WRITERS: ANUKRITI SHARMA, MEDHA KHITOLIYA, AND OOJAL KOUR
TW: MENTAL HEALTH
PHOTOGRAPHER: ANJANA KASHYAP
With the dramatic transformation that has entered our lives as a result of Covid-19, one could say that the prolonged lockdown has not been kind to our minds. For those who depend on outdoors for survival, who are from abusive or dysfunctional households, those who can’t come out to their families, having to stay at home can be very dangerous.
This time is stressful for farmers, migrant workers, daily wage workers, among others, who don’t have the resources to make an income; for frontline workers, having to constantly risk their lives to the virus and witnessing so many deaths can be emotionally taxing.
The constant pressure of having to be productive, and witnessing yourself incur a complete change in your lifestyle can make unwanted thoughts enter your brain. It can be extremely overwhelming. It can also leave you physically incapable of living up to the standards that society and peers set for you.
In times like these, it is essential that we go back to why mental health is important, and why it needs to be highlighted more than ever before.
A conversation about mental health has to be started.
Not just for ourselves, but the people around us and for the people who are yet to come into this world.
Making mental health a social media aesthetic is where we fail as a society; one should speak up to help bring change, not just to jump on the bandwagon of stories. When starting a discourse about mental health, consistency is the key. One has to keep pushing until substantial reform is made in the same society.
Additionally, it is absolutely essential to ensure that we create safe spaces around us; not shunning, insulting, or abandoning individuals who seek help is the first way to get there.
After we start talking about mental health and its deterioration, we should also try to understand ways to help improve it.
● Start by recognizing the problems and triggers
● Reach out to your friends and family and try talking to them
● Try keeping a regular schedule
● Do the little things that uplift your mood, like listening to music, watching dog videos, etc.
● Remember to keep yourself well-fed and hydrated enough
● Try to stay active and moving
● Get off of the internet every once in a while
● Try out things that you know will help
● Take time to disconnect from the world around you
● Don’t set unrealistic goals for yourself
● Spend time in ways that make you happy
● Know that it is okay to not be happy and positive all the time
● Learn to forgive yourself
● Acknowledge your emotions and tell yourself that this bad phase won’t last forever
● Practice self-care and give yourself some ‘me-time’
● Remind yourself that a pandemic is in no way a productivity contest
● Be kind to yourself and don’t feel guilty if you’re “not being productive enough”
● Don’t be afraid to seek help from loved ones or professionals
● Remember, we’re all in this together!
“Progress, for the sake of progress, must be discouraged.”
With the ever-growing influence of social media, it is difficult to keep ourselves from being influenced by what others are doing. In this era of the Covid-19 lockdown, it seems as though every single person is learning something new. Some are taking up new hobbies, while others are acquiring life skills.
The way one sees it, un-productivity is often associated with a negative connotation. However, it’s important to learn, that is not always the case. Making productive use of your time this lockdown is impressive but so is taking a break and working on yourself.
To individuals who are suffering, it is important to note that it is absolutely okay to do nothing; guilt is not an emotion you should feel for being unproductive. To all of you, practice empathy and listen to people when they talk. Listening is a skill that is often undervalued and ignored. It is just as important to practice kindness when you can.
We are living in the midst of a global pandemic and iterating what was said earlier: it is absolutely okay to not be okay, is essential. Our physical health and mental health have a symbiotic relationship; it is absolutely impossible for one to remain healthy without the other.
However, realization lies in the fact that it is all-natural to feel the pressure of doing something ourselves. Although productivity and efficiency are the keys to success, forced productivity might, in many cases lead to drastic decrease inefficiency. Just because time is a resource available in plenty, does not mean it has to be used up completely, or at all.
It is always a good idea to keep developing our skill-sets; but then, taking breaks and enjoying not doing anything is important too. Some days are just not ours and it is fine to just sit in one corner and unapologetically sulk. So, let’s normalize not being productive because none will walk out of this lockdown unchanged.
Mental health and the peace of mind need to be given the importance they deserve.
“Progress, for the sake of progress, must be discouraged.” and "Some days are just not ours and it is fine to just sit in one corner and unapologetically sulk" were just some of the statements from this article that really stuck out to me. Well-written! xx
Extremely well constructed and indeed really helpful.