NEWS of Columbia Pacific Communities

According to the WHO, non-communicable diseases kill 41 million people each year, which is equivalent to 71% of all deaths globally. Cardiovascular diseases account for the most non-communicable disease deaths.   Studies have shown that women are less prone to coronary artery disease. But now various population based studies in India and western countries show that the most common risk factors in deaths are coronary artery disease and hypertension. Epidemiological studies indicate that the prevalence of hypertension has increased over the last decade and there has been a higher incidence among women.   Why is it so? Women usually do not exhibit any symptoms of cardiac diseases and hypertension and, therefore, go undiagnosed. The sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone in women protect the blood vessels from oxidative injuries. Oestrogen decreases the renin level which plays an important role in moderating the blood pressure through the Renin-Angiotensin system. Changing lifestyles have brought in a shift in these hormones. Oestrogen has been replaced with androgen and is commonly expressed as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in young women. With the declining levels of oestrogen, androgen increases the expression of certain enzymes which favours oxidative stress, vascular damage and inflammation.   Other reasons contributing to increased prevalence among women are: 1. High glycaemic index food – Over consumption of trans fatty acids and refined carbohydrates through junk food poses the risk of overweight and obesity. 2.Binge eating – Easy availability of tasty food at the doorstep with just a phone call has compromised the biorhythms in eating habits. Consumption of instant food with preservatives, fried snacks, chutneys and pickles with extra salt compromises the quality of nutrition. 3.Lack of physical activity – Sedentary jobs with multi-tasking requirements and no regular time for any sort of physical activity. 4.Stress – Our adrenal glands which act as shock absorbers provide us with crucial hormonal support that we all need to get through the day with energy and enthusiasm. The intensities and frequencies of the stresses in our life exhaust these glands too early. 5.Unhealthy body image inspired from media – Oestrone (E1) is produced in significant amounts in body fat. The idea of ‘Zero waist’ and unhealthy dieting affects the secretion of this protective hormone. 6.Economy driven world has taken a big toll on the balanced way of functioning between production in mass and human personal interaction. This has changed the human consciousness to a state of imbalance that manifests through emotions and affects the physical hormones. This impact is seen in women these days as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Metabolic Syndrome with Type II Diabetes, menstrual disorders and infertility.   How to detect hypertension? Headache, giddiness and blurring of vision are some of the symptoms which needs to be checked for elevated blood pressure. Weight gain leading to overweight and obesity over a period of six months requires regular blood pressure check-up and health screening.   How to address this? The most important thing to remember is that prevention is better than cure.   Health education: School curriculum must bring in the importance of nutrition, the importance of biorhythms and physical activity. Health education through all social media about regular physical activity, balanced nutrition and biorhythms in diet and sleep should be made available in all regional languages resonating with the local people’s interests.   Midlife health screening: Regular health check-ups after the age of 35 should be a must to check where one stands with regard to health.   Non pharmacological management for those who are at risk:   1. Balanced nutrition -Choose the right source for macronutrients -Consume more of complex carbohydrates -Get micronutrients through locally grown vegetables as salads -Eat seasonal fruits and vegetables for the trace elements needed for the body function -Add adequate fibre through plant source   2. Physical activity -Either 150-300 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75-150 minutes of vigorous activity throughout the week. -Mindful movements like Yoga, Taichi would help in mental and physical well-being   3. Managing stress -Positive attitude -Mindfulness and meditation   Conclusion: Rapid urbanisation by amalgamating various cultures has been advantageous. But it has also brought in some unpronounced setbacks to human health. With India’s diverse culture, each region developed a healthy cuisine that was governed by their own climatic conditions and terrain. This has been diluted, and to a great extent destroyed due to top loading of non-seasonal, unsuitable cuisine only for enjoyment and availability. The effect is far reaching which has largely contributed to non-communicable diseases. By paying adequate attention to what and how we eat, indulging in physical activities and adopting conscious living can address this silent killing disease.  

Armed with disposable income and a willingness to splurge, this consumer cohort comprises over 10 per cent of the population. No wonder marketers are beginning to target this segment with specialised products   In popular American show on Netflix Grace and Frankie, a retired cosmetics baron and a hippie artist are forced to live under the same roof when they get to know that their husbands are in love and want to get married. The series goes on to show how the two septuagenarians navigate life independently. Not only do they go for indulgent holidays and steamy dates, they also launch their business venture, Rise Up, to make hydraulic-powered toilet seats for the elderly.   Though the show is a comic interpretation of Grace and Frankie’s adventures and misadventures, for marketers, it is smartly-woven around an important cohort of consumers — the senior citizens — a $7-billion market in the US. The nascent market is now booming in millennial-obsessed India as well.   Around 120-million Indians, according to a Deloitte report are above 55. The figure is estimated to rise to around 300 million by 2050, accounting for 20 per cent of the overall population. Spending by senior citizens is predicted to increase from $100 billion in 2020 to almost $1 trillion by 2030. What makes this cohort lucrative is their high disposable income and willingness to spend on themselves.   Spending Power Of the 120-million elders, about 40 million stay in urban areas, and over 50 per cent of them have the ability to spend Rs 40,000-50,000 a month. With a bank balance to boast about, they are as aspirational as the millennials. From financial services to personal care products and from hospitality to gadgets and even real estate, companies are increasingly beginning to tailor-make products for these consumers.   Music and content company Saregama India, for example, in 2017, launched Carvaan, a pre-loaded music box, which looks like a transistor, specially targeted at the silver generation. The Rs 521.47-crore company has even come up with variants of Carvaan in regional languages and has sold over 2.4 million units since its launch. Apart from the regular Carvaan (priced at Rs 6,000), there’s also Carvaan Mini priced at Rs 2,500. It includes the Bhagvad Gita, Gurbani and Bhakti songs. Carvaan recently introduced podcasts in its new version and Saregama India Managing Director Vikram Mehra is surprised at the variety of content that consumers are open to. “While news and religious music are a given, consumers are even lapping up wine and whisky appreciation podcasts. In fact, the most popular is the one on single parenting.”   Age is no more a barrier for the current generation of elders who want to live life king size. While spending on assisted living tools (elderly care services such as medical care, wheelchair, adult diapers etc) is a given, this new-generation of elders also want to live independently, look good and travel places. They are not apologetic about spending on themselves. “By 2050, this segment will be 20 per cent of India’s population, and will account for 20-25 per cent of consumer spending,” points out Sanjesh Thakur, Partner, Risk Advisory Practice, Deloitte India.   