Excl: Execs must draw boundaries in WFH mode

India has completed three months under the various phases of lockdown, including the Unlock 1.0 that was introduced earlier this month. During this uncertain period, young working professionals have been dealing with endless issues surrounding mental health. While some still consider it a taboo, many have started to speak up and share their inspirational stories of healing and recovery.In an exclusive webinar moderated by ETPanache Online Editor Lopamudra Ghatak on Thursday, Anna Chandy, Social Psychologist and Founder of Anna Chandy and Associates, and Prakriti Poddar, Mental Health Expert and MD at Poddar Foundation, got together to discuss the mental health concerns that are troubling the professionals on an everyday basis.Chandy stressed on the need for asking one’s own self a few pertinent questions when dealing with a workplace bully, and Poddar shared the hack to build a stronger relationship with a long-distance partner. Both were of the opinion that breathing is a very important tool in dealing with anxiety caused by the pandemic.Here are some excerpts from the ETPanache webinar:Lopamudra Ghatak (LG): The working landscape has drastically changed. While most young professionals have found their way around working from home, many have been dealing with the news of salary cut or job loss. How should one deal with it? Anna Chandy (AC): These are uncertain times. Loss is generally of three kinds - economic, health and social. When there is loss, it further leads to grief. It is crucial to understand the type of loss one is experiencing. People should be allowed to grieve their loss. They should account for what they are feeling or their loss, and grieve. If they are not given enough time to grieve, it will reside within them and then morph into some sort of physical problem.Prakriti Poddar (PP): There's no formula in psychotherapy. What we are offering are only tips, and not the prescription to overcome any situation. One should feel truly authentic within as it will help them grow without any judgement. People need to recognise their problem, and look for options to change their response to it. It's important to make a roadmap which will lead to a happier end. LG: Young working professionals have been finding it difficult to express their thoughts in this new world where working from home has become the new normal. The youth is also experiencing suppressed rage due to long working hours, no privacy, and intrusion during weekends and holidays. ET had recently spoken to employees across sectors to identify their most common grievances, and found out most fear taking these issues up strongly with employers, given the spate of job losses and pay cuts all around. Some of this might have given rise to the workplace bullying culture. Thoughts?AC: Every individual, in this situation, has to ask themselves three questions. - Do I have a similar memory of this sort before the age of 7? - Did something similar happen to be between the ages of 7 and 15? - Did I face a similar bullying situation when I was in college? Any mental health expert needs to understand the root of the current situation to help you deal with it better. Sometimes, answers to these questions also help the affected person understand what might be the real cause of the problem.LG: How does one stay calm when being confined within walls?PP: People need to understand the cause of their stress, thoughts and anxiety. Once responsiveness is understood, recognise if whatever you are viewing is a threat to you. It's also important to check if the situation or another person's behaviour is in your control. Once you have done that, you will have to identify if something needs to change within yourself. The most effective tool that can help you deal with any kind of stress is breathing. When caught in a tricky, anxious situation, breathe in, slowly, on the count of 5 and then exhale. Repeat this process till it calms you down. Breathing slows down your immediate response, reaction time, and even your heart rate. Treat the situation like a TV channel, and flip it if it makes you uncomfortable. Invest in yourself, and breathe. 76656461LG: How should young professionals deal with anxiety and manage panic attacks?AC: Anxiety and depression are sisters, and always come together. Hence, it is important to understand the type of anxiety one is experiencing. Anxiety is of two kinds, one that is temporary, and the other that is a disorder. As far as the momentary kind is concerned, breathing exercises help massively. In the yoga asana, Pranayama, it is said that when inhaled from the right nostril, it activates the left brain, and when the same happens to the right brain when one breathes in from the left one. Breathing is a crucial tool when it comes to managing anxiety.However, people experiencing panic attacks need to check for a few signs to determine the kind of anxiety. If symptoms like too much or too little sleep, acting edgy, constant bouts of panic , erratic food habits, constant belly and headaches, and changing social habits like avoiding people or meeting friends last for more than two to three weeks, the anxiety may be moving towards disorder and immediate professional help is needed.LG: Distance brings a sort of uncertainty to people's relationships. Many couples, families and friends have been separated due to the coronavirus lockdown. How can one overcome the tyranny of distance in such times?PP: People need to stay connected with their loved ones via video calls. At an uncertain time like now, it is highly important to deepen the level of communication. It's the perfect time to get to know each other on an emotional level. When the physical gets taken away, it's time to build the emotional relationship. People should never take each other from granted.LG: With the lockdown, many people are caught in the middle of their dysfunctional family - 24x7. As the atmosphere at the workplace also gets heated up, how best can one deal if such a situation arises?AC: At such a time, it is better to not engage in any kind of toxicity. People need to identify someone outside the family with whom they can discuss these matters.. That will keep the intense situation under control. As far as remote working is concerned, it's important to understand boundaries. Every person, ever since their childhood, is being taught to not have personal space. It's important to make sure that you need to respect your personal space, and logging off from work when it gets too much.PP: After the birth of a child, every family begins their dysfunctional journey. The child is never allowed to make decisions. The family also fails to respect their choices. As the child grows up, s/he grows up with the feeling that s/he is not capable of making the right decisions. Then, those individuals are unable to break their silence and don't find the courage to speak up when they are met with a situation where they are bullied. It is imperative to let your child have a voice, and a stand in the family and the society at large . 76656444LG: According to a World Health Organization report, around 800,000 people commit suicide every year in the world. The report also said that India has the highest suicide rate in the South-East Asian region. In 2016, suicide was the second leading cause of death among 15-29 year olds, claiming 200,000 lives in the country. This is an alarming number. What should be done at the policy and public level to sensitise this issue and make a difference?AC: When a person takes his/her own life, it is multifactorial. People have a tendency to blame themselves when something goes wrong. Making a difference begins from home. Adults have a tendency to gaslight children. Every time a child asks a query or raises an issue, one shouldn't ask them 'are you sure?'. Don't set up an environment of disbelief, instead trust them. When we don't encourage children to have a voice, they grow up to have an identity crisis. For every doubt you pose, the child grows up to look for ways to prove their point. Once you trust them and give them the freedom to express, the children will grow up to be free and open up with you emotionally. When you understand their situation better and trust them, they would prefer talking to you than taking any drastic step. We need to have a multipronged approach. Everybody has to come together to make this a reality. In fact, the pandemic is making people confront their issues which they didn't want to address or were pushing them under the carpet.PP: Every child and adult needs to understand the gravity of mental health problems. The awareness begins at all levels. When we focus on the youth, it plays out well for the future generations. 66144990

from Economic Times https://ift.tt/3g3yYTK