Become a Morning Person with These Lifestyle Changes

Several factors play into whether you’re a morning person or a night owl. Societal pressure to “not be lazy” affects the narrative around why and how you should be spending your days. It is important to maintain a good sleep schedule that caters to your needs and no one else’s. This means that everyone’s sleep cycle will be different, depending on factors beyond their control. Many people also get frustrated by their night owl tendencies and observe lower energy levels during the day. 

These lifestyle changes are the best ways to reverse and change your sleep schedule. It may seem like a morning routine needs to be maximised to match a famous entrepreneur but there are several ways in which you can discover what works for you. 

 

Set a melodic alarm

Research suggests keeping alarms that emanate sounds that you prefer – a rhythmic song you like or an instrumental natural sound – reduces sleep inertia. Sleep inertia is the grogginess you might experience when you initially wake up. The sound of your alarm can directly affect how you feel when you wake up. Thus, changing it to a sound that eases the process of waking might benefit your schedule. Getting accustomed to the same time with the same tune will help your body prepare. 

 

Let in natural light

The sun’s role in different aspects of our lives is highly underestimated. One of them is to naturally wake your body up into a state of alertness. Facing the natural light of the sun calibrates your internal clock into realising it’s time to be awake and more active. This can also help your body understand the difference in the evening and recognise when to sleep. The best way to maximise this is to take a walk or sit outside with your morning drink of choice. 

Eating a balanced breakfast 

One of the main reasons waking up at an appropriate time is so important to your body is breakfast. Breakfast should be a fulfilling meal rich in nutrients to get your body energised and ready. More than that, skipping breakfast is not recommended as it can be detrimental to your health. Have your drink of choice with breakfast, like coffee, tea or juice to savour your meal. 

Get moving 

Simple stretches in the morning will do the job. Exercising immediately after waking up isn’t the ideal way to start the day for many people but your body requires some stretches. This will help it get energised. However, physical activity can improve your cognitive abilities and blood flow. Many activities, like walking your pet or meditation, will suffice and give you some self-care time to begin the morning. Indulging in a self-care routine also heightens your mood. Try some of your favourite activities to start the day on a good note. 

Scheduling your day 

Writing down a list of personal and work or school-related objectives can help you keep track of everything. It can also create a sense of achievement and how productive you are. The activities also slip from your mind often and so having a schedule will remind you of the same. Prioritising certain tasks to ensure they are completed in time and also making time for breaks is the ideal balance. However, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by this task. Making your goals realistic and having a clear vision is the best way to go about it if you struggle with disorganisation. 

“Make each day your masterpiece.”

 — John Wooden, Head Coach of UCLA Bruins

World Mental Health Day: How tech can help with mental health

World Mental Health Day is observed every year on October 10. It was first observed back in 1992 by the World Federation for Mental Health. The objective behind this day is to raise awareness about mental health issues and destigmatize the topic to have an open discussion about mobilizing efforts in support of mental health. Here at Exhibit, we’re all about tech, and of course, technology does play a role in mental health. In today’s world, social media seems more happening and fun than people’s regular lives which led to a rise in these platforms having a strong link with issues like depression, loneliness, and negative feelings in general. However, social media does not comprise tech as a whole and there are many ways in which tech can play a major role in improving your mental health. Below, we’ll take a look at the way technology can help with mental health:

Apps

The search for mental health services on the internet can be intimidating, especially in a world that is so driven by technology. However, if you’ve wanted to address your mental health issues but are nervous to do so in the real world, there are many remote options at your service. Be it taking therapy online or using mental health apps, one can get help virtually if not physically.

Mental health apps are convenient and accessible, they can prove a source of support for people to occupy their minds, relieve stress, track their mood, or maintain a routine. An example could be the meditation apps which allow people to improve breathing and relax. There are also apps like Fabulous which allow users to build a daily planner and practice self-care.

Websites & Helplines

People with access to the internet and their phones can avail of a number of services to help them through a mental health crisis. People can use the tools available on the internet to find information about mental health problems, symptoms, and treatment options. In India, there are a number of online portals like Suicide Prevention India Foundation and The Mitram Foundation which provide confidential emotional support to people going through a mental health crisis in their lives. People seeking immediate mental health support in India can reach out to the numbers listed below –

  • Mitram Foundation – 08025722573 or 9019708133
  • AASRA – 91-9820466726
  • Lifeline Foundation – 9088030303

E-Therapy

The internet has made mental health treatment more accessible. E-Therapy programs have made it easier for people to access therapy and do so without having to leave the comfort of their homes. People do not necessarily need to sit with a therapist face to face and can get help with the help of the internet or mobile devices. E-Therapy has also allowed some people to tackle the stigma that has been attached to mental health issues for years.

