Humanistiq Issue 2 | December'21 - The Battle Within (Mental Health)

DECEMBER '21 | ISSUE II

HUMANISTIQ

|The

R Magazine

The Battle Within | Mental Health

ABOUT HUMANIST We are a diverse team of individuals from different backgrounds, bringing together the best of our talents to assist the student community to transcend their limitations to become industry-ready and better versions of themselves. We passionately work on coming up with highly engaging and interesting activities for students where they can apply their management knowledge and can come up with their own unique solutions. We represent the student HR Committee of K J Somaiya Institute of Management.

OUR VISION To see every member evolve as an eminent leader and develop necessary soft skills to excel in the corporate world.

OUR MISSION To facilitate an understanding of the HR Stream through various demonstrations, events and activities and in turn groom our students and members to become more effective MBA Students and responsible potential corporate leaders.

We focus on bringing quality knowledge to students by conducting events based on course-related and Industry centric topics throughout the year like Transcend to equip students to ace their GDs & PIs in the placement process, Case Rachna, a pan India unique competition to develop the skill of case writing, and Crescendo an event with distinct themes each year managed by our Junior Team.

We also support & facilitate events conducted by the HR faculty like CDMI, a panel discussion with industry experts on the topic of Breaking Barriers, and The International HR Conference, wherein industry stalwarts, dignitaries, and students are invited to showcase their research works.

We welcomed our juniors in the month of August and have passed on the baton to them. They have continued our legacy of bringing initiatives to benefit the student community. We now proudly present to you their latest work, the second issue of Humanisitiq - The HR Magazine.

Himani Atray Co- Convenor

Sanchita Agrawal Convenor

Manali Kale Co- Convenor

THE

Writers

Designers

Editors

TEAM

RIYA

SHIVANI ( She/Her )

( She/Her )

SAUMYA

PRACHI

SHIVANGI

ABHISHEK

( She/Her )

( She/Her )

( She/Her )

( He/Him )

AARUSHI

ANUSHKA

( She/Her )

( She/Her )

SREYOSHEE

Brand Managers

( She/Her )

ANUBHAV ( He/Him )

RIJUL

( He/Him )

GAYATRI ( She/Her )

TEJASVI ( She/Her )

KHYATI

SIMAR

( She/Her )

( She/Her )

TAVISHI ( She/Her )

KEERTHANA ( She/Her )

EDITOR'S NOTE

D

ear Readers,

Welcome back to the second edition of Humanistiq - The HR Magazine by Team Humanist

We are deeply overwhelmed by the warm response of our readers to the very first edition of the magazine. We started off this journey by touching upon a theme which is very relevant in the current time - “Diversity, Equality and Inclusion”. This edition we strive to keep the momentum intact and shed light on another raging topic - “Mental Health and Wellbeing”.

Amongst all the health conditions prevalent around the world, mental health stands out as unique and paradoxical. It suffers from the mixed baggage of being frequently discussed but barely understood, widely existent but strongly stigmatised and often over-diagnosed but under-treated.

Adding fuel to the fire is the pandemic where life is moving at a fast pace and our minds are constantly grappling to keep up. As the world continues to work remotely and gradually adapts to a Hybrid workplace setting, the line between our personal and professional lives has blurred. It is imperative to practice self care and not just cater to physical wellbeing. In a country like India, most of the stigma around mental health exists because of misunderstandings, misrepresentations, and misinformation.

As aspiring leaders in the corporate world, we aim to mitigate the problem and increase awareness about the same.

We are here to create a safe space for healthy, non-judgemental conversations around the topic. A place where you can be unapologetically you.

Our mind matters. Our stories matter. We are all warriors battling our demons and sometimes we need to actively make room for us to just breathe, feel and be who we truly are.

“What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, and more unashamed conversation.

– Glenn Close Team Humanist is happy to take this small initiative towards making a change even if it may seem like a drop in the ocean. We believe these discussions will be able to create a ripple effect and hopefully help highlight the significance of Mental Wellbeing. An honest effort to help you fight “The Battle Within”.

We hope you enjoy this issue as much as our last. Happy Reading !

Editors, Shivani & Riya

CALL FOR ARTICLE WINNERS A very hearty congratulations to the winner and the runner up of this month’s Call For Articles

WINNER

RUNNER UP

Simantini Maiti ( She/Her )

Akshaya R Rao ( She/Her )

K J SOMAIYA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, MUMBAI

MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE, GURGAON

Thank you for the overwhelming response that we received from all the participants and we encourage you to write to us with the same enthusiasm for all further editions as well and get a chance to be featured in the magazine.

INITIATIVES BY SOMAIYA K J Somaiya believes that any education that teaches you how to make a living, is never complete without teaching you how to live. The last 2 years has not only disrupted the whole world in terms of how we live and work but death and the fear of psychosis has had a terrible impact on our mental and emotional health.

Holistic Self-Management (HOLSEM) has risen to this situation and has revamped and designed sessions that will not only aid students in their difficult moments but also teach them how to lead empowered lives.

"Yoga-Pranayam-Meditation" and "Handling Failures and Letting Go" has been conducted as part of induction.

Apart from these, sessions on "Handling Difficult Relationships" and "Diet and Nutrition" were also part of the HOLSEM programme.

In trimester 2, a rigorous one week (5-day) "YogaPranayam- Meditation" program was conducted from Monday to Friday from 6 to 7 pm. Along with this, lectures were conducted on the topics "The Buddha's Middle Path- for balance and self-discipline" and "How to heal past hurts and traumas".

In the coming trimesters, sessions on dance and fitness, stress management and time management will be conducted.

College Counsellor- Dr. Shrirang Joshi Email: dr.shrirang.joshi@gmail.com Contact Number: (+91) 98213 40274 (Call Timings- Monday & Thursday, 6 to 9 PM)

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Humans of Somaiya In Talks with Prof (Dr.) Shailaja Karve (She/Her) Area Chairperson (OB/HR); Chairperson- Admissions Committee; Ph.D. (NITIE, Mumbai) We had the privilege to interview the Faculty Guide of Team Humanist, Prof (Dr.) Shailaja Karve, Area Chairperson (OB/HR) at K J Somaiya Institute of Management, Ph.D. (NITIE, Mumbai) as well as the Chairperson of Admissions Committee, wherein she deep dives into the theme of this edition “Mental Health-The Battle Within”.

Dr. Karve’s work experience spans over 25 years, with 8 years in the industry and 17 years as an educator. Her book on “Role Stress & Coping with Role Stress as Influencers of Role Efficacy” has been published by LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing International. She has consultancy expertise in the fields of team building, team efficacy and organisational change. Here are the edited excerpts of the interview.

