Happiness at your Fingertips
Wanna be Happy at will? Wanna have happiness at your fingertips? Wanna control happy hormones in yourself and others? Read on. We as humans experience that our desires govern our life. We live in a state of “wanting” something. Be it a good career, a loving life partner, a warm relationship, a huge bungalow, a royal car, good wealth and health, etc. And there is no end to the list. But why is that so? What do we want? What is the ultimate goal of every human being? The simple answer is: HAPPINESS! A survey once found out that 80% of people wanted to become rich or get famous to be happy. And the impression that they carry is such that they need to constantly push themselves to achieve their goals to have a good life. But actually they don't find happiness in the process and "miss" life. What if they learn to see the entire life as the sum total of instances and experiences? That will surely change their perception of life and happiness. But then the question is what is happiness and how to bring it under our control? The same question must have popped up in a psychiatrist named Robert Waldinger’s head when he chose to conduct perhaps the longest and the most extensive research in human history, i.e., study on human life AKA the Harvard Study of Adult Development. This professor of Harvard Medical School is monitoring the study that has tracked the lives of 724 men for over 80 years. Since 1938, they have tracked the lives of two groups of men. The first group involved the sophomores of Harvard College. They all finished college during World War II, then went off to serve in the war. The second group was a group of boys from Boston's poorest community; they were chosen because they belonged to some of the most troubled and disadvantaged families in Boston. They lived in tenements without many basic facilities like hot and cold running water. The project involved studying the journey of subjects from their teenage years into their old age and to know what keeps people happy and healthy through yearly questionnaires regarding their work, their relationships, their health, etc. They began by interviewing these teenagers along with their parents. They were given medical exams. When these teenagers grew up into adults, they chose to be different professionals from factory workers, lawyers, bricklayers to doctors. Some developed alcoholism and some developed schizophrenia. Some became very successful and some lost their success and failed miserably. Sometimes studies like this may fall apart within a decade due to various reasons, like people may drop out or die, the funding of the research may fall short, or the researchers get distracted. But this rare study survived all odds. Several generations of researchers were consistent in conducting this, and took it further. A few of the subjects are still alive and participating in the study even at the age of 90. Now they are studying more than 2000 children of the men who participated in the study. So what was the conclusion from this 75-year study? Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. And there is a scientific reason behind that. Having the people whom you love around you, your body generates all those happy hormones, neurotransmitters, chemicals that can help you to lead a happy and contented life. So technically, our happiness is in our own hands. Anatomically, indeed in our own body. Hormones act as messengers for our body that regulate our physical functioning like heart rate and digestion, our emotional well-being, mood, and feelings. Our thoughts, emotions, activities, conducts, diet, gut microbes, exercise regime, environment, relationships, and the people we surround ourselves with, all these things influence the hormones in our body. Some hormones help one to feel joy, experience pleasure, give relief from pain, boost mood, and promote general well-being. They alleviate anxiety and prevent depressive symptoms. These are called happy hormones. These feel-good hormones are dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphin. Let's have a brief look at them all.
- Serotonin:- The mood stabilizer
- Meditation
- Running
- Walking in nature
- Swimming
- Cycling
- Sunbathing
- Endorphin:- The Painkiller And The Runners Hormone
- Laughing
- Watching a comedy movie
- Eating a dark chocolate
- Exercising especially running
- Reading or listening to a joke
- Enjoying delicious dishes
- Dopamine:- The motivational roleplayer in the brain’s reward system
- When you complete a task
- Self-care activities
- Enjoying a delicious meal
- Celebrating little wins
- Physical and mental pleasure
- Entertaining feel-good thoughts
- Oxytocin:- The love hormone
- Playing with a baby
- Playing with a dog
- Holding hands
- Cuddling with a loved one
- Paying a compliment
- Carrying out group activities with friends and family
- Let The Sun And Vitamin D Be Your True Doctor
- Work That Body Out
- Laugh Your Lungs Out
- Cook And Cuddle With Your Loved One
- Sup! Supplements
- Music To The Rescue
- Meditate For The Mind That Matters
- Plan A Rosy Evening Filled With Romance
- Pat Your Pet
- Sleep Tight so Good can Be Your Night.
