“You’re just overthinking.” “It’s all just a phase.” “Just be positive, yaar!”
Sound familiar, right? These lines have become the default response to anyone struggling with mental health. But here’s the truth: mental health is not a phase, not your weakness and not something that will become fixed if you try to distract yourself from it. It’s real, and it’s complex enough to warrant your attention. In India, we’re slowly learning to open up about stress, anxiety, depression, and emotional fatigue, but still, there’s a long way to go. This concern becomes important when the government find out that at least 10.6 % of adults suffer from a mental health disorder.
In this safe space, we’ll break down the basics of mental health, bust common myths, and help you understand how to take care of your mental well-being.
What Exactly Is Mental Health, Anyway?
We should start by clearing one big point of confusion, so that we are all on the same page: mental health and mental illness are not the same. Mental health is not just about disorders, therapy, or meds, it’s actually a part of your everyday life. It affects how you think, feel, and function. It also plays a huge role in how you handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. And no, it’s not only for “people who are struggling.” It’s for everyone, including you.
In other words, mental health is your emotional, psychological, and social fitness. It covers:
- How do you deal with rough days and stress?
- The quality of your relationships with friends and family.
- Your resilience to overcome setbacks.
- And how connected you feel to yourself and the world around you.
As Dr. Vikram Patel, one of India’s leading voices in psychiatry, puts it:
“There is no health without mental health; mental health is too important to be left to the professionals alone, and mental health is everyone’s business.”
Also Read: 5 Effective Ways to Deal with Trauma
How to Tell If Your Mental Health is Struggling?
In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it is very easy to overlook the signs your mind is slowly falling. You carry on going through your business, work, family, and a million small things, oblivious to the fact that your mental health may be suffering. However, mental health does not always demand attention in a loud voice. In many instances, it comes out in a subtle way as little changes in the way you feel, think, or behave with others. And spotting these early could make all the difference. So here are a few signs that your mental health might need some extra care:
- Mood Swings: Too many emotional highs and lows, such as getting angry for no apparent cause or just becoming numb out of the blue, are indicative of deep stress or emotional lack of balance within oneself. These changes do not have to be dramatic, but can indicate that your inner world could use some tending.
- Lack of Joy: When the things you were previously excited about, from your evening walk to your favourite meal or a chat with friends, become unappealing, it tends to be because of emotional fatigue.
- Overthinking Spiral: You are continuously replaying the same conversation, overthinking a text, or worrying over minor decisions. That voice in your head, that chatter, isn’t just overthinking; it can be your mind feeling worn out and in need of peace.
- Low Energy: You sleep well, but your body is weighed down, and your motivation is nowhere to be found. This fatigue is not only physical; it is the kind that often arises from dealing with unspoken emotional burdens day after day.
- Social Withdrawal: If you’re avoiding calls, skipping family events, or finding socialising exhausting, it’s not always “just needing space,” it could mean your mind is asking for space to breathe.
Now, let’s take a quick look at how these mental struggles start affecting your body, too.
Physical Signs of Mental Strain
- Frequent headaches or body aches
- Trouble falling or staying asleep
- Sudden changes in appetite
- Rapid heartbeat or shortness of breath
- Constant fatigue, even after resting
- Digestive issues like acidity or nausea
- Low immunity or falling sick often
Practical Ways to Nurture Your Mental Well-Being
Taking care of your mental health isn’t always about grand gestures or life-altering changes. More often than not, it’s all about making some simple additions to your daily routine and maybe subtracting some not-so-healthy habits too. So, let’s take a look at some practical ways to nurture our mental well-being. And, no, I am not going to make you download some fancy app to track your breathing or goals; all these are doable habits that actually help.
Take a quick breath (literally)
Not the deep, dramatic kind, just one still moment between activities, calls, or even in the middle of scrolling. Close your eyes, take a breath out, and give your mind an opportunity to catch up. Sounds small, but it resets more than one would think.
Stop your mind from pleasing other people
You are not responsible for keeping everyone else comfortable at the cost of your peace. It’s okay if you don’t reply to messages right away. It’s okay to cancel dinner plans if your body is begging for rest. You are allowed to say “no” without offering a lengthy explanation.
We’re often conditioned, especially in Indian households, to be agreeable, available, and accommodating. However, people-pleasing is exhausting. Constantly putting others first leaves little room for your own emotional needs.
Remember, setting boundaries doesn’t make you rude. It means you respect your own limits. And the people who truly care about you? They won’t mind the pause or the “maybe later.”
Go out, even if it is your balcony
You don’t need to hike a forest trail or take a weekend getaway to feel better. Just open a window. Step out onto your balcony or terrace.
Let the morning sunlight warm your skin or feel the breeze tangle your hair. Watch the world for five minutes: the flutter of leaves, a bird calling out, the honk of traffic in the distance.
When your mind is crowded, even these little sensory breaks remind your nervous system that you’re safe, alive, and part of something bigger.
This tiny act of stepping outside yourself, quite literally, can refresh your thoughts in a way that screens and scrolling never can.
Do one small thing that’s just for you
Not for your job. Not for your family. Not for your resume. Just for you.
Sip your chai without checking emails. Rewatch that guilty pleasure show you’ve seen ten times. Light a candle. Put on your favourite kurta for no reason.
This doesn’t have to be profound or productive. The purpose is to remind yourself that you deserve comfort, joy, and stillness, not only when you “earn it,” but just because you exist.
In a world that glorifies hustle, these soft moments are revolutionary acts of self-love.
Talk to someone who gets it
Just a simple sentence like “I was just feeling off today” makes a lot of difference. It breaks the constant cycle of pretending “I am fine. Acknowledging it is the first step towards understanding it. Most importantly, if you know someone who is not well, be the support system they never had.