1. We recently have been hearing about a lot of millennials struggling with anxiety issues and panic attacks. Do you believe stress is a

2. Talking about stress, what do you think are some of the indicators?

So what happens is that there is a natural way of behaving and it depends upon what kinds of thoughts set in. People have different ways to deal with it which can either be beneficial or harmful. Some people display physical symptoms like sweating, panic and all which is evident from their body movements.

Before we delve into the indicators of stress I firmly believe stress itself is not a bad word even though a lot of negative connotations are associated with it. I think if stress didn’t exist we would have no motivation to do anything as we don’t live in a utopian world but a demanding life. In fact I think stress brings out the best in you and what you do. The term is “Eustress” which is a positive form of stress that has a beneficial effect on health, motivation, performance, and emotional wellbeing. I think it can be useful in various ways.

Sometimes people divert their mind by indulging into their hobbies or activities like listening to music, composing music, painting, playing games and if you indulge in some active activity it shapes you much better and it also gives avenues for the energy to be dissipated and this helps to equip one for dealing with a stressful situation in a much better manner.

So time and again we move into three stages of stress : no stress, stress and distress. It's important that you keep on moving from one stage to another but what one should avoid is distress because when it sets in, people often have mental breakdowns. So there are various indicators like heightened emotions, erratic bp, heart attack medically speaking.

contributing factor causing this or does stress reflect only physically?

One can also indulge into some practices like meditation, deep breathing, yoga, pilates or physical activities like trekking, jogging. This helps in establishing emotional connection. Secondly, a good social group provides a nice cushion or support system to help you get through.

Eustress positive form of stress 2

The indicators of stress can be categorised into physical, emotional, psychological. It's very important to recognize these symptoms and draw a line. So stress by itself is not harmful. We need to find ways to manage this stress. Identify these thresholds in life. Take a step back or move ahead.

But do not push yourself into a distressing situation.

3. Does culture or background play a role in the stigma that causes stress?

People from large families or joint families have a good experience in dealing with human relations and emotions because many generations live together grandparents, siblings, uncles, aunts, and so on - in the same house. They have excellent family buddies to fall back on.

Nuclear families on the other hand have led to loneliness. It is critical for everyone to have companions of their own age who can relate to them.

Parents are not the panacea for all problems. Other grownups too can sometimes provide us with comfort and security in life.

We fled in pursuit of liberty and independence. How many of us take time to ponder our own lives? You must learn to adapt and make the best of your situation. Enjoy the moment as you live in it and anticipate the pleasure it provides. The past is no longer with us, and the future is yet to arrive.

Whatever's here is all we have. Young people must learn to live in the present moment.

4. What is your opinion on how today’s youth perceive mental health and what according to you are the risks and ramifications of neglecting one's mental health for a long time?

Mental Health is not something that you look at consciously and all the time but it is lurking somewhere and it is always present with you, the important thing is to look after your physical health. When your Physical health is at its peak it leads to a good mood which further helps to maintain emotional health, this in turn has a ramification on your mental health. A lot of people today look for quick fixes and many of the issues that today's youth face are on the lines of career and relationships.

So many times people move in and out of relationships very fast or they look at jobs with the highest package without having any passion or inclination towards it but when you are really passionate about what you are doing and are actually motivated, that's when you do not need any external motivators. So these are the two challenges and both are transitory in nature.

Look after your physical and mental health

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Humans of Somaiya In Talks with Prof (Dr.) Hemangi Bhalerao (She/Her) Associate Professor (OB/HR) at K J Somaiya Institute of Management; Ph.D. (Mumbai University) Our second issue also features a candid conversation with Prof (Dr.) Hemangi Bhalerao, Associate Professor (OB/HR) at K J Somaiya Institute of Management; Ph.D. (Mumbai University), wherein she talks about the theme for this edition “Mental Health-The Battle Within”. She has research specialisation in the areas of Leadership, Emotional Intelligence and Conflict Management. She also won the Best Paper award at Aston University in 2019 and has also conducted various training programs on Personal Growth, Personal Efficacy, Emotional Intelligence, Leadership Effectiveness, Goal Setting, Time Management, Personal Mastery, Leadership, Conflict Management, Negotiation etc. Here are the edited excerpts of the interview.

1. What is your opinion on perceived mental health and the ramifications of neglecting one's mental health for a long time?

I meet young people every year and when I see them in the classroom I get a lot of indications about their mental health. Those that are mentally healthy, depict positive health in all three spheres namely physical, emotional and cognitive spheres. The reverse is also true. The worst ramification that can result is death, people go into depression and then commit suicide.

However, the more common occurrences i.e. the not so severe ramifications would be alienation, not being able to adjust within the team one is assigned to or facing personal issues on a regular basis. However, we all have rough experiences occasionally and that is a part of life, nevertheless, when these occurrences are frequent, it is a symptom.

2. How can mindfulness?

one

practice

the

art

of

I find it worth noting that even the greatest philosophers and scholars point at their hearts while actually talking about “Mann” i.e the mind. They believe it to be the same thing and interconnected in a way.

One of the most effective ways of being mindful is to take a break from your hectic schedule every now and then. We should also meditate, not meditate in traditional terms or what we have heard about in stories, but it could be simply sitting back and listening to music or just relaxing after a long day. You need to be calm and accept that your body is tired and then nourish it, enjoy some time off. There are many activities that help people stay calm. For some, it could be exercising, burning some calories. As for me, I believe that mindfulness would not come if you are unable to sleep properly, you should have a fixed regime that involves work, rest, exercise, and interaction with people. This would also make one mentally healthy and doing what you enjoy is perhaps the best way of being mindful.

"You need to be calm and accept that your body is tired and then nourish it, enjoy some time off."

The most difficult part to control is one's mind. It is said to be faster than the speed of light and gets easily distracted.

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3. How can one be more mindful and reduce stress at the workplace?

4. What advice would you provide to folks who are uncomfortable seeking help?

You could simply be at your workstation and practise breathing exercises or stretching or listen to music for a while and it could work. Many organisations have wellness practices, we at KJSIM have yoga, Zumba sessions and people are free to join.

Despite the confidentiality provided by the mental health counselors, going out and seeking help is still considered a taboo in Indian society. In an organisation, even when the counselors are freely available, employees feel hesitant to seek help.

