Hey all
Please find the latest issue of Good Vibes – your weekly dose of deep health and positivity.
In the last couple of years, I have saved myself from lot of hassles of daily chores by automating whatever possible. Came across this very useful article – 10 ways to automate your life As Robert Kiyosaki says: “You have to be smart. The easy days are over.” Those making most of their time will be most successful.
I am nearing completion of my certification course on Sleep and recovery. All the mentees I have been working with has a common issue – lack of good sleep. Here’s a good list of habits to bring in for good sleep. Success is not how u start a day but how you finish it. A bedtime routine is the smartest investment in your overall well-being.
I am pondering over the quote by Christy Golden,
“Clarity is often found in stillness.”
Clarity is more than knowing whether you should choose ‘a’ over ‘b’. Clarity happens when you turn your mind within and allow it to be still. In stillness, there’s clarity – you know exactly what it is that you have to do.
Today is World Environment day. We all agree that Climate change is real and effects are being felt fast. In the universe are billions of galaxies, In our galaxy are billions of planets, But there is #OnlyOneEarth. Let’s take care of it. Earth faces triple emergency – the climate is heating up too quickly for people and nature to adopt. Habitat loss means over a million species are threatened with extinction and pollution continues to poison our air, water and land. These environmental and social challenges require holistic solutions. Sustainable living has to be the default action. I have a toolkit today what as an individual can do for our Earth.
If you like this newsletter you have a zero cost way to support it by sharing with your friends and family and giving a shout out on your social media platform. Please leave your feedback and suggestions. You can mail me or tweet to @SandeepMall using #goodvibeswithSandeep.
Lets get fitter together
Sandeep Mall
As citizens our individual decisions shape how our societies impact the environment.
- Raise your voice – Start a petition, organise a debate or call a demonstration to encourage your government – national or local, including at city-level – as well as big businesses to join the net-zero coalition, transform transportation, restore and protect nature and clean up our air and water.
- Spread knowledge – Take a deep dive around an issue that concerns you and spread your knowledge with friends, family and your wider community, and in public discussions, including on social media.
- Energy Positive Homes- Use efficient heating and cooling systems to save the planet and claw back the cost with lower bills. Changing your habits can also make a big difference, so turn the thermostat up or down a degree, ditch or add a layer of clothing and don’t heat or cool only the rooms in use.
- Balance your diet – A balanced diet is one that provides energy and nutrients from several different food groups. Reduce foods that need more natural resources, especially water, to produce (meat uses more than plants or pulses), or fruits and vegetables that aren’t in season or are imported over long distances.
- Beyond buying – Think about what you really need and cut back the amount of stuff that you buy – and throw away. Choose items that are made to last and that can then be recycled or repurposed. Maybe you can find what you need second hand.
- Ditch Disposable – Refuse everyday products that cannot be reused, such as plastic cups and cutlery, plastic and paper bags, batteries and sanitary products.
- Keep Active- Do more walking or cycling to cut vehicle pollution and road congestion while getting some fresh air and boosting your fitness. The more people use cycle lanes and sidewalks, the more governments will need to re-design infrastructure to focus less on cars.
- Share your ride- If walking or cycling isn’t practical, opt for public and shared transport instead of driving. Hook up with family, friends and colleagues to share a ride – and the cost – of any car travel.
- Holidays – Staying local for holidays can reduce your carbon footprint, save you money and allow you to travel more slowly, without the stress of long journeys. If you do go the distance, do it less often but stay longer.
- Get Involved – Join a local organization that advances sustainability and restores nature including by campaigning for systemic change.
- Conserve Energy – Insulate your home and push for insulation in your workplace, keeping them cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Turn-off lights and electronics when not in use, use appliances with high energy-efficiency ratings in your home. This will reduce emissions and save you money.
Humanity has come together before to prevent environmental catastrophes, mend the ozone layer, support vulnerable communities, restore millions of hectares of land and marine ecosystems protecting thousands of species, and ban dangerous pollutants – saving countless lives.
Let those victories be the torches that ignite more action and illuminate the path to a world in which we can live at peace with nature.
When you are faced with a problem, how do you go about solving it? Do you let it overwhelm you, or do you flex your problem-solving muscles and figure out the best solution?
Begin With A Positive Approach When a problem arises, it’s easy to enter panic mode or envision worst-case scenarios. Before you let your mind go there, take a step back and address every problem as simply another situation. It is a challenge that, with the right approach, you can handle. Part of that approach is thinking positively and creatively about the situation.
Define The Problem What exactly is the challenge you are facing? What about this particular situation is causing you stress and anxiety? You must clearly define the problem to resolve it. Not only should you clarify what the problem is, but you should also see what caused the problem.
Address The Situation From Different Directions Geniuses solve issues with out-of-the-box thinking. You need to see the problem from every angle before you begin offering solutions.You should think: Are there other problems that are affecting this obstacle? If so, you need to address it first.
