There were two ways to be happy: improve your reality or lower your expectations. – Jodi Picoult
Roy (name changed), who is 26-year-old is currently working in an organisation after pursuing his masters from one of the IITs. Roy was born and brought up in Varanasi and has always enjoyed various sports. He especially loves to watch and play cricket as well as table tennis. Other than this, he also is keen on watching videos on various platforms. Roy has a nuclear family with four members.
As much as Roy had his hobbies going, he also had a different side of him that was ambitious and goal-oriented. He had carved his life such, that he was focusing only on his goals and dreamt of a good job. Roy had a craving to perform until it led him to create situations for himself that could be harmful. Roy’s self expectations had started to develop feelings of depression, anxiety which was followed by isolation.
“I was an all work and no play type of guy. I also left my family members aside.”
Roy had bid goodbye to leisure and socialisation. He was running void of amusement and lost interest in going outside. A point came when he wouldn’t even bother to listen to anyone’s opinions. Soon, Roy was creating road maps in his mind that was filled with negative consequences about any actions that didn’t align with his goals. His expectations were going beyond imagination as he would even avoid a cup of tea before exams so that he doesn’t miss out on a single second of study.
“I created a hard and fast environment for myself. I didn’t even switch off the lights at night. I kept myself in a pressure cooker to torture myself.”
But just like every road comes to an end, so did Roy’s habit of being hard on himself. Soon, he was craving some human interaction. Roy wanted someone to listen to him and understand him. But somehow, he was feeling like no one could acknowledge him. He had grown far from his own people.
“I used to motivate my colleagues and had a good sense of humour. But deep inside I was kind of shallow.”
Many times, Roy would feel like swallowing a pill or tablet and sleep for hours. Roy was quite skeptical about opening up in the beginning. But without further ado, Roy sought counseling from YourDOST which is an emotional wellness coach associated with his college.
“I got connected with YourDOST and was very optimistic about my counseling sessions. As I started the sessions, I felt like my life was aligning again.”
His counselor suggested various methods including meditation and breathing exercises. Roy, who was determined to turn his tables, followed the same. Counseling is a slow process and the process takes time. Eventually, Roy was spending more time with his family with the onset of the pandemic. Moreover, Roy noticed his focus growing back with a more positive attitude. His expectations had taken a rational turn as he moved towards a new Roy.
Roy rated his journey to betterment with a solid 4 out of 5. He calls his progress marvelous and at YourDOST, we wish him to be able to reach those great altitudes.
Roy’s Warrior Tips:
1. You can do whatever you feel like doing only if you believe in yourself.
2. Sometimes even if there is no external force, you can still be controlled by your mind. Don’t let it overpower you.
3. Expectations are always rising in this competitive world. Sometimes give yourself some time and understand what can be going on in your closed one’s mind.
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