Sonali Bindra: Wake up and Heal! – Mental Health

“Once you start making an effort to ‘wake yourself up’—that is, be more mindful in your activities—you suddenly start appreciating life a lot more.” –Robert Biswas-Diener. 

Humans tend to run after the clock and are so caught up in it that we constantly focus on what we have to do next. To be pretty straightforward, all we do is worry about the future. What will happen tomorrow? What if it turns out not as planned? And so on. Worrying too much is also a negative trait. It’s a part of negative thinking which is not healthy.

To live a healthy life, we need to be positive, and to be ‘positive,’ we must ‘pause it and live.’ Pausing the worries about the future and living the present is something that one must often do. Positive thinking can bring a significant difference in our life. It can lead us to a healthy life. Now, whenever we speak of health, what typically comes to our mind is our physical health. But is that all? Well-being is a concept that includes not only physical health but also mental health. 

A healthy body also needs a healthy mind to be fully well. Yet, we turn a blind eye when it comes to mental health. But some people are aware of it and tend to focus on mental well-being not only in their own life but also in others around them. Being aware of what mental health is and how we can cherish it is what one should know. Similarly, when there are times when it is in decline, you must also know what to do and whom to approach, i.e., psychologists and psychiatrists. The story we have today will give you a deeper insight into your minds.

It is beautiful when a career and a passion come together, and so is the case with today’s guest, ‘Sonali Bindra.’ A young, aspiring psychologist and also the founder of @heal_on_gram.  Sonali has completed her bachelor’s in psychology honors from Punjab University and is currently pursuing her Master’s in Clinical psychology.

Setting the sails of @heal_on_gram:

It was the second semester of my Master’s when this pandemic happened, and we all were trapped inside our houses with the lockdown announced. Being a student of psychology, I’ve developed a habit of observation. Sitting idle in the house, I used to observe everything and everyone around me, and I realized that the anxiety and stress levels of the people, even in my family, approached the skies day by day. The situation was no different in the outside world. 

So I decided to do something about it. I collaborated with the government and provided online counseling to the covid patients. That is when this thought struck my mind that I should do something productive out of this time. And that is how @heal_on_gram came into being.

What’s in the name:

When there is a page with such a unique name, there has to be a story behind it! Let’s take a look at it. 

To begin with the page, the most crucial step was to name it. So I gave it a lot of thought, and I ended up with pretty cool names, but they were all taken. What I wanted from that name was an essence of positivity and uniqueness. So I approached one of my friends. She is a content writer. After telling her my idea behind it, it has to be appealing and optimistic at the same time. So she came up with the name @heal_on_gram, and it seemed as if this is what I was looking for! 

This name defines the cause behind the page precisely to help the people heal, and it is distinct and alluring. So I chose this name.

Jotting down what I see:

Every post seems to be insightful. What’s the key to this wisdom. 

Whenever I create a post, there is a lot of thought process behind it. Whatever I post comes from my observation. Being from psychology, where observation is the key, I’m used to observing everything and everyone around me. By processing these observations, I can create a post. 

An essential element while creating a post is uniqueness. 

Observing the trends is necessary, but one has to pick the unique aspects and focus on them. As you know, not many people pay heed to mental health in this nation, but Men’s Mental Health is something you would barely hear someone talk about. So, on Men’s Mental Health Day, I came up with a post emphasizing men’s mental health. 

Besides that, while creating a post, I tend to focus on the facts. I want to reach out to my audience with efficient knowledge rather than bluffing around in the name of psychology because I know its importance from this field.

 

Experience Speaks:

Wisdom comes from the most painful lessons. More or less, everyone goes through pain.

Personally, there haven’t been any significant mental health issues that I came across, though I’ve seen my loved ones go through such sufferings, and they didn’t have a chance to seek help for it since back then, mental health was taboo and not much help was available during that time. I wish I could have known about psychology in my early days. I came across psychology during the 11th standard. Before that, I did not know about it even though the academics and being from a small town, no one ever told me about it. 

Though I never really faced any significant mental health issues, I am a human, although stress and anxiety are part of human lives. I, too, get anxious and stressed at times, but I’m able to handle it more efficiently now.

I want to add something to this. People usually think that being a psychologist or psychiatrist, we never go through a mental health crisis, but that’s not the case at all. Before being a mental health professional, we are humans first, and like any other humans, we too go through stress, anxiety and are prone to other severe mental health issues.

Turning a blind eye to Mental Health:

Why is it that mental health goes unnoticed?

The most crucial reason for this, in my opinion, is the misinformation and lack of awareness. People don’t have a clear idea about what mental health exactly is. Besides, seeking help for mental health is still considered ‘weird’ in our nation. People would prefer the religious methods over going to a therapist. 

People would spend lakhs of money on anything, but visiting a psychologist seems like a wastage of money to them. Being from a small town, I can assure you that not even 50% of the population is aware of what Psychology is and how important mental health is because there is not much effort to spread awareness about it.

People need to understand that asking for help when in a mental health crisis is perfectly normal. It is no different from visiting a doctor for a headache. There is this stigma about psychologists that they are ‘Pagalon ka Doctor,’ and it is even amongst the well-educated people, which is saddening. 

