White Ray Coaching, a brand that specializes in leadership coaching, has recently conducted a lockdown survey with an aim to understand how lifestyles have changed during this period. The survey revealed that in these unprecedented times, lifestyles and attitudes have transformed radically and most formidable change is an increase in ‘stress,’ which is inevitable and impartial.

Fortunately, a significant percentage of the participants are tackling this stress with an unmissable secret weapon. Data from over 200+ working professionals aged between 30 and 45 in India over the three months of COVID lockdown, reveals that approximately 40% chose mindfulness to manage stress.  However, the rest of them chose actions that suppressed their emotions, which steered them to a different form of addictions.

Even though all of us talk about stress and anxiety every day, one way to manage stress head-on is by practicing mental resilience. We can prevent disorders by managing stress. The practice of mental resilience can play a pivotal role here.

As per the WRC survey, about 40% of respondents said that practicing relaxation exercises that could trigger internal reflection such as mediation and practicing silence was their go-to strategy all this while. Nearly 30% said they watch Netflix, read a book, or make a phone call to a friend or relative to switch their attention. About 20% chose to smoke or drink, stating that it eased the strain in their nerves, while 10% were those who said that it depends on the situation.

Commenting on the findings of the survey, Shalini Bhattacharya, Founder, White Ray Coaching, said, “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 averse instant reactions. The key is to adapt yourself to think differently.”

When it comes to mental resilience, there’s a lot of great 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. White Ray advises 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.