Sometimes, after facing many failures you might start losing sleep. Even if you want to sleep forgetting everything, a sort of fear – fear of uncertain future, fear of failure or fear of becoming an object of ridicule – might not let you sleep. This exam (UPSC civil services) has become a prestige issue for many. Some of you take it so seriously that a setback is considered as fault in your own ability or in personality. Some people if they don’t clear prelims or Mains in 2-3 attempts might even slip into depression. If it is your last attempt or an attempt that you think is too important in your life where you need to show some result at any cost, there will be extreme pressure on you. This pressure might not let you sleep peacefully.
This should not happen at any cost. You should look at the bigger picture. Someone has said “...today is a gift, which is why we call it the present.” Sleep is an important part of this ‘present’. And life is full of these ‘presents’.
What is bigger is – Life. Not IAS or IPS or the appreciation you or us get because of achievements or actions. If we are unable to live our life peacefully, there is no meaning in achieving so much by sacrificing so much.
When you try to sleep, thought of not completing a target such as completing a chapter, not making notes, not writing a test, not sticking to timetable or the thought of pending work that is piling up might not let you sleep. This is a common problem when you take too much stress on yourself. Of course the thought of not clearing this exam even after putting lots of efforts is definitely depressing at first. But will this thought benefit you in any way? A little stress might help you keep on track by helping you realise your mistakes and help you correct them. But too much of stress and negative thought will negatively affect your mind, body and future.
Everything you do today is a means to live a happy life tomorrow. But tomorrow is uncertain. We never know if we’ll ever see another tomorrow. Even if we are lucky enough to see a tomorrow, we will again repeat same things to see another happy tomorrow.
But, how to overcome these negative thoughts? Sleepless nights? Stress?
We are not doctors or any experts to suggest you specific methods or remedies to deal with this problem. But experience of having gone through these stages has given us some insights enough to suggest you some practical solutions to overcome this problem.
First imagine what will happen in worst case scenario if you do not make it into civil services?
- Will your parents abandon you?
- Will your girlfriend/boyfriend ditch you?
- Will you be ridiculed by your relatives and friends?
- Will you become unemployed permanently?
- Will you slip into coma?
- Will you become a psycho?
Assume, unfortunately, you do not make it. Let your parents, girlfriend(s), boyfriend(s), friends, relatives – everyone ditch you (Of course, no loving people would do this!). Once they abandon you, Isn’t this a true freedom? Now you are on your own to do whatever you want to do. World is full of opportunities to make a decent living. World is full of stories of people who from poverty rose to become billionaires (let’s not get too ambitious and get carried away!) Life is such that you will make new friends. You will find a new life – only if you have patience and love for life.
Who knows, if you are determined and never give up in life, you might become some sort of star or celebrity in some field. Sometimes we should just act like rebels. The more we fail, the better it should get. If you do not fail too many times, then you will be missing an opportunity to become a great personality. Love failures even if they are extremely depressing. We are not saying this to soothe you. This is a possibility. Those who never give up are the ones who find success in one or the other field.
You know what? if you are living for 60 years, nearly 20 years are spent on sleep alone! In the remaining 40 years, we do all this circus and ruin moments that we should be enjoying with our loved ones. We also ruin our sleep which is fundamental for a healthy living.
We should be grateful to be alive. When you are stressed, go and immerse your head in a bucket full of water for 2 minutes. You will realize why life is important!
Sleep nicely. Haven’t studied as much as you wanted? Perfectly fine. There is tomorrow for everything. If you get up with a healthy body, be grateful for this and try to complete the task. Correct your mistakes and sleep well.
If scared of Mains or Interview or the final result, just go and watch a movie. Or go for walk. Come back and study as much as possible. But never think of the result. It is utterly useless to worry about result without enjoying today’s moments and without putting our efforts sincerely every day.
Work hard but not at the cost of sleep. Imagine how your situation will be if you get sick when Mains is just few days away! That will be disastrous. Success in this exam not only depends on how much you know, it also depends on your health, good attitude and sound mind.
Sleep is the greatest gift we have. No matter what happens tomorrow, just go to sleep.
Also never think about the past. It is useless (you know it, everyone knows it). If something is affecting you negatively, stay away from it.
If you are staying away from home and living with friends, but not getting sleep due to exam fear, talk to roommates. Discuss politics or movies for few minutes and again go back to studies.
If you have a caring parents, friends or spouse, speak to them openly. Seek their support. If they truly love you, they will assure you of not abandoning you even if you fail thousand times.
Be relaxed and study. You will do better than last year. IAS is not life. It is just a means for you to live a good life. What if there is no life?
