Mumbai, July 27: Stress and hypertension have increasingly become a serious cause of concern, and in the context of a global pandemic, they cannot be neglected at any cost. Working professionals and corporate employees are most affected by these issues, impacting their mental and physical health along with their productivity and performance at work. The dire effects of stress and hypertension are being aggravated due to the new work from home lifestyle, due to the sedentary lifestyle and high work pressure that come with it. The blurring of lines between work and personal life has also taken a toll on mental health of the working professionals.
Dr. Bhavna Diyora, Ayurveda Doctor Preventive Health Consultant, Nutritionist and Panelist and GALF highlights the importance of wellness for the performance of an organization and suggests action-based sessions for tackling stress and hypertension, including yoga sessions, deep muscle stretching, and so on. She has conducted many sessions with corporates, providing the most effective behavioural interventions to achieve optimum wellness. “Being part of team GALF, we have been conducting preventive health sessions for corporate employees. We would always emphasize identifying all the aspects of wellness and then work towards it. The balance in all factors of wellness would lead to a balanced life and hence optimum health”, she says.
Roshitha Girish, Hatha Yoga Specialist and Panellist at GALF, points out the efficacy of yoga in lowering blood pressure and stress, and conducts wellness sessions for corporates which focus on both mental and physical aspects of the body, using asanas like Balasana (child’s pose) Setubandasana (Bridge pose) and many others to lower the impact of stress. She goes on to add, “Taking short breaks away from the desk/ away from the screen, stretching at regular intervals and having conversations with fellow employees helps in reducing built-up stress levels.”
The busy schedule of corporate employees may lead them to neglect their mental and physical health, and Sonia Coutinho, Holistic Wellness Specialist and Panellist at GALF suggests the importance of lifestyle changes to manage stress, and also the importance of corporates collaborating with fitness ecosystems like GALF. “It is important to equip corporate organizations with the tools and the consultancy to ensure that their employees are taken care of overall mind, body & spirit. Corporates can ensure holistic wellness & in turn more productivity from their teams,” she says. Mr. Kapil Udaiwal, Chief People Officer, Ageas Federal Life Insurance, understands the importance of wellness and writes that the work-from-home lifestyle is “causing poor physical and mental health with rising cases of hypertension, diabetes, weight gain, insomnia, and a host of other ailments.” They have tackled these issues with interventions such as ‘Employee Well-being and Assistance Programme’, through which “we have encouraged our employees to tele-consult with professional counsellors if required. We have also sent out a ‘Guide to Work from Home’ handbook with best practices on adapting to this ‘new normal’ including maintaining work-life balance; focus on health and emotional wellness, and ways to improve work productivity.”
Dr. Srinivas Dinesh Kudva, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, advises that it is the basics that we need to change and work on. “With every pinch of added salt to your diet, you are increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and loss of vision. Along with medications and control on your diet, regular exercise and meditation also helps reduce your blood pressure” he says. So next time you reach out to grab a ‘pinch ‘of salt to sprinkle onto your foods, he says, “remember, that it’ll taste good, but you’ll ‘Feel the pinch’ later.”
Amit Vasistha, Founder and CEO, GALF acknowledges that corporates are waking up to this reality and paying more attention to their worker’s mental and physical health, and realising the importance of creating a healthy and positive work environment. This is precisely what GALF assists with, as it is a holistic wellness aggregator covering all crucial aspects of holistic wellness including mental, emotional, physical, nutritional, social and financial. “Every company worth their might is now eager to offer employee wellbeing as a key value proposition,” he says.
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