https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Don’t Overlook Your Mental Health While Preparing for UPSC: Top Psychiatrist

Indian Masterminds’ special feature on World Mental Health Day 2022. UPSC is a tough nut to crack and, hence, aspirants must take good care of their mental health during the long process. Dr. Neeraj, a psychiatrist, shares some important points to remember to keep oneself mentally fit and healthy.
Indian Masterminds Stories

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.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
IAS Amitabh Jain
Last-Minute Twist: How Chhattisgarh Chief Secretary Amitabh Jain Gets Unprecedented Extension
IPS-Rajeev-Sharma
Inside the DGP Race: Why Rajiv Sharma Was Chosen to Lead Rajasthan Police?
IAS Officers Indian Administrative Services (IAS)
Uttarakhand: Govt Assigns Key Roles to 3 IAS Officers, IAS Rohit Meena Addl Secry, Medical Health & Medical Education Dept
Uttar Pradesh UP Government
UP Govt Approves 8-Acre Land Lease in Ayodhya for NSG Hub to Boost Security Preparedness
Airports Authority of India AAI
Happiness for MP: Bhopal & Khajuraho Airports Top AAI’s Customer Satisfaction Survey 2025
PSU Banks
From Cloud to Credit: EASE 7.0 Reforms Reinforce Public Sector Banks as Pillars of Viksit Bharat Vision
bureaucracy news
Bihar Revenue Secretary IAS Dinesh Rai Likely to Quit Bureaucracy;  Railways Reshuffles Senior IRSSE Officer Shailesh Gupta
aadhaar-e-kyc
Aadhaar Authentications Hit 229 Crore in June 2025, Face Authentication Soars to New Record
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-03 at 13.33
IRS Sanjay Bahadur: The Officer With a Pen That Bites | Video Interview
Inderjit Singh Air India
Is Air India Carrying The Burden of Split Before Privatisation?
Ex IRS C Rajendiran
Ex-IRS Officer C. Rajendiran Illuminates Thirukkural’s Timeless Wisdom in Exclusive Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IPS Deepak Meghani
Deepak Meghani, IPS: A Journey of Focus, Failure, and Quiet Discipline
A passionate writer, he has authored several books in Gujarati, ranging from exam strategy guides to...
Sanish Kumar Singh
“If you want it badly enough, you’ll find a way,” Sanish Kumar Singh AIR 8, UPSC IFS 2024 
The real interview, he says, was much more humane. “The board was conversational. The chairman opened...
Raju Wagh
When the Battlefield Became a Study Room and a Dream Took Flight
Amid IED blasts and anti-Maoist operations in Bastar, CRPF Commando Raju Wagh taught village kids, studied...
Social Media
Shailaja Chandra
“Nanis & Dadis Have a Brain”: Former IAS Officer Shailaja Chandra Weighs in on 1970s vs 2025 Life Debate - “This Generation Has It Better”
Responding to Viral Post on Middle-Class Struggles, Ex-Bureaucrat Offers Candid Reflection on Then and...
Tigress Arrowhead
The End of an Era: A Queen Falls - Ranthambore’s Iconic Tigress Arrowhead (T-84) Passes Away at 14, Hours After Daughter’s Relocation
Ranthambore mourns the loss of one of its fiercest and most beloved tigers, Arrowhead, the granddaughter...
Screenshot 2025-06-13 194001
Wild Elephant Disrupts Riverside Picnic, Sparks Debate on Human Encroachment; IFS Parveen Kumar Shares the Video - Watch Here!
Mr. Kaswan used the viral video, which has garnered over 1.5 lakh views, to highlight the risks of human...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
IAS Amitabh Jain
Last-Minute Twist: How Chhattisgarh Chief Secretary Amitabh Jain Gets Unprecedented Extension
IPS-Rajeev-Sharma
Inside the DGP Race: Why Rajiv Sharma Was Chosen to Lead Rajasthan Police?
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-03 at 13.33
Inderjit Singh Air India
Ex IRS C Rajendiran
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT