It’s Stress Awareness Month! Psychologist Harini Sankarlal Shares Insights on Stress (Part-1)
April marks Stress Awareness Month, an annual event observed since 1992 to spotlight the causes, impacts, and solutions to stress. Spearheaded by The Stress Management Society, this global initiative strives to create a healthier, more resilient world by helping individuals and organizations recognize and reduce stress.
This year’s theme, #LeadWithLove, invites us to respond to life’s pressures with kindness, compassion, and acceptance—toward both ourselves and others. Rooted in the principles of Unconditional Positive Regard, this theme is a timely reminder that love and empathy are essential tools in managing stress effectively.
In line with this theme, we bring you an insightful conversation with Ms. Harini Sankarlal, a Counselling Psychologist and Guest Lecturer at the University of Madras.
In this two-part interview with Dr. Sai Vinthiyaa Gopinath of MedBound Times, Ms. Sankarlal shares her journey, unpacks the nuances of stress, and offers practical tips to lead a balanced, emotionally healthy life.
Dr. Sai Vinthiyaa Gopinath: Could you tell our readers more about yourself?
Harini Sankarlal: I am Harini, a Counselling Psychologist and currently a Guest Lecturer at the University of Madras. I completed my undergraduate degree in BSc Psychology from M.O.P. Vaishnav College for Women in 2021 and secured second rank. I also completed my post-graduation in MSc Counselling Psychology with a Best Outgoing Student award from the University of Madras in 2023.
I'm an avid researcher and always curious to make sense of many of our perspectives and actions. I've received Best Paper Awards at national and international conferences for studies on "Burnout, Technostress, and Personality Traits among School Teachers" and "The Association between Internet Addiction, Body Mass Index, and Academic Achievement in High School Students."
Dr. Sai Vinthiyaa Gopinath: What inspired you to get into psychology?
Harini Sankarlal: I'm someone who's very curious about humans and their behavior. That steered my journey to become a psychologist.
Dr. Sai Vinthiyaa Gopinath: Looking back at your journey, how has your perspective on stress evolved over time?
Harini Sankarlal: Until I was first introduced to biological psychology in my bachelor's degree, all I knew was that stress was harmful. I never realized that, a lot of times, having some amount of stress is actually healthy—it pushes me to be more productive. Now, I understand stress on a spectrum, where having no stress at all and having too much stress are both unhealthy, while an optimal amount of stress is ideal.
Dr. Sai Vinthiyaa Gopinath: We often hear about “good stress” and “bad stress”—how do you explain the difference?
Harini Sankarlal: Technically, we call the good stress eustress and the bad stress distress. Eustress is the kind of stress that you'd often associate with motivation and excitement—for example, the excitement and feelings of stress you feel on your first day at a new job.
Distress, on the other hand, is different. It is often associated with feelings of anxiousness and a sense of overwhelm. It's very detrimental—like the way you feel when you're dealing with financial issues or grieving a loss. While eustress can improve one's performance and focus, distress hinders both.
Dr. Sai Vinthiyaa Gopinath: Are there any surprising or subtle signs of stress that people usually miss?
Harini Sankarlal: I would first say headaches. Sometimes, people don't realize that their headache could stem from stress.
Next would be digestive issues—I've experienced this myself. When I'm too stressed over exams, I'm unable to eat or drink anything.
For emotional signs, I would say mood swings—specifically irritability. Small changes in eating and sleeping routines can also be indicators of stress.
That said, I wouldn't say these signs are always an indicator of stress—they can be due to absolutely different reasons, too. Moreover, different people can have different signs that indicate stress.
Dr. Sai Vinthiyaa Gopinath: Do you think stress can ever be a positive thing in our lives?
Harini Sankarlal: Oh yes, definitely!
Dr. Sai Vinthiyaa Gopinath: What are some personal or practical ways you manage stress in your own life?
Harini Sankarlal: I manage my stress momentarily with deep breathing—more specifically, box breathing. You breathe in for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds, slowly exhale for 4 seconds, and hold again for 4 seconds before continuing the cycle until you feel calm and relaxed.
I’m a dancer and a singer, so I end up dancing or singing to my favourite tunes to handle my emotions. Sometimes, I go out for a walk or drink some hot tea. All of these give me space to ground myself and process my emotions.
But once I’m calm and relaxed, I usually work on the root cause of my stress and address that. Most people don't realize that not dealing with the source of stress will eventually lead to feeling the same way again.
Dr. Sai Vinthiyaa Gopinath: At what point should someone realize they might need to seek professional help for their stress?
Harini Sankarlal: When usual stress busters don’t feel effective in alleviating stress anymore.
Prolonged exposure to stress can have a lot of negative effects—both physical and mental. Seeking professional help doesn’t have to happen only when things go wrong; one can seek help to build themselves and thrive as well.
Dr. Sai Vinthiyaa Gopinath: How important is it to be kind to yourself when you’re feeling overwhelmed?
Harini Sankarlal: Being compassionate to yourself helps in dealing with negative emotions more effectively. Recognizing and accepting your feelings as they are, without any judgment, is the first step.
It's okay to take a step back and focus on your needs. Moreover, being kind to yourself also helps develop resilience—the ability to bounce back from setbacks.
Stay tuned for Part 2, the final segment of our interview with Ms. Harini, where she shares more about stress, its effects, and strategies to handle it better.