So for workplaces, we could try breathing exercises, or perhaps a power nap could also work. We spend a lot of time in workplaces where we are not working. In 8 hours of work, we do not work every minute of those hours. No organisation would object if you are in your cubicle during the lunch hour and practising breathing exercises. There are a lot of Pranayamas that are absolutely wonderful, it helps oxygenate your brain and thereby the brain is able to process a lot of data, thoughts much more efficiently.

There are various kinds of Mental Health issues like stress, anxiety and it could further go up to severe mental health issues such as physiological issues or even medical ones. If people around are inclusive and open of this fact then I think nobody would hesitate taking help.

If people around are inclusive and open of this fact then I think nobody would hesitate taking help

Sometimes even family members do not want to accept that there is a problem at hand and then the situation goes out of control. A mother or a father would definitely not like to accept that his child has a mental health issue because it will be a reflection of their character. But when family members do not accept there is an issue, the situation really goes out of hand.

So people should be more open to discussing such things. Even if there is one friend or a close family member with whom this can be discussed it relieves a lot of stress.

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HR TRENDS Diversity “Commemorating the National Coming out Day, Axis Bank announced a hiring drive focussed on candidates from the LGBTQIA+ candidates.

This drive was organised in 15 locations across the length and breadth of the country,”

HR policies

Rajkamal Vempati, president & head – HR, Axis Bank.Axis Bank hosted the hiring drive across 15 tier- I and tier- II cities in India, targeting not just LGBTQIA+ talent, but also women and people with disabilities (PwDs).

(Source: Akshit Pushkarna, HRKatha)

Learning and development

Portugal has passed a legislation to ensure its working population enjoys a proper work-life balance and the ‘right to rest’. The Country has recently passed a law according to which, if employers try to get in touch with their employees by texting or calling after work hours, or before their work hours begin, they will have to pay a heavy penalty.

(Source: HRK News Bureau, November 10, 2021)

Axis Mutual Fund is working with third-party vendors to create bite- sized learning modules. These modules are based on short, concise, 2–3-minute videos at most.

With these modules, employees can learn on the go.

Besides, all that one has learnt is available to serve as a refresher whenever one wants. In order to gauge the impact of these learning modules in an engaging manner, Axis MF has introduced the concept of daily quizzes to check employee understanding.

Recruitment Dyninno, a global technology group of companies operating in travel, finance, and entertainment across 50 markets, is gearing to expand its India team to over 640 by the end of 2022.According to Alex Weinstein, founder, Dyninno Group, as part of its expansion plans in India, the Group is “looking to hire individuals who are keen to work on a diversified tech stack and largescale global projects”.

(Source: HRK News Bureau, November 18, 2021)

(Author: Akshit Pushkarna, HRKatha)

Work-Life balance Scaler, the tech upskilling start-up, has given paid time off to all its employees across the organization, from 25 December to 2 January, so that they can rest, relax and celebrate Christmas and New Year. This is the Company’s way of ensuring work-life balance for its 700strong workforce amidst the high-pressure work environment that is characteristic to start-ups.

(Source: HRK News Bureau, November 18, 2021)

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HR TRENDS EMPLOYEE WELFARE Bank of Baroda announced that it has rolled out free and anonymous psychological counselling for 8000 odd employees on a pilot basis. This counselling service offered by the Bank in tie-up with a specialized provider is safe, non-judgmental, and highly confidential and is available to the employees and their family members 24/7. The program is being carried out in association with EAP India.

(Author: Anjali Venugopalan, The Economic Times)

HR Technology The new Alexa Skill will help candidates acquire the right information on their queries regarding employment opportunities at Amazon. It will also give candidates available learning feed, access training resources, watch videos and receive periodic updates.

Alexa Skill will act as an on-demand hiring assistant providing candidates with authentic information about Amazon to help prepare for their desired roles at the Company.

H Stands for Humor

(Source: HRK News Bureau, September 17, 2021)

@TeamHumanist

By Hitanshu Patil 7

WORDS OF

WISDOM |

Prof (Dr.) Shailaja Karve (She/Her)

Time to discuss and acknowledge mental health issues in our B schools? - Managing the crucial and important conversations and encouraging the heart in the classroom.

Mental and emotional health challenges have been around as long as humans have existed and its about time they got their due attention and acknowledgement in the classrooms of the B schools as students prepare for a challenging and demanding career in the competitive business world.

The pandemic has highlighted the crisis and brought it to center stage, student have faced trauma in terms of loss of near and dear ones, financial challenges, relocation, suspended in animation wait for things to improve online classes. Some faced sleep issues, others eating disorders, some turned to substance abuse to cope with symptoms.

Its time B schools acknowledge this reality and intervene to better prepare the students to deal with the challenges during the learning period and beyond.

It is these very students who will don the hat of a professional and in their managerial role will be called upon to provide support to others in their professional role as managers.

Educating current and future leaders on pressing workplace mental and emotional health issues is the need of the hour. Educators have an opportunity to equip students with the tools to cope and develop mindsets to be productive and resourceful anchors in the organizations that they will be part of.

The demands on young population who have potential efficacy, who have knowledge, skills, attitude and competence are in terms of performance in the course and programme, competing within and across B schools’ cohorts, pressures of placement, the evasive dream job and career, the matters of finding and losing a potential life partner, acknowledging the need to be self-reliant and terminating the umbilical cord. A day of reckoning about the last degree, to venture in the world for which you prepared, to embrace the challenges of the adult world.

Self-realization of the limited capacity, the cry for help, accepting the need to seek help and acknowledge the struggle at the mental and emotional level while the ramifications on the physical self. It is time that students learn to recognise these in themselves and in those around them.

Yet despite the prevalence of these issues, we struggle to have conversations about them. At best the B-school provides a connect with the psychiatrist or a counsellor.

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Its time for educators to: acknowledge importance of mental and emotional health, have discussions about it in varied forums, create helplines to reach out, create a space and place to talk about it.

Faculty need to acknowledge problems, respect confessions, confidentiality, close the conversations while discouraging dependency, refrain from being an agony aunt and convey that it is ok to be uncomfortable at times. Encouraging individual and team reflections will not only help students to gain insights about the factors that influenced the outcomes, about self and others but also helps to find solutions to complex problem and boost experiential knowledge.

Faculty can through discussions take away the stigma, talk about it as a problem to be dealt with, have success stories of overcoming challenges.

At the organizational level the programme can have opportunities for personal growth labs, developing emotional intelligence, understanding interpersonal interactions and transactions, yoga, meditation, sports both indoor, music, recreational activities with active participations.

Beyond grooming, the need is to emphasise wellbeing on physical, mental and emotional level as a way of life.

