Gratitude, Balance, and Awareness: Somya Khurana’s Guide to Mental Health in Modern Times

New Delhi [India], September 27: Somya Khurana, a philanthropist and the founder of Pragya, emphasizes how social media has a twofold effect on mental well-being.

1. What Steps Can Workplaces Take to Prioritize Mental Health?

At the workplace, firstly, be joyful knowing that there are many people without any jobs in this world, without food, with natural calamities happening, with destruction. Be happy, be joyful, be grateful, be in gratitude for having a job, having a desk, having a situation where you’re able to make your living. On the physical plateau, just hydrate yourself.

Simple yet powerful steps:

• Hydrate mindfully: Swap coffee with coconut water, green tea, or herbal infusions.

• Eat light and plant-based: A nutritious vegetarian lunch supports not just the body but also emotional stability.

• Move regularly: Even short walks within your office can refresh your system.

• Pause every two hours: Just five minutes of breath awareness, eyes closed, in silence or prayer—this can reset your nervous system.

The system is working within your body, and that neutralizes how you feel. Every now and then, go for a walk, whether it’s even in your office space. Give yourself that time every alternate hour, five minutes of just closing your eyes and staying with your breath, keeping your eyes shut, calming your system, being in gratitude or prayers for those five minutes and don’t do this throughout the day. Keep happy pictures on your desk of your holidays or your family because your job provided for it.

2. How Does Social Media Affect Mental Health—Positively and Negatively?

Social media takes you away from the here and now, from the present moment where your real life exists, and transports you into an alternate reality. It shows you how someone else is living, where they are, what they’re doing. But what we often forget is that nobody posts their pain. People post pictures while smiling, during celebrations, on holidays—carefully curated moments that present a filtered version of life. And when you constantly see that, it can make you feel like you’re missing out, like your life isn’t enough. This illusion creates a deep sense of inadequacy and restlessness.

Over time, social media becomes a kind of fantasy world. And every time your mind enters that fantasy and returns to reality, you feel exhausted. Why? Because it generates countless unnecessary thoughts of comparison, doubt, desire, and insecurity. These thoughts take up space in your mind space that could instead be used for your own self-growth, inner peace, and joy. That’s why it’s so important to consciously monitor how much time you spend online, who you’re following, and what kind of content you’re allowing into your mental space.

Not everything you see online deserves your attention. Just like you wouldn’t eat junk food every day, you shouldn’t consume mental junk either. Protect your energy. Feed your mind with things that uplift you, inspire you, and bring you closer to your true self. The more you stay rooted in the present moment, the less you will feel the need to escape into someone else’s version of life. Real peace doesn’t come from likes and views; it comes from knowing who you are without them.

3. What’s One Myth About Suicide You Want to Break?

According to Somya Khurana, we are not just this body; we are beings, we are the soul, and the soul never dies. It is said in all ancient scriptures and spiritual traditions: we are Sanatana, eternal, timeless, and indestructible. So one myth I truly want to break is the belief that by ending your life, you are ending your suffering. That’s not the truth. Only the body dies, not the soul. The soul continues its journey, and when a life is cut short by suicide, it is believed across many spiritual paths that the soul returns in another form, often into a life of even deeper suffering. So in reality, the suffering doesn’t end; it transforms and may intensify.

This is why we must learn to rise above our momentary pain, beyond our likes and dislikes, and above the temporary suffering we experience in this lifetime. Life is not meant to be without struggle, but each struggle is a gateway to growth, to strength, and to the deeper purpose of our soul’s journey. We are often tempted to escape, especially when we feel overwhelmed or alone but the answer is never to escape. The answer is in endurance, in understanding, and in remembering who we truly are.

https://www.instagram.com/pragyabysomya

When you feel like giving up, pause. Breathe. Remind yourself: I am not in this pain. I am the soul experiencing it, learning from it, and moving beyond it. Reach out. Speak to someone. Connect with life again. Because even in your darkest moments, your soul is alive, sacred, and powerful, and it is here for a reason.