So, when Tapan Mishra founded e-commerce platform Seniority.in in 2015, the stress was on providing assisted living — from wheelchairs to hospital beds and adult diapers. The past year has seen Mishra focusing more on building a direct-to-consumer personal care business targeted at 55-year-olds and above. “We started with nutraceutical products under the brand name Seniority and are soon going to rollout hair care and skin care for this age group,” says Mishra, who is also the founder of Evergreen Club, an online platform that helps the silver generation to not just avail the services of doctors and physiotherapists, but socialise as well. Launched in March 2021, the platform offers a plethora of activities — from antakshari and housie sessions to yoga and cooking classes. In the past four months, there have been 75,000 downloads on the Android store, according to Mishra. In June, Evergreen Club launched a paid subscription model. Around 1,000 signed up within the first 10 days.   Mishra says the company’s personal care products cater to the needs of this consumer cohort. “Most brands offer age-defying or anti-ageing products, which this cohort of consumers are not looking for. They want products that will help them age gracefully.”   Ad man-turned entrepreneur, V.S. Srikanth, Co-Founder, Fifty Rocks Lifestyle, is also getting ready to rollout a range of premium personal care products for the 50-plus under the brand name Amazing Grey. “This population amounts to 40-42 per cent of India’s population in terms of value consumption. The millennials have no money,” says Srikanth.   Last year, ICICI Bank launched Retire Happy Solutions, targeted at 55-year-olds and above. “This age group is five-six years away from retirement, so, it’s not a bad idea to open a NPS account. Most people start buying health insurance at the age of 54, which covers them till the age of 74. Retire Happy Solutions curates that too,” says Pranav Mishra, Head, Liabilities, ICICI Bank. The product also has features such as FD Invest and FD MIP. “What it means is you have created an FD for five years and the interest which will come out of it can go into SIPs. Similarly, the interest money that will come from FD Invest will come in the form of a monthly income plan so that it can act as income replacement,” he adds. The product also offers travel loans for this cohort of consumers.   New-age Elders This is also the generation whose children have stepped out of their homes to work in other cities, and as a result of which most of them are empty nesters. Real estate companies are capitalising on the same. The past decade has seen the emergence of retirement communities such as Columbia Pacific and Antara, which offer end-to-end services such as medical care, kitchen and house-keeping facilities for residents. “While the millennial is more into the sharing economy than buying, seniors are happy to pay a premium for comfort. They have disposable income, and are willing to invest and indulge,” says Mohit Nirula, CEO, Columbia Pacific Communities. Its communities are self-sustained. “Senior residents don’t have to worry about sweeping, mopping, maintenance or food,” adds Nirula.   Prashin Jhobalia, Vice president, Strategic Marketing, House Of Hiranandani, doesn’t want to label his properties as a senior citizen community, but says it is the 50-plus cohort which is the target audience for its premium residential complexes. “While facilities such as hospital, ambulance and dining room are a given, they are looking for spacious homes, great views and well-equipped clubhouses. Since they are looking at spending the rest of their lives here, they don’t want to compromise on quality.” These gated communities are priced from Rs 40 lakh to Rs 4 crore. “Consumers are happy to pay a premium for amenities, which they were not willing to do 10 years ago,” says Jhobalia.   While real estate companies are launching senior citizen communities, tech companies such as Emoha and MedRabbits are offering assisted living services. Consumers just need to download an app and subscribe to a host of services, including medical care, grocery delivery and even entertainment. Emoha, says Co-founder and CEO Saumyajit Roy, has installed sensors at homes of its consumers, so that whenever there is an emergency it can rush to help. “The idea is not to box our elders in an old-age home, which is regressive. For every home we take care of, we look at how we can take care of emergency support needs, how elders could socialise and also learn new skills.”   “The biggest pandemic is not Covid, it is loneliness,” adds Roy. Emoha TV has been one of the hot favourites of the 55-plus community during the pandemic. It offers over 700 activities from the comfort of home.   “Just as what edtech is for education, our ambition is to make a similar impact on the senior citizens market,” adds Amol R. Deshmukh, Co-founder, MedRabbits.   Convenience Matters Such consumers are the favourites of the hospitality industry too. Be it tour operators or resort companies such as Sterling Holidays and Mahindra Holidays, it is the 55-plus segment from where their revenues are increasingly coming from. “When I go for a holiday I don’t want to go to a place where kids are yelling. I want to go to a place where I can do my thing. I need menus which will suit my age and needs,” says V.S. Kannan Sitaram, Former COO, Dabur, and currently Venture Partner at Fireside Ventures.   Hospitality companies are going all out to cater to the needs of consumers such as Sitaram, who are essentially looking for experiences and are willing to pay for it. From yoga getaways and wellness holidays to camping by the river side in comfortable air-conditioned tents, most of the newer properties of hotels and resorts offer experiences tailor-made for the new silver generation. “Over 25 per cent of our new members are above the age of 50,” says M. Harinath, Vice president, Corporate Marketing, Sterling Holidays. One of Sterling’s best-performing resorts before Covid struck them was the company’s wellness resort in Rishikesh, where bulk of the guests constituted the 50-plus age bracket.   “While millennials opt for weekend getaways, elders prefer longer stays. They don’t mind spending one-two weeks for an ayurvedic experience so that they can take the full benefit of the treatment. This helps us improve our occupancy rates, especially during off season,” he adds.   Mahindra Holidays has created a 10-year membership programme, Bliss, targeted at the 55-plus cohort. Bliss focuses on offering experiential holidays to its members. Priced at Rs 2-4 lakh, Bliss is Mahindra Holidays’ top-performing product. “Fifty five is the new 25. It is far more profitable to focus on this cohort as they spend more at resorts. They contribute the highest in terms of revenue per customer,” says CMO Pratik Mazumder.   Be it living in a residential community that offers all kinds of amenities or subscribing to a service such as Emoha, convenience is the prime factor. “Between the age of 18 and 35, you are in that state of your life, where you believe you are on top of the world and everything should be happening according to your choice. You want to control every aspect of it. As you start growing older, you realise that even if you want to control your life, you can’t. More and more people start valuing convenience over control,” explains Mehra of Saregama.   The idea behind Carvaan, he adds, is to offer convenience and not control its target audience. “A digital app will give you control, you can control which song you want to hear, you know who the composer is. However, Carvaan is all about music playing out. I like Kishore Kumar or Lata Mangeshkar’s song, so I need a platform where I can listen to them. An average 50-year-old living in Kanpur or Satara find it difficult to explore technology on their own, they typically end up using features they are comfortable with. That’s one part that anybody who wants to target this segment needs to realise,” he says. The Carvaan success story has been instrumental in turning around the stagnant music business of RPSG into a profitable venture.   