In an interview with ETMarkets, Poddar said: “At RoundGlasss, we are trying to democratize Holistic Wellness for the world. Our app offers an integrated approach to help people develop healthier habits and live more fulfilling lives,” edited excerpts:
You’ve traveled the world, tell us a bit more about why mental health has become so important to working professions in all fields, whether it’s trading or money management.
Thanks for having me here. We are here today because mental health has become an urgent medical challenge of our time.
As the world becomes easier to navigate with the benefits of technology in all aspects of our lives, our expectation of immediacy provides an equal amount, if not more, of stress that makes life more complicated and anxious. .
The recent COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the mental health crisis in the world. Worldwide, there has been a 25 percent increase in the prevalence of anxiety and depression since 2020.
Nearly a billion people worldwide have a mental health condition. Mental health is important to everyone, to all professionals in any field.
If left untreated, poor mental health can lead to more serious health problems and high medical bills. For example, the risk of heart attack and stroke is twice as high in people with untreated mental health problems than in the general population.
Similarly, they are twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes. All of this adds up to absenteeism at work and lost productivity that can significantly affect an organization’s performance. According to the Centers for Disease Control, depression causes 200 million lost work days each year.
Also help us understand what RoundGlass is. If someone wants to be a part of this, how can they get in touch?
I direct and supervise the content on the RoundGlass platform. I create communities, initiatives, and outreach for mental health awareness and support, and focus on integrating peace and harmony to address mental and emotional health.
As part of RoundGlass Living, I have hosted numerous fireside chats with mental health and wellness experts for RoundGlass Living, discussing how wellness tools such as meditation and mindfulness, can be used to live with greater joy and health.
For me, mental health and wellness is not just a passion, but a purpose that drives the mission of my everyday life. I come from a banking family and from an early age I watched the whole world burn.
This experience helped shape my life path of helping people cope with mental health issues. And I decided to pursue psychology and learn various healing practices.
If you are a wellness seeker, you can download the RoundGlass Living app from the Apple and Google stores and start your wellness journey with us.
We offer wellness paths such as meditation and mindfulness, yogahealthy eating and end-of-life counseling to help you reduce stress and anxiety, foster relationships, develop healthy habits, and manage difficult emotions.
Mind Over Money – Regular meditation and mindfulness can help traders maintain their mental well-being
“Mental health is important to everyone and every professional in any field. It’s especially aggravated when you’re managing people’s money or when you’re trading,” says Prakriti Poddar, global head of mental health and wellness at RoundGlass, a global holistic wellness company.
Your organization deals with people of various ages: what is the type of response you have seen from children, adolescents, students and working professionals? Who is more adaptable to change?
As a mental health specialist, I am part of the RoundGlass Living app. At RoundGlasss, we are trying to democratize Integral Wellness for the world. Our app offers an integrated approach to help people develop healthier habits and live more fulfilling lives.
It offers authentic content on meditation and mindfulness for wellness, music for wellness, foods for wellness, and resources and insights for end-of-life planning.
The response has been encouraging and inspires us to continue working. Most people, whether young or old, are open to change and want to become the best version of themselves.
Professionals around the world choose to prioritize their mental well-being. They are demanding more responsive work environments, better work-life balance, and employee wellness programs designed to meet their mental health needs.
We must also focus on the mental health of children and adolescents. Adults need to modify their behavior towards them and be more sensitive to what is happening to them. For example, try not to label the child but allow him to grow and develop freely.
It is also vital to create holistic development strategies for young people. Sport is a powerful tool to achieve a transformation in youth.
We need to create opportunities for young people to play sports for their holistic wellness, focus on their nutrition as well as creating wellness interventions in the workplace.
Through our work and resources, we make this transformation possible. We are inspiring people to live with greater joy and health and develop healthy habits that will help improve their physical and mental well-being.
Any technique used for the sessions? Please elaborate.
I use different techniques and here are some:
a)
Advice: It is the first step in the healing process. During counseling, people have the opportunity to start talking about the challenges they are facing in a safe environment. Talking helps to understand the root cause of distress and an individual’s way of thinking. It helps to better understand the problems and determine the way forward.
b)
Meditation and mindfulness: Practicing meditation and mindfulness is a great way to improve your mental well-being, especially at work. By removing clutter and chaos from thoughts, meditation makes the mind clearer, calmer, and sharper. Multiple studies have now established that regular meditation practice can relieve stress, reduce anxiety, improve our relationships with others, and help us sleep better.
At work, shorter meditations, lasting about two minutes, can help you reset before your next task, help you set an intention before an important meeting, or help you feel confident before a presentation.
c)
Sound: I firmly believe that sound will be the medicine of the future. In the sound we are born and in the sound we heal. Research shows that specific sounds have the ability to target disruptions in the mind and body. Certain sounds and rhythms can even invoke peace and harmony. Studies have shown that listening to upbeat music improves our mood and happiness, and that people who listen to music before, during, or after surgery experience less pain and anxiety.
d)
Biofeedback: In my practice, I use EEG Biofeedback or Neurofeedback to help people deal with issues like ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, substance abuse, certain addictions, depression, anxiety, migraines, stress, and more. Neurofeedback is a non-invasive procedure that measures a person’s brain waves and provides real-time information about how their brain is working. This feedback can help people understand how their brain reacts to certain triggers. I was one of the first mental health experts in Mumbai to introduce this therapy.
Tell us more about faith healing that you learned from your grandmother.
My grandmother was a prolific healer and fortune teller who taught me faith healing before I learned to read or write, making it part of my natural development.
She used to be part of a church and would read Bible stories to me. In fact, she taught me to pray at the age of two and involved me in the prayers.
My grandmother was the first person in my life to teach me about mindfulness and how it is vital to our well-being. I also learned healing techniques from her.
Cases of depression have suddenly increased, especially after COVID. We have seen it in the brokerage and trading communities as well. How can investors deal with depression? Any program being organized?
The first step is to be aware of what your body and mind are telling you. From awareness comes acceptance. Once you accept that you have a mental health problem, you will seek medical help.
There is a stigma associated with mental health problems and people, particularly men, try to sweep it under the rug. You should treat them as you would a fever or high blood sugar.
There are several avenues of treatment available. For example, somatic, cognitive, physical training… It is up to your mental health professional to understand what will work for you.
Stockbrokers and investors spend most of their time sitting down. They should try to get up and walk at regular intervals for better health.
They work in a high stress environment. Practicing meditation and mindfulness regularly can help them better deal with work stress and minimize its impact on their well-being.
Any book you would like to recommend to our readers?
Here are some suggestions:
- Your Erroneous Zones by Wayne W Dyer
- The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho
- Relaxing Anxiety by Dr. Jud Brewer
- Permission to Feel by Mark Brackett, PhD
- Emotional Agility by Susan David, PhD
I have met and spoken with some of these authors and these books can really help us better understand our mental well-being and allow us to have more control over it.
(Disclaimer: The recommendations, suggestions, points of view and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of the Economic Times)
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