Mitaali Nag says that while physical health has always been given importance, mental health awareness needs to increase. The actress says that it is still taboo, and that needs to change.
As everyone celebrates World Mental Health Day, Mitaali Nag speaks up about how talking about mental health needs to be normalised.
Mitaali Nag says that while physical health has always been given importance, mental health awareness needs to increase. The actress says that it is still taboo, and that needs to change.
“Mental health is an important aspect of my life. If I take care of myself, I will be able to take care of others. Talking about one’s mental health has to be normalised. The way we are raised, physical health has always been given more importance than mental health and that is one of the reasons people forget to take care of their mental health,” she says.
Ask her how she takes care of her mental health, and the actress says, “The most important thing to have good mental health is nothing but taking care of your thoughts. There are different ways to do that. One of the easiest things to do is take walks every day. It boosts your mood and keeps you healthy which automatically helps in having good thoughts.”
She adds, “Meditation is also something that helps tremendously in calming one’s mind and channelling one's thoughts in the right direction. I practice meditation every day. Another thing I do is that I always focus on positivity. Staying connected with friends and family also helps in maintaining good mental health. People often tend to ignore their sleep. But having a good and enough amount of sleep also helps in having good mental health. I pray on the days I feel low. Prayer has tremendous power to reinforce faith and meditation certainly helps me calm my mind. I also take a walk on the grass, barefoot, it’s magical!”
Meanwhile, Mitaali Nag says that while depression is common, mental health issues of celebrities often come into the limelight. “Fame is a double-edged sword. We are always in the limelight for good or bad reasons. Also, we are in the entertainment industry, we might feel a bit more stressed, especially because most parts of our lives are not private and people look up to us as their idols,” she says.