Virtual Activities

With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing people into their homes, a rapid rise of virtual events was witnessed. There were virtual music shows, stand-up comedy events which were hosted from the comedian’s home, and much more. These virtual activities have now become a part of pop culture and surely help people with managing their mental health issues as they help in reducing anxiety and depression.

 

National Technology Day: How Technology Is Helping Us Fight COVID-19

First observed on May 11, 1999, National Technology Day is celebrated every year on May 11 to highlight the achievements of engineers and scientists in the field of technology and science.

The Tests:

On May 11, 1998, India successfully launched three missiles under the name Operation Shakti led by late President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam at the Indian Army’s Pokhran Test Range in Rajasthan. Following the success of these three tests, two more nuclear tests were conducted on May 13, 1998. The Indian Army carried out the mission in collaboration with scientists from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMDER).

Apart from this, India also tested its first domestic aircraft, Hansa-3 and Trishul missile, on May 11, 1998, and added another achievement to the Defence Research and Development Organisation cap.

Thus, back in 1999, India’s then-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared May 11 as a day of significant achievement for the country. The day enhances a reminder of India breaching into the elite group of nations with nuclear weapons. Since 1999, the Technology Development Board (TDB) admires the day by honouring scientists-engineers and their technological innovations that have added to India’s growth on this day.

The Theme:

Every year the country celebrates the day with a different theme under the observation of the Technology Development Board (TDB); this year, the National Technology Day 2021 theme is Science and Technology for a Sustainable Future. On the National Technology Day event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi saluted and remembered the hard work and tenacity of our scientists-engineers over a series of tweets, where he also mentioned how their innovations helped our country survive better during the fight against covid-19.

Role of Technology During Covid-19 Crisis:

When a pandemic hit India, everyone looked desperately and searched online for a vaccine or at least a medical solution to fight against it. During those times, telecom operators like Jio, Airtel, and more came forward and helped-provided guidance through the caller tunes to spread awareness about the pandemic.

The Government of India launched apps like Aarogya Setu and Umang to help people diagnose themselves at home with the help of a few questions; these apps also empowered people to locate red alerted places, covid camps, vaccine centres and helped in quickly identifying infected individuals, connect with them, track who they have come in contact with, and so on. Such technological innovations helped the country in the overcoming journey.

Furthermore, the wireless thermometer guns and other similar infrared body temperature measuring devices used at checkpoints of offices, airports, hotels, hospitals, railway stations, malls, and other public places helped us recognise measuring the body temperature from a distance and turn out to be helpful during the pandemic. Along with these devices, Artificial Intelligence (AI) played a significant role in suggesting components of a vaccine by understanding viral protein structures and helping medical researchers. 

When we were out of choice and Work From Home was the only option, during that time, technology was the only thing that helped us to secure business continuity as well as aids social distancing. Misinformation always leads to added crisis, and in a highly populated country like India, it spreads fast. Misleading information about the number of fatalities, diagnosis, treatment options, vaccines, medicines and government policies generates more panic and anxiety. 

All these things result in general chaos, panic buying, price rise, and violence on the streets. In order to control and avoid such misinformation, companies like Google, Facebook, and YouTube are working tirelessly. They’re working and helping people with the correct information published by WHO or local authorities and government.

Today, we’re still at the risk of pandemic and dealing with the second wave of Covid-19, but if we follow certain guidelines, we’ll surely overcome this crisis and to execute that, we’re backed with our technology innovations, from AI to robotics, every single thing will help us to fight the pandemic.

Gaurav Taneja | Health and Fitness | Influncex’20

Ex: Tell us about a change you’ve seen in the digital blogging space since you started out your journey? How has this space evolved?

Gaurav: YouTube has become a place where creators put well polished videos. The audience cannot determine which videos are an individual’s work
and which have been produced by an entire team. This has been the
most significant evolution as per me

Ex: Can you give us an insight into social media platforms that only an Influencer can know?

Gaurav: Numbers can be deceiving.

Ex:  A technology you wished you’d invented?

Gaurav: A technology which would allow people to eat as much fatty food as they like while still remaining lean.

Ex:  Social Media is known to expose vulnerabilities, with influencers being at the epicenter. How do you deal with the dark side that comes with the medium?

Gaurav: You have to accept that it is a part of life. If you get 99% love you will get 1% hate and you have to go with it.

Ex: What does success mean to you?

Gaurav: Being happy with the family and getting to spend time with them. But conventional success like having a good job, good salary and a good lifestyle is also important, so I think success for me is a balance of both.