The role of pets, buddies, teams, diverse groups is varied means which can be explored and made available.

Encourage small group work for bonding and creating a support group.

Faculty can create trust & spaces for discussions, be approachable as mentors/coaches for personal discussions. Tell anecdotes of self, others, other students who coped as part of the discussion in the classroom weaving it as part of the course, case etc.

Acknowledge own vulnerability, create alternatives, possibilities of coping, make it sound as a normal hiccup which needs attention and needs to be dealt with.

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Coping with Mental Health Challenges and Building Resilience

Do you often find yourself having negative thoughts and thinking, “I can’t do this,” “I’m not good at anything” or comparing yourself to others or just feeling low and down, unable to bring yourself out of bed? If yes, know that you are not alone. Just like when we fall sick and our body needs medication to recover, our mind too needs a break to rest.

In India, Mental Health has long been a hushed topic having several stigmas attached to it. The Covid-19 pandemic has not made this any easier; instead, it has accelerated the issue even more as we see a rising number of cases at home and at the workplace. Many of us have found ourselves battling our inner demons during these trying times.

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Tavishi Das (She/Her) MBA-B, 2021-23

setbacks will be experienced along the way. But eventually, once you reach the top, you can see how far you’ve come. Therefore when life knocks us down, we must pick ourselves up and adapt to the circumstances.

So let us look at a few ways in which we can do so and effectively deal with the various challenges of life.

First and foremost, it is extremely important to Foster Healthy Relationships with our near and dear ones.

Surrounding ourselves with people who genuinely care about us and listen to us without any apprehensions helps motivate and inspire us to do better.

For some, it would be the first time experiencing this internal struggle. Anxiety, Depression, Loneliness, Burnout are a few experiences of how our mental health has been affected. An important thing to note is that “Every individual’s mental health is personal with unique experiences”.

Thus it is imperative for organizations and society to find common ways to cope with such challenges and build resilience among people. Some must be wondering what the word ‘Resilience’ really means? Resilience is a term that has gained immense significance, especially in the VUCA world. Amit Sood, MD and Executive director of the Global Center for Resiliency and Well-Being, defines it as the “ability to withstand adversity and bounce back and grow despite life’s downturns”.

Resilience is not a trampoline, where you keep bouncing up and down every second. It’s more like climbing a steep and windy mountain. It takes time, strength, and help from those around you, and it's most likely that

Accepting Change is equally important as it is said that change is the only constant. Accepting things we cannot control helps us to shift our focus to things within our control.

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Instead of running away from problems and wishing they didn’t exist, it is always better to tackle them head-on. Being Decisive and taking action as early as possible helps avoid delayed stress.

Goal Setting can be another way to build resilience.

While it is important to dream big and be ambitious, it is equally important to set smaller, more realistic goals which can be achieved in the short term. Small wins give greater joy. Understand your purpose by asking ‘why’ before doing anything.

Another hurdle we often face is Self-Limiting Beliefs.

We tend to hold negative perceptions about ourselves and get lost in our weaknesses. It is essential that we channel our energy towards our strengths and focus on how we can do better to develop mental toughness.

When our mind is tuned to think negatively, we cannot find a solution most of the time. It is always better to be hopeful, more optimistic, and have a positive outlook. As they say, it’s all in the mind.

Lastly, Self-Care and Mindfulness is critical in building mental strength. Giving ourselves the much-deserved time off to relax and do things we enjoy plays a great deal in facing unpleasant situations.

Be proud of yourself for the progress you make no matter how little and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Put yourself first and let loose from the clutches of those who drain your energy.

Well, these were just a few starting points into building resilience, and there are several other ways that one can look at. Remember that resilience can be cultivated at any time and at any age, so it’s never too late to start focusing on the most important thing in your life and yes, that’s YOU.

Every individual's mental health is personal with unique experiences

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On the Mend

|

Sreyoshee Banerjee (She/Her) MBA-HR, 2021-23

The roof over your head is crumbling And when you think no one’s watching I see you silently caressing the cracks Well I have half a mind to tell you To stop marvelling at the fault lines But you’ve long sealed shut your ears With voices that recount your worst fears So Instead, I take your hand and twirl you around But you don’t even Tango anymore And like a whirling dervish you now dance Staring right up, praying it all to fall apart To get over this journey quickly, Of being a wonder to a pile of debris But you see, When cracks mar the dome of the Sistine You don’t raze it to the ground You run! To get the scaffolding done!

Or if need be, to resurrect Even Michelangelo from the dead To preserve a beautiful legacy You ought to strive till the end And you know what my friend?

Your mind and your body Are truly such a beauty And never a doubt must you keep!

For you shall always and ‘Always’ remain worthy

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Mental Health Intervention in the Workplace

|

Khyati Sood (She/Her) MBA-HR, 2021-23

“We live in our minds' might sound cliche but the depth of these words has surfaced itself like never before.”

In the last one and a half pandemic years, we have been stuck at our homes with our minds. With the work landscape undergoing a dramatic revamp, mental health and adaptability have screamed their lungs out to make their way into the priority list of employee health. While companies that had a future-oriented culture were faster and better at adapting, they struggled in thriving in an environment where uncertainty alone was certain. These companies had an evolved digital culture in place which made remote work possible while others struggled to stay afloat with their employees to make things work.

It is no secret that working from home was a dream come true for almost everyone, with all the comfort that a cocooned shelter of a private domestic workspace provides. But this luxury did not come without a price. A plethora of 'never experienced before' psychological and mental concerns meandered their way into daily work and mind space. Isolation, burnout, long working hours, loneliness ate into the peace and mental health.

Proliferation in workplace anxiety and depression is no more unheard of.

Apart from these concerns, employees had to work more to accommodate a colleague who was geographically dispersed. To add to these woes, tech issues had employees struggling.

Moreover, understanding team members’ progress and ensuring remote collaboration was an added barrier.

'Man by nature is a social animal; an individual who is unsocial naturally and not accidentally is either beneath our notice or more than human.'

-Aristotle

Hence it was only natural that reduced human interaction increased feelings of loneliness among employees in a socially distanced environment. This laid a firm foundation for mental illnesses such as depression which targeted productivity at work.

At the receiving end were businesses that faced the fear of being throttled by poor productivity and increased absenteeism. Hence, businesses stepped forward to address the stigma surrounding mental health issues.

The quiet and humble need for employee well-being, which was long overdue, now topped the list.

Organisations rolled out plans to make work interesting, social and fun. Pervasive deadlines that caused employee burnout yelled to bring in the concept of 'space for work and space from work '.

