BHOPAL: Besides physical distancing, maintaining a distance from social media and people with a negative mindset is necessary to ensure one’s physical and mental wellbeing in these corona times. Physical distancing doesn’t mean emotional distancing and one should share one’s fears, misgivings and problems with one’s family and friends.

These and many other bits of advice were offered to children in an online counselling session called ‘Suljhan’ organised to mark the 21^st birth anniversary of Sudharani Shukla, an educationist and the first principal of Government Kamla Nehru Girls Higher Secondary School, Bhopal. Dr Renu Shukla, a Bengaluru-based senior counsellor, life skill trainer and mentor answered the queries of the children.

She advised the children not to take social media seriously. “Treat it like a source of entertainment, like films,” she said. Replying to a question by Meenakshi Kulshrestha, she said that one should distance themselves from persons who have a negative mentality.

One of the callers complained that she doesn’t have a ‘good mobile’. The counsellor advised her to read books. “Why do you think that only mobile can help you gain knowledge? Books are effective tools for acquiring information and wisdom both,” she said.