Academic Pressure Pushed Dhruv Into A Spiral, But He Was Determined To Get Back Up

“Self-care is, fundamentally, about bringing balance back to a life that has grown imbalanced from too many commitments or responsibilities.”

Balancing academics and personal well-being is tremendously important for college students but also easier said than done. Research shows that academic stress still continues to be a devastating problem affecting a student’s mental health and well-being. They often tend to put a lot of pressure on themselves to be the “perfect” student with good grades, extracurriculars, and perfect social life. But often, this can lead to them feeling burnt out.

One such example is the story of 21-year-old Dhruv Saha, a law student from OP Jindal Global University who pushed himself to do it all. Dhruv’s goal was to finish his Chartered Accountancy course and company secretary course while pursuing his full-time degree in law which proved to be challenging. He felt like the pressure was crushing him and it was a cause of worry.

I wanted to finish my education by the time I was 25 because I wanted to give myself time to build on my career. This proved to become challenging as I was pushing myself beyond my capability.

Dhruv’s academics started off with a bang, with him excelling in all three courses. But as the pressure got worse, he started feeling overwhelmed and extremely anxious before his exams. Dhruv had never felt this way before and did not know how to handle it, along with the pressure of his studies

“Life was falling apart and I would feel anxious all the time. Apart from this, I was having a difference of opinions with my family and my friends as well. Being an emotional person I took everybody’s opinions to heart which pushed me to feel even low. Along with this, the pressure of my courses made me feel trapped.”

“The real pressure of college started and I had to maintain a healthy social life while preparing for my CA exam which is a time demanding course. I felt like I did not have enough time.”

The academic pressure along with the tiff with his friends where he felt like his friends was not empathetic enough to his feelings, made him feel emotionally drained. He felt like he was not heard. This was when Dhruv decided it was time to seek help, and booked a session with Psychologist and YourDOST Expert, Ms. Madhura Saha. 

My expert helped me to understand the importance of my own feelings and how I should try and be indifferent to other people’s attitudes. This helped me feel more strong in my own shoes rather than seeking validation from others. She also helped me with healthy time management techniques and really helped me focus on my mental health and studies.

These sessions helped him clear his mind out and focus on himself and reduced his feelings of anxiety. Dhruv’s expert helped him understand his thoughts and feelings better. He implements the techniques that he learned and is more self-aware of his emotions and does not let the people around him affect his emotions.

“I am extremely grateful to Madhura Ma’am. She was my guiding light during the dark period of my life. She taught me the importance of prioritizing my needs before others and being more mindful of where my thoughts are coming from. Ma’am was my life support and made my life a lot easier to love. I thank her for that.”

Are you someone who has gone through a difficult phase and emerged stronger and better, with some professional help? Share your story with us to encourage thousands of others who might be struggling. Click here to submit your story.

Dhruv’s Warrior Tips:
1. Always believe in yourself and your abilities. You can do everything that you dream of.
2. It is okay to seek help, professionals are trained to help you make better decisions in life.