1. ABSTRACT

It is not an unknown fact that working from home has been a tough nut to crack for most of the people out there. My case is no different, having virtual on boarding with a new company during lockdown gave me hard time connecting with my colleagues. Things were not bad, but it could have been better. Pacing up with the work and having training sessions online was going just fine and as per requirements. Then one day, there was surprise fun event conducted by our manager where the whole team was made to come on a call, (turning video on was a choice) and we played some games and talked about our life other than work and how are we coping up with new normal.

Just an half hour event and it helped me know my team mates better and a have sense of belongingness. The hesitation which I subconsciously had in my head seemed to vanish which led to better communication and work performance. Apart from all of that work seemed less of a burden as people who earlier were just colleagues now were new friends who were more approachable and friendly and not just help with the work better, but also lift up mood during pressurising times.” ”

- Ravija Bhardwaj Analysts, Claims @ AXA XL, Division of AXA

ABSTRACT

“MAN IS BY NATURE A SOCIAL ANIMAL; AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS UNSOCIAL NATURALLY AND NOT ACCIDENTALLY IS EITHER BENEATH OUR NOTICE OR MORE THAN HUMAN. SOCIETY IS SOMETHING THAT PRECEDES THE INDIVIDUAL. ANYONE WHO EITHER CANNOT LEAD THE COMMON LIFE OR IS SO SELF-SUFFICIENT AS NOT TO NEED TO, AND THEREFORE DOES NOT PARTAKE OF SOCIETY, IS EITHER A BEAST OR A GOD.”

ARISTOTLE, GREEK PHILOSOPHER

Human Being are considered as social animals and their ability to accommodate themselves within a group of common ideologies, interests is a result of this. Evolution of a human has been in a such way that they perform their actions which can be directly or indirectly associated with someone else or can be influenced by someone else of same interests. Mental well-being is a universal human experience, regardless of the age. According to American Institute of stress: 77% of people experience stress that affect their physical health, 73% of people have stress that directly affect their mental health and 48% of people have trouble sleeping because of stress.

World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that social isolation has been a key trigger in mental illness, while supportive relationships and interactions with family, friends, neighbours, or volunteering are beneficial for the mental well-being for individual within a society or community. The lifestyle has become more transient and reliant more on digital tools, which poses a threat to the simple interactions which takes places within a community at a local level, to a sense of social connect, physical dependence, coping up with the life changes etc.. Conforming to these conditions, there is need of the hour to understand and respond to the lost essence physical interaction, socially and culturally for a healthier mental well-being of the population.

Providing an avenue for mental well-being by establishing the importance of physical interaction, socially culturally or economically, within a neighbourhood and uplifting the cultural aspects of the community within a formally established context is the main aim of the dissertation.

Social Connect

Mental Well-being

Human Interaction

Fig. 2: Friends interacting Source: Author