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In 2025, it’s hard to be a woman who is concerned not only about the state of affairs in the world but also about the impact of pollutants on the environment, especially if you’re a mother and earning a living. And who better knows that than Kalki Koechlin , who has been vocal about pressing issues some others shy away from. But how does one remember to take a break, breathe in, and dare I say, even indulge in self-care or just spend some me-time in the midst of all that? She tells Hindustan Times Digital all about it.
(Also Read: Taking a mental health leave from work: Here's what you need to know ) Use creative thinking as a parenting tool Kalki says that when she gave birth to daughter Sappho, the first seven months were spent holed up at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “There was no pressure to go back to my tiny body because people didn’t see me, and we all know actors are always expected to look a certain way. While it initially felt like the stomach would never go, I did eventually get my body back after a year.
It was also impossible then to have some severe routine because I was too busy breastfeeding, cooking and cleaning. My priority was just sleeping ,” she says. Eventually, after the world opened up, Kalki says it took time for her daughter to understand why she needed some alone time.
“She didn’t understand that boundary when I worked from home, eventually. It was challenging when she couldn’t access me for a few hours. My partner (Guy Hershberg) has sometimes taken colouring pencils and paper along with her to parking spaces under our building, so she’s excited and distracted.
It took some creative thinking as parents. Now, if Mama has to go to work, she deals with it,” says the actor. A post shared by Kalki Koechlin (@kalkikanmani) Detaching from the phone for quality time One more thing Kalki swears by is to detach herself from her phone whenever she doesn’t need it.
“We’re all attached to our phones, but my rule now is to keep mine in a separate room when I sleep. I have a proper alarm clock that wakes me up, though my daughter does it before that (laughs). This ensures that I’m present while finishing my daily routine, I don’t even check my phone before that,” she explains, adding, “At work also, I give it to the spot dada and ask him not to give it back to me so I’m in the moment.
” But more than anything, no matter how much me-time she charts out or finds unique ways to detach from her phone, Kalki says therapy is key to staying on top of things. “Parental anxiety is real, so is anxiety in general. And I have accessed a lot of therapy in the last couple of years, which has helped a lot.
I have also understood that I cannot solve everything. I can instead do my bit to solve systemic issues by supporting my staff when they need it, or being in touch with my local animal rescue centre. I can do something in my locality to bring about change,” she rounds off.
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