Dear Dad - You too can be a Hygiene Super Hero!

The very definition of hygiene seems to have changed between the time we were kids and the time we had kids. When we were kids, I washed my hands for a few seconds and I was done. If some kid did this without being told, he was the best kid ever. Today’s children know different. Washing hands includes soap, rubbing the inside and outside of the fingers for a good fifteen seconds, not to forget nails and fingertips. Travelling? They know not to start eating till Mom whips out the hand sanitizer and everyone has got a good squeeze. Going to a public toilet makes the family look like DeCaprio’s crew in the movie Inception.

How did today’s Moms imbibe all these changes and Dads didn't? Remember I'm a dad too so I don't have the answers. What I do know is most of us weren't inculcated with these hygiene habits and we sure haven't inculcated it now. For example, every time we come back into the house, I tell the kids to come with me and wash my hands. However, if I walk in alone, I never wash my hands immediately. The kids can spot these double standards and interpret that this rule is not important. So it is very important for us to change our hygiene habits first.

Once this is done, Dads can focus on making cleanliness and sanitation fun. Isn’t that a Dads secret weapon – making things more fun than Mom? When the kids throw their dirty clothes all over the place, I turn it into a basketball game where they get to dodge me and dunk the clothes in the laundry bin. The same goes for paper cuttings. When it comes to washing hands, we loudly belt out the Dettol Ho song. If one of the kids falls and gets a scrape, the other one knows to run and get some cotton and Dettol antiseptic liquid because that is what Daddy used when he was growing up.

Last but not the least, it’s also important to be a strong back-up for your wife.
· Keep an extra bottle of hand sanitizer in the car in case she forgets to carry one and starts panicking.
·  Add some skin protection cream and mosquito repellent to make a complete pack.
·  Make an extra effort to keep the house clean so she doesn’t have to pick after you and the kids.
· Reinforce good habits by example such as eating meals at the table without any gadgets around, brushing teeth before sleeping etc.

Who knows, you may see your wife with the look that says – My Hero!

Bust stress at work with meditation

Recently I was suffering from allergic cold and my doctor prescribed anti-allergic tablets. After taking it at night, it practically turned me into a zombie the next day. This continued and I knew this wasn’t working (those of you who know me must be thinking that this is my own venture and I could just put my head down or my legs up and catch a snooze).

Now I’ve been a fan of meditation ever since my sister introduced me to Yoga Nidra. It really helped me to sleep at night. Meditation came to my rescue again here. I tried a 5 minute meditation video and it really worked. I felt refreshed and calm and ready to start work. That’s when I had a realisation. We don’t ‘start’ work when we physically reach work, it starts in our minds a long time before. If you are like me, you must be starting this around 4 a.m. in the morning. Often my sleep breaks and then I drift into a semi sleep, semi office ninja mode. This continues till it is time to roll out of bed and the morning routine starts. I still find myself thinking about work all through-out - my work-out, loo time (of course right?) and dropping the kids off to school.

When I finally reach work, I’m in a bit of a frenzy. Where to start, whom to call, what tasks to prioritise? I discovered this was the perfect moment to meditate. Now I’ve been doing it every day just for a few minutes. It really helps me to calm down and more importantly, center myself. It reminds me that if I’m able to take out time for meditation, I can do my tasks also in an appropriate time.

I use different videos from YouTube, I just make sure they are less than 5 minutes long. I tried Headspace too. A good tip they give is to try and make a habit out of it (like brushing teeth). This again made sense to me because I figured morning time was good when there are less people and less action. On days you are really tired, you could do a longer video (20 minutes or so). That would be better than fighting sleep during a meeting or a presentation.

So try this and remember the key elements –finding a suitable time, keeping it short, using a video which involves deep breathing and centres oneself. Bust that stress and be productive and happy at work. Cheers.