Mental Health - Don't just "deal with it"

Last Sunday, I was among the many who shed a tear and few statuses mourning over the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput. While some were quick to establish money and fame doesn't give you happiness, others were busy calling out Bollywood and it's hypocrisy while dealing with self-made stars. Whatever maybe the real cause of Sushant's death, the outcome has been that there is a growing conversations about Indian society's poor management of mental health. Traditionally, we are taught from childhood about duties and responsibilities and specific roles that each one of us have to fulfil in our family or society. While dealing with emotional issues, males are told to hide their tears and "man up" while females are looked down and asked to adjust as suffering is considered an integral part of women's glorified status.

No pain, no gain, right? Wrong. Not when it comes to mental health. Adjusting or suffering is never an option. Seek help and do not let yourself fall into the pits of "it is just a phase" "everyone feels this way" "log kya kehenge" . It is high time we start taking mental health seriously and realise that mental health isn't just absence of mental illness, but a major component in one's overall health and well being. While no articles can equal to the professional help, here are five pointers to boost your mental well being :

1. Being present- Research shows that spend 47% of our precious waking hours being in distracted thoughts. These are minutes of fleeting time that you could use to smile, find joy in what you're doing or just take a mindful breath. Make it a habit to pull yourself away when thoughts distract you from what you are doing.

2. Build relationships - Perhaps, one major downside of digital revolution is that it has encouraged more and more young adults to spend time within their homes, glued to a screen, binge watching series or comparing themselves to the virtual world they see on social media. While there is nothing wrong with being an introvert, it is absolutely essential that we build connections - real, meaningful connections with whom we can share our smiles and sorrows. This could be one person or a lot more as long as what matters is quality and not quantity.

3. Practice forgiveness and empathy - It is easy to not care. It is easy to hold grudges and hate people. But it ultimately affects you! Talk to people when you clash with them, forgive and apologize wherever there is any bad blood, and you will notice that your heart gets lighter and your mental health fitter.

4.Experiment - It might be a new recipe, exercise routine, trying an Instagram or Pinterest challenge, anything that is outside your comfort zone. Bring out your creativity and look forward to well being.

5.Go offline - "Offline is the new luxury". Social media has engulfed our lives so much that it's hard to imagine a couple of hours without unlocking our phones. Less exposure to the blue light and spending more time in the sun, or with family and friends, or just being with yourself is going to benefit your mental health tremendously. In fact, I had to uninstall the app after I began to get overwhelmed by the sensationalism that followed Sushant's suicide.

Loss of Sushant Singh Rajput is irreversible. However, let us hope that mental health talks his demise has produced doesn't turn out to be just another fad and actually contributes to changing scenarios of mental health situation in India and elsewhere.