This document summarizes an interactive session on mental health by Garima Sharma. The session discusses what mental health means, common misconceptions about mental illness, how COVID-19 has impacted mental health through increased anxiety, depression, and changes in routines. It defines anxiety, how it affects people physically and behaviorally, and provides tips for dealing with anxiety immediately and maintaining self-care. The session concludes with developing a self-care plan addressing physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, social and sensory needs and overcoming barriers to implementing the plan.

1. Mental health for everyone
Interactive session by Garima Sharma

2. What will we discuss today?
• Mental Health
• Anxiety & its impact
• Building your Self Care Plan

3. What does it mean to be healthy?

4. Physical Health Social Health Mental Health

5. So what do you know about mental health?

6. “Mental health problems are rare.”
“Having a mental illness means you are
crazy.”
“People with mental health problems
can snap out of it if they try hard
enough.”

7. “Therapy is only for very serious
mental conditions. ”
“Psychotherapy is mostly just talk.”
“Therapy is unnecessary when you
can just talk to good friends.”
“People who go to therapy are weak.”

8. How COVID impacts your mental health
What has changed for you during the lockdown?

9. COVID is leading to
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Changes in sleeping pattern or insomnia
• Financial difficulties
• Fear of contracting the virus
• Loss of schedule, job, routine
• Fear of losing family member

10. What is anxiety?

11. Anxiety is …
Anxiety is an emotion characterized
by feelings of tension, worried
thoughts and physical changes like
increased blood pressure.

12. How anxiety affects you …
Anxiety affects us in 3 ways :
• Intrusive thoughts
• Physical health
• Behavior

13. So what can you do?
(Especially during COVID times)

14. Dealing with anxiety immediately
1. Recognize & label feelings
2. Observe changes in your body
3. Act appropriately
When we avoid anxiety, we numb out
our feelings, we push our issues down
and pretend they are not there —
which reinforces fear, increases
anxiety and can lead to depression.

15. Obvious things that you may know but may not follow:
• Exercise: Reduces cortisol, releases endorphins & makes new neural connections.
• Taking breaks: Shifts from focus mode to diffuse mode, helps with creative problem solving.
• Eating healthy meals: Serotonin is produced in GI tract — food guides your emotions.
• Listening to music: Improves cognitive performance, reduce stress, improve memory.
• Doodling: Making art reduces cortisol, lights up reward center, increases focus.
• Practicing gratitude: Releases toxic emotions, regulates dopamine (& reduces pain), improves sleep

16. How do you take care of yourself?
Go to menti.com > use code 56 37 80

17. Self Care
This is always important, now essential

18. What is self care?
The term self-care describes the actions that an individual might take in order
to reach optimal physical and mental health.

19. Why is self care important?
• Self care acts as a barometer of
your wellbeing.
• You can also see self care as a tool
for increasing your wellbeing.
• Self care can also help you with
healthier relationships.
• Developing a solid routine of self
care is also important if you
struggle with low moods.
• People who are able to meet their
own physical and emotional needs
are typically better equipped to
care for others.

20. Different types of self-care:
Physical
self-care
Emotional
self-care
Spiritual
self-care
Social
self-care
Intellectual
self-care
Sensory
self-care

21. Activity: Your Self Care Plan
Let’s build it together!

22. Make your own Self Care Action Plan
Self Care Activities
1) Physical
2) Emotional
3) Spiritual
4) Intellectual
5) Social
6) Sensory
Making it happen
Barriers (What might get in the way?)
Strategy (How will you overcome these?)
How will you feel if you follow your plan?

23. What to do next with your plan
• Share with friends/loved ones.
• Make it part of your routine.
• Keep track of and celebrate your self care.
• Start small and be forgiving.
• Revisit & customize regularly.

24. What did you learn today?
Go to menti.com > use code 56 37 80

25. Contacts for therapy

26. My recommended therapists:
• KahaMind (https://www.kahamind.com/)
• The Alternative Story (http://alternativestory.in/)

27. Resources to learn more

28. What I love to watch, read & absorb
Youtube:
• Ali Mattu (https://www.youtube.com/user/thepsychshowdotcom)
• Kati Morten (https://www.youtube.com/user/KatiMorton)
Read:
• Psychology Today (https://www.psychologytoday.com/)
• Gottman Institute (https://www.gottman.com/)

29. “Chance favors the prepared mind.”
— Louis Pasteur

30. Thank you!
Garima Sharma
Instagram: @psychedletters