Living with anxiety is not easy. The moment anxiety enters your life; it takes over. An artist from Mumbai, Pranita Kocharekar shows us exactly how it feels to live with this condition.

She used the hashtag #acknowledgeanxiety where she posted a series of artworks that were relatable to everyone suffering from anxiety. Her illustrations depict everything from ‘waiting for a call’ to ‘trying to remember if you locked the door’. It shows us how simple things like these can control our life.

Anxiety be like, ‘Oh no! You forgot to lock your doors! It’s gonna be okay. But, let me just remind you of that theft and robbery case you read about yesterday’.

When the internet helps trigger your inner hypochondriac. This one time, I thought I was diabetic because the internet said so. (True story)

Mostly why I am late to work. Hehehe!

When all those thriller movies you’ve seen create all the worst case scenarios.

Pranita told us about how she got around to drawing about anxiety:                                                 

“After speaking to a few friends about anxiety, I realized that there are many people who suffer from minor and major anxiety. I also realized that there are simple solutions to minor anxiety such as keeping a track of incidents when one feels anxious (acknowledging anxiety), meditation and breathing techniques, etc. I knew that stating these facts alone will not be enough to spread awareness of the illness. So I began gathering details of incidents that my friends and I acknowledged and illustrated them.”

This one is for all those people who ask anxious people to “relax” and think that it’ll work immediately.                                                   

People don’t seem to treat anxiety as a serious issue which further makes anxious people unable to speak up about their problems. What advice do you have for both people suffering from anxiety and the society?

For those suffering from anxiety – You’re not alone! There are many people who face issues far bigger than that and with the correct professional help have succeeded in getting better. Acknowledging an illness is the first step to curing. 
For society – Any mental illness is dangerous if not treated. Helping one another is also one of the first few steps to cure!

What worries you most and how do you overcome it?

Achieving goals! I’m constantly worried about being able to achieve goals (that keep rising higher day after day!). Though the only way to overcome it (and a lot of other problems) is to take one day at a time and give your best while at it!

Everyone has had their moments with anxiety. How do you deal with it?

 I believe I’m still an optimistic person who has minor anxious moments. I always believed in spreading optimism via my work. However, I wanted people to know that its okay if you’re anxious, you’re not alone because I am one of you!

Who is the most positive artist that you follow on Instagram?

Alicia Souza! She’s a ball of positive energy!

Just saw Alicia’s work. [Insert heart eye emoji here]

A few of your drawings are based on Mondays. Why do you love Mondays?

I get to start the week on a fresh note. Who doesn’t love new beginnings!? 

One of your artworks says ‘Anxious but Stylish.’ What do you choose from your wardrobe when you’re anxious but wanna look hella fine?

It’s always about what I wear on my feet. A good pair of sneakers makes me feel so confident!

A  drawing of yours talks about Monsoon in Mumbai. Monsoon is probably the worst time for people suffering from anxiety. What is your relationship with the season?

Quite the contrary! I love the monsoons. 

I read that you grew up drawing on walls. What memories do your parents hold of your wall drawings?

My sister and I were always allowed to use anything as a canvas. I would almost always either draw family portraits or explore floral patterns!

What doodles would we find in your school math and science textbooks?

Frogs! I remember learning about frogs back in school, and I doodled frogs all over – it was almost a craze!

Ribbit!

What three things do you like to erase from your daily life?

Nothing really, without a balanced life wouldn’t be half as fun!

Lastly, what issues would you like to highlight next in your artwork?

I’d love to work on understanding and elaborating other mental illnesses and delicate subjects. I’m hoping to create more of such projects in the future!

You can view Pranita’s artwork here.