Hardships in life do not come with a warning but rather reveal themselves at untimely hours. Wading through them with resilience and bearing the battle scars with pride is what makes us a warrior. Here is the story of a warrior who sailed across the waters with determination.
Meet Debashish Nayak, a 24-year-old from Odisha. He comes from Cuttack, a town near Bhubaneswar, and has lived most of his life in Odisha.
Debasish’s father passed away in 2013, leaving him and his mother to spend life together. His mother is now a housewife and has been a strong support for him. He also has four elder sisters, and they all share a close bond.
“I studied at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) and then at NIT Rourkela, where I pursued Integrated Metallurgical Engineering. I was a dedicated student and also enjoyed playing sports.”
Debashish loves sports and has played Kabaddi and chess at the regional level. He also likes basketball and table tennis and his passion for both indoor and outdoor sports shows his energetic nature.
Debashish learned about YourDOST through his college, which partnered with the platform as their mental health partner. He decided to give it a try when he faced some hardships in his college life.
“I shared some of my problems, and my counsellor helped me. She showed me how we could stay connected and work through my issues.”
Debashish struggled with his grades during the COVID-19 pandemic. The transition from classrooms to online learning along with the isolation of lockdowns affected his mental health. It made him feel overwhelmed and lonely, which impacted his studies. He knew he needed to work on his mental well-being to improve his grades and handle the pressure, hence he sought counselling.
“My counsellor gave me helpful advice on dealing with loneliness. She suggested making new friends and connecting with people who shared similar interests as me and this advice was very useful during those challenging times.”
Debashish loved programming and web development, but the pandemic made it hard to participate in college activities. He joined clubs at NIT Rourkela and met new friends and seniors. They worked on projects together and attended meetings, which kept him busy and positive.
“My evenings were now filled with meetings or chatting with new friends from the club. These activities helped me stay engaged and happy.”
Mental health was a new concept for Debashish, but he quickly saw its importance. His counsellor’s advice to focus on small, positive steps made a big difference.
“She told me to think positively and appreciate even small achievements. This inspired me and motivated me to keep trying.”
Debashish followed this advice and gradually improved his situation. The support from his counsellor helped him manage his time, cope with loneliness, and focus on his studies.
“Looking back I am very grateful to my counsellor. Her guidance helped me achieve my goals and do well in my studies. Today I’m graduating from NIT Rourkela with a good CGPA and have secured a job and all the credit goes to my counsellor for helping me get here.”
In terms of feeling better Debashish rates himself a solid 4 out of 5 and he is striving towards achieving the golden 5 very soon.
We at YourDOST, are proud of his achievements and wish him the best for the future!
Debashish’s Warrior Tips:
1.“Believe in yourself. Learn to always fix your life by taking accountability for your life.”
2.“Go out in the social set-up, expose yourself to others and build good bonds.”
