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Depression/Sadness

Undergoing with huge depression and sadness. Unable to be enthusiastic and cheerful. Just want to cry and scared of people.

Kindly help. 

sonder,Just_relentlessand15 otherslike this
23.1k views

45 comments


Hey, I don't think there can be a definitive answer to this. I'll just share my experience with time management.

I think someone can encounter all of these phases at different times.  I've had days where I've gone 5 hours without a break (never 10 :p) and days where I've struggled to sit down for 15 minutes. In an exam process stretched over such a long time, this might be inevitable. The point is to  persist even on the 15 minute days when it seems like there's no use even trying. What you study on those days will still have value. We can try at most to maximise the good days, and minimise the bad, but can't eliminate the latter entirely.

Also, it depends on what you're working on that day. If you're reading something for the first time that you have to understand well, it is more effective if you are able to sit for an hour at a time. If you're revising something for the third time, even a lesser period may be effective. I would say adjust your plan accordingly. When you're having a 15 minute day, try to see if you can trick your brain into concentrating for longer by studying something new that interests you. If that doesn't work, try revising. 

A word of caution against measuring your work entirely in hours. It can feel good on the good days to close your books at night and have satisfied some target of 8, 9, 10, or 20 hours. But on the bad days it will hurt you. One bad day happens every now and then, but sometimes you get into a rut that becomes difficult to escape simply because you're fixating on the hours. I think it's better to set out a target of how much you want to finish, and focus on finishing that. A little less stressful than hours. I learnt this the hard way. After prelims, due to either anxiety or fatigue, I could not sit for hours together like I used to for prelims - other than during mock tests, the longest I could go uninterrupted was 90 minutes. There were several 15 minute days. The frustration at this only made the original problem worse. Even after the exam I kept torturing myself and reminding myself of this, telling myself there was no way I could clear because this is what my preparation had been like - entirely forgetting in the process that the papers had gone pretty well. The point is, have faith in your work even if the hours don't stack up as you want.

Mostly treat your mind like a friend and partner in this journey and plan to workwithit, not against it as though it is a rebellious child you have to tie down to the table. There will be times you have to do the latter, but the rarer the better. Understand what patterns, schedules, habits work best for you and plan your preparation around these. 

Work things into your day that give you joy. Music, tv shows, reading, skipping, anything. If you're doing something that truly relaxes you, even a small break will do wonders and you can actually get back to work quicker.

That being said,mental health always above all else. Absolutely nothing is worth harming that. Everything above is secondary. Focus on yourself first, and do whatever you need to do for your mental health, as everyone has so wisely suggested above. Everything else will follow in time. Taking care of yourself comes first, all this planning and stategising later.

Love and all my happy thoughts.
ssver2,Auroraand15 otherslike this
6k views

friends, it means a lot. That  you people have taken time to write such loving posts. 

Kindly tell on realistic basis, complete concentration like studying and no internet breaks/youtube/ eating food - kitni der ka hona chahiye for this exam? 15 mins, 30 mins, 1 hours, 5 hours , 10 hours? Kitna?

It should be 8-10 hours on an average. People use to study for this much number of hours and so you can too. But it is possible only when you are focussed all throughout the day- from the time you wake up till the time you go to bed. 

Initially you will crave for an hour of rest for each hour of study but gradually you should try to enhance your sittings hours and minimize your break time. After concerted efforts in this direction, you will manage to have one study session of 2.5-3 hours and thereafter having a break of half an hour. Everything is practice. Just be disciplined. Discipline will be your biggest tool here. Don't go after motivation for motivation is temporary. 

Dhoni_the_captain,Chaotic_homoand3 otherslike this
5.8k views

"" Discipline will be your biggest tool here. Don't go after motivation for motivation is temporary. ""


""but can't eliminate the latter entirely."'

"" But on the bad days it will hurt you""

 :pray::pray: Thank You whatonly and Gaurav.


Very nice posts written by all here.  It has given me not only idea but concrete direction of what has to be my next step. I am working on this. 

If i have any doubt i will post it here.  

It means a lot to me, no youtube video or website was as effective as these answers. 

:pray::pray: Deep respect to all. 


