It was a November afternoon, and I had a session with a client of mine. As we were following up on how their week had been post the festival of Diwali. They stated it has been hectic, and the reason is feeling fatigued and demotivated to do things. The feeling of being restricted to living something very similar to the pandemic, not stepping out without a mask, can’t go on runs and walks in the park, and how limited movement was affecting lifestyle.
Ritika Rachel Wilson, Counselling Psychologist at Rocket Health shares how India’s pollution crisis is fueling new mental wellness behaviours.
And this was just one of the conversations that I had that week. Since then, I recall talking to numerous clients and acquaintances who shared similar experiences. This sudden shift has led to many of my clients experiencing health anxiety, existential anxiety, and even guilt around not being able to do much about the situation.
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Social media was full of people saying things like, “Those who can afford it just leave Delhi for a while”, as if that was the only hope or solution. Apart from this, there was a lot of fear, anger, and helplessness among many individuals who complained of memory fog, anxiety, irritability, heightened sensitivity to somatic signs like tightness in the chest, fevers, throat infections, and low mood. For some, coping meant reassurance seeking, resulting in compulsive checking for symptoms.
At the same time, it also led to more dialogue about what needs to be done. People became more cognizant of how pollution, stress, or the environment can have an impact not just on our physical health but also on our mental health. The government spoke about reducing the number of vehicles on the road and promoting the use of public transport or carpooling.
This has led to a change in social behaviour as well. I heard friends say they were cancelling plans due to AQI spikes, preferring staying indoors, and short trips to low AQI level areas. Small community-level attempts to cope together could also be seen as online forums, sharing tips and exchanging information to deal with it together rather than in isolation.
Also noticed people reaching for whatever small forms of comfort, like connecting and checking on loved ones digitally, having supplements, soothing teas/kadhas, and citrus fruits. Having more indoor plants, Air purifiers, and pollution masks, which are not only a part of the air wellness culture but also part of emotional assurance.
The youth especially engaged in more assuring behaviours to combat the pollution crisis, by having slower mornings, journaling, maintaining a sleep hygiene, and finding indoor activities to reduce stress and remain calm, like mindfulness, aromatherapy, and meditation practices, and taking exercise sessions indoors. All these attempts were reclaiming agency and control over the uncertain environment and crisis outward.
This year of 2025, air quality has become a determinant in an individual’s mental health, and health is no longer just physical or mental; it is holistic and more about nervous-system health. We as therapists have also witnessed this shift and are learning to adapt as well, including more pollution psychoeducation, more breathwork and grounding, and nervous-system tools into sessions, and to talk more openly about uncertainty and how to live with it.
