Four Hot Tips On World Health Day

Today, 7 April 2023—World Health Day—the World Health Organization observes its 75th anniversary. Health For All, its theme this year, commemorates the global journey that WHO has been on during the last seven decades. It strikes us as motivational in tackling our personal challenges for now—and tomorrow.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “The first wealth is health.” It is a privilege we must not take lightly. In fact, at Himêya, our philosophy is a continuous effort at remaining grounded in better rest and care by discovering balance in our everyday.

In keeping, here are four hot tips from the arts, sciences and recreational sport for you to discover this World Health Day: 

01. A Book & Chat About Your Brain On Art

Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross are researchers and authors of Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us. They join the Armchair Expert with Dax Shephard to discuss how important it is to participate in the arts, why room designs can affect moods, and how technology can be used to improve quality of life. 

Susan and Ivy explain how humans are feeling beings that have learned to think, that writing down a secret can reduce your stress levels, and what being in a completely silent room would be like. Susan, Ivy, and Dax discuss the importance of play, humans’ perpetual state of aesthetic fatigue, and why people feel most comfortable in curved spaces.

02. Mental Models For A Dose of Brain Food

Mental models are how we understand the world. Not only do they shape what we think and how we understand but they shape the connections and opportunities that we see. Mental models are how we simplify complexity, why we consider some things more relevant than others, and how we reason.

A mental model is simply a representation of how something works. We cannot keep all of the details of the world in our brains, so we use models to simplify the complex into understandable and organizable chunks. To put it another way, mental models help us think better. If you’re inclined towards brain food of this nature, Farman Street might be for you. Subscribe to its newsletter for a weekly dose.

03. Hydrotherapy: As Old As Mankind

As the weather gets warm, the water baby in us rejoices. And fun as it is, riding a wave can also be all kinds of therapeutic. We hear of this alot in surfing circles, but have you ever considered the health benefits of hydrotherapy? 

The use of water for various treatments (hydrotherapy) is probably as old as mankind. Hydrotherapy is the external or internal use of water in any of its forms (water, ice, steam) for improved health or treatment of diseases with various temperatures, pressure, duration, and site. Although naturopathic modalities were used widely in ancient cultures including India, Egypt, and China, the scientific evidence-based effects are not well documented. Learn more about it here if you’re curious and considering.

04. Padel For The Win… Or Joy Of Participation

If you like tennis, squash, pickleball or racquetball, you’re going to love the newest paddle sport from Mexico that is growing in popularity across the world. What is Padel? The name says it all. Instead of using a racquet with strings, you use a rubber or foam paddle with holes. Action-packed, fun and easy to learn, it's great for people of all ages and skill levels.

How is your brain rewarded during a Padel match? Since extremely technical skills are not required, Padel is primed to help you conveniently meet its challenges.

Getting rewards is easier as it is pretty easy to learn, which gives you more confidence than say tennis or badminton. With centres cropping up across cities in the present and near future, we leave you with the top mental benefits of this sport, whose physical merits require little introduction:

• Get rid of stress and anxiety: Even when your body is tired, your mind is excited about the competition. You are focused on winning the game, and this approach liberates your body’s stress, anxiety, and tension.
• Positive impact on serotonin: Serotonin is a chemical that regulates your overall mental health. It also stimulates the eminent neurotransmitter norepinephrine, thus improving your mood.
• Release endorphins: Endorphins are the body’s natural happy chemicals and can visibly reduce the stress hormone ‘cortisol’ levels. Padel stimulates the release of endorphins in the brain.
• Improved motor skills: Padel involves strong coordination between the mind, arms, legs, eyes, etc. Therefore, it is directly associated with improved reflexes and motor and cognitive skills.

• Better sleep: Essential for better mental health, those suffering from sleep problems can participate in padel sports as it is a non-pharmacological treatment for disturbed rest.
• Commitment to personal development: Once you start playing Padel, it will improve your goal-setting, leadership, strategic thinking, risk-taking, and many other skills.
• Reduced substance abuse: Participating in Padel can abstain you from alcohol and substance abuse across your lifespan.
• Boost confidence: Teamwork is the best strategy to enhance confidence. Playing Padel in pairs with a team promises to take your confidence one level up.

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