Ex: What would be your calling in a parallel universe? (Alternate career options)

Gaurav: I would like to run a restaurant & bar with my wife where I would like to serve some really good tea alongside the beach.

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This is how robotics will influence future medicine.

It is no secret that robots are being extensively researched upon and their influence in our daily life is increasing considerably. What were earlier mere objects of humour and ridicule are now full-fledged artificially intelligent entities. While robotics is a vast subject, its knowledge is applied across various other branches of science.

Among those branches is medicine. It has seen the increased involvement of robotics both on the macro and micro scale. While there are sophisticated machines that perform complex surgeries without mistakes, there are also nanorobots that can be embedded in a body for certain enhancement. While that sounds a little fantasy-like, there is no denying that robotics is fast becoming an integral part of medicine.

As mentioned earlier, micro- and nanorobots are being developed to be used as a faster treatment method. As per sciencemag, Micro- and nanorobots are small, motile devices that convert chemical or/and physical energy into mechanical actuation and have the potential to enable minimally invasive treatment and targeted drug/cell delivery with high precision. For active drug delivery strategies, these machines can locally concentrate therapeutic payload around pathological sites to reduce the dose of administrated drugs and their systemic side effects. Simply put, they intelligently target the affected area and deliver the dose without side effects.

Image: defense.gov

Another kind of robots used in medicine are called ‘telepresence’ robots. These robots emulate the presence of a doctor or surgeon, who is on call via the robot. He can the remotely answer questions and help share his knowledge and experience with others. There are also surgical robots that can be controlled remotely via a console to help the surgeon perform even better.

Prosthesis also has a bright future in robotics. Amputees were earlier restricted to wearing fake replicas or look-alike of their limbs. However, modern medicine has allowed robotic prosthetic to be grafted to amputees, helping them to not only regain their lost abilities but enhance them considerably.

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) states that there are also rehabilitation robots. These robots can be programmed to adapt to the condition of each patient as they recover from strokes, traumatic brain or spinal cord injuries, or neurobehavioral or neuromuscular diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

Robotics is an ever-evolving subject and it is surely going to improve the medicinal scenario significantly. It remains to be seen if robotics can be (or will be) used to enhance physical capabilities or add prosthetic limbs to the natural ones. If that day comes, it will mark the beginning of Superheroes on this planet! Come to think of it, somebody can create an exosuit like Doctor Octopus, Black Panther or even Mysterio! The possibilities of human enhancement with the help of robotics is practically endless.

Apple-Google COVID-19 Tracker Can’t Be Used in India

Google and Apple came together in April and developed tech that will help governments around the world to reduce the coronavirus spread. It is called the Covid-19 exposure notification or Covid-19 contact tracing tech. After months of hard work, the technology is now ready and is available on iOS and Android.

What is this tech all about?

This new tech is available as an Application Programming Interface (API) for Android and iOS Smartphones. The tech is smart enough to let the Smartphones log other devices they come in the vicinity of and enables “contact tracing” of the disease. It can’t function on its own and needs a supplementary app to work.

How does this contact tracing API work?

A public health app needs to use the API developed by Google and Apple for the technology to function. The app sends and receives data from nearby devices and keeps a record of people one may have come in contact with and their Covid-19 status. The app updates all the data on cloud. It regularly runs scans to check and notify people if they have unknowingly come in contact with any Covid-19 positive person. Health agencies are also notified so that the person can be tested and the spread of the disease can be curbed.

Why doesn’t it work in India?

Unfortunately, the Aarogya Setu App doesn’t use Apple-Google API. It needs a device’s location access and Bluetooth access to be able to function. The problem is that the Apple-Google API doesn’t give permission to public-health apps to access location data and that’s why it can’t be used by the Aarogya Setu app.

Apps built on Apple-Google API use only Bluetooth while the Aarogya Setu App needs location access too in order to collect information. If we compare the two, the Aarogya Setu collects more data in terms of location and numbers. It also stores data on the user’s phone, uploading it under certain circumstances. However, the Apple-Google API uses DP-3T (Decentralized Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing) protocol. This assigns randomised and anonymous unique IDs. Since these IDs change often, the tech can pick up data of corona positive people without any disclosure of identity or location.

We would’ve been happy to explore the two together but due to limitations in tech compatibility, it seems like we won’t be able to use the new Google-Apple API in Arogya Setup for now. 

These Two Tech Startups Are Revolutionizing Yoga : International Yoga Day

Today is International Yoga Day. In today’s world, Yoga has become easily available to all by means of videos and apps. Technology has made it easier for everyone to practice yoga in the comfort of their homes. Yoga is known to relax the body and the mind. In today’s times when stress is at its peak, yoga can greatly help relieve tension and keep the fitness levels up. If you’re looking at making yoga a part of your lifestyle then here’s what these start-ups have on offer. 

