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all experiencing frustration and exhaustion trying to cope in a pandemic! Ensure that you and your loved
ones are vaccinated and follow necessary safety precautions. Maintain a routine that is possible for you at
this time, one that includes time for rest, self-care, family, health and work. Engage in activities that you
enjoy or that help you destress. Keep track of how you are coping with stress or what is going on in your
mind by journaling your thoughts. Communicate openly with your colleagues and family members and
ask for help for any challenges that you may face. Reach out to a doctor for assistance instead of treating
yourself through the internet and speak with the counselor at RMitr if you need assistance to navigate a
di cult moment.

Q6. In today's digital world, we are constantly bombarded with information, which is sometimes a lot to
06 take in. Social media platforms seem to be feeding our fears. How should one deal with this situation?

Firstly, be sure not to believe everything you see and hear unless it comes from a reliable source like a
government or medical site. Mindless scrolling and overexposure to COVID news results in us feeling
overwhelmed and anxious. Set a time limit to spend on reading about the pandemic, focus instead on
seeing things you may enjoy like art, science, music or skill development. Talk about fears with loved ones
or friends so that you know that you are not alone. You could try a digital detox by turning o
notifications or logging out of apps for a few hours each week. If you are experiencing fatigue due to
constant virtual interactions, try pacing or stretching in between calls and request a video o mode or a
phone call once in a while.

Q7. Even kids seem to be facing a lot of anxiety and stress. How should we initiate a conversation with
07 them to help them understand mental health issues?

Normalise feelings for children (your own as well as theirs) so that they know that they can share things
openly. For example, when a child throws a tantrum or a teenager gets angry, make them understand that
it is okay to be angry, anger is a normal emotion and then teach them how to handle it. Likewise be aware
of your responses to stressful situations or the way you express emotions, as children tend to role model
their parent’s behaviour. Validating their emotions and experiences can help them understand what they
are going through and that it’s normal for them to feel this way. Remind them of techniques that they can
use to calm themselves or feel safe during times when they are upset, like hugging a favourite soft toy or
eating a piece of candy, to help them realise that di cult emotions are not a permanent state and that
there is a way to manage them. A child may not have the words to describe what they are feeling. In this
case, expressing through art or drawing would be a good place to start a conversation.

Q8. There’s always a stigma associated with mental health conditions. How do we as individuals/
08 groups/society help reduce this?

The first step for an individual is to eliminate the stigma around mental health by understanding and
accepting that our mind is part of our body and that our mental health is as important as our physical
health, both connected with and impacting one another. Because mental health issues are not visible we
tend to neglect or ignore them. As a society, to build collective resilience, we can normalise that ‘it is
okay to not be okay’ and that ‘it is okay to seek help.’ As a member of a group, be vigilant of changes
you notice in someone, and instead of discriminating against them or telling them ‘it’s all in your head’,
to ‘get over it’ or ‘you need to be strong’, listen while they talk and encourage them to seek help.

Q9. Please share some practices/ tips by which all of us can maintain good mental health.
09 For each person taking care of their mental health, it will look di erent because our stressors may be

di erent, as would be the way we respond to them. We need to inculcate a basic self-care plan to
consciously invest e ort in our physical and mental well-being. Along with some of the points shared
above, some evidence-based practices for better mental well-being include daily gratitude for 3 things
that went well in the day, meditation or deep breathing for as little as 5 minutes a day, volunteering for
a cause close to your heart, pursuing a weekly hobby and spending quality time with a friend or a loved
one. No one can have perfect mental health at all times, but we can all strive towards having a healthy
state of mind.

The opinions expressed in these answers are the independent views of the experts at RMitr based on their experience and do not constitute any personalized advice. Remember, your mental health matters and if
there is a specific concern you or your family member is struggling with, reach out to RMitr on 1800 123 0205 Monday to Friday 9:30 am to 8:00 pm. RMitr is the confidential counseling service for RGI employees
and their family members. You and your family members can seek support for concerns like anxiety, relationship and marital issues, parenting issues, grief, self-development, conflict management, stress
management, etc. When calling into the dedicated toll-free: 1.) Select 2 to speak with a counselor in Hindi or 2.) Select 1 to speak with a counselor in English or 3.) Leave a voicemail and our team will call
you back. You can speak with the same counselor throughout the process. The information you share will be kept confidential unless there is a threat to the safety of someone’s life or property. Counselors do not
give a diagnosis or prescribe any medication.

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