Best- everyday. Nonstop. 
brownianMotion,whatonly
5.3k views

"" Discipline will be your biggest tool here. Don't go after motivation for motivation is temporary. ""


""but can't eliminate the latter entirely."'

"" But on the bad days it will hurt you""

 :pray::pray: Thank You whatonly and Gaurav.


Very nice posts written by all here.  It has given me not only idea but concrete direction of what has to be my next step. I am working on this. 

If i have any doubt i will post it here.  

It means a lot to me, no youtube video or website was as effective as these answers. 

:pray::pray: Deep respect to all. 

A few things more:

1) Don't be too much emotional. I am way too emotional and I have invariably paid a heavy price for it. So, don't get swayed away by your emotions and sentiments while you are in this journey.

2) Focus on now. Don't plan for tomorrow as tomorrow never comes. Think in terms of the moment passing by like what you are doing now, how you are utilizing the present moment. If you are taking care of your present, future will automatically be taken care of. If you always plan to start something from tomorrow, I bet you will never succeed in it. 



Villanelle,Lighthouseand7 otherslike this
5.7k views
Deleted



ssver2,Lighthouseand1 otherslike this
5.2k views

"" Discipline will be your biggest tool here. Don't go after motivation for motivation is temporary. ""


""but can't eliminate the latter entirely."'

"" But on the bad days it will hurt you""

 :pray::pray: Thank You whatonly and Gaurav.


Very nice posts written by all here.  It has given me not only idea but concrete direction of what has to be my next step. I am working on this. 

If i have any doubt i will post it here.  

It means a lot to me, no youtube video or website was as effective as these answers. 

:pray::pray: Deep respect to all. 

All the very bestest :)) always happy to help 

Undine,
4.1k views
No expectations from life or anything = No depression.

Maybe too nihilistic? :O

I don't know what this word actually mean before googling it. Lol. 

I have seen many failures in life myself. Being among top minds in the college and facing continuous failures could have strike me very bad. But from the very early in my life, I got sense that nobody actually cares about you except your parents. Friends are there only for selfish means, leave alone the society. Fruit you are going to get isn't proportional to work you put in, so why bother when random things are not in your control. It might be the case that you are financially poor, in that case you can't be depressed because you dont have Scorpio, you cant even afford Nano. Work to improve your financial status, dont put expectation from work and its result. There could be many similar examples. Long story short, dont expect anything even from your daily activity, do your work, get peace. 


There is one good poem in Hindi, you guys might like. 



Jai Shree Ram !


Lighthouse,MaeveWileyand3 otherslike this
5.3k views
Deleted

https://psyche.co/guides/how-to-stop-overthinking-with-help-from-metacognitive-strategies

came across this article, some good practical advice to deal with the problem of being fixated on a thought, that can have deleterious impact on your health  mental peace, as well as efficiency.

3.6k views

Impressed to see the level of maturity here. I dont have much to add here and may sound redundant but just want to point out that treat yourself with care and be kind to yourself. Life is tough and, even more so, in the present circumstances.

Dont judge yourself with the number of hours you have read or targets you have completed and most certainly not with other people (which I personally believe is the root cause). All those can be taken care of later, but first ensure that you are happy with yourself and your own efforts. Tell this to yourself that you are the best every morning and dont let others snatch that right of yours.If you are harsh on yourself, thinking it is for the best and justifying by saying that UPSC prep needs such sacrifice, then it is pointless, unproductive and your efforts would go in vain.

If you have basic phone and internet, home to stay, eat and sleep, and spared from Covid-19 wave, trust me you are much better placed than the rest. Stay Content and Stay Safe :)

GaryVee,whatonlyand2 otherslike this
3.8k views

@Aarushi123do add some workout in your routine.

try this

4.2k views
.
Villanelle,whatonly
3.6k views

Yes, excellent answers here. I am working on my sankalp shakti, but i must admit that i do slip.

And friends i must say thank you many times to all of you, but i must first defeat myself  or win over myself. 

But i deeply appreciate the help, these answers were really very helpful. 

imp lines have been copied and saved my me. 

Thank you so much 


Best- everyday. Nonstop. 
Arsene,whatonly
4.5k views


As long as our happiness is dependent on how someone perceives us, we'll not be happy with ourself. Someone incapacitated to see us through our struggles, doesn't negate our struggles. Envision happiness in your dream(s), keep up the sadhana. 