Other consumer categories are also realising the importance of convenience. During the first wave of Covid-19 last year, Bata India launched its store-on-wheels, the idea for which came from requests by senior citizens to deliver footwear home. Titan Company’s eyewear brand, Titan EyePlus, has started offering eye-testing services at consumers’ homes, and CEO Saumen Bhaumik says that though the service was launched keeping the Covid-19 lockdown in mind, going forward, the company will continue to offer the same. “A large segment of our consumers are above 55 years and are seeking convenience,” he adds.   Growing Potential Indian marketers are obsessed with millennials and understandably so, since they comprise 70 per cent of the country’s population. Leading skin care brands do have anti-ageing products, but no solution for skin care concerns of an elderly consumer. In apparel, brands do have options for consumers who have a big built, but they have nothing specifically for senior citizens. “I recently went trouser shopping and checked out all the leading brands, but I couldn’t find anything that I would be comfortable wearing. Most of the collections were meant for the 20 somethings,” says Sitaram of Fireside.   “This is a neglected segment, which has huge scope. If I look at a consumer cohort of 20 crore in the next 25 years, it is a mammoth population. It’s not a generation that wants to hoard gold and wealth, but spend on things that give them convenience. Unfortunately, enough isn’t being done for this consumer cohort,” points out Thakur of Deloitte.   Mehra of Saregama says for most brands it makes business sense to look at 70 per cent of the population where everybody wants to look good, rather than speak to the remaining 30 per cent, of which only 10 per cent wants to look good. “You look at an average person in Kanpur or Nagpur, they won’t care about going to the gym that much. As far as they are concerned, it is for their kids. However, there is a goldmine sitting in that age group and very few brands fighting for that particular set of customer.”   The single-minded focus of a 55-year-old a decade ago was to save for his/her retirement. It’s no longer the case. Mumbai-based investment banker couple, Kapil and Priya Mathur (58 and 55), have been empty nesters for the past few years. Their children are well-settled and the couple is inching towards the retirement age. They recently went to Ananda Spa near Rishikesh for a week-long holiday. “We are doing all that we couldn’t do earlier. We have planned our retirement, bought houses and the children are more or less settled. It’s now time for a little bit of indulgence.”   On the other hand, for 80-year-old Iti Mishra, who retired from corporate life over 15 years ago, age is just a number. The tech-savvy octogenarian goes on holidays across the globe on her own. She has close to 1,000 followers on Instagram and her food blog Cheffington Post has caught the attention of leading fine-dining restaurant chains across the country. She often curates specialised menus for them.   What has led the current silver generation in India to be indulgent and not conservative like their predecessors? ICICI Bank’s Mishra attributes it to the first phase of liberalisation in 1991. He says most Indians born in the late 60s and early 70s got their first jobs post 1991, and that made the difference. “They started earning more than their parents and were able to save at a much younger age. Around 2000/01 interest rates came down significantly, and banks also started lending for home loans or any secured asset.”   According to Mishra, liberalisation created lucrative jobs and people no longer worked in one organisation for life. They started experimenting with jobs, which led to higher appetite for risks, and was demonstrated in the way they invested. “Since they had higher disposable income, their ability to take loans and repay was higher. They were into value- and long-term investing through SIPs, which helped them create long-term wealth. Indians also started believing that health- and term-life insurance isn’t a cost, but protection for themselves and their families.”   Unlike their parents who saved all their lives so that they were able to invest in a house around the time they retired, the current silver generation invested in their first property when they were in their late 30s or early 40s, and have systematically planned for their retirement. This has resulted in higher disposable incomes and spending power.   In fact, the 55-year-olds don’t appreciate being addressed as ‘seniors’. They are aspirational, they want to look and feel young and have the wherewithal to indulge. High time brands across the board carve out a strategy around them.

Communication in this crisis has seen a tectonic change; brands today have also changed as to how they tell a story. Earlier seniors have always been shown as cranky, dependent, and miserable by brands. But with changing culture and lifestyle of seniors, the depiction has also undergone a change and today we are seeing many brands using seniors as the protagonist.   From being shown as miserable and dependent family members to independent, high-spirited, and living larger than life, the depiction and usage of senior citizens in the content have come a long way. Gone are the days where the old were shown as cranky, old next-door uncles, or the conservative aunties who frown upon high hemlines. This change in the communication strategy of brands is a mirror image of the cultural changes the nation has gone through.   There are so many brands that have started focusing on seniors and have developed campaigns just for seniors. For instance, CarDekho, Columbia Pacific Communities, Vodafone, etc.  There is a change in the depiction of the elderly in communication narratives, the popularity of senior citizen influencers, and how they are becoming the most credible advocates of brands.   Piali Dasgupta, Senior Vice President – Marketing, Columbia Pacific Communities, talks to us about the change, how Columbia Pacific has adapted to the new normal, and much more….   This crisis has taught us many lessons, your thoughts?   Oh yes. Completely agree. As Winston Churchill said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” The pandemic has made us more and more aware of how insignificant we are in the face of global adversity. A tiny virus has the ability to turn the universe topsy turvy. So we are like snowflakes in the universe. Our designations, job titles, the importance that we tend to give ourselves, don’t really matter when you are fighting a disease. And so, this was a great time to self-introspect, to set our priorities right, and understand who or what really holds real value in our lives. Because, life as we have learned, is fragile.   On the marketing and brand building front, the pandemic underlined the importance of brands being authentic, empathetic, and have a purpose that is aligned with the planet. While these have been topics of discussion for some time now, the pandemic made it almost mandatory to view their customer experience and communication strategy through at least one of these three lenses.   One is also seeing more seniors in brand communication today, any reasons for this?   I am sure we can agree that it’s about time we saw more seniors in brand communication. But the fact is, it’s not just seniors. We are seeing more off-kilter, underground, non-mainstream narratives, that are shining the spotlight on the underdogs and the minorities – whether it’s members of the LGBTIQ community or neurodiverse people or senior citizens. For way too long, brands have been obsessed with millennials and the Gen-Z. Now they have realized that they are alienating a segment of the audience with huge purchase power (senior citizens) by not representing them or talking to them. Senior citizens form 8% of the country’s population today and are the fastest-growing demographic, set to treble by 2050. It is the only demographic that’s seeing double-digit growth. I think brands have finally realized the perils of not talking to this generation.   