Entrepreneur and interviewer Anas Bukhash is set to release a week-long series of Untold Stories at #ABtalks to help raise awareness on mental health and to provide guidance on how to overcome it. In an exclusive interview with Anas, he revealed more about his viral show, mental health, and a look into a day in his life.
Scroll down to read Anas Bukhash’s interview with Cosmo ME…
Cosmo ME: Has listening to people’s difficult stories on #ABtalks affected your mental health?
Anas Bukhash: I think listening is also a form of learning – to lend an ear isn’t to absorb. I don’t believe listening has. It is important to me to schedule my life in such a way that I can spend time with loved ones, practise sports, and spend quality time with myself. This is something I need to work on some more.
I believe I am fairly adept at observing and being there for my guests, but not getting immersed in their entire emotional experience. If I do that, I will get really affected and it’ll get to me. And I think that helped me to be more of an observer and support to my guests and viewers; as opposed to someone who’s so empathetic that they enter the lives of others. Because if I do that, I think I will start to lose it.
C: What’s the sweetest fan message you’ve received on #ABtalks?
AB: Many. We’ve got thousands and thousands of messages and a lot of them are really nice and a lot of them are heartfelt. Just this week, we had a group of kids in school watching The Homood Chapter from Untold Stories. It was very heartwarming to see the kids watching such a rich and meaningful story by a young man.
Some fan messages we receive start off really dark and hopeful, like people who are depressed or have considered suicide and how the show has helped them overcome certain obstacles. It proves to us that we are doing something good and helping people. They feel less alone, which is extremely worthwhile to us.
C: Who has been the one person you’ve interviewed that you’ve related to the most and why?
AB: I think I am able to connect with most of my guests because, in the end, we connect with people on a human level; there is some connection between you and every other person on this earth. People with similar aspirations, entrepreneurial dreams, and/or philosophical views of life are probably the ones who I resonate with the most. This is something I can relate to more on a personal level.
C: In your opinion, what’s the biggest misconception about public figures?
AB: The biggest misconception would be that they lead by example. They’re also human, like everyone.
C: What’s a day in the life of Anas Bukhash?
AB: Extremely packed. I’m quite obsessive about being productive, efficient, and making the most of my day. My calendar is everything and I’m quite disciplined with it. It starts the minute I open my eyes, whether it’s a Zoom call and back-to-back meetings, or the #ABtalks shoot and simply discussing issues about all the other businesses.
Then, there are the creative sessions with my team. I usually work until late at night, which helps with some peace and quiet to think. But, I guess you can blame me. I like to live that way.