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The Balanced Life

A guide to health & wellness

by Alisha Moopen

About The Author

Alisha Moopen is the Deputy Managing Director of Aster DM Healthcare and a Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum.

Alisha's philosophy in life is 'Healthiness is Happiness' and she regularly pens down her thoughts, tips and guidance on everyday mental health and wellness topics which are common to all of us. She is driven to enable quality healthcare across the globe through treating people with care, precision and excellence and strongly believes in preventative care while maintaining health and wellbeing through smart lifestyle choices.

She has recently been awarded the ‘Most Promising Woman Leader of 2021’ by Economic Times and listed among the ‘50 Most Influential Women in MENA Retail’ list published by Retail ME magazine. She was also elected to the prestigious ‘Women of Influence in the Arab World 2021’ list by CEO Middle East magazine.

She is a Chartered Accountant from ICAS (Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland) and has previously worked with Ernst & Young. She graduated from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor with a distinction in Finance & Accounting. She also holds a degree in Global Leadership & Public Policy Change from Harvard University.

These little nuggets of useful tips are sure to help everyone lead a balanced life!

Taming and eliminating your inner critic

Do you feel like you hear a voice inside of you that is constantly criticising and putting you down?
Now that we’ve covered how to spot your inner critic, here are six ways to tame and eliminate your inner critic.
1. Pay attention to what you’re thinking about -Recognize that just because you think something, doesn’t mean it’s true. Our thoughts are often exaggerated, biased, and disproportionate.
2. When you find yourself ruminating – and not actively problem-solving – stop the critical thoughts before they spiral out of control. Instead, distract yourself with an activity – like going for a walk, organizing your desk, or talking about a completely different subject.

Breaking a bad habit

Sometimes, bad habits are very hard to break. It’s SO easy to get discouraged and give up on the positive changes you want to make!
Instead of dropping your resolutions, try these tips instead:
1) Set an intention: Link your habit change to your identity rather than a superficial goal. State it in the positive. “I am a person who eats healthy” vs “I don’t want to eat sugar.”
2) Become conscious: Good intentions are not always enough to change behaviour. Become more conscious of the habit you are trying to break by keeping a diary of when you engage in the behaviour and what triggers you to get off your path. Becoming conscious about your current patterns!

Connect with your Future You

How do you see your Future Self? Has 'Future You' achieved everything you wanted to achieve?
The only way to truly actualise your goals and become your BEST SELF, is to connect with Future You and envision the person you want to be! This can start with creating a vision board, or writing a letter to your future self, where you congratulate yourself and go on to say exactly HOW and WHY your future self-reached these successes. I still use pen and paper, and always keep my book of goals with me to add to my letter!
The next step is to identify your personal values and set clear, goals that align with your vision. Make sure to set a timeline for your goals! What do you want to achieve in 1 year, 5 years, 10 years or more?

Self-worth is SO important

In our younger years, it's very common to feel insecure and unsure of ourselves as we navigate the world for the first time - which impacts the way we see ourselves, our work and even our relationships in later life.
Do you feel like you hear a voice inside of you that is constantly criticising and putting you down? Here are some tips on how to spot your inner critic:
• Notice the times that you are being hard on yourself. Being aware can help you stop the thought process before it happens.
• Check in with your thoughts when you are feeling insecure. Writing down your feelings in a journal may help!
• Observe the moments you speak to yourself using the harsh comments you've previously heard from your critics or even your parents.

Signs you have a Wounded Inner Child

Being aware and listening to your Inner Child is the first step to healing. Offering yourself love and compassion, and working to heal any wounds that remain open, is the best way to find a better sense of self and boost your confidence and motivation in life!
What are some key signs of a wounded Inner Child?
• There are parts of yourself that you feel shame in expressing
• You look to other people to understand what the "right thing to do" is
• You feel guilty for saying "no" or for needing space

Healing your inner child

Healing your inner child can take time, but here are some helpful tips to provide a starting point:
1. To begin healing, acknowledge your inner child - recognise and accept the things that caused you pain in your childhood.
2. Listen to the feelings of your Inner child and work through it - this may trigger strong emotions such as anger, vulnerability, guilt, or anxiety
3. Write a letter or journal - this can offer insight into distressing circumstances you didn't understand as a child
4. Try meditation - this can boost your self-awareness and greater mindfulness around your emotions and triggers

Codependent Relationships

Growing up in a collectivistic Indian culture, inter-dependency has always been highly valued, but did you know there are differences between healthy dependency and co-dependency?
Healthy dependency is where you both count on each other but are also free to be your authentic selves! You are able to express your feelings and prioritise your own interests, values and goals.
Co-dependency describes a relationship where one person is giving MUCH MORE than the other. One person often negates their values, goals, interests and even their feelings in service of the other, often for a long time.

7 ways to detoxify your body

Eliminating toxins can give your body a break, allowing it to heal and better function in the future, leaving you feeling healthier and more energised!
Here are some easy, quick ways we can detoxify and refresh ourselves:
1. Hot water - helps to cleanse the channels in the body. Add mint, cucumber or lemon for some extra refreshment and nutrients.
2. Eating habits - Try eating your largest meal earlier in the afternoon, and a lighter meal in the evening. Our bodies are in tune with nature which means digestion is strongest during the day!
3. Eat regular meals - train your digestive system to work more efficiently!

WORKING FROM HOME AND DISCONNECTING FROM IT

Working from home has become the new normal for office jobs. While the vast majority of healthcare workers are on the front lines and continue to fight the pandemic at the forefront, a part of the workforce working from home has almost shifted to a feeling of ‘living at work’.

When does work begin, and when does work stop has been a blurry line for many.
I, for one, miss seeing my colleagues and connecting more informally than the endless array of Teams calls.

We need to make more active efforts to connect and meet people in person, as this new mode of working continues to build, and maintain relationships and connections with people beyond a virtual setting.

LET’S TALK NEURO TRANSMITTERS - OXYTOCIN

Oxytocin is also known as the ‘cuddle’ hormone or the ‘love’ hormone. Happiness is a combination of neuro-transmitters when they are released in your body. We are all social beings and the close feeling of love and connection with family and friends is key to this

! Here is my warmest and sweetest oxytocin fix.

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