This free e-book on mental health by Fortis Hospitals will help you deal with lockdown blues

Conceptualised by Dr Parikh with help from his team members, the e-book is available for free on Kindle and Amazon
The e-book —  Don’t worry! Here’s how you can keep your mind fit during a pandemic — is available for free on Amazon and Kindle (Pic: Rupa)
The e-book —  Don’t worry! Here’s how you can keep your mind fit during a pandemic — is available for free on Amazon and Kindle (Pic: Rupa)

Feeling frustrated locked up at home?  Dr Samir Parikh, Director of the Department of Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences at Fortis Healthcare is here to help. The e-book —  Don’t worry! Here’s how you can keep your mind fit during a pandemic — is available for free on Amazon and Kindle and will help you manage your mental health better during the lockdown.    

Conceptualised by Dr Parikh with help from his team members — Kamna Chibber and  Mimansa Singh, with contributions from Divya Singh and Nishtha — the book is a simple read and guides you through the mental issues you might face during the lockdown. "I have been conducting a lot of webinars with children, associations and also with the corporate sector. There are three broad categories of distress — anxiety about the illness, the uncertainty of the future and adjustment to the lockdown. Anxiety is natural. It's a sudden and huge change — it is a big deal. You need to channelise this by empowering yourself with the knowledge. Find out what you can do to stay safe. Once you have that knowledge it brings down the level of anxiety," said Dr Parikh. "The only solution to the anxiety about the uncertainty of the future is thinking about the here and now. There are things beyond our control. Your goal should be to stay safe today and be productive. Adjustment to the lockdown is also a big deal and having a routine to follow is important. if you don't have structure nothing will go according to plan," he added.

Spending quality time with our family might be the most suggested hack to deal with the lockdown but as you spend more time with people you also run the risk of being annoyed at some of their habits or there are adjustment issues. Especially for those who were living away from their family for a long time. "This is reflective of what has happened to us over the past decade and a half. We've become emotionally distanced from each other. I feel you should find the positivity in the present. Rekindle and re-energise the relationships. Bring more empathy, more space, mutual respect to the table and we will be able to do it. If you are fighting with your parents or relatives try and find a solution to it don't distance them further," said the doctor.

A lot of people who have complained that they feel guilty that they are not doing enough during the lockdown. While Instagram fills up with videos of people cooking, trying out new hobbies and more, there are some who have not much to do. Dr Parikh suggests that we would all do what we can do best in this present situation. Even if it is just dusting or washing clothes. "Even those who are working from home might not have a 100 per cent productivity. So try and do what you can do best in this situation," said the doctor.

Due to the lack of physical activity, some of us are not sleeping very well at night. Well, the doc says there's nothing to worry — he is a part of the club as well. "No matter when you sleep, wake up at a fixed time. Your routines will be on track then," he suggested. 

Enough about us. What about the medical personnel who are working on the frontline of this war? Aren't they scared? "Doctors and medical staff do not think about these when they work. They are doing a remarkable job and not just them. Their families deserve commendation as well," he added. Talking about the unfortunate fate of Dr Samuel Hercules in Chennai, the doctor added that the medical fraternity has been assaulted over the past few years and the solution to it might be in spreading positivity abut the profession. 

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