Life is a continuous transition and each transition is a seed to rebirth, believes Divya Mohindroo, Founder, Embrace Imperfections. In this exclusive conversation with Divya, Nitika Bajpayee finds out how women can keep their energies calm by keeping stress at bay. Read on
As the founder of Embrace Imperfection, Divya has donned many a hats and is an acknowledged mental health and wellness expert. Her specialty lies in ‘Community and Educational Psychology’ and believes therapeutic intervention needs to be highlighted as it may play a key role in preparing the millennials to strive ahead and succeed holistically in life. Excerpts from the interview:
You are a successful mental health professional, so in this journey of profession, how do ‘YOU’ delete stress from your life?
After gaining academic knowledge in psychology, I have realised the need that we need to develop the sense of self-awareness, which acts as a catalyst in dealing with stress of any kind. Once ‘you’ know what you are going through, you can work on developing on the coping mechanisms to tackle the said issue. Personally, I am an overthinker, so I try to keep a ‘worry window’ for myself, and this is the only time I think about my stress. I remain relaxed and let life take its course.
Tell our readers, who is Divya Mohindroo? And what do you think you really are?
Divya (Dhivya) as my father named me means ‘Divine Brilliance’. Divya Mohindroo is a human – imperfect and always ready to learn, guided by emotions and a deep thinker. I believe whatever you are drawn to actually activates your being. And, I have always been drawn to understanding people which made me a ‘counselling psychologist, a writer, a mental health advocate and many things more. I feel that life is a continuous transition & each transition is a seed to rebirth. I as Divya Mohindroo believe that one must always have faith in themselves as an individual, keep your values strong and keep embracing your imperfections. With love in your heart and strength in your mind, you can conquer the world.
How gratifying has been your entrepreneurial journey? How did it start?
I founded Embrace Imperfections when I was going through a span in my life when I felt confused and overwhelmed. Being an extremely sensitive and expressive person, I faced pangs of anxiousness. Whenever I opened my heart to someone, the only answer I received was to bounce back, get engrossed with work and stop overthinking. Personally, I’d like to say that this is the ‘worst advice’ you’d receive, as this will make you run away from your journey of understanding your inner self and calling in life. That is when I realised that I need to share whatever knowledge I have with others. And gratification comes from the fact that being a mental health advocate, I feel privileged to look in to more eyes & connect with more souls. I am on a path to create a valuable difference in ‘lives’.
Pls give a brief about your venture Embrace Imperfections
Embrace Imperfections Mission is to raise awareness, promote advocacy against social stigma, empower individuals and encourage better education regarding mental health issues. We do workshops, fellowships, therapy sessions both individuals and groups continually aiming to provide information to evolve our clients as individuals. We aim at creating more culturally responsive models to care and democratise mental health so that it’s accessible to people and communities especially who don’t see themselves in it.
What’s your take on spirituality and how can we link it to mental health?
Spirituality is everything sensitive to your soul & I feel both spirituality & psychology leads you to inner awareness & a better understanding of yourself.
In times like these, when we are struggling with the pandemic, what do you think as society is helping us sail through?
As a society, I think the hope of change and a brighter future was and is still holding us up during the pandemic. Of course, the pandemic had an immense impact on our lives, but if we realise the very basis of life – nothing is permanent in life – then instead of resisting the change we can flow with the course of life and the journey will turn out wonderfully beautiful. If you are willing to be open to learning, we can easily sail through individually & as a holistic society.
And, what can we do to make sure we stay sane while striding ahead in scenarios such as work from home, online education and activity classes and sorts?
There are various ways to stay sane at this time, but as a therapist I would suggest some easy ones. Deep breathing for 5 minutes in a quiet corner in the house will centre your thoughts and energies and will make you feel relaxed. Make a ‘worry window’ for yourself (an hour of your choice in your day) and make sure you simply push the negative thoughts for the worry window time. This will help you negate the negative thoughts. Exercise or move your body for 15 minutes for happy hormones to release. Maintain your sleep cycle, try not to use your bed to do anything except sleep. Also, don’t use digital devices before sleeping. Practice gratitude by journaling for 5 minutes by counting your blessings in life. Stay connected with loved ones on WhatsApp video or have a Netflix party.
Women folk of our country have had very difficult couple of years, thanks to the pandemic. How according to you, young professional women can excel in their professional lives while creating a balance in their personal lives?
The time you bring a divide in your mind that you are a woman or any less than the struggle begins. It’s all in a person’s mind and that’s what one creates in their lives. As a woman entrepreneur I feel the struggle is none, one needs to work hard, remain consistent, follow your heart, trust your intuition and always be open to learning more. For me, I keep reading all day whenever I get time because that makes you have a new perspective of everything & guides you to take the right steps to grow. When you balance your mind, your life automatically balances .
How important according to you one should spend quality time with themselves before anyone else
There is a lot that we hear about self love and self care, but I feel when we stop chasing and remain happy in our own company, everything eventually makes sense and falls in place . I feel peace in the company of my parents and my nephew. I believe that if I remain at peace with myself , no stress can affect my happiness.
What’s your vision for the future?
My vision for the future is to keep following my intuition and keep growing as a ‘resource’ for many. I aim to develop tools so that they can cope with their mental health and struggles. I want to create more content each day to impart education and awareness around mental health.
Quickies:
- Your fashion style? – To wear anything & everything which is comfortable and makes you feel happy and beautiful and also suits your body type .
- Do you follow any modern-day guru or a spiritual leader? I don’t follow anyone, but I keep myself updated with anything which resonates with my soul and mind. Sadhguru is quite relatable and realistic.
- Your favourite film? I enjoy watching old romantic movies and comedies, such as Jerry Maguire , My best friends wedding, Princess Diaries and Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge.
- Favorite Web series? I don’t watch web series unless engaging comes my way. White Lines on Netflix I watched recently and enjoyed too.
- Are you a street food buff? I am not a street food buff, but I am a big foodie and enjoy eating everything. My palate enjoys dimsums.
- Do you enjoy reading? I simply love reading. I read all the time, especially anything around psychology. Malice by Danielle Steel, People Watching by Desmond Morris and Limitless by Jim Kwik are some of my favourites.
life confluence 