As 2020 approaches its end, actor Sheheryar Munawar has reflected on the year in an Instagram post. Uploading an image from a commercial he shot for last week, the star started off with, “It’s not special because it’s a shirtless shot; it’s special because for me it’s a celebration of this year’s personal journey. A few months back, life came to a standstill and being a workaholic, the stagnation took a huge toll on me emotionally.” Without sharing many details, Munawar revealed he slipped into severe depression for a few months. “To make things worse I tested positive for COVID and had to go into isolation. A few weeks out of that terrible experience, I got into a motorbike accident and had to undergo surgery.”
His mobility was entirely restricted and he had to depend on others to help him carry out the most basic tasks of the day. “It was emotionally traumatic to say the least. I was on strong meds and was eating the weight of my emotions in carbs. My confidence was completely shattered and it felt as if I’d hit rock bottom. If you swipe right, you’ll see a selfie I clicked back in September. Even post the recovery, I had strict restrictions on body movements and I’m still not allowed to lift weights,” added Munawar. “I hadn’t worked in a long time and I had bills and salaries to pay, was in no shape, both physically or mentally, to go in front of the camera.”
Munawar soon realized that he had to fight back. Speaking about how he came out of the testing time, he wrote, “I worked with a trainer to develop workouts that would involve more focus-based exercises without weights. I started eating healthier, forced myself to fix my sleep cycle, started meditating, mustered up the courage to speak to a therapist, actively worked on having a positive outlook on life (reading and research really helped) and basically went on a lifestyle change and detox.”
The Paray Hut Love actor concluded his post by thanking his family and friends who were there by his side. “Alhumdulillah, I’m grateful to my family and friends who supported me through my journey of recovery, however most of all it has been my faith in the love the Almighty has for all His beings that kept me going. It’s taking a lot of courage out of me to be able to share the second picture with all of you. I want to do it to let you all know that we’re all in it together. We all go through highs and lows and we’re all vulnerable. Not sometime today, not tomorrow, not the day after, NOW is the time to change your outlook. Tell yourself nothing is impossible. Because nothing is.”