In my personal experience, whenever I say I’ll be a psychologist, they think of it as a psychiatrist or would me, ‘Tell me what I’m thinking?’ No, we can’t read minds, but then it’s just a lack of awareness, so what could I say. 

The scenario is changing gradually, though, and I’m happy to see it, but it’s a slow process, and we should spread awareness about it, and schools play a significant role in it.

Making the first move:

The most important step one should take when in a mental health crisis.

The very first thing that comes to my mind is, ‘Don’t be ashamed of yourself.’ The most common problem one comes across while facing a mental health problem is to raise their voice for help. Despite knowing that they are going through something, they don’t seek the necessary help because they are ashamed of it, or sometimes the family members aren’t supportive. 

The most important thing here is to know that mental health problems are usual, and anybody can go through them. If you need help, seek it. If you are uncomfortable approaching a psychologist, try talking to a close friend or family member and seek professional help. 

Remaining silent about it and suffering in pain mentally and physically is the worst thing you can do to yourself in such situations. Physical health issues often result from mental health issues, e.g., stress can give you a headache, raise your blood pressure, etc. 

Don’t be ashamed and Seek help.

Stepping into the shoes of @heal_on_gram:

What’s a better feeling than knowing that our work has helped someone heal and grow! 

Since I started this page, I have gotten many DMs of people seeking help, and helping them is something that I’m looking forward to doing as a psychologist. Knowing that someone who approached me with a problem and my words were able to help them overcome it and heal from it, nothing can make me happier!

The idea of a healthy mind:

Let’s hear what a healthy mind looks like.

Being healthy usually means only being physically fit, but we often forget that well-being includes physical and mental well-being. A healthy mind is a balance of mental and emotional state that allows a person to be productive throughout the day and contribute. Having a positive mind is important because if our mind is full of negativity, the thoughts and feelings of a person are influenced. A healthy mind helps us be aware of our thoughts and emotions and how they influence us. Also, with a healthy mind, we can cope with the stressors effectively.

Psychology Says:

Let’s see what psychology has to say about having a positive mindset.

According to my, being positive is the key to happiness. It helps us heal. Positivity doesn’t always indicate smiling and looking cheerful. It is more about one’s overall perspective and tendency to focus on good things in life. 

The essential aspects of a positive mind are: 

• Optimism
• Acceptance
• Resilience 
• Mindfulness

Optimism is the spine of a positive mindset. If you want to have a cheerful mindset, optimism is something significant. It is about having a positive lookout for life, despite the hardships and the failures as well. 

Ups and downs are a part of life, and everyone goes through them. Acceptance is all about accepting the downs in life and moving ahead when resilience comes to work. Resilience is all about bouncing back from the adversities in life. 

In our life, we spend most of the time either resenting the past or worrying about the future. In this, we miss the most critical aspect of life, the present. Mindfulness is all about living the present and spending less time worrying about the past or future.

Achievements are not just about receiving awards:

The knowledge and perspective psychology has given me and the page @heal_on_gram via which I could spread awareness to others and give a deeper insight into myself is the most significant award, in my opinion. Even the little recognition I’m getting in this field feels like a lot. And what can bring me more satisfaction than knowing that I could do something for the field of psychology and help someone? I feel these are the most significant achievements of my life.

A few years from now, where do you see your page?

This page is like my baby. I’ve nurtured and has become a part of my life. So, I want to nurture it further and grow it, get more recognition through my page. I want to talk to people and help every individual possible, so that is how it goes. I hope that it will be more developed as a platform in the coming years, and the primary purpose of this page is to spread awareness.

You are describing life as before and after @heal_on_gram.

Before this page came into being, I was still a psychology enthusiast and focused more on theoretical knowledge. I always wanted to make a difference, spread awareness about mental health, and be a respected name in this field of psychology. 

After this page came into being, I came in contact with people, and I started to give my knowledge a practical approach, and it widened my perspective. I came to know where our field was lacking and got an idea about what else could be done to uplift it. @heal_on_gram helped me grow not only as a psychologist but as a human too.

Maybe, on a small scale, but I can make a difference, and I’m pretty sure I’ll make it big one day.

A word of wisdom:

Firstly, I would like to thank everyone who read my journey and wants to convey this to please take care of your mental health. To say it’s ok to talk about mental illness, we must first understand and acknowledge that it can affect anyone. It is not bound to a specific character, personal defects, or just poor upbringing, and every mental illness is treatable. 

There may be people in your family or by the next door. They could be teaching your children or sitting next to your cubicle. However, barely half of those receive treatment simply because of the stigma attached to mental health. When mental illnesses go untreated, they can contribute to higher medical expenses, poor performance at work or school, limited employment opportunities, and an increased risk of suicide. 

A stitch in time saves nine. So please don’t be ashamed. Be vocal about your mental health and help yourselves as well as others around you! 

In today’s world, each of us, may it be a school-going kid, a working person, a businessman, or a senior citizen, experiences some of the other mental health issues. Many of us would deny it, but it’s a fact. And we don’t either know or won’t seek help because of a stigma. A simple stigma is enough to ruin someone’s life and so, saying no to the stigma and yes to awareness is what we should do.

“What mental health needs are more sunlight, more candor, and more unashamed conversation.” – Glenn Close.

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