"Work and Personal Life Balance Is Journey."

Want to become a writer at Eat My News? Here is an opportunity to join the Board of Young Leaders Program by Eat My News. Click here to know more: bit.ly/boardofyoungleaders

1. Tell us about your background and journey?

I come from a Punjabi doctor family which is wholly supportive of my work and my husband is my biggest motivator. I am the mother of a 3-year-old preschooler who keeps me on my toes! Working mom, wife, daughter, daughter in law, sister are some of the roles I play.

I was born into a Marwari business family, where my parents gave us the liberty of doing what we chose to do. Both my elder sisters were a part of my father’s business. I too wanted to join his work but I realized along the way that it wasn’t my cup of tea.

I remember that whenever I would go to my father’s office and an employee was being pulled up, I would ask my father to delve deeper into his life to understand why he wasn’t performing. That surely wasn’t how my father wanted to do it. I realized that I was probably not a good fit for his organization and tried looking up courses in psychology.

I wanted to do something where I could help people in their troubled times. The more I read about the workings of the human mind the more I got deeper into the subject. Communicating my seriousness about taking this up as a profession was very tough to my business- mind oriented father.

It was only when he saw the movie Taare Zameen Par, did he realize what I wanted to do. Since then, there has been no looking back. My family encouraged me to study wholeheartedly and pursue this career.

2. What led you to take up this career path?

I always wanted to help people. Maybe because I was the go-to person for my friends while growing up, I felt I could give an ear to what people had to say. I also felt that children are unable to express themselves fully and there needed to be someone to address their concerns. I was very clear, I wanted to work with emotional concerns in this age group.

3. What are some common myths in society about psychology?

‘Paagal’- that word is what symbolizes myth in psychology. Everyone who goes to a psychologist is referred to as ‘paagal’. This is completely degrading a person’s mental health. Psychology like any other medical field has different diagnoses and different treatment plans. The taboo in psychology is very deep-rooted because of these biases.

4. How can people practice mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a practice that encourages being in the moment and using that awareness to calm one’s own self. Mindfulness is a practice of training the mind to think in a certain way. Two simple techniques of mindfulness are described below:

Mindful breathing: With this exercise, you focus your attention on breathing. You want to pay attention to your breath in an easy way — on purpose, but not forced.

Sit up in a comfortable way. Close your eyes

Notice your breathing as you inhale and exhale normally. Just pay attention to your breath as it goes in and out. Can you feel the place where the air tickles your nostrils?

Pay attention to how the breath gently moves your body. Can you notice your belly or your chest moving as you breathe?

Sit for a few minutes, just paying attention to your gentle breathing. You can also count your breath. Count 1while inhaling and 2 while exhaling. Continue until 10 and go back to 1. See how relaxed you can feel just sitting, breathing in and out

When your mind starts to wander and think about something else, gently guide your attention back to your breathing

Mindful eating: You can do this with an orange, an apple, or even something as small as a raisin.

Let's say you decide to do mindful eating with an orange. Your job is to eat the orange slowly, without rushing. Mindful eating means really paying attention to what you're eating. You can do this mindful eating exercise with your eyes open or closed

Start by holding your orange. Roll it in your hand. Notice how it feels

Hold the orange near your nose. What does it smell like? Take a whiff of the bittersweet smell of the orange peel

If you have your eyes open, notice how the orange looks. Pay attention to whether the skin is smooth or bumpy. If you hold it firmly, is it squishy?

Slowly peel your orange, paying attention to how it feels in your fingers. Notice the juiciness, and whether the inside of the orange smells different from the outside

Is your mouth watering? Go ahead and taste your orange. Notice how it feels on your tongue, and against your teeth. Notice the flavor, the texture, and the juiciness as you chew each piece slowly. Take your time as you chew, taste, smell, and feel each bite of your orange

5. What are your tips for people who want to practice this profession?

There is an urgent need for mental health professionals more so in the current scenario. My top tips for anyone wanting to practice this profession are the following:

This field is a highly scientific field and one needs to be well researched and well-read

You are working with people’s lives so be true to your work

There is no ‘advice-giving’. You are not one with all the answers. You are a facilitator to help people arrive at their own solutions

The field is very demanding

Therefore, SELF CARE is very important. Work through your own issues before you start out helping others. Not many therapists do it, but it is mandatory for every therapist to undergo therapy themselves.

6. Is work-life balance a myth or reality according to you?

It is challenging to maintain a balance between work and personal life. I don’t look at it as an endpoint but as a journey. Sometimes one achieves it and sometimes one doesn’t. The operative word is ‘tough’, not myth or reality.

7. How according to you can one manage stress?

Different people have different ways of coping with stress. There is no ‘one’ way to manage stress. It is usually a combination of many techniques. However, some things that have helped most people are: