We all have different personalities beneath the exterior, like the two faces of a coin, which depends on the situation. The trick lies in knowing how and when to oscillate between them and bring out the best version of ourselves.
Rishika is a 27-year-old strong and independent woman living in Chennai’s heart and working as an HR Professional at Freshworks.
She draws a thin line between her corporate life, creative hobbies, and continuous pursuit of interest in personal growth. She is deeply passionate about dancing and theatre and is an avid reader but does only selective reading. She is someone who explores life with a curious mind.
However, beneath this adventurous spirit is a woman learning her emotions and finding peace in the busy, overwhelming world.
Rishika describes herself as an ambivert while growing up.
“There were times when I’d make friends quickly, but maintaining those friendships was hard. I’d either be too talkative or get angry about little things.”
She became an introverted and selective child offstage, even after being an extrovert on stage, and shared her world with very few people. Even with her close-knit family comprising her mom, dad, and elder sister, Rishika often preferred the security of her home and made up her games to play and pass quiet moments with her mom and her sister.
“Most of my teenage years, I have spent with my sister. She is someone I look up to, and I have learned a lot from her. In fact, my interest in dance and theatre came from seeing her perform on stage in school.”
However, somewhere behind her introverted nature, she always enjoyed going onto the stage and letting out that extroverted person inside her.
As Rishika grew older, this dual nature only became more pronounced. Her job at Freshworks and other personal battles associated with maintaining friendships and relationships drained her at times.
“I’d get frustrated with somebody at or outside of work, and I wouldn’t know where to take that frustration.”
Around this time, she discovered YourDOST, which partnered with Freshworks as their official mental health partner to support employees.
“All I wanted was someone to listen, and the beauty of it all was that I could rant to this individual who knew nothing about me or would judge me. It felt like a safe space.”
This search for a nonjudgmental listener led Rishika to Kousalya Konila, a counsellor from YourDOST, who later helped her transform how she approached life’s challenges. Right from the first meeting, Rishika felt confident about Kousalya.
“Rather than just giving me answers, she made me think. She asked some questions which forced me to look at my reactions and to consider how I might have handled things differently.”
This was refreshing and eye-opening for someone who had spent much of her life either reacting emotionally or retreating inward. However, consistency worked for Rishika. Kousalya suggested that she stick to one person for regular sessions, where real growth began.
Kousalya introduced her to a few techniques that have had a long-lasting effect. The most effective technique among them was journaling.
“I used to explode in anger or sink into self-pity, but Kousalya taught me to breathe my anger out and immediately write down my feelings.
The first time Rishika tried this, she wrote down her emotions but soon forgot them. Only at her next session did Kousalya ask her to go back and read what she had written. Much to her surprise, Rishika felt that what had appeared overwhelming at the time did not seem so important anymore.
The writing itself, with reflection, showed her a vital truth: most problems, no matter how insurmountable they seem at the time, lose their weight over time.
“At that time, it felt like the end of the world, but when I calmed down and gave myself time, I saw that the situation wasn’t as bad as it had seemed.”
This had been a profound revelation that changed many things in Rishika’s life. She now tries to respond to situations rather than reacting impulsively.
“I haven’t perfected it yet, but I’m conscious of it now. I’m trying to calm myself down before I say or do something I’ll regret.”
She has always been professional at work, but her emotional reactions often reached heights in her personal life. After sessions with Kousalya, Rishika has been able to handle such moments a little more objectively but knows she can get better at this.
“Sometimes, I can feel myself losing control, but now I remind myself to take a step back, breathe and think before I speak.”
The most fundamental change in her was her ability to see many perspectives, and she is ever so grateful to Ms. Kousalya for that.
“Previously, I had only dwelled on the problem and how it bothered me. Nowadays, even when I get annoyed, I can think about how my responses may further degrade the situation. Of course, that’s not perfect, but it is progress, and for that, I am truly, deeply grateful to my counsellor for helping me through it.”
Even though Rishika grades herself 3 out of 5 on the feel-better-today scale, she knows improvement comes slowly.
“If I’m even 1% better than the day before, I consider that growth.”
Today, while she continues exploring new places and activities, the depth in her mind and heart find peace in just knowing herself. We at YourDOST take pride in her journey and wish her growth and happiness in the coming years!
Rishika’s Warrior Tips:
1.“Things are easier said than done, but taking that first step of faith is the foundation of everything.”
2.“Speak up when you do not feel good and seek help whenever you need it without hesitation. Talking to even your loved ones will make you feel good.”
3.“Always take your time, and when you are ready, talk to someone without fail.”
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