Q: You founded Project C.R.O.W.N.™ inspired by your experiences. What does it represent to you?
Sanchita: Project C.R.O.W.N.™ stands for Courage, Resilience, Openness, Wellness, and Nurture. For me, they aren’t just ideals but daily actions:
Courage to reach out when struggling
Resilience to rebuild, one small step at a time
Openness to invite others into my story
Pursuing wellness as balance, not mere achievement
Nurture as the true heart of leadership - at home and at work
Q: Did returning to work change your professional outlook?
Sanchita: Definitely. Rejoining the workforce post-maternity made me see my field differently. Now, when I look at employee well-being, I see the human quest for wholeness - not just engagement scores or policies. The real work is in honouring the unpredictable, non-linear journeys each person takes to feel whole again.
Q: How did you navigate your healing?
Sanchita: Recovery for me was slow - a mix of journaling, laughter, honest conversations with fellow psychologists, and guilt-free self-care. One crucial shift happened when I stopped asking, “When will I feel like my old self?” and started wondering, “Who am I becoming through this?” That change in question has been a daily wellspring of strength.
Q: You brought your story to a bigger platform at Elevitta Mrs. India World. Why was that so important?
Sanchita: Getting on the stage was never just about the competition. It was and will always be an act of advocacy - a way to break the silence around mental health, postpartum, having real conversations and collective healing. It is about representing women who choose self-care, their dreams and still balance the other roles in life gracefully.
Q: Your journey is rooted in Indian culture. How does that perspective shape your message on wholeness?
Sanchita: These realisations led me back to Indian wisdom, where “Swasthya” - true wellness is harmony of body, mind, and soul. Wholeness isn’t about choosing between strength and softness or logic and feeling; it’s about embracing all parts and living as an authentic, complete individual.
Q: What message would you share on World Mental Health Day?
Sanchita: To every woman who has put her own needs aside for duty: You can be strong and gentle, capable and emotional - at once. Worthiness comes from the courage to show up as you are, not from perfection or invulnerability.
If my story gives even one person the space to breathe and say “me too,” every step has value.
After all, Strength gains wisdom when partnered with gentleness. Healing isn’t about returning to who we were, but discovering who we’re becoming.