Wellnesys (YogiFi)

Image for representation purposes only

YogiFi is a smart yoga mat that connects all its users with a virtual instructor by using AI and a mobile app. It has pressure sensors that guide you and also provide real-time feedback on the posture, balance and flexibility after every session. Try this out in this International Yoga Day.

Muralidhar Somisetty, the founder and CEO of Wellnesys, suffered from a severe spinal injury and that is when he thought of creating YogiFi. Yoga helped him get better and also reversed the condition for him. 

Retail price of YogiFi

$199 (15,000 INR approx)

Although this seems to be on a higher side, the founder says it is in fact better than spending a  monthly fee upwards of 2000 INR. Also, you enjoy so many benefits like strength and flexibility monitoring that you wouldn’t if you were to attend a Yoga class. 

While it does sound promising, reviews from users will shed some light on how well it performs and if it is here to stay. We do feel this is a good solution, considering the fact that stress levels are high and on the rise. Moreover, since people will now become more used to staying indoors, this seems to be a perfect way to keep your mind and body fit. 

Top 5 Apps for your WFM – Workout From Home

Parjanya Creative (Prayoga app)

Image for representation purpose only

Prayoga app was founded by Krishnaprasad Jagadish. He is also the co-founder of Parjanya Creative. The app makes use of machine learning and Apple’s ARKit body tracking tech to analyse the users’ poses. Prayoga is exclusively available on iOS and it gives real-time feedback to it’s users. 

According to Jagdish, yoga isn’t only about performing the poses but also about performing them correctly. Yoga is only effective if the pose is correct and that’s what the aim of Prayogya is.

The main USP of Prayoga app is that all the asanas are available as high quality 3D models. This is important to learn the poses correctly. Jagadish consulted a lot of Yoga teachers before making the app.

Both of these startups have put in a lot of hard work in order to give the best experience to the apps’ users and we’re sure they will greatly help people adapt to a lifestyle that focuses on physical fitness and mental well-being. As for how people will adapt to the change in the way they practice yoga, time will tell us that. Until then we will try these out for sure. 

 

China’s loss turns to India’s gain-2020!

Most of you reading this would just like me be sitting in your homes for over a month wondering – What next? If and when, this mother of all ‘Grey Rhino’ events, aka #Covid19 ends how do we go back to our lives and where do we start re-building.

Not wasting much of your time enumerating the Covid-19 chronology since Dec’19, I reckon that most of us have acquired PhD’s from the various Universities of Whatsapp/Google/Social Media in our understanding of this pandemic and what is being done to tackle it across each and every country around the globe. 

 In my note below I will try to ‘Buy into the Fear’ by showcasing the opportunity that stares at  India and its budding entrepreneurs across small, medium and larger corporations post this crisis. In all disclosure a lot of my inferences here have been made by analysing the sentiments across countless conversations with my colleagues/friends/thought leaders spread across a diverse set of industries based in India and the US . 

Before we go ahead it’ll be pertinent for us to understand where China stood prior to this event. This should help us all get a deep dive into how small the world is today and how ‘Globalization’ has been a powerful force for economic growth. Movement of goods, services, finance, data, and people across borders adds to GDP and fuels productivity growth. No country on earth has played this cycle better than China aided by a young population willing to put in high teen man hours/day in bettering their lifestyles and futures. China’s period of double-digit GDP growth in the mid-2000s was fuelled by even faster growth in the flow of goods in and out of China. 

As exports surged from just $257 billion in 2000 to $3.4 trillion in 2019, China became the world’s top exporter. 

In early 2019 Donald Trump, President of the largest consuming/importing country in the world aka the Unites States of America decided to take notice and change this status quo by waging a war of words and threatened a trade embargo against China.  

It’s only in the latter half of 2019 that these ‘Siamese twins’ – China & US realized that neither can do without the other. 

Below is a representation of what China exported to the world in the year 2019.

  1. Electrical machinery, equipment: US$671 billion (26.9% of total exports)
  2. Machinery including computers: $417 billion (16.7%)
  3. Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefab buildings: $99.5 billion (4%)
  4. Plastics, plastic articles: $84.4 billion (3.4%)
  5. Vehicles: $74.4 billion (3%)
  6. Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $73 billion (2.9%)
  7. Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: $71.4 billion (2.9%)
  8. Articles of iron or steel: $69.6 billion (2.8%)
  9. Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): $66.8 billion (2.7%)
  10. Toys, games: $62.8 billion (2.5%)

China’s top 10 exports accounted for approximately two-thirds (67.6%) of the overall value of its global shipments. As seen above it’s a high chance that the cell phone or computer.

you’re reading this note on, or the TV that you’re watching or the furniture & lights you see around or worse your child’s favourite toys are all (you guessed it right) – ‘Made in China’

The world has literally been dependant on a game of mass scale production by only one country and that’s China. 