Brand messaging is becoming more empathetic, is this due to the crisis or brands have now realized that content is more important when it comes to targeting their consumers?   Content has always been king. Every marketer has realized this in the last ten years. But with digital consumption, and social media consumption, in particular, going up by nearly 75% during the pandemic, brands have realized that there is a greater opportunity to engage with their consumers and build brand salience.   Most people narrow down “empathy” to brand messaging that appeals to a consumer’s EQ (Emotional Quotient). However, true empathy is shown by a brand when it can walk in a customer’s shoes. Throughout the pandemic, we have had several examples of brands coming forward, taking up social responsibility, and showing they genuinely care. Whether it was Cadbury with its “Not Just a Cadbury Ad” campaign in Diwali 2020 supporting small business owners hit by COVID, or brands such as Parle G and Crocs distributing biscuit packets and crocs shoes respectively to frontline workers, humanity shone. And it showed a deep commitment of brands towards people across sections who may or may not have been their core audience. Revenue took a backseat, and empathy was put on the front burner.   And this goes beyond content. Content is only a vehicle to take to masses a brand’s actions and intentions. It starts with an honest intention, whether or not the end result is PR or content. It can never really be the other way round. Because if it is, it’s not honest enough. It is the age of empathy. And not just for brands. People have come together to help each other when the system has failed them. If there’s one thing that we will take ahead with us when all this is hopefully over, it is empathy.   What has changed today, brands are depicting seniors with free-spirited and more adventurous, focussed and advisors in the family, your thoughts?   Seniors today are a different breed from those 30 years ago. They live life on their own terms, are adventure seekers, look at retirement as the best phase of their lives, are adapting to technology, and are fiercely independent. So, these attributes of the baby boomer generation are reflected in advertisements today.   The old, hackneyed narrative of the cranky, old next door uncle, or the conservative aunty who frowns upon high hemlines, is thankfully behind us.   Whether it’s the recent CarDekho “E for Elderly” campaign that had an adorable elderly couple using sarcasm to call out the way the youth treats seniors behind the wheels, or actress Neena Gupta doing her version of a hip hop in the Brooke Bond Red Label #LetUsUnstereotypeIndia campaign, brands today are depicting seniors as a fun, irreverent, confident bunch with a great sense of humor.   How innovative has Columbia Pacific Communities’ communication become during this crisis?   We have innovated immensely during the past 15 months. In India, we function as a start-up, and hence, have the advantage of being nimble. We have kept the interest of our customers – senior citizens, at the center of everything we have done in terms of innovation, with the sole aim of ensuring that even while they were physically distanced from their loved ones, they were not emotionally isolated or distanced.   Whether it was launching a Facebook Live initiative called The Living Room to enable seniors to interact live with celebrities and luminaries across disciplines from the comfort of their homes during the lockdown or using digital platforms to execute a month-long talent hunt across our 9 communities in the run-up to World Senior Citizens Day (August 21) last year, or virtually training sign language to six senior residents from our communities enabling them to perform to an audience of 400 hearing and speech impaired people for Christmas, we have efficiently used technology to bring people and communities together.   On the business side, we have developed content-led sales tools such as walkthrough videos, video chats and have participated in digital expos to enable digital-led transactions. We have even made two significant business announcements to the media through digital platforms.   What have been your marketing strategies during this crisis?   Marketing strategies have obviously evolved in the past year. Heightened use of technology throughout the customer lifecycle and use of digital marketing tools such as walkthrough videos and Whatsapp calls from the site have replaced site visits, with customers making purchase decisions remotely.   In terms of the marketing mix, we have always been digital-first, allocating about 70% of our marketing budgets to digital channels. Post-COVID, OOH, experiential marketing, and other offline budgets have been redirected to digital as well, and in the initial months of COVID, budgets for print media were also realigned towards digital.   When the pandemic hit us in March 2020, we took a conscious call to not hard sell the product, and instead adopted an engagement-first strategy on social media for a few months launching campaigns such as #SeniorsInCommand that brought to the fore inspiring stories of seniors giving back to society and taking charge of the situation at hand during the pandemic.   During the second wave too, we stopped all product and brand-led communication and opened out our social media channels for about 10 days to invite pleas for help from anyone at all, so that we could amplify these messages. This was our own little way of doing our bit for those that were affected, since we are not FMCG brands, and couldn’t really mass distribute a product like, say, sanitizers, to frontline workers.   We also realized the need for mental health support for seniors who were deeply affected by the second wave and were increasingly feeling lonely, isolated, hopeless, and stressed about the situation around them. And hence, we launched a campaign in association with the Fortis Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, called #ReacOut urging senior citizens to reach out for mental health support.   So, it was empathy and care first and commerce and selling later, all through the pandemic. It wasn’t an easy choice, but one that we believe was the right choice, even at a time when we saw a 4x rise in inquiries because seniors realized how difficult living on their own can be amidst a crisis, and the importance of living in a community.     Way forward?    The way forward for marketers is honest, purpose-led, and impactful marketing, with cutting-edge storytelling and creativity. There will have to be more skin in the game, for sure. And while, there will always be pressure on marketers to produce short-term results, as a community, marketers have to convince stakeholders and the C-suite that brand building is a long-term game. And that the greatest businesses in the world have been built on long-term thinking. So, it’s not necessarily about being hyper-obsessed with the CTRs and the VTRs of today. All that is important for sure. But the main task is, how do you engage your audience beyond three seconds when all they are willing to give you is three seconds? Human beings now officially have an attention span less than that of the goldfish. And that’s not good news for marketing and advertising professionals, because it makes our job harder and harder. And that’s where good storytelling comes in. If you have something truly mind-blowing to say, people will give you the time. Just as you make time for a great novel. You don’t necessarily count the pages, do you?   For us, the way forward includes building a world-class brand and helping Columbia Pacific Communities fulfill its mission of becoming the subcontinent’s most preferred senior living option by truly helping seniors live healthier, happier, and fitter lives for longer.   A key area of focus would be to strengthen the brand positioning by taking the narrative of “positive ageing” forward through storytelling, PR, advocacy, and other consumer engagement initiatives. Our aim is to popularise the concept of community living and its connection to positive aging in India, and pivot conversations around age and aging in India.