- Stress! Stay Away
- Keep Your Massage Mode On
Written by Dr Krushika Shah
Why is Spoken English in Surat the need of the hour?
Why is Spoken English in Surat the need of the hour? Well, Surat is a beautiful city on the banks of the river Tapi. Let us figure out its history, culture, and financial background first. This will help us understand where English conversation in Surat stands presently and why the importance of written and spoken English in Surat is growing. Similarly, it will also help us to realise why it is important to have a good IELTS class in Surat. Surat is well known in the Indian subcontinent from time immemorial. You can find mentions of the city even in holy books like the Mahabharata. It was a stopover spot for Lord Krishna on his journey from Mathura to Dwarka. A brahmin named Gopi found the city in the late fifteenth century and named it Suryapur, which means the city of the Sun. It was a famous port for trade and commerce in the British era. True to its name, Surat even today is the rising sun of sarees, diamonds, and unique street food. Surat spreads the sunlight of unique embroidery designs and “jhari” work all over the world. When anyone talks about sarees, the first thing that comes to mind is the advertisement ‘Sari mein Sari Parag Saree’, right? This saree brand is one of the many well-known brands in Surat. This is because Surat is the hub of selling Indian ethnic wear like sarees, salwar kameez, and kurtis in India and abroad. Similarly, Surat is well known as a diamond cutting, polishing, and supplying hub. That is why it is also called the Diamond City of India. In a similar manner, Surat is well known for its unique mouth-watering Surti cuisines like Locho, Ghari, Ponk, Undhyu, Cold Coco, … the list goes on and on. The diamond and the Indian ethnic wear make Surat one of the leading shopping hubs of India. The city provides employment opportunities to millions of daily wagers from across the country. They come here to make their career in the diamond and the textile industry. That makes Surat one of the fastest-growing cities of India.
How has the lack of fluent English Speaking hampered Surat?
Even though the city boasts of being the diamond city, only the manufacturing work is done in Surat. Major tasks such as sales, advertising, and marketing of the Diamond and the Textile industry are done in metros like Mumbai and Ahmedabad. One of the main reasons for it is that the people of Surat are not so comfortable about Speaking English. Moreover, Surties do not give so much importance to the English Language. People here face many difficulties in trading due to this language barrier. This obstacle significantly stunts the growth of the city. In fact, this makes a handful of people who are good at written and spoken English in Surat get special importance. Since I was born and brought up in Surat, I can vouch for this. My fluency in English conversation has leveraged my career as a digital marketer and content writer. However, I faced difficulties in getting managerial-level jobs as I grew in experience. The diamond and the textile industry do not require skilled labourers. Most educated youths are in family businesses, or job seekers like me who prefer to migrate to metros like Mumbai in search of better job opportunities. So, the use of English is very limited in Surat.Why can't people in Surat speak in English fluently?
When I interacted with my friends, colleagues, and common people, I came to know the reasons why even after having a good command of written communication, they were not able to communicate verbally in English. The major reasons why the people of Surat cannot speak good English are discussed below.-
Lack of conducive environment at home for English
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Less emphasis on communicative English during school and college study
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Translating from mother tongue
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Carrying over Gujarati pronunciation habits into English
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Very little effort in learning the target language
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Lack of interest in critical reading
How can spoken English classes or IELTS classes in Surat help?
Gujaratis are one of the most intelligent people with excellent business skills. It is important for Surtis to realize that the English language has the lion’s share in scaling any business, because Surat is actually growing by leaps and bounds with international recognition. To acquire a good command of English in a short period of time, one can join a famous spoken English class or institute in Surat. A good language institute can help learners in the following ways:-
Good quality training in English conversations
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Level-wise study for the learner
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Ease of registration for exams such as IELTS, PTE, or TOFEL?
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Mock tests for better results
Is English Coaching in Surat enough to increase the standard of verbal interactions in English?
The main question is: can just going to an institute teaching IELTS or spoken English change the face of English fluency in Surat? Well, that can’t be the only step, but yes, it can surely be a good one in that direction. These are some other strides that pave the way for better English conversations:-
Catch them young
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Creating Awareness about importance of English
Happy Learning!
Sylvester Alvares