Every year, around 10 lakh people sit for the UPSC Civil Services Examination but only a few hundred qualify to become civil servants. The mother of all examinations, CSE is considered to be the toughest exam in the country with a minute percentage making the cut.
There is no guarantee that aspirants will be able to crack the examination on the first attempt itself. Sometimes, it takes multiple attempts before they can finally achieve their dream. But behind all these attempts lie late-night studies, thousands of books, stress and worries, and as a result, mental health gets affected.
Indian Masterminds spoke with a well-known Lucknow-based psychiatrist, Dr. Neeraj, to understand more about the mental health aspect of the aspirants and how they can cope with it in trying times.
UPSC ISN’T THE END OF THE WORLD
It is indeed commendable to see a person preparing hard for the examination and finally achieving the dream to become an IAS or IPS officer. But, again, not being able to clear the exam is certainly not the end of the world for anyone.
“Disappointment is natural but giving up your entire life for that one phase of failure isn’t. Some aspirants tend to make their Civil Service dream their whole life. This shouldn’t be the case. CSE should just be a part of your life and not the entirety of it,” Dr. Neeraj said.
NEED FOR COUNSELING
One thing which is commonly noted in aspirants, especially the ones belonging to the lower middle class or middle class, is the lack of proper counselling. On top of that, extreme parental and family pressure makes things more difficult for them.
At times, without even realising it, parents tend to put a ridiculous amount of burden on their children. What seems like motivation to them can feel like never-ending pressure on their ward. Since aspirants are already stressed owing to the vast UPSC syllabus and seemingly never-enough preparation, these types of unnecessary pokes, however small, can add to their misery.
“There should be a platform where these aspirants can acquire a comfortable zone, at least once a week or month, and can have a healthy discussion on the topic. This will also help them in understanding that they aren’t the only ones who feel this sort of pressure and that there are several others riding in the same boat,” Dr Neeraj told Indian Masterminds.
KEEP YOUR ENVIRONMENT POSITIVE
As they say, ‘Your environment defines your energy’. Hence, it is essential for a person to keep their surroundings energised with positivity. Small cramped-up rooms with dim lights and little to no ventilation are a common space of living for aspirants who move to big cities for preparation.
According to Dr. Neeraj, one must try and fill their surroundings with colours and good lights, since they are supposed to sit and study for long hours while preparing for competitive examinations. Doing this can motivate a person to sit in a corner and prepare for the examination ahead.
TIPS FROM AN IAS OFFICER
Mr. Abinash Mishra, an IAS officer of the 2018 batch, recently shared some useful tips on Quora for aspirants on how they can stay mentally healthy throughout their UPSC preparation, Here are the useful tips that the young officer shared:
- Avoid people with negativity in your friend circle, and among your relatives and co-aspirants. They eat up your energy and motivation.
- Take a break between 2–3 hours and sit alone and do some basic breathing exercises.
- Do yoga, exercise or other activities regularly. It’s better to focus your attention on such things instead of negativity.
- Take some short breaks in between studies and go to movies or travelling, whatever you prefer. Beyond a point, we can’t study. It’s better to go for a short trip.
- Have a disciplined lifestyle. Wake up early or go to bed early. It affects your mental and physical health a lot.
- Talk to your parents and close friends about what is going on in your mind. Do not keep things to yourself.
Cracking civil services is a different achievement altogether, but never forget to take care of your physical and mental health while preparing for the examination. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Ultimately, everything is going to fall into place. You just have to wait for the right time.
