Important to talk about negative thoughts, says Arjun Bijlani

Arjun Bijlani has been addressing the issue of mental health for quite some time now. The actor has even started a helpline for people in the television industry. Concerned that people are likely to face such issues more during the Covid-19 crisis, he’s hoping the helpline — whose numbers he has shared on social media — will help.

“Most of us are dealing with some kind of stress. This pandemic has badly affected the job market and that’s the main concern at the moment,” he says.

Bijlani adds that too much “moral policing” also leads to “anxiety and depression” among people. He continues, “Sometimes, it’s important to let people find their own path. We often overburden our children with what’s right and wrong, and they forget to use their own thought process and get stressed thinking how they’d be judged if they make a mistake. And these young minds are equally affected by this crisis, so we need to take care of them.”

Father to a five-year-old son, Ayaan, the actor confesses dealing with depression himself. He says, “I’m a workaholic. Being cooped up in my house, not being able to go to the sets is frustrating. We know the industry is raring to resume work, but safety will be a major concern.”

However, Bijlani doesn’t allow such negative thoughts to bother him. “The best way to keep them away is to talk about it to your friends and family. I do that often. Also,

Ayaan’s happy face takes away all my stress,” he says, adding everyone should find out what makes them happy.

“If you enjoy reading, writing, singing or even sky gazing, and sleeping, do that. We can win over any difficulty if we smile at our problems, stay strong and positive,” he adds.