By Ms Divya Immanuel for BIS Mumbai
To commemorate World Mental Health Day, the Mental Wellness Team at Don Bosco High School, Matunga organised a session for the teachers on October 10, 2025. We had with us Mrs Purnima Pandit from the organisation Drishti, which works in the field of mental health. Mrs Pandit is the Head of School Counselling at Drishti and comes with over 12 years of experience.
The session began with an activity, followed by an interactive discussion on work-life balance. Teachers were encouraged to reflect on their lives and understand what an ideal work-life balance would look like.
Mrs Pandit guided the teachers to examine how they spend their time each day and why, despite being busy, they may still feel unsatisfied. She explained that this dissatisfaction often arises when tasks are done out of obligation rather than choice. There are times when one may wish to give up certain activities to focus on more meaningful work. Even though we spend time on daily chores, true satisfaction is missing when we fail to spend time with ourselves.
She rightly pointed out that ‘me time’ should not be mixed with chores or pending tasks — it should simply be about being with oneself. Using the Johari Window, she illustrated how ‘me time’ often falls into the ‘not urgent and not important’ quadrant, whereas in reality, prioritising time for oneself enables us to handle other important and urgent matters more effectively. She also highlighted sleep as an essential aspect of self-care.
Mrs Divya Immanuel thanked the resource person for her valuable insights and for helping the teachers understand the true meaning of ‘me time’. As a takeaway from the session, teachers received bookmarks as a gentle reminder to always be grateful.