The elder care market in India is worth $1.5 billion. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic senior homecare services are much higher in terms of the demand factor.   The elderly, are most vulnerable at this stage of the pandemic as their age gives them an immunity level much lower when compared to younger people. The senior homecare industry is facing a huge profitable rise in this context. In India there are 110 million elders who are above the age of 60, out of which 40% live in the urban sector. They are not only vulnerable physically as of now as they are emotionally. They have a weaker immune system due to the age factor they are more likely to already have comorbidities which increases the risk of severe covid-19 related death. They are not only suffering mentally but even emotionally to a large extent.   Tara Singh Vachani, Executive Chairperson, Antara Senior Living said, “The senior demographic in India is one of the fastest growing demographics, with over 20 million elders staying alone, and the number is slated to rise in the next two decades. The lockdown and second wave of Covid-19 exposed the gaps in India’s senior care system and has highlighted the need for dedicated senior care services. We saw a surge in customer inquiries and demand for services across our assisted care portfolio in the last two months.” She clearly states the reality we are facing.   She goes on to say, “At Antara, we have been cognizant of the evolving needs of the senior community and have been at the forefront of providing tailored solutions for seniors’ varied needs through our Care at Home, Care Home and MedCare Products verticals thereby fortifying our original value proposition of Residences for Seniors. Knowing that seniors who tested positive for COVID19 needed greater intervention on a daily basis; COVID Care at Home and Critical Care at Home solutions were deployed. For those who were asymptomatic or had milder infection, we created options for remote monitoring and isolation centres / COVID Care facilities offering holistic care solutions. These services include comprehensive remote assessment, essential medical kit for health tracking and self-isolation, monitoring by nurses, telephonic doctor consults to track progress, respiratory rehabilitation by experts, nutrition plan and counselling to manage anxiety.”   Hence her view is the necessity of overall development of the elderly population during these extremely trying times.   “The pandemic and the consequent restrictions it brought on daily living and social interactions highlighted the difference in experience of seniors living in independent homes or apartments that were part of mixed-family condominium complexes and that of residents of a senior living community. To have their daily needs fulfilled, have medical support at hand and a daily calendar that ensured physical distancing did not cause social isolation, brought peace of mind to the residents and their families. Columbia Pacific Communities has seen an exponential growth in demand for both ready-to-move in communities and those under development,” according to Mohit Nirula, CEO, Columbia Pacific Communities.   He also shows concern about how due to the demand, people have to be more careful and responsible along with remaining positive in these highly disturbing times.   Saumyajit Roy, Co-Founder and CEO, Emoha Elder Care feels that, “There has been a huge spike in the demand for at home elder care services in India in the couple of years. We at Emoha Elder Care have had an early movers’ advantage in this segment. We have been supporting this vulnerable population for a while now. We reinvented ourselves when the first wave of the pandemic had struck India, that also led to a sudden surge in demand for at home elder care services in India.”   Their 150 ground team members have been working 24/7 to keep the elders safe in these unpredictable times. They have saved 120 precious elder lives, done 100,000 care calls, 4500+ emergency simulations, have 500+ doctors on call, speak in 20+ Indian languages, and have done 900+ elder focused events which are extremely important for elders’ emotional wellbeing.   They are also taking all kinds of precautions to ensure that elders are safe in their homes and are able to tide over the crisis smoothly.   He further states that, “As a result of our activities, we were much better prepared to deal with the second deadly wave that wreaked havoc in the country and exposed the pitfalls in India’s healthcare system. Since the beginning of the month of April this year, our efforts to protect elders have been on a war footing. The platform has been focusing on offering complete Covid care support and operations through a ‘connected community’ for elders and their families, bringing together world-class expertise and delivering single-click access to a range of health, emergency, social-engagement, convenience services at home, so that elders can live life to the fullest.”   In addition to this, Archana Sharma, Founder and Managing Director, Samvedna Senior Care said “Ever since the pandemic broke out, the elderly became the most vulnerable group globally. In India the problem became more acute because of lack of social welfare programs and services to support the elderly. Suddenly we saw desperate calls for help to manage basics like groceries, medication, household work. It came as a wakeup call for many children to provision support their parents’ needs. We expect a surge in homecare services for seniors, last year we saw a 30% growth in our emergency support services. The services growth opportunities will be in physical and healthcare needs as well as mental health support.”   On a conclusive note we are pondering over the big question right now which is that, are we as a nation equipped to deal with the increase in elderly population in India? India in the last few decades has seen a demographic shift. This period has shown that the elder population is quite high. A report by the CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) projects that India’s senior population will increase threefold to 300 million by 2050. To create a strong healthcare ecosystem for senior citizens, the support of the government is highly essential as well. Overall, we need to work together to ensure that everyone is safe and living with good health – mentally, emotionally and yes, most importantly as of now, physically.

How does yoga help in mental well-being? In these challenging times imposed by COVID-19, many people have lost their lives, lost their loved ones and the news of death in close quarters has brought tremendous insecurity in most of people. Nothing seems to be guaranteed, neither the beds in hospitals nor the availability of medicines, and not even the basic existential oxygen for survival.   Adding to these challenges, there are hardly any personal connections through physical meetings. A sort of loneliness similar to a vacuum is felt in which one can attract any emotion, and either get stuck with those emotions or work with the inner self positively.   How to refine the mind through yoga Yoga has its roots in the word “Yuj” which means “union”. This is brought about through the union of the physical body and the mind through breath. Yogic scholars say yoga is the spiritual aspect of Ayurveda, while Ayurveda is a therapeutic branch of yoga. Yoga brings about mind-body transformation. Yoga has eight limbs or Ashtanga. These are Yamas, Niyama, Asanas, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. Yama and Niyama are preludes in the path of yoga wherein one’s attitude to society and to one’s self are practised. Asana and Pranayama are practised at the physical level to prepare one for attaining a higher state of consciousness through mastering the senses and transforming the mind.   Sage Patanjali in yoga sutra provides us with the differences in the Citta (modern science calls it mind), ways to examine its contents, source of activities, how to refine it and reach higher levels of awareness.   In the past, yoga practices were a part of daily rituals and was a way of life in India. Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual practice that has its roots in India. Our Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi, in 2015, during his UN address proposed that June 21, which is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, be observed as International Day of Yoga and it has since been celebrated worldwide.   Yoga practices for the health and well-being of elders Among the eight limbs of yoga, Asana and Pranayama are practised physically. Dharana and Dhyana are practised as meditation in various proportions by people of different age groups. For elders, it is advised to practice more of meditation through visualisation and chanting mantras, moderate pranayama and appropriate movements leading to asana within one’s individual capacity. These will contribute to a calm state of mind.   Conclusion: Regular yoga helps to transform the mind in stages. While quietening an agitated mind, it also refines and stabilises it. This helps in making one capable of influencing others in a positive way and in becoming an empowered person.

