‘You Don’t Need To Panic’: What Overwhelm Looked Like for People Who Make Us Laugh & How They Coped

On a packed stage in 2026, Samay Raina stood in front of an audience again after months away. His new set, Still Alive, came after a period when his show had stopped, his schedule had gone quiet, and he had stepped back from regular performances. When he returned, he did not pick up where he had left off. The material drew directly from that time away — what it means to pause, and what it takes to begin again. That moment on stage connects with something many people are beginning to recognise in their own lives. Work no longer moves in one straight line. There are pauses, breaks, and return...