The current pandemic has affected us all in numerous ways. From work-from-home to changing our perspective towards health and immunity, it has demanded a complete overhaul in our lifestyles. Reinforcing how the COVID-19 has had an impact on how professionals deal with mental health, especially stress, a new survey underlines how they are tackling the “unprecedented times”.

Data from over 200+ working professionals aged between 30 and 45 in India over the three months of COVID lockdown, revealed that approximately 40 per cent chose mindfulness to manage stress. However, the rest of them chose actions that suppressed their emotions, which steered them to different forms of addictions.

White Ray Coaching, a brand that specialises in leadership coaching, recently conducted the lockdown survey with an aim to understand how lifestyles have changed during the period. As per the survey, 40 per cent of respondents said that practicing relaxation exercises, which could trigger internal reflection such as mediation, and silence has been their go-to strategy. Nearly 30 per cent said they watched Netflix, read a book, or made a phone call to a friend or relative to switch their attention. About 20 per cent chose to smoke or drink, stating that it eased the strain in their nerves, while 10 per cent were those who said that it depended on the situation.

Commenting on the findings of the survey, Shalini Bhattacharya, founder, White Ray Coaching, said that even though all of us talk about stress and anxiety every day, one way to manage stress head-on is by practicing mental resilience, which can help prevent disorders. “This research is part of our ongoing efforts to build a better understanding of mental resilience. We should not wait for adversity to hit us and cause permanent damage to our mental well-being. We need to become more self-aware, think out of the box, and resist the urge to give instant reactions. The key is to adapt yourself to think differently.”

As per the organisation, when it comes to mental resilience, there’s a lot of information out there, from how to manage stress and be more mindful of boosting happiness. During the lockdown, managing mental well-being is more important than ever before, as we adapt to the way we work, live and meet people. The organisation further advised people to assess how they are responding during a crisis, and then walk the journey of the 5As for practicing resilience – awareness, acceptance, authenticity, agility, and action.