Exercising mental muscle to get career-ready

By Dipal Desai

From high-stake examinations and securing admissions in desired colleges to finding the right job, the path to success has its share of ups and downs. And to successfully handle these challenges, a strong mind becomes your biggest ally. 

But how often do you open up about dealing with your mental stress? A survey conducted by Unicef and Gallup found that one in seven Indians between the age group of 15 to 24 years often felt depressed and around 41% in the same age group were positive about getting support regarding their mental health, reported India Today. 

So, are there any solutions to help you stay prepared in overcoming these resulting challenges?

According to Neeraj Kumar , CEO of PeakMind, building mental muscle or mental strength is an important life skill and it should be nurtured early in life. PeakMind.in is a Bengaluru-based digital platform that provides mental strength coaching to teenagers preparing for competitive exams. Back in 2018, when Kumar observed his 13-year-old daughter battle emotional challenges, he along with co-founder Manish Chowdhary, CFA decided to address this issue by starting their own venture.

“People invest in learning these skills mid-career when growth slows down,” says Kumar.

But when introduced at the teenage level, these skills can help build motivation to perform well in testing times, he adds. 

Talking about the lack of awareness, misconceptions, and challenges faced while approaching this topic, Kumar believes that there’s behavioural resistance as it’s difficult to achieve instant gratification or results. Child psychologist Riddhi Doshi highlights that facilitators place higher bets on theoretical education over mental and emotional well-being.

So, how can you gain mental strength and develop this skill? Start at home, shares Doshi.

When faced with difficult times and challenges, “...simple techniques like journaling, building a mindful corner, mindful walking, and expressing emotions can work wonders,” she adds.

Kumar suggests attending workshops, and practicing focused quiet time, deep breathing, relaxation, mindfulness, and taking feedback from your trusted network. 

How can parents and elders help? Doshi suggests encouraging engaging activities and using emotional vocabulary including words of affirmation. She also highlights the importance of learning to spend time with oneself and reflecting on one’s actions, words, and responses. She advises consulting experts in the field.