“Hey Stress! Let’s Break Up”, Says Manu

“Much of the stress that people feel doesn’t come from having too much to do. It comes from not finishing what they’ve started.” – David Allen

31-year-old Manu is a person who takes life as nothing short of a challenge! He proved the same by carrying a never-give-up attitude throughout his journey in life. Manu was born in Delhi relocating to Dehradun after which he moved back to Delhi. After his engineering degree, Manu went ahead to pursue an MBA in Rural Management. With his ambitions set up high, Manu went on to pursue a doctorate in Economics from the prestigious IIM-Bangalore. Playing badminton has been his go-to sport which is also a coping mechanism for Manu to get over his emotions.

“I got married while I was pursuing my PhD and that degree required a comprehensive exam to be cleared.”

PhD is never an easy task – From taking the admission, to decide the topic, and finally to finding a guide – It indeed is a tiring process. Manu had a major fallback when he was unable to pass his first attempt in the comprehensive exam. Back then, Manu was already falling into a loop of stress and self-loathing.

On the other hand, Manu was also staying outside the campus with his wife as there was no provision of stay for married couples at the university campus. The PhD degree also came along with a lot of uncertainty as it was a 5-year long course, exceeding which the stipend would be suspended.

“Covid-19 came along with a lot of challenges. I had to pay my rent, and eventually, all of my earnings were getting exhausted with the slack in my stipend.” 

Manu managed to pass his comprehensive exam on the second attempt but his struggles still remained due to the pandemic. He had started to feel extreme stress as there was constant tension regarding job and location after the PhD. After all, he had a family to sustain along with him. Soon, the prolonged stress brought along a disruption in his sleep cycle. Manu would also end up getting triggered by very small things with an undeniable level of frustration. The worst point hit when he witnessed the demise of his mother’s sister.

‘With no preconceptions, I decided to start counseling as I had to find a way to deal with all the stress surrounding me.”

Manu came across Ms Yukti Rastogi, a counselor from YourDOST, with whom he connected well. Even though she was older than Manu, he admired the professional and formal approach of Yukti towards his issues. Manu was taken through a few techniques by Yukti which was helping him take baby steps towards overcoming his problems. Right after that, Manu was allotted with Ms Ankita Chavda, another counselor from YourDOST; who further took him through a greater insight into his issues. He was acquainted with the difference between physical and emotional boundaries. This further helped him alter his perception and outlook towards life.

“My sleep cycle drastically improved and I learnt how to take control over my problems through counseling. My counselor also shared some inspiring video links that helped me get hold of the same.”

Manu saw a radical improvement in his ability to stay calm and focused. Manu had finally passed the storm with his courageous soul and stood on the other side of deceit with his head held high. As he offers his hearty gratitude to his counselors, Manu rated his overall progress through counseling with a solid 4 out of 5.

“I completed my PhD during the pandemic which in itself was a challenge but YourDost came through and helped me in tackling this challenge.”

We at YourDOST, feel honoured to have been able to help him with the same. We wish him all the luck in all his future endeavours.

Manu’s Warrior Tips:
1. Without fearing judgement, YourDOST is a perfect platform where you can open up your problems and seek help.
2. Sometimes, people have some misconceptions about the idea of counseling. It is very necessary to spread more awareness.

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.