Now we arrive at the most critical question in our note today- Is China a TINA (There is No Alternative) market or can the world diversify?

This question gained fire in early Jan’20 when large companies across the globe started seeing supply side disruptions owing to a complete lockdown of all the export ports present within China. The world since then has increasingly started realising that the over dependence on one single country has come to hurt global GDP’s now. 

With the spread of the Covid-19 cases, a lot of questions have been raised on China’s style of governance and its secrecy with respect to key developments. In order to better understand whether China is really TINA we re-visit the China advantages in the points below: 

  1. Cheap Labour
  2. Lower manufacturing costs
  3. Higher production capability
  4. Better expansion and diversification opportunities 

Coming out of these Global Lockdowns from a new world perspective; of the four BRIC (Brazil, India , Russia & China) nations, there’s only one that possesses the above mentioned skillsets, scale and good bilateral global ties- INDIA!!

Yes! India has been a friend to the world exporting IT, Textiles, Agri and a host of other products since the last few decades. Now it would be theoretical and almost foolish to assume that India will take over the Chinese edge and be the new hub of exports. Let’s admit the fact that things in theory don’t necessarily translate into practise. But we are trying to chalk a path for that shift over the next decade up ahead.

Low Hanging Fruits 

Below are exports from China that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. 

  1. Mineral fuels including oil: -US$296.6 billion 
  2. Ores, slag, ash: -$161.8 billion
  3. Gems, precious metals: -$39.7 billion 
  4. Oil seeds: -$37.3 billion 
  5. Copper: -$34 billion 
  6. Optical, technical, medical apparatus: -$25.7 billion 
  7. Pharmaceuticals: -$24.4 billion 
  8. Woodpulp: -$19.1 billion 
  9. Meat: -$18 billion 
  10. Aircraft, spacecraft: -$15.5 billion 

Within this very list India can opportunistically use its expertise and manufacturing facilities across MSME/Larger corporates to take away a bulk of the global business. Indian pharma capacities, metal manufacturing capacities, meat production is already of sizable scale. It essentially lacks efficiency and ability to scale 10x from here. 

This is where we apply the First Principles Rule and break down each industry capacities and start synergising with the underutilised ones. For example: A couple of years ago we invested in a toy manufacturing company in Pune. The toy product was the popular NERF series of guns for Hasbro Plc. Now Pune and its nearby manufacturing belts have been long time auto ancillary hubs sitting on huge injection moulding capacities that have been running at 30-40% utilisation levels since the last few years. We contracted over 45 different MSME’s to mould the plastic parts needed for the NERF gun; thereby saving both time and money in achieving a scale of 400crs a year within 18-24 months. 

The Chinese have learnt a lot of their manufacturing processes/skillsets from the Japanese conglomerates who were amongst the very first ones to set-up large shops in Mainland China. On 8th April’20 Japan has announced that it’s now looking at bringing both its talent and facilities out of China over the year up ahead. Historically India-Japan have shared exceptionally good relations which now can be leveraged to their peak capacity. Imagine a scenario where a Japanese knowledge team camps in India and teaches our local entrepreneurs the right processes to build at scale and achieve global QC standards. 

Hitting where it hurts

Imagine a near future where India using a global knowledge partner base (Japan, EU, US) coupled with access to low cost money clubbed with local innovation backed by a work force that’s aspirationally driven starts tapping into the Top 10 export categories of China- Electrical machinery, Cell phones & computers, Furniture, Plastics, Vehicles, Medical apparatus, Clothing, Toys. 

With companies like Samsung, Apple, Amazon, Xiaomi setting up India facilities that wheel of change has already been put into motion. Post Covid-19 the world will increasingly be ‘protectionist’ in nature and its literally the opportunity of a lifetime for India and its massive SME & MSME space. 

 Parting Note

I don’t wish to sit on the side lines and comment on things or worse blame/wait for governments to announce packages of relief and respite. For the last 73 years our whole regulatory system, the priority sector lending system has incentivised SMEs to think and stay small.
Small needs to grow because they are the biggest provider of employment. 

I believe in the quote- “Be the change you want to see in the world”

If India has to ever be taken seriously on global export scale then we need to radically change our DNA of business and open our arms to the new world out there. 

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