Mental Health Myths That Need to Go
The conversations about mental health tend to get balled up in confusion and inaccurate notions, particularly when families and communities feel uncomfortable discussing it. Not only do these misconceptions mislead, but they actually hurt the person dealing with mental stress.
Particularly in India, where it is still taboo to speak about mental health in many families and communities, all these myths cause a much greater harm than we can imagine. They discourage people from seeking help and force them to feel ashamed.
So, let’s clear the air, one myth at a time.
Myth 1: Only crazy people are mentally ill
Fact: Mental health issues do not only occur in extreme or evident cases. Anxiety, depression, burnout, and even grief are legitimate mental health problems that people from all walks of life face. In fact, a study conducted by The Lancet revealed that one out of seven Indians suffers from some type of mental disorder, including mild and moderate ones, not only severe ones.
Myth 2: Any discussion about mental health is a sign of weakness
Fact: It requires courage to talk about your mental health, not weakness. It means you are self-aware and courageous enough to battle your demons, and you are on the path to healing.
Myth 3: Therapy is only for serious mental illness.
Fact: One does not have to wait for a crisis in order to visit a therapist. As you visit a doctor for a check-up or a nutritionist to correct your diet, therapists correct your emotional well-being. Nowadays, many Indians are looking for therapy for coping with work stress, relationships, or simply feeling “off,” and that’s fine.
Myth 4: All you need is to “think positive.”
Fact: Positive thinking is useful, but it is not a treatment plan. If you tell someone to “just be positive,” it can cause even more negativity in the person and could potentially make them feel worse, especially when they are dealing with anxiety or depression. True mental health care comes from listening, practical aid, and, in some instances, medication, not only positive energy. Look at a popular discussion below about ‘thinking positively”
Positive thinking doesn’t work for people that have a chemical mental health issue but it does work for some people that don’t have that issue.
byu/TatM inwowthanksimcured
Myth 5: If you look okay, you must be fine
Fact: Mental health does not necessarily come with a visible face all the time. People might be smiling at work, responding to messages, and being present every day, while things are so all-consuming on the inside. That’s why statements such as “but you don’t look depressed” are not only inaccurate but also destructive. Most people develop the ability to hide what is wrong, either to prevent criticism or because they find it hard to share. Being aware of this can help us respond with more kindness and fewer assumptions.
Debunking myths is only the first step. In order to completely destigmatise mental health, we all have to remain informed and supportive. The Live Love Laugh Foundation provides insightful resources and initiatives about mental health awareness across India.
Read More: Panic Disorder: The Growing Problem Among Adults
Mental Health in India: Still a Taboo, Still a Struggle
Despite growing awareness, mental health remains a deeply misunderstood issue in India. We might be talking about it more now, but stigma still shuts too many people up.
Even celebrities, who seem to have it all, have not been spared.
- Deepika Padukone, one of India’s most celebrated actors, publicly opened up about her battle with depression in 2015. She described days when getting out of bed felt impossible, despite her success. Her honesty gave countless Indians permission to acknowledge their pain. Deepika later founded the Live Love Laugh Foundation to support mental health awareness and reduce stigma. Deepika mentioned,
“Through my journey to recovery, as I began to understand the stigma and lack of awareness associated with mental illness, I felt a deep need to save at least one life.”
- In a more recent and heartbreaking case, Misha Agrawal, a young entrepreneur and the founder of Mish Cosmetics, tragically passed away in April 2025. Misha had not spoken about anxiety and work stress usually. Most importantly, in her funny content on Instagram, people have barely any idea about her mental health struggle. Her death shocked many in the startup and wellness communities, serving as a wake-up call that even those who know mental health still struggle in silence.
These stories matter because they highlight a simple truth: mental illness doesn’t discriminate.
It affects the rich, the successful, the spiritual, and the strong. And yet, most people are still told to “just pray” or “just stay busy.”
Let’s be clear—
- Seeking therapy is not attention-seeking.
- Having depression is not a luxury problem.
- Being successful doesn’t protect you from emotional burnout.
We need to stop treating mental illness like a private shame. It’s a public health concern. And until we normalise getting help—be it through therapy, community support, or simply talking—we’ll keep losing people who seemed “perfectly fine.”
Final Thoughts
Whether it’s brushing off feelings with a casual “chalta hai” (let it go) or staying quiet because “log kya kahenge” (what will people think?), we’ve all grown up around ideas that made us question our own emotions. But the truth is, your feelings are not a weakness, and asking for help doesn’t make you any less strong.
We need to begin unlearning many of the things we have been told, and that starts with just talking about it. Little things such as establishing boundaries, admitting we are low, or even calling a friend can do wonders. What’s something you wish someone had told you on a hard day?
Drop it in the comments; your words might help someone else feel seen and understood.
FAQs
1. Share some mental health quotes
Here are some comforting mental health quotes to brighten your day:
- “Your mental health is a priority. Your happiness is essential.”
- “Healing isn’t linear.”
- “You are not your thoughts.”
Feel free to screenshot and save whichever quote speaks to you the most.
2. What are a few Mental health examples?
Examples of mental health issues include anxiety, depression, OCD, bipolar disorder, PTSD, burnout, and even grief. Mental health also includes how you cope with stress and manage your emotions on regular days.
3. What are some mental health tests?
Free mental health assessments are available on platforms like Mind Diagnostics, National Mental Health Programme, and the WHO’s mental health self-assessment. These aren’t official diagnoses, but they’re a good starting point.
4. Why is mental health important?
Because your mental health affects everything, from your ability to work and love to how you deal with pain and joy. A sound mind helps you live a balanced, fulfilling life.
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