In a changing world when the pandemic is still raging, we often end up losing faith in ourselves. In India where mental health is usually ignored, a helping hand in the form of a motivational coach is a great help to steer us towards being better versions of ourselves.
Gazal Gupta, a motivational coach and a soft skills trainer, has embarked on a mission to ‘develop the habit of reading, learning, implementing and evolving’. Team Optimist interacted with this inspiring soul to delve deeper into the mission.
A selected excerpt –
Q: How did the idea of becoming a motivational coach occur to you?
A: When I was working at TIME I used to feel some vacuum in my life but I was never sure why it was so. So I left Chandigarh and moved to Delhi. Once I came across an advertisement on Image Consultant Business Institute on Google and realized that this is my calling. Today I have trained many students and conducted one-on-one sessions, especially with women.
Q: We know about your Mission 2021. Would you please elaborate on it?
A: Mission 2021 is about reading Self Help books on life, emotions, relationships or hope which are usually not taught in schools. I hope to come up with several missions later on. The crux of them all would be becoming a better version of us.
Q: Why do you think people today need a motivational coach?
A: I guess for changes in lifestyle and mindset. We never get any guidance on how to love ourselves. We have no idea what ‘self love’ is. Our education system does not focus on soft skills or on building our personality. We have always been focused on our degrees or marks.
Q: How do you manage to keep yourself motivated on days when you feel low?
A: One major thing that helps me in such situations is journaling. Whenever I feel disturbed emotionally I pen down my thoughts. So on days when I feel low I read my journal. They help me get back on the track. It also helps me by letting my negative thoughts out.
Q: Depression and anxiety are two very common conditions nowadays? How do you tackle them?
A: The terms ‘depression’ and ‘anxiety’ are greatly misused today. I think it is because we are not trained to monitor our emotions. My advice is to start writing down your thoughts in order to get to know what is going on in your mind. Moreover, comparing your life with others also leads to depression. Negative self-talk eventually bottles up, leading to anxiety or depression.
Q: What is your secret to a healthy mind and an increased happiness quotient in life?
A: Follow your dreams. If one is doing something based on their potential and enjoying it, I think that is the secret to a healthy mind.
