Somewhere between a school timetable and a LinkedIn profile, many of us are handed a script: study this, become that, be who you are supposed to be. For a growing number of young Indians, it is starting to weigh. A UNICEF report found that about 14&#37 of Indians aged 15 to 24, roughly 1 in 7, have often felt depressed.
The same research found a hesitation to talk about it. In a UNICEF-Gallup survey, only 41&#37 of young people in India said it is good to get support for mental health problems, against an average of 83&#37 in other countries. India was the only one of 21 countries where that figure fell so low.
Author and certified life coach Krishna Raval knows how heavy a script can get. Krishna started out as an engineer and a Bharatnatyam dancer, worked in a multinational manufacturing company and earned an MBA in Operations along the way. It was not a straight line. A lifelong quest to find herself, Krishna says, led here "after a long way away."
Krishna is far from the only person to take that turn. The ICF Global Coaching Study 2025 counts a record 122,974 coach practitioners worldwide, up 15&#37 since 2023. People, it seems, are looking for someone to help them think.
"I am passionate about helping people find themselves," Krishna says. In Krishna's view, so many people live life on the terms society sets for them, or by being who they think they are supposed to be. Helping them work out who they are and what they prioritise, so they can build a life that resonates, is what makes Krishna happiest.
The method comes from experience and observation. Small things, whether said, heard, thought or seen, change people in more ways than one, and much of that impact is ignored. The subconscious registers everything, Krishna explains, and builds narratives that end up defining a life. Krishna helps people understand their mindset and change limiting beliefs about themselves, "like I have been doing for myself."
That thinking runs through Krishna's book, Feelings, Freakouts, Figuring It Out: A Teen's Playbook to Ditching the Script. It is written for young adults, especially teenagers, though Krishna says it is for anyone looking to figure out where their life is headed. "So much goes on in their lives at school, in society, and within them. They are trying to figure out everything!"
Krishna wrote it because of struggling to understand the world at that age, and it took many detours to get where Krishna is today. "I would be happy if something from my experiences would help them."
The milestones reflect a life of learning. Becoming an author was a childhood dream, and seeing it come true still counts as a significant achievement for Krishna. Krishna is also a certified life coach and a contributor to an ICA anthology. Learning keeps the list growing: German last year, AI this year. "Each day feels like an achievement when you are a life long learner."
Hard lessons came too. After letting people treat Krishna unkindly more than once, Krishna learnt that you can teach others how you want to be treated by drawing boundaries. Krishna has also come to believe that everyone has a story and is fighting a battle, and that a non-judgemental space, a kind word and a little encouragement go a long way.
Krishna sees the coaching industry as blossoming, and with good reason. Life is chaotic and only going to get more so, Krishna believes, and a coach can bring clarity, structure and support, helping people find stability and calm within. Operating from that calm, Krishna says, lets you keep an eye on every part of life and improves its quality.
The vision is simple: to help as many people as possible unveil their true identity and design a life they are happy with. For anyone following a script someone else wrote, Krishna's playbook starts with one question: who do I actually want to be?

Engineer-turned-author Krishna Raval on why figuring yourself out matters more than following the plan.

Ditching The Script: 1 in 7 Young Indians Feel Low, Says UNICEF; Coach Krishna Raval

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Ditching The Script: 1 in 7 Young Indians Feel Low, Says UNICEF; Coach Krishna Raval

Other Articles

Mid-Day Fast