One in every five senior citizen suffers from at least one form of mental illness. Yet, this cohort hesitates to reach out for help for the fear of judgement. And it’s not just senior citizens. According to WHO (World Health Organisation), 7.5% of the country’s population is mentally ill, and the number will swell to 20% by the time the pandemic ends.   Mental illness has become one of the biggest health concerns in India and across the world. Brands are an important stakeholder in helping remove the needless shame and stigma around mental illness and normalising conversations around mental health.   Advertising has often been a vehicle of change, and it can play a crucial role in changing the conversation around mental health and encouraging more and more people to speak up about their mental health challenges. But most importantly, through nuanced storytelling, advertising can help establish the fact that overall wellbeing is unattainable without mental wellbeing.   A few campaigns done on mental health in the recent years have caught my attention. I have enjoyed the #HealthInsideOut campaign launched in January this year by Future Generali, which drove home the message of the tell-tale signs of mental trauma through a video series animating inanimate objects such as a stress ball, a vase, a pillow.   Ogilvy’s print ad for The Hindu, on World Mental Health Day (October 10) last year on “a smile” and what it actually means when someone with mental illness “smiles” was thought provoking.   Prega News’ campaign demonstrating the travails of a new mother at the workplace, also helped raise awareness on an oft-neglected kind of mental illness – postpartum depression.   Our recent campaign #ReachOut done in association with the Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences at Fortis Hospital, which reached over 1.3 million people, urged senior citizens feeling overwhelmed, distressed, worried, listless and isolated during the second wave of the pandemic, to reach out for help without any hesitation.   Having lived with clinical depression and anxiety for over 23 years myself, I would urge brand managers to be extra cautious about communicating mental illnesses. Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, are all clinical conditions. They are different from “sadness,” “hopelessness” or “despair,” because “sadness” is specific, and is usually connected to a reason. Whereas, depression is vague.   Often these terms are used interchangeably and rather loosely, which causes tremendous damage to the overall narrative because it dilutes the suffering and the struggles of millions of people living with one or more forms of life alternating mental diseases.

It is no secret that COVID-19 has majorly transformed the marketing landscape across the world in the past 14 months. It has been the real accelerator to digital transformation. And it has also given rise to what is being referred to as the “stay at home economy.”   Given that most of us, perhaps for the first times in our lives, have spent inordinate amounts of time at home for the past year, each one of us has realised the importance of home. And because the “stay at home economy” is here to stay even after the vaccine has been made available, consumers have realised that the home is at the centre of their existence.   The Government’s Digital India programme, launched in 2015, with a vision to empower India digitally, has been accelerated hugely by COVID-19.   Real estate, as a category, was very swift to adapt to the digital transformation propelled by the pandemic. From launch events of projects to webinars, site visits, consultations and bookings – almost every step in the customer lifecycle has been digitised in real estate in the past year.   Large real estate players such as Puravankara and Lodha Group have taken the lead in digitising the customer journey by accepting bookings online and using VR and 3D walkthroughs to enable customers to make a purchase decision.   The pandemic changed ad spends patterns in real estate completely. Real estate relies heavily on ATL (mainly print media) and BTL (outdoor, events and on ground activation, apartment complex activations etc) during the launch and the sustenance phases of a project. However, the pandemic resulted in a sharp decline in BTL activities including OOH, events, apartment activities and seminars etc and BTL budgets were shifted to digital. And although a KPMG report claimed that COVID-19 will not have a long term impact on print advertising, in the initial months of the pandemic, real estate firms shied away from advertising on print. The industry has gone back to advertising on print media as the economy revived. However, now there is increased dependency on digital media for a full-funnel activity – from raising awareness to generating leads.   At Columbia Pacific Communities, we have always had a digital first approach to marketing, as we find it the most effective for both brand and product marketing. Hence, the pandemic did not really disrupt our marketing mix very much. What it did however, was necessitate the creation of digital sales tools.   The new normal digitised the sales process in real estate entirely. Site visits have been replaced by videos of the property, virtual walkthroughs, VR, and in some cases, even whatsapp and Google Hangout calls through which customers have made a purchase decision. Unheard of even a few months ago, we at Columbia Pacific Communities, have closed several transactions virtually with the entire sales process carried out through digital tools. We have even participated in digital expos, that have used augmented reality to give customers a virtual experience of the site.   Expos and physical events have been replaced by virtual expos, where customers can get a site experience through VR and chat real time with brand representatives address their queries.   Project launches have also started happening virtually, with real estate brands using advanced 3D to unveil the project and live stream it for prospective buyers as well as the media via social media live sessions. In July 2020, Puravankara did three virtual project launches attended by 30,000 people followed by Prestige Group in August 2020, which launched two of its projects – in Goa and Bangalore – virtually using VR.   At Columbia Pacific Communities, we announced two of our joint venture projects in Bangalore and Pune with Embassy Group and Nyati group respectively in October and August last year via a virtual press conference.   Marketing in real estate have come of age and become innovative with many brands such as House of Hiranandani and Lodha Group, exploring influencer marketing, content marketing and engagement-driven initiatives such as masterclasses with chefs and fireside chats to build brand salience. Recently, Lodha Group roped in Marathi actress Urmila Kothare for Gudi Padwa who talked about the importance of home.   Columbia Pacific Communities tied up with one of India’s most loved authors, Ruskin Bond to carry forward the brand message of community living and positive ageing. A fireside chat and a storytelling session was also organised with the author digitally, to engage current and future residents of Columbia Pacific Communities.   The industry which used to largely focus on offer/deal led communication to create an urgency in the market particularly at the time of launch, has slowly shifted focus to soft selling. This is because, real estate brands have realised that the post pandemic consumer, who is spending a lot more time at home, is a more discerning one. She/he is looking for sustainable homes that have a story to tell, are environmentally friendly and have ample open spaces and also values transparency. Therefore, it has become imperative for real estate firms to create and communicate value propositions that appeal to the post COVID consumer.   Given that a large number of the young work force has returned to their hometowns due the pandemic and working remotely from smaller towns, there has been a surge in the demand for affordable housing in tier 2 and tier 3 cities. Therefore, developers are gradually shifting focus to these markets to fill the need gap and are carrying out PMF (product -market fit) studies to create products that best addresses the needs of this audience.   And finally, the pandemic resulted in innovation in payment schemes in real estate. Examples of this include subvention scheme, or an EMI holiday scheme, the latter similar to what a few automobile brands have done, and even property exchange schemes, offering to sell the buyer’s existing property to fund a new property.   To sum it up, digital adoption, shift in communication strategy, value creation, innovation in payment terms and reimagining the entire customer lifecycle and experience are some of the factors that have defined the flux in real estate marketing and communication in the post pandemic world.

