Brewing Happiness

Ms. Meenakshi Dahiya Principal and CEO

Ms. Meenakshi Dahiya started her career in education in a nursery as an Early Years educator. In the following year, she had the privilege to work with the start-up team as the Founder Supervisor of their new branch.

She joined GEMS at The Winchester School, Jebel Ali in 2005 as an Early Years educator and in her 21 years of experience in the educational field, she has been primarily at The Winchester School, Jebel Ali for 17 years with the last 15 years in leadership. Ms. Meenakshi is an exceptional Principal and Leader, first as Head of Foundation Stage, then Head of Primary, Vice Principal before finally being appointed Principal/ CEO of GEMS Winchester School, Jebel Ali in 2016. She has continually grown and developed comprehensively as an outstanding leader, responsible for significant and continuous school improvement both within her own school as well as across the GEMS network.

A firm believer in the growth mindset, Ms. Meenakshi encourages and inspires all students to be the best that they possibly can while placing the GEMS Core Values at the core of all that they do.

“If you want to be happy, be.”

Leo Tolstoy

Happiness is something that people seek to find, and it is the underlying motive behind all the actions, goals, aspirations, and so on. Happiness can vary from one person to the next. It is an emotional state characterized by feelings of joy, satisfaction, contentment, and fulfilment. While happiness has many different definitions, it is often described as involving positive emotions and life satisfaction.

Here's a simple message from me – spread happiness with a smile. Smiles are always contagious, and laughter, even more so. Be social, be kind, and smile. You can also create a very good balance for yourself to be happy every day. And if you’re happy, you will spread happiness. And here’s something fascinating – did you know that there are four primary hormones in our body which are responsible for inducing the feelgood emotions and sensations we associate with happiness? They moderate our feelings of wellbeing, and are influenced by our stress levels, self-care, and lifestyle choices. These hormones are dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins. Let’s learn more about them!

Dopamine

The Reward Chemical

Dopamine is released when you are doing something which makes you feel happy and good about yourself. It could be completing tasks, doing self-care activities, taking care of your health, taking care of somebody else, eating healthy food, and celebrating little wins and ensuring you set realistic targets. The release of dopamine increases wellbeing, and motivates you to seek things you enjoy and do well.

Serotonin

The Mood Stabilizer

Serotonin balances out our mood and evokes feelings of wellbeing and happiness. Furthermore, it alleviates stress, worries, and is associated with learning and memory. Make sure you’re doing some form of exercise, like running, walking in nature, swimming, cycling. I highly recommend anything to do with nature, with water, with trees, and with plants. Getting out in the sun is one sure shot way of boosting up your mood.

Oxytocin

The Love Hormone

Oxytocin is released by giving and receiving love in all forms. It could be playing with a dog or a pet, or playing with a baby, seeing a friend, hugging your family members, or complimenting each other. It could also be taking care of yourself by doing activities which you love – it could be listening to music, reading a book, cooking, yoga, and so on. This amazing hormone, along with being a mood booster itself, also heightens the release of serotonin and dopamine. Endorphins are produced by the brain to help us deal with discomfort or pain. They induce a sense of euphoria and make us feel good. These can be released by laughing, watching a comedy, eating dark chocolate, and exercising. Also, a good laugh is a fabulous inducer of endorphins, so look around and finds things that make you happy and people who make you laugh and feel good.

Endorphins

The Pain Killers

Look for the good in everyone, there is always something. Appreciate it and be kind. If you don’t like something, share it politely with the person concerned so they can listen to you carefully and make it better. Smile, laugh, and enjoy. Be happy and spread happiness. Smile!