Remote work did blur boundaries between work life and personal life. Although remote work came with its perks, it failed to perk up the employees as it swapped the occasional homing from work for additional daily pressure of catering to the family’s needs while working from home.

Since remote work is the new immigrant in today's organisational space, it would do good to realise the truth in Lisa Nichols words- 'Then you can serve others, joyfully, from your saucer'. It is for organisations to see how they provide an opportunity for their employees to fill their cups and rediscover eclipsed enthusiasm, zest and vigour for their work and make mental illness a remotely remote possibility.

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6 Signs That You Need Help

|

Anushka Trehan (She/Her) MBA-HR, 2021-23

How did this pandemic affect you personally? Did you find it difficult to sleep? Eat? Did the news trigger your anxiety?

Perhaps all of the above?

Along with many such effects, the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic has also brought along with it a new focus on the mental health of individuals, i.e. why such effects were noticed in the first place. People are increasingly becoming aware of the importance of peace of mind and mental stability, and how the two can be achieved. The pandemic also brought along with itself knowledge about mental illness and signs that a particular person needs attention. In these difficult times, it is important for everyone to introspect, track their own behavior, and get any medical attention that might be required.

TIREDNESS-

Highlighted below are a few behavioral signs that you should look out for:

Focus is very important in our lives, and a lack of focus or failure to attend something with absolute attention can possibly indicate an unhealthy state of mind. Lack of attention can be caused due to various reasons like stress, pre-consumption with other thoughts, anxiety, etc. The lack of attention, especially in younger children, can be a sign of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). If you or someone around you constantly finds it difficult to focus on the task at hand, the answer to this mystery could lie in therapy.

INSOMNIASleeplessness or facing difficulty in falling asleep is often considered a sign of an unrestful mind. The lack of a good quality sleep often leads to anxiety and can be linked to depression, according to research. It has also been concluded that unrestful sleep can impact the attention span and brain activity of an individual. If you find it difficult to fall asleep, you should visit a doctor immediately.

Lack of energy and a feeling of fatigue has also been linked to early signs of depression, according to research. Being energetic is a part of feeling alive, and if you find yourself feeling tired all the time, there is a possibility that it could be linked to your mental state.

Feeling tired occasionally or towards the end of the day is not something you have to worry about; feeling tired 24/7 is where the problem lies.

LACK OF ATTENTION-

ANXIETYFeeling anxious or nervous is perhaps one of the simplest and most direct indicators of an unpeaceful state of mind. Anxiety can be caused by several factors like stress, fear, anger, etc. Symptoms of anxiety include increased heart rate, faster breathing, heaviness in the chest, restlessness, and more. While it is normal to feel anxious occasionally, be it an important interview or an important event, it is not normal to constantly feel anxious for long periods of time. In today’s time anxiety disorder is becoming increasingly common, and should be brought to the notice of your doctor immediately.

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LOSS OF APPETITE-

IRRITABILITY-

Food and nutrition are obviously important for the human body, and a loss of appetite for no reason is not a normal occurrence. Chances are that if you face a sudden loss of appetite and disinterest in consuming food, it is caused subconsciously by a disturbed state of mind. Good food makes most of us happy, and a loss of appetite can indicate a refusal to be happy. Not only is mental health impacted as a result, but not consuming a proper amount of food also impacts the physical health of the individual. In short, losing your appetite is not okay, and a doctor should be consulted immediately.

Some situations and some people do annoy and irritate most of us, it is completely natural; but if you find yourself getting annoyed constantly for a period of time for the smallest of things, the problem is psychological in nature. During the lockdown when all of us were forced to sit at home for weeks altogether, most of us were irritated and agitated. This represented our disturbed mental state that was caused due to the restrictions laid down on us. Irritability often represents your state of mind, and a doctor will be able to offer more insights as to the root of the problem.

H Stands for Humor

If you or someone around you exhibits a few of these behavioral signs mentioned above, intervention via therapy or your trusted doctors can help better the situation. You can also try reaching out to mental health helplines such as Vandrevala Foundation, Live Love Laugh Foundation, NAMI helpline, etc. Remember, your mental health is a part of your overall health, and seeking help for it is as normal as seeking help for any other medical condition. The truth is that each and every one of us needs help in some form, that’s the beauty of being human.

@TeamHumanist

By Pranav Nair

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GUESS WHO? Chairperson, CEO and Executive Director of HCL Technologies. Richest women in India and first women head to lead a publicly listed IT company in India. Winner of the “Young Philanthropist of the Year” twice and set up ‘The Habitats' trust that aims at protecting India's natural habitats. Chairperson of VidyaGyan Leadership Academy, a leadership academy for the economically underprivileged.

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Recognition by Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain as one of the accomplished Indian Business Leaders in the UK.The youngest executive director of one of India’s largest FMCG companies heading the HR domain. Known as being the ‘leader of many firsts and hails from ‘Dakshin Kashi’ of India.

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A teenager who used to deliver newspapers at doors has become a billion people’s dream.This guy did MBA from Duke university of business administration. A very frugal personality both as a manager and as well as in personal life.

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A small town guy who has set up India’s one of the best growing startups. An inspiration to the Indian start ups Industry. The startup was set up at the age of 18 and started learning coding at just the age of 8.

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4. Ritesh Agarwal

3. Tim Cook

2. Leena Nair

1. Roshni Nadar

Answer Key

@TeamHumanist

By Hitanshu Patil and Keerthana Rao 16

CROSSWORD 1

1. Type of reward provided to an employee that doesn't have an inherent monetary value.

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3. The process of enhancing the skills, capabilities, and knowledge of employees for doing a particular job.

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Down: 2. Suspension or permanent termination of employment of workers by their employer.

4. A data-driven method of improving decisions that impact HR functions.

3. TRAINING

4. ANALYTICS

1. INTANGIBLE

Crossword Answer Key

2. LAYOFF

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@TeamHumanist

By Siddhartha Sachar

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4. CLARITY

2. GROWTH

3. BALANCE

1. INTEGRITY

6. DIVERSE 5. CREATIVE

CROSSWORD ANSWER KEY

8. LOYAL 7. HONEST

@TeamHumanist

By Siddhartha Sachar

Across: 3

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WORLD HIGHLIGHTS half of employees, could be the increased usage of non-corporate communication services. The extensive use of non-corporate communication service enables better connections but increase the level of risk from unmonitored IT resources. Communicating for work purposes via non-corporate email services has risen from 67% to 69%, and and social networks from 67% to 70%.

Life and Work Working remotely makes more than a third of employees feel more connected to their coworkers.

