WIDE HORIZONS

WIDE HORIZONS
IMPROVE YOUR LIFE THROUGH THE POWER OF CHANGE
You are probably one in three people who often utter the much popular phrase, "Oh! I hate change!”Although it might seem like change could turn your whole world upside down, the benefits of welcoming the same remain unmatched. Read on to find out how and why change is good for you... 1. Helps you explore and expand You will never know what lies beyond unless you embrace change, allow yourself to step outside your present environs and explore. Confining yourself to what you have right now is myopic and will lead to stagnation, so learn to look beyond the boundaries. 2. Allows you to grow Who you were yesterday is very different from who you are today and who you will be tomorrow. Change may shock you but it also forces you to accept and then adapt and hence learn from the entire experience, only bestowing you with more confidence for the future. For youngsters especially, adapting to change is the best and the fastest way to grow. It helps them take charge and gain confidence, thus transforming them into mature adults. 3. Throws up a million new opportunities Change gets you out of your comfort zone but also places you face to face with numerous new possibilities. And do remember that opportunity knocks just once. If you absolutely refuse to acknowledge its presence, you might be missing on a better tomorrow. 4. Provides a fresh perspective You may think that you live a perfect life and there couldn’t be anything more. But once you experience something different and better through the process of change, you will be able to analyze and evaluate the present and the past and differentiate the good from the better. 5. Empowers you to break barriers If you peep into your past, there will be things that you are so glad you did, or things that you thought you would never have done. Incidentally, these will also be the same things that you were averse to, before you were coerced into doing them. Unless the experience scarred you for life, you’re good to go this time as well.
AGE GRACEFULLY: WELCOME THE AUTUMN OF YOUR LIFE!
To Age gracefully you do not have to DO anything. In fact, you have to do LESS. You have to learn how to relax, how not to struggle to be younger than what you are and stay in tune with the natural process of living. If you understand this basic rule and learn to evolve with time, the experience of aging can be beautiful for you. Here is some more insight to help you relish the process of experiencing the different hues of life as you grow older: 1. Accept your age: With an inner acceptance of our age, we also accept how we look. And that self-acceptance reflects on our face as self-confidence. Mark Twain must have been a happy old man, for he said, "Wrinkles are merely indications of where smiles have been." 2. Exercise to stay physically fit: Exercise is known to benefit any age group, even centenarians and it is never too late to start. Regularity in a chosen exercise program, a balanced diet of fruits and vegetables, and regular medical checkups are essentials you can't ignore. Moderation, regularity, rest and activity are the four check points for balance. 3. Laugh like the laughing Buddha: The inner space where you look out from is what shapes your outer life. Even if the body becomes older, the mind and the soul within can remain fresh and young. So clean your mind of negativities and erase those repetitive patterns of cribbing and complaining. Make humour and laughter your best pals to lighten up your life. 4. Dig deeper: Be it relationships, friendships, interests or hobbies; take a deeper stance in life. Don't get bogged down by minor conflicts, superficial problems or mindless competition. Realize that you are above all this now and enjoy the fruits of all your hard work. 5. Sit down to do nothing: Aging is caused by the body's response to stress. Being an automatic response, stress cannot be controlled. However, there is one mind-body technique that goes directly to the root of the stress response: Meditation. Meditation lowers biological age. From Vipassana to Dynamic, (sitting to dancing), there are many techniques you can experiment with.
HOW KINDNESS IS GOOD FOR YOU Tanya Munshi
In this fast-paced life, kindness is often forgotten. Kindness is the simplest emotion as humans that we can offer to a person, an animal or a plant. But did you know being kind is also good for you, not just the person you are being kind to? Being kind to someone boosts your self-worth and makes you feel important. Positive acts like kindness generate a sense of well being, or the ‘the feel good factor’, which in turn uplifts your spirits and keeps you optimistic. Staying happy boosts your self esteem. Being happy in turn reduces stress levels in your body. This in turn helps you to stay healthy since being happy boosts your immune system. Since stress is the root cause for several illnesses, sheer kindness can drive the stress and tensions away. Kindness is the cure for depression. Once depression is removed, other health problems like eating disorders, ulcers, acidity and sleeplessness all go away.
HOW TO SLEEP BETTER Tanya Munshi
You wake up grumpy and irritable, with a heavy head and no mood to learn or take up a new task. It's not a hangover, its how you feel when you don't get your regular dose of sleep. Sleep has deeper, long term health benefits. So think before you stay up late often. Benefits Of Sleep Your brain shuts down its tasks of all its emotions, decisions and interactions. So when you wake up in the morning, you are fresh to handle a new day. It helps you to deal with stress in everyday life. It gives you energy and boosts your immune system. Lack Of Sleep It makes you less attentive in class/work as it directly affects your nervous system. It can lead to poor memory and poor performance. It can make you moody and irritable. Develop Health Habits Quit smoking and alcohol, as nicotine can disturb a normal sleep cycle. Exercise daily for better blood circulation in your body. Try not taking a nap during the day as this may disturb your sleep cycle at night. Get a health check up done; maybe you're low on iron, vitamins and minerals. Taking multi-vitamins may help, but do consult the doctor first. Drink water at least two hours before bed time. This will prevent you from waking up frequently to visit to the bathroom at night. Never take sleeping pills, especially without consulting your doctor. In fact, it's best to do without pills. How To Sleep Better Try and maintain a regular sleep routine. Make it a point to hit the sack by a particular time daily. Ideally, you should get 7-8 hours of sound sleep. If you don't get enough sleep one night, compensate it the next night. Eat a light diner; this will prevent you from feeling uneasy and aid digestion. Don't sleep immediately when you lie down. Practice relaxation and calming exercises. You could also listen to soothing music or read a light book. Drink a glass of warm milk or warm water with a teaspoon of honey before going to bed. This will induce sound sleep. If you have a lot of tension then write them down in a book and sleep. This will prevent your worries from creeping into your sleep.