Shining the spotlight on the predicament of senior citizens experiencing domestic abuse in the country today, Columbia Pacific Communities, India’s largest senior living community operator has launched a three-phase awareness and support campaign #CallOutAbuse on the side-lines of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, observed on June 15, with the aim to spread awareness on the growing social problem and motivate senior citizens to access right channels of support.   Launched on June 9, 2021, the first phase of the digital campaignaims to sensitise netizens by focusing on the physical and emotional state of senior citizens living with abuse. Phase two showcases the deep-rooted anxieties, fears, and stigma experienced by the elderly, which makes them cover their pain behind brave appearances, self-guilt, and weak reasoning.   Speaking about the initiative, Piali Dasgupta, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Columbia Pacific Communities, said “Elderly abuse is growing at an alarming pace in our country as a result of growing economic pressures and cost of care as well as decreasing sensitivities and selfish motivations of the younger generation. Through this campaign, we want to sensitise the younger generation to shoulder responsibilities of their parents and be more empathetic towards those that brought them up while also urging seniors to break the mould of fear and stigma and seek help against ill-treatment at home. While elder abuse exists outside of home as well, a majority of the cases are at home. Columbia Pacific Communities has always worked towards empowering seniors to take charge of their lives and claim the respect and dignity they deserve. With over 104 million elderly people in India and the demographic expected to triple by 2050, we are committed to stand by those who have nurtured us in life.”   As per an Agewell survey, over 71% of elderly people experience abuse at home. Also the Wave 1 report of Government of India commissioned Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) states that 77% of the abused seniors experienced verbal/emotional ill-treatment, 24% dealt with physical abuse, and 27% faced economic exploitation, while over 50% overall felt neglected.   The final phase of the campaign aims to mobilise action amongst seniors to strengthen their resolve and opt for help if they are experiencing any form of abuse or neglect. Offering them a trusted channel for professional assistance, HelpAge India’s Elder Helpline number (1800-180-1253) will be the medium to reach out to seniors to receive support and counselling.

Around 63 per cent of the elderly have developed symptoms of depression due to loneliness or social isolation, found a recent study by NGO Agewell Foundation.   Senior citizens, one of the groups most at-risk from coronavirus, have seen their mental health deteriorate significantly in the past months. And to add to it, elderly people often shy away from opening up about their mental health for the fear of being judged. But that narrative is changing. In an interview, Agewell Foundation founder Himanshu Rath said during the second pandemic wave, there had been over a 50 per cent rise in the number of older people seeking counselling or help for psychological issues such as depression, anxiety, sleeplessness, fear, stress, sense of loneliness or isolation. Those diagnosed with preexisting psychiatric conditions, “such as depression, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorders and dementia have shown exacerbations”, he added.   What’s keeping them up at night “Several (at Samvedna Senior Care) mentioned they found news reports of COVID related deaths highly disturbing and upsetting. In comparison to the first wave, several have also experienced losses becoming more personal and closer to home,” shared Dr Jayashree Dasgupta, clinical psychologist and co-founder of Samvedna Senior Care. “One 74-year-old described how during the first wave news reports were of infected people dying. However, during the second wave, he had not only lost people close to him but would daily hear about 4-5 known people, both younger and older adults, who were unwell which added to his fear. Challenges with getting vaccines have been another cause for increased anxiety and feeling helpless in the current scenario,” she said.   At Tribeca Care, about 15 per cent of members have actively engaged with psychologists at least once in the last 14 months (since the first wave). “That’s 5x more than pre andemic times,” said co-CEOs Prateep Sen and Tamojit Dutta. “They mostly reach out about loneliness, anxiety, lack of engagement and sense of purpose. Some are also worried that social isolation is probably leading to memory loss as mental activities have declined.”   Younger people need to step up “Talking about mental health issues i s hard – not just for the elderly,” added Sen and Dutta. “What makes it harder yet for seniors is their inexperience of using online services to access help.”   Dr Samir Parikh, director at the Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences, Fortis Healthcare, believes this is where the younger generation needs to come in. They can help destigmatise seeking help and train the elderly to access the Internet. “(Today) There are highly accessible ways of conducting tele-health. Whatsapp video calls can also suffice,” he said.   Tele-health a good option for the time being Last year, during the first pandemic wave, only 22 p er cent of the elderly at Samvedna Senior Care considered speaking with a mental health professional. Within the space of a year, that number shot up 30 per cent with the elderly seeking online consultations for various health issues, including mental health. “Online consultations, particularly for mental health issues allow older adults to speak confidentially with a professional in the comfort of their home,” said Dasgupta. “This provided an experience for many who probably had not availed of such services in the past. It has also been beneficial for those who have mobility limitations or are concerned about societal stigma.”   However, not everyone prefers tele-health. Columbia Pacific Communities found that while all of their residents acknowledged the ease and convenience of telemedicine and healthcare apps during these uncertain times, they preferred in-person consultations. “Residents within our communities have opted for telemedicine only during the lockdown,” shared senior vice president of marketing, Piali Dasgupta. “When the lockdown was lifted, they preferred to see a physician in person as that is what they seem to be the most comfortable with.”

