“All power is within you; you can do anything and everything you want.” – Swami Vivekananda.
Abhay, a 22-year-old graduate with a B.Tech from IIT Mandi, exemplifies his strength to improve his personal and academic life.
He was born and raised in a middle family in Rajasthan. He lived with his sister and parents while growing up. Abhay explains that he was an introverted and shy kid during his childhood, around which all his personality developed.
“The traits of my introvertness continued till my teenage years and created a lot of insecurities in me. I rarely played with my classmates in school and never interacted much in social gatherings.”
Abhay adds that his personality made it hard for him to mingle with the crowd when he joined college. He badly wanted to overcome his shyness and make friends. He then remembered the college management’s briefing about their subscription to YourDOST and their suggestion to students to use the platform for mental and emotional support.
“I was feeling depressed and lonely. I had no friends, so I decided to take guidance from the experts and started taking counseling sessions.”
Abhay elaborates that the counselors he consulted were empathetic and listened to his concerns thoroughly before guiding him. He also felt the coping mechanisms and solutions they suggested were easy to implement and practical.
“The counselors suggested I join some cultural activities and clubs where people will come together and include me in conversations. They also helped me not overthink how people perceive me and be myself.”
After a few sessions, Abhay saw himself making friends and becoming confident. Since then, Abhay says he has kept counseling as a significant part of coping with the daily needs in his academic and personal life.
He took sessions now and then to manage his stress and get some emotional support during exam preparation. Abhay adds that he again went for regular sessions during his placements as there was a lot of pressure, as the job market was competitive due to the recession.
“The entire placement season, coupled with exams, everyone was stressed. The environment felt toxic and depressing. I started feeling anxious about my future, and my mind was flooded with negative thoughts.”
Abhay adds that the counselors validated his emotions, as his days were busy, and he was running around the clock to keep up with everything. They suggested that Abhay make charts to divide and manage his time so that he would be less overwhelmed. They also adapted some meditation techniques to cope with his stress and anxiety.
Abhay explains that the support they provided helped him prioritise himself. He continues to use the techniques the counselors taught, which he finds helpful in most situations.
“The first time, the counselors guidance helped me not just make friends but also find my skills and interests outside academia. Then, I developed more belief and faith in myself throughout the journey.”
Eventually, progressing with therapy, Abhay got placed in good company and felt comfortable in social situations.
Abhay adds that during his free time, he used to watch movies or videos on social media, but now, he hangs out with his friends and has developed an interest in travelling and playing badminton with them. Being aware of all these changes, Abhay credits his counselors for his growth and shift in personality.
“Usually in society, these problems are seen as trivial and go unnoticed. Sometimes we even get mocked for being shy or stressed about exams, but my counselors gave me a safe space and did a great job in giving me the mental support I needed.”
As Abhay feels happy, secure, and comfortable in his progress each day, we are delighted to be the pillar he required during his college days and wish him the best for his future.
Abhay’s Warrior Tips:
1.“Therapy can help you organise and prioritise the immediate concerns when you have multiple things that need your attention.”
2.“If your body is functioning well but your mind is blocked, this will lead to discrepancies; work on your mind and keep it peaceful.”
3.“Nothing is permanent, and even difficult times are not.”
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