A recent Kaspersky study found that 61% of employees don’t feel isolated while working remotely.

According to the survey, one cause for greater ties built with colleagues, as noted by more than

(Author: Neelanjana Mazumdar, People Matters)

Global Value Chains and trade statistics

Mental Well-Being

Developing countries see the global value chain (GVC) as a way to boost their manufacturing sector by using their comparative advantage of cheap and skilled labour.

Parna Pethe, an Indian film actress, has been building Psychological Well Being Project

Why does it matter?

Global value chains and their linkage with the trade.

Parna Pethe, an Indian film actress, has been building the Pune Police Psychological Well Being Project with a team for Pune Zone 3 Police with DCP-

Why does it matter? Global value chains and their linkage with the trade statistics may lead us to interesting conclusions on inconsistency between trade statistics and modern trade. They see it as an opportunity to lower the trade imbalance as well.

Poornima Gaikwad for the last 5 months. They were there not only as counselors for the police but also as inquisitive people who want to understand their concerns and work together with them, not only for psychological well-being but also for some possibilities of infrastructural and systematic changes.

(Author: Surjith Karthikeyan, Business Standard)

(Author: Parna, @parnapeace)

Purchasing Habits Unlikely To Return Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies should consider new ways to reach out to customers Due to increased market competitiveness, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies should consider new ways to reach out to customers, even in the most remote areas of the country.

The most difficult issue for established and multinational businesses will be to change large-scale operations quickly. To stay up with consumers who are moving to online channels for purchasing, FMCG businesses and retailers are likely to invest more in digital areas and increase online distribution.

(Author: Mamta Sharma, Economic Times)

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WORLD HIGHLIGHTS Diversity Policies Must avoid benefiting the already privileged In the decade preceding up to the pandemic, tremendous progress was made in terms of employment diversity, but not everyone benefited equally.

Almost every country in the OECD group has narrowed gender and age disparities in the workplace.

Simultaneously, acceptance of LGBT+ persons has grown.

Migrants and ethnic minorities are increasingly the focus of corporate policy.

(Author: Thomas Liebig, Financial Times)

Reboot & Refresh 2.0

Crypto Role

The new Indian marketing playbook

US banking regulators to clarify banks' crypto role in 2022

A year into the pandemic and several lockdowns later, brands have refreshed their marketing playbooks, which they flip through when times get dull with consumers. One mantra they follow is Keeping the consumer at the heart, especially during these challenging times.

Traditional banks' legal participation in the cryptocurrency market will be clarified by US financial regulators in 2022.

India, US, China take on Opec+ To release oil from reserves to check higher prices After Opec+ producers repeatedly ignored calls for more crude, major economies such as India, the United States, China, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom decided on Tuesday to release millions of barrels of oil from their respective strategic reserves in a coordinated effort to control soaring oil prices.

(Source: The Times of India, Nov 23, 2021, 20:12 IST)

Shashank Srivastava, senior executive director (marketing & sales), Maruti Suzuki India, foresees “considerable changes in buying behaviour and patterns” in the coming months.

The company’s car subscription service and online finance portal were initiated keeping in mind the new normal purchase trends.

Regulators stated in a statement that they want to clarify what kinds of operations banks can do with cryptocurrency, such as holding it on their balance sheets, issuing stablecoins and holding crypto assets, and facilitating crypto trading on behalf of customers, among other currently opaque area.

(Source: The Times of India, Nov 23, 2021, 23:07 IST)

(Author: Priyanka Nair, The Economic Times)

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Time to define a professional approach to mental health The phrase ‘in good health’ has long been associated with physical well-being, such is the degree of indifference, amongst people in the content of mental well-being, that people seeking help have often been ridiculed. If our child or sibling has a fever that lasts more than three days, do we not rush them to the doctor? Don’t we spend the first couple of minutes of every hour ensuring that they receive the best care possible? Then why is it that we turn a blind eye to stress, anxiety, and other potential mental health issues?

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Rijul Ghosh (He/Him) MBA-B, 2021-23

a limited breadth of experiences. Mental health is fast becoming the frontier of diversity and inclusion, therefore employees need to widen their perspectives to ensure their fellow employees are at peace with their minds. They have to identify that there are undiagnosed conditions followed by symptoms and episodic challenges that defy the clinical threshold when it comes to mental health.

The process of seeking help because of mental health issues has been stigmatized, the mere fact that one is seeking help or is visiting a psychiatrist is looked down upon. In concurrent times, work-life balance has gained predominance, and people are trying to ensure they have quality time for themselves and their families. We are more focused on mental peace. Hence, it is high time that employers deliberate and excogitate the need for mentally healthy employees defining the workforce continuum.

Tackling mental health at work

Employers need to think about mental health Despite the fact that celebrities, athletes, and other people of prominence have time and again talked about dealing with depression or related issues, mental health is still considered to be a taboo subject. This is probably because mental health has been measured through general stress indicators or through diagnosable conditions. However, we have slowly realized that the paradigm of mental health cannot be contained in such a

Having no policies about mental health, in other words, doing nothing fortifies this scarring stigma. Since companies pay no attention to these sorts of issues, people often overlook them, thinking that it is some sort of emotional baggage that comes with the work. It is not, studies have revealed that almost 80 % (HBR, 2019) of the working population would develop one or the other mental health problems, but are either scared or too shy to speak about it. People perceive that talking about their problems would render them incompetent and that they would slowly fade into the background. This feeling is much more intense when it comes to talking to superiors about said problems.

Although there are companies that have open-door HR policies that allow them to talk about such issues, people feel that it would do nothing except hinder their career path should they choose to talk about it.

Talking about hierarchy, the C-suite executives and the HRs are not immune to mental health problems, in fact, they are rather prone to it given their seniority and what's expected of them. The LGBTQ and the generation Z are most likely to be affected by mental health problems at the workplace due to a variety of socioeconomic factors.

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Although the aforementioned individuals are more likely to experience these issues for a prolonged period, they are also more likely to seek help.

Can we solve it?

H Stands for Humor

The answer to the question is not as black and white as a yes or a no, rather it lies in the grey area where the regions overlap. To bring about a change, there needs to be a top-down approach, so that employees can learn from their leaders. Executives should be encouraged to share their experiences in team meetings to ease the way for others. Further, this process should be completed with a significant investment in education for the employees. Individuals should be trained, educated to understand, perceive, name, and deal with mental health issues at work. Finally, there should be a support system, in the form of mental health benefits. These benefits should be clearly communicated to the employees while stressing the confidentiality of its nature. These steps would be the initiators that would deal with mental health issues in the workplace.