Falling once, twice, thrice or never, are circumstances. There could be more than one reason for falling. To fall is natural. Mere existence of us in these battle's is evidence to our will to be happy, make happiness!

Mariposa27,Arseneand3 otherslike this
4.3k views
.
whatonly,
3.2k views


As long as our happiness is dependent on how someone perceives us, we'll not be happy with ourself. Someone incapacitated to see us through our struggles, doesn't negate our struggles. Envision happiness in your dream(s), keep up the sadhana. 

Falling once, twice, thrice or never, are circumstances. There could be more than one reason for falling. To fall is natural. Mere existence of us in these battle's is evidence to our will to be happy, make happiness!

Yes, to this. Being the “bright one” in college to being an absolute nobody in the span of few months took a massive hit on my self esteem. Failing the prelims twice after that made it even worse. I started wondering if I’d wasted my life, and my potential. People started looking at me with pity as if it was such a mistake to waste my talents with multiple UPSC attempts instead of just pursuing a career in academics. 

But months of soul searching (ironically when people were having a hard time in 2020, I was learning to make slow progress) I realised that what mattered was who we were when we were stripped away of all our achievements. That essential core is what I had to figure out and be accountable for, and be proud of. The rest of the achievements, the people, they could come and go but that would remain the same. From then onwards, it has been a happy journey, like “yes I’m a loser in your eyes, what are you going to do about it?”

chamomile,Lighthouseand5 otherslike this
4.3k views

Thank you guys, thank you so so much.:pray:

Let this thread become not only about me, but for all of us. 

each one of us can come here, share anything, give advice, seek help, provide opinion... anything. 

Like i am sharing - I failed to abide by this for past 7 years


Best- everyday. Nonstop. 
Lighthouse,whatonlyand2 otherslike this
4.4k views

Thank you guys, thank you so so much.:pray:

Let this thread become not only about me, but for all of us. 

each one of us can come here, share anything, give advice, seek help, provide opinion... anything. 

Like i am sharing - I failed to abide by this for past 7 years

Very much surprised to see the image quote and the last line that you wrote! I could relate to it like no one. This particular quote is my favourite and I have always cherished it but guess what I have consistently failed to stick to it since last 8 years.

Undine,ShaktiSankalp01
3.2k views

Friends you have really helped wrt deep sadness and how one can trick his brain to be uplifted.

My next question is, dealing with fear, hopelessness, anxiety. 

Coffee, tea, choclate - all of these help in relieving stress - they help me in relishing the amazing taste, the hot sip. but this cant be an attribute of a civil servant ie depending on external things. 

Being realistic on a positive orientation but extremely is very very very imp. Otherwise no big thing in world is possible.

So friends, kindly help me with mental mantra that has helped you to develop resilience and resistance -no matter what,  with which you all find and carve your way and u've eased your life. 

@whatonly @gaurav@mehuifs 


Best- everyday. Nonstop. 
Undine,
3.9k views

Friends you have really helped wrt deep sadness and how one can trick his brain to be uplifted.

My next question is, dealing with fear, hopelessness, anxiety. 

Coffee, tea, choclate - all of these help in relieving stress - they help me in relishing the amazing taste, the hot sip. but this cant be an attribute of a civil servant ie depending on external things. 

Being realistic on a positive orientation but extremely is very very very imp. Otherwise no big thing in world is possible.

So friends, kindly help me with mental mantra that has helped you to develop resilience and resistance -no matter what,  with which you all find and carve your way and u've eased your life. 

@whatonly @gaurav@mehuifs 

being a doctor,i suggest that 
1.add workout to your routine -20 to 30 min-preferably dance workout.
how it help?dance in any form will deveopl stamina,mental resilence and unlease hidden creativity.

2.maintain to do list:initially focus on only one goal.
eg morning 9am-12 am polity--->laxmikant--->FR
dont add too many task
eg 9-10 newspaper 10-11 preamble 11-12 1857 revolt

3.declutter yourself-clean your room,your desk etc

hope this helps!
(if you are in ORN visit park in evening)


chamomile,mehuifsand4 otherslike this
4.8k views
Thank u B krishna

Best- everyday. Nonstop. 
kb1iasin8830,
3.8k views
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