Befriending difficult emotions and being vulnerable with Kaajal

How do you manage difficult emotions?

Kaajal Ahuja has some answers.

In this insightful episode, host Smitha Murthy has an unscripted conversation with Kaajal Ahuja about vulnerability, grief, and the importance of sitting with difficult emotions.

Kaajal gets refreshingly real about the exhaustion of living behind emotional masks. For years, Kajal focused on keeping others happy at the expense of her own needs after being married at just 17 years old. But her painful “loss of self” ultimately forced her to peel back the layers and rediscover her authentic voice.

Listen to Kaajal’s journey as she courageously opens up about learning to sit with – not resist – the darkness.

Quote from the conversation

“Safety is not the absence of threat but the presence of connection.”

We discuss

• The societal pressure to always appear happy
• The lack of space for expressing difficult emotions like grief and sadness
• The exhaustion of masking emotions
• The importance of not rushing through the darkness, but rather connecting with it
• Allowing emotions their “due” instead of resisting
• Vulnerability being an invitation for others to also remove their masks and connect authentically in relationships

Kaajal’s bio

Kaajal is an advocate for teen mental health. She is building TeenSpace, a venture that encourages teens towards a healthy mindset through curated workshops & masterclasses, therapeutic interventions and community support.

She has previously worked in customer support at HDFC Bank and Dell. She has spent four years volunteering at a government-run educational institution and also ran her own enterprise – ‘Hey Gorgeous’ – alongside, for 8 years.

Connect with Kaajal

LinkedIn

Resources

• The essential guide to working with difficult emotions
• How to embrace radical acceptance
• Brene Brown on how vulnerability makes our lives better

QOTD

How do you push through your darkness? Write in with your wittiest answers and tell us – podcast@myndstories.com

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*Disclaimer – The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice. All views expressed here are personal.