972 by Bhutan's former King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who had opened up Bhutan to the age of modernization, soon after the demise of his father, King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk. He used the phrase to signal his commitment to building an economy that would serve Bhutan's unique culture based on Buddhist spiritual values. Of-course, Bhutan is the only country which uses this method but research is on into whether we can switch from our current GDP system to GNH so we as country can plan our economic wellbeing based solely on the citizen’s happiness rather huge profit margins.

 As we all know that a nation’s economic well-being depends largely on the happiness of the people. If people are satisfied with the salary they make, then probably it can be inferred that that the economy is doing well.  As economic development on the planet approaches or surpasses the limits of ecosystems to provide resources and absorb human effluents, calling into question the ability of the planet to continue to support civilization, many people have called for getting "Beyond GDP" (the title of a recent EU conference) in order to measure progress not as the mere increase in commercial transactions, nor as an increase in specifically economic well-being, but as an increase in general well-being as people themselves subjectively report it. GNH is a strong contributor to this movement to discard measurements of commercial transactions as a key indicator and to instead directly assess changes in the social and psychological well-being of populations.

GNH value largely depends upon:

1.     Economic Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of economic metrics such as consumer debt, average income to consumer price index ratio and income distribution

2.     Environmental Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of environmental metrics such as pollution, noise and traffic

3.     Physical Wellness: Indicated via statistical measurement of physical health metrics such as severe illnesses

4.     Mental Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of mental health metrics such as usage of antidepressants and rise or decline of psychotherapy patients

5.     Workplace Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of labor metrics such as jobless claims, job change, workplace complaints and lawsuits

6.     Social Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of social metrics such as discrimination, safety, divorce rates, complaints of domestic conflicts and family lawsuits, public lawsuits, crime rates

7.     Political Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of political metrics such as the quality of local democracy, individual freedom, and foreign conflicts.

Hopefully, we will witness this paradigm shift in the near future where the economy will be more suited to the social needs of the people.