Inspiration
Top Mental Health Influencers That Educators Should Follow On Social Media
While you must seek professional help for your mental health, we think these social media accounts can truly lift your spirits up (virtually, at least) via their words on mindfulness and talks around everyday issues bothering us. This includes Raageshwari Loomba Swaroop, Psychologist Sonali Gupta, N
While you must seek professional help for your mental health, we think these social media accounts can truly lift your spirits up (virtually, at least) via their words on mindfulness and talks around everyday issues bothering us. This includes Raageshwari Loomba Swaroop, Psychologist Sonali Gupta, Neerja Birla, EQ by Design, Jameela Jamil, Dr. Marcus Ranney, and Arianna Huffington.
Who: Raageshwari Loomba Swaroop
Bio says: Actor, Singer & Author. It is always in season to be kind and grateful.
X-Factor: This 90s pop Bollywood singer and actor is now a fulltime mindfulness author and speaker
Viral moment: In 2000, she was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy, a form of facial paralysis, and had to stop working overnight. She overcame her health condition with her strong will and got back with a bang in her career, calling the obstacle a stepping stone to move ahead.
Famous quote: I discovered my empathy and my vision in seeing life from a broader perspective. That is the best vision to have.
Currently take-on: Her book ‘Building a happy family’ which is about mindful parenting
Favourite hashtag: #Mindfulness
Top 5 accounts followed: Laura Lynne Jackson, Arianna Davis, John Assaraf, Dr. Shefali, Tara Swart Bieber
ScooNews loves: She’s not restricted to just mental health. Her account often talks about family unity, parenting, self-love, travel, self-help tips, etc.
Follow at: @raageshwariworld (IG), @Raageshwari1 (Twitter)
Who: Sonali Gupta
Bio says: Clinical Psychologist. Keeper of Secrets. Columnist
X-Factor: She's among India’s leading clinical psychologists who constantly talks about parenting, juggling professions and personal life
Famous quote: I’m personally not very comfortable with the idea of labels around mental illness. I think there is a lot more to people and often labels can become limiting. In my opinion, the labels we choose to define ourselves end up influencing a lot about how we think and feel. Labels of mental illness can become a different kind of baggage for clients.
Current take-on: Her book ‘Anxiety – Overcome it and live without fear’ with HarperCollins
Favourite hashtag: #PsychHumor
Top 5 accounts followed: Sharon Salzberg, Cheryl Strayed, Esther Perel, Marc Brackett, Dr. Vivek Murthy
ScooNews loves: Her meaningful tweets like – ‘What allows us to remain content and centred is living by our values. Identifying and embodying those values is where the process begins’ and ‘One of my biggest learning’s from a mindfulness teacher was: Feelings can never be positive or negative. They just are pleasant or unpleasant in the way we experience it.’
Follow at: @mentalhealthwithsonali (IG), @guptasonali (Twitter)
Who: Neerja Birla
Bio says: Educationist, mental health advocate, educationist, traveller of the great outdoors, a strong follower of the Bhagavad Geeta, & always a mum at heart!
X-Factor: Apart from being the Chairperson of the Aditya Birla World Academy and Aditya Birla Integrated School, she’s also the founder of MPower, a mental health awareness initiative
Viral moment: Her recent conversation with Amitabh Bachchan about the mental health of professionals who are doubting their capabilities and have developed a fear of losing their jobs, especially during the pandemic
Famous quote: We all tend to want to fit in, we all want our kids to be following the normal trajectory of doing well in academics but one has to realise that every child is different and as parents, we have to identify and nurture that talent.
Current take-on: Role of parents as primary caregivers to their children to lessen the impact of the pandemic
Favourite hashtag: #ABWA (Aditya Birla World Academy)
Top 5 accounts followed: Heads Together, Arianna Huffington, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Global Development Lab, Kailash Satyarthi
ScooNews loves: The way she gives equal importance to physical health in order to enjoy a wholesome mental state. She often shares pictures of her hobbies of cycling, trekking and exploring nature.
