India’s youth—comprising nearly 50% of our population—are facing a growing mental health crisis. With the overwhelming influence of technology and social media, many are experiencing anxiety, identity loss, reduced motivation, and an inability to navigate life’s inevitable challenges. The erosion of traditional emotional support systems due to urbanization and nuclear family structures has only deepened this vulnerability. Alarming increases in self-sabotaging behaviour and self-harm are further indications of this silent emergency.
Sanjay Desai, Founder & CEO, Author & Entrepreneur, Conscious Leap shares, “Our education system is built for workforce supply, and as a result focuses completely on left brained development. While being so good in producing engineers and doctors and accountants, we end up with keeping our youth lopsided in development of their right brained capabilities. This is where wellbeing and emotional resilience falls. Our ‘career-ready’ students lack this capability for reasons of a basic lapse in our system.”
Many of these faculties would get developed at home, in earlier times. We have been proud of our culture producing mentally resilient citizens. But in the last two decades, technology platforms have taken over and further with economic prosperity, family and societal connections have eroded, leaving our youth being excellent at logical faculties but wanting in holistic and resilient practices.
Cut to current times in industries, career success today is not only about having the right degree, skills or work experience. Given the fast paced and dynamic nature of life today, having the mental faculties to handle any challenges that come with your job and personal life are crucial to make and sustain your success. This is why – addressing mental wellbeing essentials is crucial in this generation and must be treated as a key part of career readiness.
Most career readiness programs aim to focus on technical skills, communication training, time management and resume building. While these are all important work skills, a crucial skill to enable long-term success is instilling sustainable wellbeing habits. A person may have all the right technical skills on paper but may still struggle to perform their best in dealing with stress, anxiety, burnout or low self-confidence.
Long term readiness
Modern workplaces demand high performance, long hours, and constant adaptability, often leading to stress and burnout. If individuals are not mentally equipped to manage this pressure, their performance and long term wellbeing will suffer. Proactively managing stress is crucial to maintaining both productivity and personal health. Fostering a positive organizational culture that supports mental wellbeing benefits both employees and employers in the long run.
Socio-emotional training as a vital modern workplace skill
Furthermore, Socioemotional training is just as vital as technical skills in today’s workplace because it fosters strong collaboration, communication, and conflict resolution abilities, which are essential in any team environment. Employers increasingly report that socioemotional skills, like empathy, emotional regulation, and self-awareness, are often more lacking among employees than technical competencies. Developing these skills leads to healthier work relationships, greater employee satisfaction, and reduced turnover.
Mental wellbeing education helps young professionals build emotional resilience by teaching them how to manage their emotions, develop resilience, and sustain their wellbeing in the long term.
Better mental health enhances productivity
Better mental health directly enhances productivity by improving focus, decision-making, and creativity at work. Employees that proactively look out for their mental wellbeing needs are more motivated, engaged, and efficient, contributing to higher quality output. Companies prioritizing wellbeing report up to 20% higher productivity and reduced absenteeism. When an individual’s mental wellbeing is supported, it empowers them with the emotional support needed to power through difficult situations. Supporting mental health in the workplace is therefore essential for sustaining productivity and organizational success.
Enabling a healthy workforce early-on
Coaching young working professionals about mental wellbeing early in their careers equips them with essential coping skills to handle stress and workplace challenges effectively. Early mental health education reduces stigma and encourages proactive support-seeking, which can prevent more severe issues later on. This foundation fosters resilience, productivity, and sustained career growth. Employers who prioritize mental wellbeing help young professionals transition smoothly and thrive in demanding work environments. The result is a healthier and happier professional life, with productive outcomes.
Securing mental wellbeing is not optional—it is a vital foundation for sustained career success and personal growth. It enables individuals to perform consistently, adapt to challenges, and maintain long-term professional resilience. A career-ready individual is not just someone with a great resume but someone who is mentally resilient, emotionally balanced and confident to handle crises efficiently.
Without strong mental wellbeing, even the most skilled professionals may struggle to reach their full potential.
Dr Ashish Bansal MD, Consultant Psychiatrist and Co-founder of House of Aesthetics further adds, “To decide whether an individual is ready to pursue a career depends on certain characteristics such as technical skills, academic performance and also training. But one factor that is often overlooked in this aspect is mental health. The workplace is full of stress, be it high pressure from successors, constantly changing environment and demand for adaptation. If you are not strong mentally, you cannot be at your best.”
When focus is put on mental health and it is kept on the priority list, individuals develop resilience, concentration and also emotional intelligence. These qualities help with teamwork, leadership and issue solving. When stress and anxiety are looked after, it leads to better productivity at the work front, a leading factor behind long term career growth.
Workplaces provide this insight that mental well being of its employees’ is a key factor for the company’s success, not just professional training in acquiring technical skills. Young professionals should focus on their self care and take support to maintain balance at the workplace.
A healthy mind is not just a personal victory, but it also gives you advantage at the career front. If you are mentally healthy, you are ready to pursue your career well.
Dr. Pooja Verma, Clinical & Rehabilitation Psychologist, Yashoda Medicity also adds, “Mental health must be an essential part of career readiness because emotional security directly affects efficiency, decision-making, and long-term professional success. Entering the workforce is not just about theoretical knowledge or technical skills; it also requires resilience, stress management, flexibility, and healthy interpersonal skills. Young professionals often face challenges like performance pressure, uncertainty, workplace conflicts, and managing personal and professional difficulties. Without awareness of mental health and coping strategies, these challenges can lead to burnout, anxiety, or disengagement.”
By including mental health in career readiness programs, individuals learn self-care, emotional regulation, and effective communication. These skills build confidence and stability. Companies benefit as well, since mentally healthy employees are more engaged, productive, and cooperative. In the end, prioritizing mental health prepares individuals not just for a job but for a sustainable, fulfilling career where they can thrive personally and professionally.