It’s okay to be not okay but one must seek recovery – Lessons on mental health in times of Coronavirus

By Reya Mehrotra

The Tokyo Olympics that concluded in August 2021 were special in more ways than one. India performed exceptionally well with javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra taking home a gold medal. Several other Indian athletes won silver and bronze medals and made headlines for their extraordinary performance. But along with the brilliant shine of gaming came an important dialogue: that of the importance of mental well-being. We were reacquainted with the phrase ‘It’s okay to not be okay’, thanks to Naomi Osaka and it became the defining mantra for prioritizing mental health.

In fact, 2021 turned out to be the year that not one but many athletes sparked conversation around mental wellness and its impact on the player. Last year, Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open citing mental health issues and confessed that she had been depressed since 2018. As for American gymnast Simone Biles, who confessed that she was inspired by Osaka’s courage, the withdrawal of some of the events came as she prioritized her mental health, but she won two medals at the Olympics. Olympian and previously decorated swimmer Michael Phelps had opened up about his struggle with depression due to the pressures on him. Even the captain of the Indian cricket team, Virat Kohli, known for his passionate approach on the ground, stepped down as captain of the T20 due to “immense workload” and acknowledged that he “needed to give himself space”. However, the pressure to excel is not exclusive to athletes, although its magnitude multiplies as one becomes a public figure and expectations rise. Anyone from any walk of life can feel the burden of being successful: a student hoping to do well, an employee with work pressures, an entrepreneur, an artist, a businessman, etc. As discussions of mental health have taken center stage, the importance of failure has also been noted. And as the new wave of covid disrupts our lives once again, it’s time to talk about mental wellness.

losing is winning
The 2019 national award-winning film Chhichhore, starring the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput and Shraddha Kapoor, emphasized exactly that. Historically, popular culture has depicted the protagonist or his team taking the trophy and emerging on the winning side, while the antagonist emerges as the loser. Contrary to this, Chhichhore described how the film’s protagonist and his friends proudly called themselves ‘losers’ and that they enjoyed the journey to gain more than the gain itself, showing that the Machiavellian principle of ‘the end justifies the means’ is incorrect. As Anni, played by Rajput, teaches her son, who has attempted suicide for not making it to IIT, the importance of failure, he reflects on his own failures.

Holistic Lifestyle Coach – Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine – Luke Coutinho rightly points out that losses should be taken as an opportunity to improve rather than setbacks and families should celebrate both their children’s successes and failures with grace so that their self-esteem and self-worth are not affected as they age. This brings us to the fact that today, along with the lesson about the importance of winning, the importance of losing must be instilled in the minds of young people from the very beginning. Kanchan Rai, Mental & Emotional Wellness Coach, Founder – Let Us Talk sums it up as ‘failing is learning and learning is success’.

In fact, the two years of the pandemic have been the biggest teachers of mental health awareness in current times. Apprehensions about talking about mental health have been reduced thanks to the abundant conversations on social networks. The ready availability of mental health professionals has virtually opened the doors for change, distinguishing this world event from others. After all, as the British science journalist Laura Spinney says, “it is the first great pandemic that is witnessed digitally, the first great pandemic that we have experienced from the Internet and its access to everyone, so it is different”.

Dr. Shambhavi Samir Alve, a developmental psychologist, clinical hypnotherapist, arts-based therapy practitioner, and founder of Uurja Manifest the Light Within, a virtual holistic studio, says that when someone says they don’t feel well, we accept it, but when he says he isn’t. feeling good emotionally, we don’t recognize it, but that’s changing now that people learn to open up. “We were masking our problems before through social events and fast-paced lifestyles, but when the pandemic hit, these privileges were taken away and all the problems came out into the open and also resulted in PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) either because of their experiences previous). or current sufferings). But little by little we have reached an agreement with him.” In the last two years, he says, he has seen patients of all age groups and from all over the country seeking professional help for their mental health. Begum Jerina Yeasmin, founder of Fighter Buzz, an online mental and emotional health counseling platform that was founded last year, says they have seen a range of cases from domestic violence to depression, OCD and anxiety during the pandemic.

The altered course of life.
Dr. Alve’s statement is true. Vulnerabilities and psychological difficulties that one had been suppressing for a long time were exposed when isolation, lack of social interaction, and home confinement became the new norm. On a broader note, it marked the end of the toxic hustle culture and a slowdown of the rat race and taught one that there is more to life than being a ‘hustler’, a ‘workaholic’ and glorifying the work overload. Deloitte’s 2018 survey of 1,000 full-time U.S. professionals highlighted how employee burnout was peaking. The study titled ‘Workplace Burnout Survey’ revealed that 84% of millennials had experienced burnout in their current job, compared to 77% of all respondents and 91% of all respondents agreed to have an unmanageable amount of stress.
However, the last two years showed us that there could be a slower alternative life, waiting to be adopted, where living in tune with nature, minimalism, working at ease and pursuing one’s own interests were advantages. Dr. Rai calls the current period a ‘pseudo-holiday’ in which the lifestyle transition has brought physical and mental therapeutic benefits.

But will the slow life speed up the pace? Dr. Nimesh G Desai, Director, Institute of Human Behavior and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) and Secretary/CEO Member, State Mental Health Authority (SMHA), Delhi, thinks so. He talks about how historically, after major world events, young people have taken time to reflect, but have ultimately emerged stronger and more resilient as they have realized the value of bonds, collectivism and better career guidance. . “I hope the same thing happens this time as well. I don’t think the slowdown will last. Innovation and improvements are human impulses even though the simplification of life has happened for now. Concerns, depressions due to the pandemic, unemployment are temporary changes”, he shares.

He agrees that ‘it’s okay not to be okay’, but this should be short-lived and one should seek help and recovery. “It’s important to have the courage to take a break and walk away from it,” he adds.

In 2021, Iceland’s success with the 4-day-a-week work trial drew global attention. But as in any developing country, reducing working hours and days may not be enough. In India, the new central government labor codes on wages, social security, labor relations and job security, health and working conditions, which are likely to be implemented soon, also indicate a four-day workweek schedule. However, business tycoon Jack Ma of Alibaba Group backs the view and has his rags-to-riches story as evidence. Jack Ma, who has always believed in the hardworking spirit, faced backlash from social media when in 2019 he opined on the 996 work culture, that is, 9 am to 9 pm and 6 days of work a week . Although glorifying overwork might not fit, Luke Coutinho says there’s no problem running the rat race, as “the more you take on in life, the stronger and healthier you need to be in mind, body and spirit to handle it all.” . from
the extras.”

Considering the current situation, one can only hope to say goodbye to the toxic work culture of pre-pandemic times. As a post-pandemic future looks promising, as he values ​​mental health, embraces a hybrid work culture, and believes in work-life balance.

I don’t think the slowdown will last. Innovation and improvements are human impulses, although simplification
of life has happened by now.”— Nimesh G Desai, IHBAS Director

Losses should be viewed as an opportunity to improve rather than setbacks, and families should graciously celebrate both their children’s successes and failures.”—Luke Coutinho, Holistic Lifestyle Coach