World Mental Health Day: Arjan Bajwa says, “Mental health is just as important, if not more than physical health”
Burnout is not always easy to recognise, particularly when physical tiredness can be mistaken for mental exhaustion. Arjan Bajwa, who has been part of films such as Rustom, Fashion, Kabir Singh and Demon Hunters, an India-Taiwan official co-production, and will next be seen in Madhur Bhandarkar’s film The Wives, speaks about the difference between the two, the signs that tell him it is time to step back, and why mental health deserves equal attention.
“I think one can always deal with physical exhaustion by sleeping or taking some time to rest. But mental exhaustion never ends. Even when you are resting or completely disconnected from your social and professional life, your mind doesn’t stop working,” he said.
That is why he believes people need to pay attention to what is happening internally rather than simply relying on physical rest. “The main emphasis has to be on your mental well-being as well. When your mental peace is disturbed, when you can’t stop thinking about certain issues, and when something is really bothering you, that is when one needs to take a step back,” he said.
For him, that is when burnout can begin to make itself clear. “That’s when you know you are moving towards burnout. Mental health is just as important, if not more important, than physical health,” he said.
The pressures of professional life, particularly in a career where everything can be scrutinised, can make that balance even harder to maintain. “Personal and professional expectations are a part of the job that you have chosen, so you can’t run away from them,” he said.
He believes anyone choosing such a career needs to understand the responsibility that comes with it. “You have to be mentally strong enough to take on these kinds of responsibilities, or not be in that space at all,” he said.
At the same time, he admits that being constantly measured and scrutinised can become overwhelming. “Once you have decided that you want to be in a profession where everything is being measured, scrutinised and noticed, it definitely can be overwhelming,” he said.
The key, he feels, is finding a way to manage that pressure without allowing it to take over personal life. “At the same time, one has to remind themselves that this is the path they have chosen and that they can’t hide away from it,” he said.
“All you can do is maintain a balance, keep some kind of sanity and find peace in your personal space to neutralise the overwhelming effect you may have experienced through the day,” Arjan signed off.
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