'In order to build a rewarding employee experience, you need to understand what matters most to your people.'

-Julie Bevacqua

@TeamHumanist

By Hitanshu Patil 21

It’s Okay To Not Be Okay

“There are people who have it worse I should be grateful” “Focus on the good things in your life” “Everything happens for a reason” “Just keep a positive energy and you’ll be fine” These are some of the so-called positive affirmations you and I both tell each other and ourselves on a daily basis.

They are supposed to make us feel better when we are at our lowest or when something wrong is going on in our lives. The consequence of this is that even though these statements are made out of good intentions, or possibly the person listening doesn't want to engage with the other person beyond platitudes, it does make the one suffering feel ashamed and/or guilty for feeling that way.

This is known as Toxic Positivity.

According to Tabitha Kirkland, a psychologist and associate teaching professor at the University of Washington’s Department of Psychology, “Toxic positivity is a way of responding to your own or someone else’s suffering that comes across as lack of empathy. It dismisses emotions instead of affirming them and could come from a place of discomfort”. It’s not wrong to have a positive outlook on life, it’s just that there are instances in life where people have to deal with a lot of painful and uncomfortable experiences, and it's extremely important that those emotions are dealt with blatantly and honestly.

How does Toxic Positivity affect us?

The person suffering tends to feel ashamed because instead of making them believe the emotions they are going through are valid, they are made to believe that their feelings are inappropriate. People who are pressured to stay positive in the face of an adversary may feel incredibly lonely and ashamed which could lead to them not wanting to seek support and necessary help

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Aarushi Mathur (She/Her) MBA-HCM, 2021-23

from outside. Toxic Positivity also avoids letting us feel the authentic emotion because we use it as an avoidance mechanism for when we feel painful emotions. There are also signs of having low selfesteem which takes place when we try very hard to feel positive in tough times. We’re unable to ignore those negative emotions.

We start feeling like we’re failing. There could also be communication problems.

All kinds of relationships have challenges and toxic positivity makes people ignore these challenges and only focus on the positive.

This could be very harmful to the relationship as it would destroy the communication as well as the ability to resolve the situation.

How to Avoid Toxic Positivity?

Don’t deny negative emotions. Ignoring negative emotions can cause stress. Trying to manage them can help us learn a lot of things that will be beneficial in the future. It’s okay to feel more than one emotion because it’s normal to feel all kinds of different emotions at once as we all have different situations and different emotions to deal with. Being clear about your needs. To avoid responses that aren’t helpful we can start conversations by being clear about our needs from the conversation. For example, stating before the conversation begins that we are looking for empathy and not advice. Without family and friends, we can be more vocal if we feel that the words they’re using are not of any comfort or help to us.

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In the case of colleagues from our workplace or any other person, we have a formal relationship with, we can simply try to avoid the conversation about toxic positivity. Listening more and showing support right away: When somebody approaches us with difficult emotions instead of shutting them down with toxic affirmations we should make them believe that what they're feeling is valid and completely normal. Lastly, being true to ourselves about how we should feel: We shouldn't be extremely self-critical during stressful situations. Instead of that we can focus more on self-care and taking steps to improve ourselves in our own space.

It's really okay to not be okay Don't avoid difficult emotions, instead, give yourself the permission to feel and accept them. This doesn't mean that we need to act on every emotion we feel.

But, it is better to just sit sometimes and allow yourself to process before you decide to take any action. After learning more about toxic positivity here are some of the non-toxic affirmations I will try to use next time somebody asks for my help-

“I’m here no matter what” “It must be really hard for you” “I’m listening, how can I help?”

“Your feelings are valid”

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UPCOMING EVENTS We, Team Humanist facilitate a better understanding of the HR steam through various events & initiatives like: 2021 was full of successful events organized by the Humanist Committee. We received an amazing response to Transcend 2021, the mock Group Discussions panel and CDMI 2021, the panel discussion based on inclusion and diversity. After these successful events the Humanist Committee of K J Somaiya Institute of Management has some exciting and refreshing events coming up! Few of these events are: Case Study Competition - The fun-filled Case Study Competition organized by the Humanist Committee is filled with interesting themes and exciting prizes. This event is perfect for all the case study lovers out there to showcase their skills and gain captivating rewards. More information will be shared soon via email.

International HR Conference - The 9th International HR Conference will be holding a discussion on the topic “Positive Psychology and Modern Organizations: Western and Oriental Approaches” at the K J Somaiya Institute of Management. From amazing panelists such as Dr. Zubin Mulla, Dr. Ashish Pandey and Dr. Upasna Agarwal to inspirational speakers such as Prof. Dhar, Bhawuk, Prof. John Antonakis, Dr. Janaki Gooty and Prof. Matthijs Bal, this event truly does have it all. Scheduled from the 3rd to the 5th of February, 2022, the conference will also witness exciting awards for the best research papers.

Boost your Mental Health & Wellbeing Camping with friends or a trip to the tropics. The act of planning a vacation and having something to look forward to boosts one's overall happiness for up to 8 weeks.

The flavanoids, caffeine, and theobromine in dark chocolate are thought to work together to improve alertness and mental skills.

Show some love to someone in your life. Close quality relationships are key for a happy, healthy mind and emotional being.

Hang out with a funny friend or watch a comedy. Laughter helps reduce anxiety.

Leave your smart phone at home for a day and disconnect from constant emails, alerts, and other interruptions. Spend time doing something fun with someone face-to-face.

Studies suggest that yawning helps cool the brain and improves alertness and mental efficiency.

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ALUM CONNECT Mental Health has always been a sacrosanct topic for me.

As an individual diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, I would initially have difficulty completing the most basic of tasks.

However, that all improved once I began to read a little more about how to calm down and improve one's mental health.

Meditation helped, as did eating healthy, being hydrated, and exercising regularly. As a result, I am in a much better place both physically and mentally.

Advaith Kondapalli Senior Analyst at Deloitte Batch 2019-2021

My advice would be that despite having a busy schedule, please learn to compartmentalize and take some time out for yourself.

The future you would thank you for it.

Time tests us all. We all face grief in one way or another, be it the loss of a loved one or pet or heartbreak from a relationship or loss of a job/opportunity or even something internal which is far more strenuous than grief that is generated from the outside. Grief manifests itself in various ways, acknowledging it is far more painful than feeling it.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been especially trying, affecting our minds and bodies due to the confinement. Many lost their loved ones, the grief of which was lower as compared to the grief that most experienced who could not hug or speak to their loved ones or even say a final goodbye or even get one final glance at their face.

