Aavik Das is a 38-year-old product support manager at Capillary. He has lived in Kolkata for almost 30 years.
He was born into a Christian family, including his parents and elder sister. Aavik explains that, coming from a Christian ethnicity, he and his sister went to a convent school for their entire schooling.
“I used to enjoy school as I took part in a lot of outdoor sports like cricket and football. I also had a bunch of friends whom I used to hang out with throughout my school life.”
After schooling, Aavik graduated with a master’s in information technology and moved to Bangalore around 2019. Eventually, he got married and had a son who is currently 3 years old. He recollects that during the initial phase of his life, Aavik found it difficult to manage his family and the demands of work life. He couldn’t process and manage his emotions.
When things got overwhelming, Aavik wanted someone to talk to. He remembered his company, Capillary’s, partnership with the YourDOST platform for employee assistance programs, which he was informed about during his onboarding session. Aavik explains that he went to the platform and explored the options.
He started with the self-help resources and took tests such as anxiety levels and burnout meters. He then decided to try counseling and started connecting with the experts available on the platform.
“I got in touch with Ms Rashi Golani, and she listened to everything I had to say. She wasn’t eager to finish the 45 minutes; rather, she was patient and empathetic throughout. She also never interrupted or cut me off mid-sentence.”
Aavik elaborates that he wasn’t looking for someone to give logical approaches and solutions; all he wanted was someone to hear him out without any judgement or prejudice. He wanted to cope with his lifestyle and understand a way around his stress, anger, and frustration. He adds that all these things made him sad and helpless about what to do.
He says the sessions gave him perspective, and the counselor was sensible and understood his needs before giving him any guidance. He explains that Ms Rashi gave him a nudge towards the right thought process to help him deal with his emotions.
Aavik shares that he had also taken therapy earlier during the pandemic to cope with the lockdown and to work on his physical fitness. Eventually, through the process, he realised he has a specific way of expressing his issues and doesn’t like generalising them. These insights helped him clarify what he wanted from Ms Rashi’s sessions.
The counselor gave him breathing exercises to help with his stress and frustration. These made him conscious of his actions, and he started seeing the difference within himself with regular practice. She also taught him other nerve exercises that involve pressure points and can help him take a step back in a challenging situation and calm down.
Aavik explains that each thing he learned in the sessions helped, and he started making efforts from his side and saw holistic improvement in himself. He began being cautious about his responses and reactions to stressful stimuli.
As he continues the sessions with Ms Rashi and in the process of improving himself more, he thanks his counselor for being his support system and listening to his issues patiently.
“In today’s world, even if family members are not available to listen to us sometimes, the counselors listening to our stories and giving us the right perspective on how to deal with our issues is something great!”
He explains that his close circle started seeing progress and acknowledged Aavik’s improvement, which he sees as an appreciation of his journey. We are delighted to be part of his process and wish him and his family a prosperous future.
Aavik Das’s Warrior Tips:
1.“There is no stigma in seeking help; it’s important to know there is nothing wrong with taking care of your mental health.”
2.“Therapy is not just for people with specific issues; it’s also a place where they can talk about everything and feel liberated without being judged.”
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