13/10/2026
We cannot keep talking about mental health as though it exists independently of the world we live in.
As India witnesses protests, public dissent, and growing conversations about institutional accountability, it is worth asking: what does it mean to care for our mental health in an environment that can leave us feeling anxious, angry, unsafe, or powerless?
Not everyone experiencing these events will respond in the same way. But constant exposure to distressing news, uncertainty about the future, and concerns about the society we inhabit can affect our emotional well-being.
And yet, mental health conversations often stop at the individual level.
Practise mindfulness. Set boundaries. Take a break from social media. Go to therapy.
These things can help. But they cannot replace the need to examine the social conditions that contribute to distress.
Self-care should not become a way of teaching people to tolerate everything that harms them.
We can protect our peace without becoming indifferent. We can take breaks without disengaging completely. We can seek support while still questioning the systems around us.
This October, around World Mental Health Day, let's expand the conversation beyond individual coping mechanisms and recognise the relationship between mental health, social environments, collective well-being, and the right to feel safe.
Because sometimes the question isn't just, "How can I cope better?"
Sometimes it is also, "What needs to change?"
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