Although most people with COVID-19 get better within a few weeks, some patients experience post-COVID conditions, similar to post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD.   Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and experts around the world are working to learn more about the short and long-term health effects of COVID-19   Here are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions:   1. What are some of the signs and health implications that indicate you have COVID-19 infection? COVID-19-infected people can show symptoms or remain asymptomatic. Individuals who are asymptomatic are silent carriers. Symptomatic people can have mild symptoms of myalgia or moderate symptoms of fever, sore throat, loss of smell, taste, abdominal pain and reduced appetite. There can also be severe symptoms, which are generally seen after the seventh day with happy hypoxia which presents as exhaustion, headache and sleepiness with low oxygen levels.   2. How long does the infection last? The infection lasts for a period of seven to 10 days in mild to moderate cases. In severely-affected individuals the infection lasts for over two to three weeks with the need for oxygen support.   3. Why are there varied manifestations with COVID-19 infection? From the first few days up to the seventh day, the virus replicates in the host and the subsequent symptoms are the cascade of reactions of the host to the virus. The recovery from the infection varies with the severity of the infection.   4. If an individual gets COVID-19 after vaccination, what should s/he do? COVID-19 infection can occur after the first dose of vaccination or even after the second dose. Individuals are susceptible to COVID infections even four to six weeks after the second dose of vaccination. Again, the symptoms seen are varied depending upon the viral load. The most important rule one must adhere to is to wear masks, maintain social distancing and hand hygiene even after vaccinations. There are cases reported even after eight weeks of vaccination, but the clinical symptoms are moderate and recovery happens without much of a setback in existing health.   5. Once you are infected with COVID-19, what is the recovery time? In about 10 days from being tested positive, individuals turn symptom-free if it is a mild to moderate infection. If it is severe, it takes about four to eight weeks.   6. What are the health setbacks that occur after a COVID-19 infection? The health setbacks depend on the viral load and host reactions. There are different post-COVID conditions which are long COVID, multi-organ effects, effects of treatment and hospitalisation.   At the physical level: Exertional cough and breathing difficulty due to reduced lung capacity and residual damage caused to the alveolar sacs, disturbed digestive system due to disturbed gut flora, disturbed biological rhythm like insomnia, due to prolonged ICU stays and general exhaustion and malaise.   At the emotional level: Fear and anxiety causing various phobias, obsessive compulsive behaviour and depression.   At the mental level: Difficulty in making decisions, discrimination and less clarity in thoughts.   7. How can we address these setbacks?   At the physical level: A. Breathing difficulties can be managed by trying different positions while lying down and when seated. This includes: – High side lying – Forward lean sitting – Standing with back support   There are various breathing techniques taught to regain lung capacity. These are:   Pranayama for efficient breathing   – Sit comfortably with a straight back, observe inhalation and exhalation. Start observing the transition between inhalation and exhalation and between exhalation and inhalation over five breaths. – Now start counting the inhalation and exhalation within your normal range of breath. Normal physiological breath has exhalation longer than inhalation over five breaths. – First exhale through both nostrils. Close the right nostril, inhale through the left nostril then close the left nostril, breathe out through the partially opened right nostril. Do this five times. – Then take five breaths — inhale and exhale through both nostrils. – Exhale through both nostrils. Close the left nostril and inhale through the right nostril, then close the right nostril, exhale through the partially opened left nostril. Do this five times. – Then take five breaths — Inhale and exhale through both nostrils. – Exhale through both nostrils. To start with, close the right nostril and inhale from the left nostril and then close the left nostril, exhale through the partially opened right nostril, then keeping the left nostril closed, inhale through the right nostril and close the right nostril and exhale through the partially opened left nostril. This is one cycle. Repeat five cycles. – Then take five breaths — inhale and exhale through both nostrils. This time try and count the inhalation and exhalation. By regular practise of this breathing technique, breathing becomes efficient and exhalation becomes longer than inhalation.   Paced breathing: Breathe in before the activity through the nose. Breathe out during the activity through the mouth.   Pursed lip breathing: Inhale slowly through the nose within your normal range and pucker your lips and exhale through the mouth.   Segmental breathing: Place the hands on the upper part of the chest, breathe in within your normal range deliberately through the nose and breathe out through the mouth. Now place hands on the sides of the chest and repeat the same way. Place the arms across the chest to keep the hands over opposite shoulder and repeat the same way.   B. Physical exercises to rehabilitate the rib cage and spine for efficient respiration – Breathe in through the nose as you raise the hands, breathe out through the mouth as you bring the hands down. – Clasp your hands behind your head, breathe in through the nose as you move your elbows away and breathe out through the mouth as you bring the elbows together. Breathe in through the nose as you raise your arms above your head and breathe out through the mouth as you bring your arms down.   C. Incentive Spirometer   This is a device that helps maintain and increase lung capacity. If this device cannot be procured, another simple way to do this is to hold a glass full of water and place a straw over the top of the water and start breathing out through the straw to make streams of bubbles through the surface of the water. Each time try and see for how long you can breathe out.   D. Physical exercises to improve flexibility, stamina, balance and coordination.   E. Aerobic exercises: Walking short distances with a slow pace within a short time duration and slowly increasing the pace and duration of the walk with an interval of a few days.   F. Diet: Balanced nutrition in the right quantity, quality and at the right time to be taken for tissue repairs.   Macronutrients consisting of complex carbohydrates, adequate protein through pulses, sprouted lentils and moderate fats through nuts and seeds will meet the energy demand for recuperation and tissue repairs.   Micronutrients through fresh fruits, salads will provide the essential vitamins, minerals and trace elements for healing.   Eating closer to the sunset, thereby abiding with our ancient wisdom of eating with the sun rhythm ir circadian rhythm, helps to bring in good quality of sleep.   At the emotional level – Working with any art media such as painting, drawing, creative writing, playing instruments, clay modelling, dramatics and dance can help bring out overwhelming emotions in a healthy way. – Seeking professional help through a psychologist will help address the deep hidden fears and anxiety. – Connect with people particularly with those friends who were affected and share positive ideas towards the healing process.   At the mental level – Reading stories, autobiographies of those who have succeeded in life will help the mind to perceive life positively. – Neurobic exercises, particularly in consultation with a neurologist, will empower your memory if it has been disturbed due to the hypoxic insult. – Learning new skills through online sessions such as a new language, chanting, meditation and mindful movements will help to bring in clarity in thinking.   Any pandemic, if seen as a whole, brings in a shift in the global consciousness. It brings about a major paradigm shift in the way one looks at life. Losing loved ones and seeing deaths in large numbers brings in an attitude of gratefulness and humility. So, behind this whole pandemic there is a rising consciousness which is shifting the human evolution to another milestone. This is the post-COVID inner shift.