Brainstorm Solutions To The Problem Part of addressing the situation from different directions is to come up with not just one but several solutions. There are likely to be multiple solutions to any single problem. The first conclusion that comes to mind may not be the best one, but the more you focus, the more solutions you will find. That’s why brainstorming all possible resolutions is an essential step to problem-solving.
Find The Best Solution To Solve Your Challenge Now, not all possible solutions you outlined will be a good fit. You should be able to narrow down each method and see which is the most effective for your issue. Do this by comparing each of the results with the one you believe to be the most ideal.
Prepare For The Worst Before you jump at the chance to solve your problem with the best-fit solution, consider the repercussions of the solution. Now is the time to jump to worst-case scenarios–What will happen if the solution fails? Knowing the answer to this will allow you to prepare if it doesn’t resolve your dilemma.
It’s unnecessary to feel overwhelmed and confused when a problem arises. Stress and unhappiness come from how you respond to those situations. When you enhance your problem-solving skills, you will experience determination when the next difficult situation arises.
While you may not know how to resolve most issues right away, you will know the problem-solving steps to take to uncover the best response: Define the problem, determine the cause, discover the best solution, take action, and analyze the outcome.
by Nishant Mandal
Squats are a functional exercise – ones that help your body perform real life activities. Contrary to what some may think, squats aren’t just for body builders or weight lifters; they’re for everyone at any age and they can be done anywhere, at any time, without the need for specific equipment. Some people even say that squatting is the best exercise you can do.
When you go down to tie your shoelaces or to pick up something from the floor, you are actually squatting. It’s a natural form of exercise. The only difference between those actions and squatting workouts is that while doing squat exercises, you deliberately maintain a correct posture to gain some intended benefit.
Squat can be done with or without weights. Either way will benefit you, by adding weights will lead to improvements to overall muscle mass. However, if you do use weights be sure to squat correctly to avoid injury. Lets look at some specific benefits of including squats in your daily routine although the benefits listed are not the only ones you’ll get . These are just some of the universal ones and many others will vary from person to person.
Builds muscle: They don’t just help you achieve wonderful, toned legs; they promote body-wide muscle building by creating an anabolic (muscle building) environment in the body. They work up your quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, abdominal muscles, lower back and your butt too. Not many exercises can claim to recruit so many muscles at the same time!
Impoved calorie burn: Because they help you build muscle, you’ll become more efficient at burning calories so you can get to that slimmer fitter physique faster. Add weights to your squats and you’ll burn the calories even quicker.
Improved flexibility: Improving your flexibility should be part of your lifestye. Our muscles, tendons and ligaments become less elastic with age so doing all we can to slow down this process is a good idea. Squatting regularly will see you limber up and become more flexible as the exercise involves bending and stretching of the leg muscles.
Mobility & Balance: Strong legs are essential for staying mobile as you get older, and that’s where squats come in. Not only do they develop leg strength, they also work out your core, stabilising muscles. These muscles help you to maintain balance, while also improving the communication between your brain and your muscle groups, which helps prevent falls.
Injury prevention: Most injuries involve weak ligaments, connective tissues and stabiliser muscles (muscles that aren’t directly involved in a movement, but work to keep you steady so that your primary muscles can do their job). Squats actually help to strengthen these supportive tissues, which can mean the difference between an injury or not. Remember, though, technique is paramount when performing any exercise – including squats – in order to avoid injury.
Healthy joints and bones: As squatting engages your hips, knees and ankles at the same time, the load not only helps build muscle, but also improves joint health and joint strength. it helps with overall strength which is great for younger people, and also older people who may have a low bone density. The strengthening will therefore help with injury prevention.
Posture: With improved core strength and leg strength, your posture will also benefit. This is because posture is influenced by muscles in your front back, which work together. However, be sure to combine squatting with stretching and mobilising!
Improved digestion and circulation: An overlooked benefit of doing squats relates to circulation and digestion. The speed in which fluids travel through your body is improved while exercising your leg muscles, which allows more oxygen and nutrients to travel through your body’s organs. This includes improvements to small intestine efficiency.
Naturally, with all of these improvements, daily tasks such as getting up from a seated position or lifting objects will become easier which is especially important for later in life.
In addition, squats are perfect for cardio and sports that involve the lower body. They’ll help you move and play longer. Similar to other exercises, squatting properly is critical to ensure you maximise the benefits and prevent injury. The best way of learning to squat correctly is to ask your personal trainer.
To gain maximum benefits from the exercise, you should accompany squat workouts with a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Nishant Mandal is a certified Personal trainer/Online fitness coach based out of Delhi NCR. He is ACE-CPT, Crossfit L-1, PN-L1 certified and Calisthenics enthusiast, Deadlift Junkie, Movement & Mobility expertise
He gets people to move and better themselves since 2010, through individualised and challenging routines, but not much than what one can’t handle. You can connect with him at
Twitter @NishantPTrainer
The recordings and transcripts of the previous space sessions are uploaded here.
Upcoming Good Vibes Space
Yoga and animal flow with Komal_42– 18th June
Dental care & Hygiene with Gautam Govitrikar – 2nd July
5 PM. Block your calendar.
