Anand’s Journey of Decluttering His Thoughts Through Counselling

“How something ends up never depends on how much you worry about it.” – Anonymous

It is a basic human tendency to keep working, keep learning, keep acquiring new skills, and keep upgrading themselves. The Covid-19 lockdown was a blessing for some of us to catch the speed of our dreams and learn as many new things as possible. But what if, your mind begins to set the tasks for the day which later you might not even be able to accomplish! You will probably feel demoralized, right? Something like this happened to 25-year-old Anand Rangarajan when he just wouldn’t stop doing something throughout the day and felt overwhelmed at the end of the day. Anand is a highly enthusiastic and energetic individual who works at Better Mortgage as Team Lead for the income services department. Apart from this, Anand likes to keep himself engaged throughout the day by taking part in various activities like working out, learning new skills, reading books, and improving his overall personality.

Soon after the lockdown was imposed, Anand was very excited with the idea to do a lot of things at once, but soon he realized this might not be an ideal process to go about. Anand found himself taking up a lot of initiatives throughout the day but was unable to finish them, hence it led him to feel directionless and anxious. Anand also started having negative thoughts and began to doubt his potential, he even thought if he was able to stand true to what he promised to deliver. Anand started having the fear of missing out, also known as FOMO (fear of not being included in and missing out on something important and exciting) and that made him very anxious on a daily basis.

“When I realised I am not able to fit everything in one day, I began to feel very anxious and at that moment I knew I needed a counsellor to help me out.”

Anand was aware of therapy and its benefits beforehand, so it was easy for him to reach out. Anand contacted YourDOST through his organization’s resources and got connected with an expert. Initially, Anand was a bit confused about whether a counsellor will help him with providing him directions. But as soon as he started the sessions, he realised that the counsellor was very empathetic and very systematic in approach. Anand felt an immediate connection with the counsellor as he was also a very organized person. This was one of the reasons Anand was able to open up to her swiftly and was able to figure out his concerns as a team.

“She nudged me now and then and lent an ear to me to listen and analyse all my issues.”

The counsellor suggested various techniques to Anand to declutter his thoughts. Some of them included using a calendar to jot down tasks for the week to understand each task and where one can put more energy and effort into it. She also introduced Anand to the concept of ‘Priority Matrix’, which helped him to arrange and spread tasks over three to four weeks, rather than trying to fit in everything in a single day. Anand was regular in practicing said techniques and is still following them. Anand also incorporated yoga and meditation with his daily workout routine for mindfulness. 

“Everything will happen when it is supposed to happen. It is a gradual journey.”

Anand is extremely grateful to his counsellor who was very calm and composed with him while having sessions. Anand recalls that at one point, he would just ramble words but his counsellor was very focused and was able to form a sentence on behalf of him to help him cover each point. Today, Anand is a focused and highly productive individual, who takes one day at a time and still finishes all the tasks with a peaceful mindset.

Anand’s Warrior Tips:
1. It is not always advisable to shut the feelings down or brush up negative thoughts. Always seek guidance from an expert and they will guide you in the right direction.
2. Everyone’s pain and suffering are different. No pain is little to not discuss. One should always keep a track of their mood and if they feel imbalance., they should reach out to a counsellor.

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.