Empower Mag spoke exclusively to Neha Saxena and Shakti Arora, about the importance of mental health, a topic many people still view as a stigma around the world. Nonetheless, we were very excited to share a conversation with the couple, getting to know more about how the talented Bollywood stars maintain a healthy lifestyle despite their incredibly busy schedules.
We asked Neha Saxena and Shakti Arora questions that revolved around their mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. Knowing that stress is a major side effect that comes along with their career, we were eager to know how the duo manage their common stressors, maintain a healthy relationship and overall health throughout their lives.
Here’s our interview with Shakti Arora and Neha Saxena, hosted by Ally Salama, Founder of Empower Mag.
Ally: How do you manage the daily stressors of your life?
How do you make sure you take care of your health, mentally and physically, between very busy shooting schedules?
Shakti: Being in the acting profession maintaining health is an occupational hazard and we can’t afford to look bad on screen. So to take care of our skin and body we try to maintain a balanced diet along with regular workout which also keeps us healthy mentally.
Neha: When we are shooting it is very difficult to take time off for your own leisure, yet I try to do quick yoga for 15 minutes and I try to engage myself in also reading books so that i can balance out my life.
Ally: Has there ever been a time where you felt under extreme pressure and how do you deal with the it?
Shakti: There are some reality shows where we have to perform live and there’s competition as well. Under so much stress, the only way to cope up with it is to be good in your craft and always try to excel in it. In a way you leave no stone unturned. Before every performance I pray to God and then don’t allow any negative thoughts to enter and count 1-2-3-4-5 and just enter the stage and feel that I am King of the world. That works wonders for me and keeps my stress at bay!
Neha: There have been time where I felt extreme pressure but the only thing that keeps me going is my love for my work. I can overcome any pressure if I am passionate about that work.. I always take it as a challenge and work towards it.
Ally: How do you maintain a great relationship in your marriage with many work commitments? What are some things you both do to ensure you are maintaining a healthy relationship?
Shakti: Since me and Neha know each other since long and also been in the same profession we know what it takes to be an actor and how much time each one of us has to dedicate towards it. Whenever one of us is busy we try to keep in touch through the phone all the time. As we are best friends, we need to have our daily dose of conversations to kick start our day.
Neha: Since we also both belong to same industry, we both completely understand the nature of our job. We both make sure that, after a hectic schedule, whenever time permits, we go out to rejuvenate ourselves and thats what makes our relationship healthy!!
Ally: And How important is it to you to take care of your mental and emotional wellbeing? Do you also happen to do any rituals before a major shoot or going on set?
Shakti: Taking care of your emotional and mental well being is like breathing oxygen. And of course when you are in high spirits you feel the world is with you and everything around you is working according to your will.
For me, there are no rituals as such, but it’s necessary to have a balanced mind and be prepared for what’s coming and always be genuine and honest in your work and professionalism. It’s the utmost priority. I believe in doing my work with complete sincerity and the rest will follow automatically.
Neha: Taking care of my mental and emotional wellbeing is extremely important. When you are at peace you attract higher frequency energies and that brings out the best in whatever you do. The ones at mental peace create a positive aura for better life.. I don’t follow any rituals in particular, but i strongly believe in universal energies so i just pray that, where i am going to work, there’ll be positive vibrations so that i can work smoothly..
Ally: What are some tips and ways you incorporate in your life, that you can advise your fans from all over the world to use, to help increase their mental and emotional wellbeing?
Shakti: 1) Practicing gratitude – it will make you humble and keep yourself grounded. 2) Read as much as you can as it increases your horizon. These two things will keep your mind at place and for your health – eat a balanced diet and find out which diet works best for you. Follow that sincerely and I must note that it’s also very very important to exercise or play a sport regularly, in a way which will energize you and keep you in high spirits.
Neha: In todays time everyone spend most of their time over the phone. I would love to advise all my fans and well wishers to engage themselves in reading motivational books instead of being on phone. That definitely helps to keep your mind charged up.. There are many other ways also to keep yourself mentally and emotionally healthy. Meditation is one of them – it calms your mind and removes excessive thoughts out of your system!
On behalf of Empower Mag, we would love to thank Neha and Shakti for their genuine and heartfelt contribution. Our mission as a nonprofit magazine is to showcase the importance of mental health in our daily lives, turning the stigma into strength and self-empowerment.
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