Malaika Arora, Akansha Ranjan Kapoor and Kubbra Sait on World Mental Health Day – Exclusive! – Times of India

Malaika Arora had tested positive for COVID-19 last year, post which, it was an uphill task for her to get back to her previous levels of fitness. Apart from the weakness induced by the viral infection, Malaika also battled mental stress. Ask her how she dealt with it and Malaika shares, “It can be a really trying time for anyone. Being in quarantine, staying away from family. It’s heart-breaking to not be able to spend time with them. Thankfully video calls came to our rescue. And I think remembering that ‘this is just temporary’ is the key to being mentally strong. You can survive anything with patience and grit. And finally, one must feel gratitude for being blessed with a new day of life every morning.”

Akansha Ranjan Kapoor has indulged extensively in Yoga and endorses her regime strongly for her mental health. “Yoga definitely benefits mental health and I don’t say this just because it has been proven by science and various practitioners of medicine. I’m saying this because I have experienced it first hand. The rush of happiness that I feel after a Yoga class is a small sign of what it does to our mental health. I think every class is an experience in its own right. It makes me wonder, we burn so much on the mat, until the time that you can’t get up anymore and then when the final meditation and Shavasana practice is over, it’s like your body has been re-fuelled with immense energy. If that isn’t the miraculous transformation that Yoga and meditation bring to our lives then what is? I believe the more consistently we practice it, the more it starts to positively impact our mental health every single day,” says the actress.

Over the past one year, being locked up at home, everyone has faced a volley of emotions. Kubbra Sait also opened up on how she felt stressed at most times and changed the directions of her thoughts towards positivity. Kubbra shares, “I wouldn’t say I faced depression. While we were growing up the word ‘depression’ didn’t have the resonance in the world that it has today. It is a strong word to use today. It is more than just a word. It’s a condition. Did I face/experience long terrifying, confusing, lost days? Yes of course! I’ve had my share of days where my thoughts spiralled out of control, my mind felt like it was somewhere else and my focus was wavering. It’s the most natural reaction to stress. And in one of my conversations with Sarvesh (fitness guru) I remember him saying that anxiety and fear is always about tomorrow. It struck me there, of course! I have to stop stressing out about tomorrow because there will always be a tomorrow and a tomorrow after that to stress about. But, what about today? And whenever I feel this sensation coming over me again, I remind myself. Tomorrow will bring a new set of challenges. I have to be grateful for today and be happy with what I have right now to survive the day and reach that tomorrow I have been stressing about unnecessarily.”