Follow at: @neerja_birla (IG), @NeerjaBirla (Twitter)
Who: EQ by Design
Bio says: Helping schools achieve systemic change through restorative practices, neuroscience, and social-emotional skills. From the authors of #HackingSchoolDiscipline
X-Factor on the internet: Witty, honest and caring quotes for teachers
Viral moment: When they tweeted how being at home is more important than keep working all the time. The post read – “You are totally replaceable at work. You are not replaceable at home.”
Current take-on: Encouraging teachers and reminding them to take care of mental health
Favourite hashtag: #HackingSchoolDiscipline
Top 5 accounts followed: SENIA International, The Staff Room Podcast, Tiny Friends Big Feelings, Trauma Informed Teachers, We Are Teachers
ScooNews loves: How beautifully and artistically they present such grave topics. Whether the point is to correct teachers in their teaching style or to remind them about their own well being, EQbyDesign has a way of portraying everything.
Follow at: eq_by_design (IG), @EQbyDesign (FB & Twitter)
Who: Jameela Jamil
Bio says: Feminist-in-progress.
X-Factor: British actress and activist with a sassy bold nature and amazing speaking skills. She’s vowed to never bow down to any number of rumours against her.
Viral moment: When she won the Vogue’s Women Of The Year, taking home the Global Disruptor award
Famous quote: I’ve always been passionate about the concept of helping the underdog. It just doesn’t make sense to me as to what kind of person would take a huge platform and not use it to do something, to change something, to help people.
Current take-on: Breaking stereotypes and advocating for mental illness
Favourite hashtag: #IWeighPodcast
Top 5 accounts followed: The Real Spoonies Unite, Disability Visibility, The Global Goals, Hello Sunshine, Alliance For EDA
ScooNews loves: About 5 years ago, she launched an entertainment show ‘Why Not People?’ which was accessible to specially-abled people
Follow at: @jameelajamilofficial (IG), @jameelajamil (Twitter), Jameela Jamil (YouTube)
Who: Dr. Marcus Ranney
Bio says: Your Champion of Wellbeing; on a mission from the world of sick care to that of health. Intent on making this planet a healthier & happier place.
X-Factor: He trained as a doctor at University College London and practised clinical medicine in London before finally shifting back to Mumbai, India. He, most recently, served as General Manager of Thrive Global in India, a U.S. based behaviour change technology and media company. Currently, he works in the Healthcare and Life Sciences industry as a venture capitalist and strategic advisor.
Viral moment: His TED talk ‘Let's talk about healthcare in 2030’
Current take-on: His book ‘At the human edge’
Favourite hashtag: #WellbeingChampion, #HumanEdge
Top 5 accounts followed: Climate Reality by Al Gore, Sir Ken Robinson, World Woman Foundation, Rupa Dash, Kamala Harris
ScooNews loves: Marcus is a keen athlete and long-distance marathon runner, he holds a Guinness World Record for backwards running
Follow at: @docmranney (IG & Twitter)
Who: Arianna Huffington
Bio says: Mother. Sister. @HuffPost Founder. Founder & CEO of @Thrive Global whose mission is to end the stress and burnout epidemic.
X-Factor: She has been listed in Time Magazine's list of the world's 100 most influential people and the Forbes Most Powerful Women list. In 2009, she was no. 12 in Forbes first-ever list of the Most Influential Women In Media.
Viral moment: Her speech at Stanford Graduate School of Business in 2016 where she shared her perspective on how to view failure, scale solutions, and refuel your body with sleep
Famous quote: Fearlessness is like a muscle. I know from my own life that the more I exercise it, the more natural it becomes to not let my fears run me.
Current take-on: Virtual Fatigue due to back to back presence on Zoom
Favourite hashtag: #SelfcareSunday
Top 5 accounts followed: Back to School Solutions, Lean In, Service Year, Born This Way Foundation, WHO
ScooNews loves: She does the most amazing reposts on her social media that includes memes, powerful life quotes, motivational videos and useful tips to live a sustainably productive, healthy and happy life
Follow at: @ariannahuff (IG & Twitter), @AriannaHuffington (FB)