Waking up, grabbing a protein bar, and rushing out of the door for work is one of the worst ways to start the day. Believe it or not, the key to a good stress-free day is to have a simple morning schedule routine that you can easily follow every day. Something that quickly can become a routine. As a start, we bring you a few things that you can do to create this routine for yourself.
Meditate
A great way to start your day would be with a quick 15-20 minutes meditation session. Spend time getting in touch with your inner self and mentally prepare for the day that lies ahead. It would feel like taking a deep long breath before doing something tedious. You can also pair your meditation with a breathing exercises as well.
Get your cuppa joe
Caffeine lovers, get your morning fix well. Your cup of coffee or tea will make it easier for you to stay alert and stick to your routine. Plus, it will also make waking up early that much more enjoyable or rather tolerable. If you’re not fond of tea or coffee, how about making a healthy smoothie for yourself?
Drink water
Hydration is important for health! As much as you think against it, start your day glass of water, before you eat or drink anything else. Squeeze in half a lemon or add in few slices of citrus fruits and this way you can enjoy flavoured water in the morning.
Add skincare to your routine
Laugh it off if you want, but a consistent morning skincare routine will be great, not only for your skin, but also for your mind. It is an efficient way to prepare for the day and relax. Spend a few minutes on your AM routine after you shower and we bet that it’ll put you in a great mood.
Say no to snooze
Instead of setting up a zillion alarms and hitting snooze every two minutes, set only one alarm, count till five after it and drag yourself to get out of bed. This might seem hard in the beginning, but eventually, it will become a habit that will benefit your for health and work efficiency in the long run.
Say positive affirmations
Saying a few personalised affirmations helps start your day with a positive mindset. The affirmations can be something as simple as “I will finish all my tasks” or “I will have a great day ahead”, anything that resonates with your personal goals.
Apart from the change in season, there are other factors that can cause coughing and cold. Well, cough is a common reflex action and can also occur when a foreign particle enters inside your airways. Seasonal and environmental allergies are among one of the most common causes of cold and cough. Think you could be allergic to some substances? Take an allergy test and know at the comfort of your home.
In addition to medicines and cough syrups, you can use some simple ayurvedic home remedies for cough and cold to help you feel better.
According to Ayurveda, imbalance in any of the three doshas i.e., vata, pitta, kapha can cause an ailment. In this case, an excess of Pitta and Kapha in the body causes nasal congestion and cough.
To tackle this, here are some natural home remedies for cough and cold:
1. Tulsi
In Ayurveda, Tulsi is known as “Mother Medicine of Nature” and “The Queen of Herbs”. Tulsi leaves help improve the individual’s ability to fight against common cold as well as cough. Tulsi boosts the production of antibodies thereby preventing the onset of any infections. Tulsi has cough relieving properties. It helps soothe the airways by helping you cough out the sticky mucus. Chew 4-5 tulsi leaves the first thing in the morning. You can continue taking Tulsi leaves to boost your immunity.
2. Honey
With loads of antimicrobial properties, honey is not only heavenly for your taste buds but also helps ease sore throat. It is an effective cough suppressant. Honey provides relief from chest congestion by loosening thick mucus and helping you to cough it out. This helps reduce wet cough. Take a teaspoonful of honey before going to bed at night to reduce the severity of cough. Continue till you do not get relief from cough.
3. Mulethi
Mulethi or Licorice, also known as “Sweet wood”, is an effective Ayurvedic herb for cough. Mulethi powder is useful in managing sore throat, cough and excessive production of mucus in the airway. Mulethi has expectorant property. It thins and loosens the mucus inside the airways. This eases coughing and reduces congestion.
4. Pippali
Pippali is an effective herb in managing cough and cold. Studies state that it gives relief from headache and congestion associated with common cold. Pippali loosens mucus and helps to cough it out, thus allowing the patient to breathe freely. This is due to its expectorant property.
5. Sonth
Dry ginger popularly known as sonth or sukku or soonth is one of the main ingredients of herbal cough syrups. Sonth, when taken with honey, acts as a soothing remedy for cough and cold. Sonth contains certain molecules that have anti-inflammatory properties. This helps reduce sore throat.
6. Cinnamon
This woody aromatic spice is loaded with many health benefits and one of them is relief from cold and cough. It not only gives relief from common cold but is also great for a sore throat. Cinnamon is known to have antiviral property. This helps fight against the virus causing common cold. It also has anti-inflammatory properties that help give relief from a sore throat.
7. Giloy
Giloy, also known as Amrita or Guduchi in Hindi, has heart-shaped leaves that resemble betel leaves. It helps manage cold and cough caused due to allergic reactions to pollution, smoke or pollen. It also helps to manage cold and tonsillitis. It is also the most effective herb to boost immunity. Giloy has good anti-inflammatory property. This helps reduce frequent cough as well as a sore throat.
Tips to Keep Distance from Cold and Cough
- Wash your hands properly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds to prevent the spread of cold viruses.
- Avoid touching your face, eyes, nose.
- Sanitise your hands with alcohol-based hand gels after touching contaminated surfaces at work-place like door-knobs, mouse, chair handles, etc.
- Keep a distance of 6 feet from people who are suffering from cold and cough.
- Wear a mask whenever you step outside the house or whenever you come in contact with people you don’t live with.
- Increase your water intake and have hot tea and liquids.
- Do steam inhalation by adding 1-2 drops of eucalyptus oil in a bowl of hot water. Repeat 2-3 times a day to get relief from a stuffy nose.
- Strengthen your immune system by taking a balanced diet rich in vitamin C food.
- Lastly, indulge in some form of exercise or yoga to keep yourself active
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