Husain S Rokadia HR Consultant Batch 2019-2021

Yet, we smile today and continue to live on. Our mind and soul have this wonderful way of growing around our grief.

The grief, that we once thought would have become our life itself, is now a part of our life and we continue to flourish.

We might feel that the grief never shrunk but we just continued to grow around it. You go to new places, meet new people, try new things. You may not want to, but life gives you little choice.

Simple words I try to remind myself about our lives which are so few but so many in its impact: it goes on!!!

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FEATURED ARTICLE

The Silent Battles The pandemic turned the world upside down, taking away umpteen lives and jobs, alienating us from our loved ones, making us reconsider our beliefs, and disrupting the status quo of our day-to-day lives.

Steering through the uncertainties has taken a toll on our mental health. We have incessantly fought against insurmountable odds, but sometimes the toughest battles we silently fight are within. It is difficult to fathom how taxing it is for some who are perpetually at war with the demons inside their heads.

Mental health is frowned upon, and people avoid discussing their mental illness even with their family members and friends. Many people keep their actual emotions bottled up within themselves, not knowing how to deal with them. Most men put up a strong façade because of societal pressure even when they are crumbling inside. They carry the overbearing weight upon their shoulders, scared that they would be humiliated or ridiculed for not being “manly” enough.

We all know that the repercussions of mental health problems are dangerous and can lead to clinical depression, insomnia or hypersomnia, substance use disorder (SUD), and suicide in the long run if left untreated.

Simantini Maiti (She/Her) K J Somaiya Institute of Management, Mumbai MBA Core, 2021-23

Saying nothing sometimes says the most.

-Emily Dickenson Microsoft encouraged employees to share their mental health stories in a conversational manner rather than through a program where leaders have shared their struggles. They started a mental health initiative, Microsoft Cares, which appointed counselors and wellness coaches to offer in-person, digital, and telephone counseling and workshops for all employees.

Several organizations like Ernst & Young, Microsoft, Unilever, Barclays, Johnson & Johnson are trying to raise awareness about mental health and prioritize the mental and emotional wellbeing of employees. A highperforming company needs resilient and healthy employees, and they need to ensure a conducive workplace where employees seek help when needed and do not feel stigmatized.

Back in 2016, EY launched the “R u ok?” campaign to increase discussions around mental health in the workplace. Within the first three months, they saw a 30% increase in their mental health assistance line calls. The program encouraged healthy and non-confrontational conversations to make a difference. It also included virtual events, peer mentors, and follow-up services.

Barclays inspired all their employees to share stories to strengthen their community and make workers feel they are all together to combat mental health struggles. With their “This Is Me” campaign, disclosure rates for mental health issues increased, and so did retention with employees returning to the workplace after mentalhealth-related leaves of absence.

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Johnson & Johnson’s commitment to mental health extended help and provided resources not just to employees but even their family members to spread mental health awareness. They also customized a mindfulness and resilience app for employees that leverages behavioral science to reduce stress and six holistic therapy visits per year.

Unilever started in-person workshops on mindfulness and manager training on mental health issues to tackle mental health problems. They created an app to provide mental health information and urgent assistance to employees whenever they need access to it.

Mental health is a highly complex subject, and we need to understand the nuances and intricacies rather than shying away from discussing them. We need to sensitize the discussions not just at the organizational level but also at the individual level. We need to empathize and create a conducive space to talk about their mental health issues without inhibitions and back up that talk with significant action. It is incumbent on each one of us to drive awareness and action on mental health. We need to destigmatize mental illness and signal that people should reach out for help and seek therapy. We need to reflect on the personal and clinical aspects of common mental health problems to improve the understanding and treatment options available to people who experience difficulties with their mental health. We all need more collective empathy to help simply by listening, understanding, and sharing emotions because we heal together.

“As happens sometimes, a moment settled and hovered and remained for much more than a moment. And sound stopped and movement stopped for much, much more than a moment.” ― John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men

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FEATURED ARTICLE

Understanding Mental Health - Need of the Hour

Given the pandemic that has hit us, we’ve seen a flurry of talks about stress and anxiety in the recent past. Ever wondered the need to emphasise on this?

Having been a taboo for centuries, mental health should undoubtedly be considered as important as physical health. It isn’t surprising to learn that those living with mental health conditions simultaneously struggle with 3 D’s – Distress, Depression and Desolation; in turn leading to unemployment, low education, financial stress and further anxiety. When mental health takes a toll, it is said that both life and livelihood is at stake.

Apart from the above stated, mental health is a leading cause of disability worldwide and tends to affect 1 in every 5 adults. We live in a world with population over 7.6 billion and that said, we can be surrounded by people all the time but still have no one to turn to when the going gets tough.

Stamping down one’s emotions and not working through psychological issues can culminate in a host of problems.

While different people tend to react differently to bottlenecks that arise, we cannot oversee the hike in suicide rates over the past few months. Coping with mental health has become more important for people within this self-fortifying cycle.

Facts and figures that state 8 lakh people dying every year solely due to mental health issues have become a cause of concern on a societal level and it becomes all the more essential for us to invest in our mental wellbeing.

Akshaya R Rao (She/Her) Management Development Institute, Gurgaon

Being a part of the ‘guidance and counselling cell’ at college helped me realize the prime role that mental health plays in an individual at any given point in life.

As a part of this cell, I interacted with almost 15 people every day; listening to them, speaking to them and sometimes, just being there for them. People, I perceived, were going through episodes on a daily basis and support became the comfort they had been seeking for. All of this helps us conclude that succouring one another is the need of the hour today.

Having gone through such a crisis during my initial days of corporate stint, I am well aware of what mental health issues can do to an individual if not addressed in time and efficiently.

Mental health clearly cannot be dealt with in isolation and demands both awareness and action. Though cases of mental trauma are staggeringly high, a lot of them do not consider it to be a great deal. Most of the distressed population fail to realize that their minds are off-balance. The key here is to know that one is not balanced rather than to know how to become balanced. Once that is done, the next step is to take care of ourselves and get the most from what life tends to offer.

Making simple changes to our routine lifestyle and talking about our headspace can cause a significant difference. Also, it does not hurt to ask for help if things are getting out of hand and cannot be seemingly handled on our own. Talking about mental health does no harm, and neither does all of us trying to become catalysts for positive change.

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CONTACT DETAILS Humanist - Official HR Committee K J Somaiya Institute of Management Vidyanagar, Vidyavihar (E) Mumbai - 400077 Email ID: humanist.simsr@somaiya.edu