One question occasionally creates an awkward silence during a consultation.
'When was the last day you felt completely unhurried?'
Some people laugh before answering.
Some look at the ceiling as though the answer might be written there.
A few simply shake their heads.
Not because they don't want to answer.
Because they genuinely cannot remember.
Somewhere along the way, we've started treating 'busy' as a compliment. We admire people who answer emails at midnight, skip meals to finish work, proudly say they've survived on four hours of sleep, or manage everyone's problems except their own.
The human mind, however, has never been particularly impressed by busy schedules.
It has always been interested in something else.
Recovery.
One thing psychiatry teaches you is that people rarely walk into a consultation saying, 'Doctor, I think stress has become too much.'
Instead, they say,
'I've become unusually short-tempered.'
'I can't concentrate anymore.'
'I'm exhausted all the time.'
'I don't enjoy weekends the way I used to.'
On the surface, these complaints appear unrelated.
Quite often, they are different chapters of the same story.
Stress has a curious way of introducing itself. It doesn't usually arrive all at once. It settles quietly into everyday routines. The morning coffee becomes two. Then three. Sleep starts feeling lighter. Small inconveniences begin provoking unusually strong reactions. Patience grows shorter, while the to-do list somehow keeps getting longer.
The changes are gradual enough that many people stop noticing them.
Family members usually notice first.
A spouse mentions that you've become distant.
A colleague asks if everything is alright.
A child innocently says,
'You don't laugh as much anymore.'
Children, interestingly, often observe changes before adults are willing to admit them.
That is perhaps why persistent stress deserves more attention than it usually receives.
Stress itself is not the enemy. In fact, without it, we might never prepare for an examination, meet an important deadline or respond quickly during an emergency. Healthy stress motivates us.
The difficulty begins when the mind forgets how to switch that alarm off.
This is where stress management therapy becomes valuable. Contrary to popular belief, therapy is not about teaching someone to avoid responsibility or eliminate every stressful situation. That wouldn't be practical because life will continue presenting uncertainty, change and challenges.
The real purpose is to understand how an individual responds to those challenges.
During conversations, patterns begin to emerge. Someone realises they've been saying 'yes' to everything for years. Another notices that every uncomfortable emotion is immediately buried under more work. Some discover they have become so accustomed to functioning on autopilot that they no longer recognise what genuine relaxation feels like.
These are not signs of failure.
They are signs that the mind has been adapting for longer than it comfortably can.
People often ask whether stress can really affect physical health.
The answer is yes—but not because stress creates disease overnight. Rather, prolonged stress influences sleep, concentration, emotional regulation, appetite, decision-making and relationships. Over time, these changes begin affecting overall health in ways that are easy to underestimate when viewed individually.
That is why treatment is never identical for everyone. Depending on the person's circumstances, it may involve counselling, structured psychological therapy, relaxation techniques, lifestyle modifications or treatment for underlying anxiety, depression or other mental health conditions contributing to persistent stress.
Whether someone is preparing for competitive examinations, managing a business, working in healthcare, balancing family responsibilities or adjusting to retirement, the experience of feeling emotionally overwhelmed often sounds remarkably similar. The circumstances differ. The emotional fatigue rarely does.
During consultations, Dr. Rujuta Latkar often reminds patients that resilience does not mean carrying every burden without pause. Real resilience also includes recognising when the mind has been asking for rest in increasingly louder ways.
Perhaps that is the question worth reflecting on.
Not,
'How busy have I been this week?'
But,
'Have I been so occupied with keeping everything else running that I stopped noticing how I was doing?'
Sometimes, that quiet moment of honesty becomes the first and most meaningful step towards lasting emotional well-being.
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