People are usually cautious or ashamed to talk about mental health: Shruti Haasan

The actor-singer says mental health crisis is a real concern and recommends therapy for ones who need it.

Being at home during a global pandemic and stuck in lockdown is an unnatural situation. It affects people in a variety of ways and one of them is their mental health. I definitely think mental health crisis is a very real problem. But people are usually cautious or are ashamed to talk about it,” says actor-singer Shruti Haasan.

Shruti says during the lockdown, she has realised the value of sharing somebody’s energy be it a family or a friend.

She adds, “I am in therapy for three years now. I seriously recommend therapy for people, who need it. I have tools and meditation that help me.”

Being in the lockdown for over two months now, Haasan, who is living all alone with her cat for company in Mumbai, has been working out daily, cooking, practicing the piano and taking care of her cat. She admits, “The toughest thing in a lockdown is not having physical contact with people as I am completely alone in my flat. But I have been quite busy during the lockdown. I have been shooting for magazine covers, making music long distance, writing a lot of music and writing in general. This time has been very productive for me,” she states

While her peers have been chatting with friends or media outlets, Haasan did Instagram chat with seven “inspiring” women, who shared their views on anxiety, music, body image issues, mental health, sisterhood among other topics. “I have enjoyed the live chats I did, but nothing replaces having the person in front of you. What I have understood and realised during this phase is the value of sharing somebody’s energy be it a family or a friend,” she says.

Talking about getting to a normal life post the lockdown, Haasan points out that it might not be quite easy. “The new normal will definitely take some re-adjusting. I feel physical activity is great for good mental health. So doing a workout, or dancing, or yoga always helps. I think re-socializing will not be that difficult as we are used to it but after being away for so long, it might take some time,” she concludes.