Take time out for yourself without feeling guilty: Deepika tells women

Actress Deepika Padukone has urged women to indulge in self-care and to take some time off their various roles for themselves without feeling guilty about doing so.

"Women have a tendency of feeling a lot of guilt. We are always trying to be perfect in playing different roles, so I feel it is important to take time for yourself and do it without guilt. Even if women go for a spa session, most women are thinking 'Oh, I have to go pick my kids from school' or 'My husband must be coming home'.

"Women are constantly worrying about someone else... But it's okay to take time for yourself and do it without guilt," Deepika said at an event on 'Finding Beauty in Imperfection', organised by Ficci Ladies Organisation (FLO).

In a pristine white ensemble and with her hair neatly tied, Deepika gave a motivational talk on how she dealt with depression, and the work being done by her NGO The Live Love Laugh Foundation, which was founded in 2015 and deals with mental health issues.

What Deepika was not ready to talk about was the speculation around her November wedding to actor Ranveer Singh.

"I am certainly not answering this question... It's an extremely insensitive question to ask at an event like this," Deepika told a scribe who questioned about it.

However, the actress was at peace while she spoke how sharing her own experience of dealing with depression was life-changing for her.

"Sharing my experience with depression made me feel lighter. It was like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders, I felt transparent with no fear of being judged," Deepika said, adding that it left her happier, more sensitive, aware, and with an understanding of how fragile life is.

One of the highest paid actresses of India, Deepika, who started her career with "Om Shanti Om" over a decade ago, says when she had come out to tell the world of her battle with depression, she didn't think of it as being "brave or revolutionary."

"I just felt that it was important for me to share something that was very personal to me, something that had changed my life, and something that I felt had a lot of stigma when I was experiencing it.

"I remember telling myself and all the people around me during my journey of recovery, and saying that if by sharing my story, I can even save one life... The purpose is that... Having this conversation is itself a huge step in that direction of change that our country really needs to see, and we are definitely headed in the right direction. But we have a long way to go," Deepika said.

She outlined the "big difference" between sadness and depression, and said while people suffering depression must be willing to seek help, those around them need to treat them with love and understanding.

--IANS

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