Is Stress Killing the Talent of India?

Stress has taken its toll on each one of us at one point or another. With the upward shift in the number of student suicide cases in India, it becomes essential for everyone to decode stress for it to be tackled in a better way.

It starts with the stress of identifying your dream, once identified, next in line is the stress about finding the right path that would lead you to that dream, then of course there is the stress that is in a permanent relationship with your preparation, talking about preparation, we must not forget the fear of failure which is another form of stress. And, finally when you accomplish your dream, earn the respect and enter the IITs, you realize that it is not the end, in fact your stress levels have risen beyond level. The stress about competition, the stress about not meeting the expectations, the stress about being the best amongst the best, the stress about deadlines, the stress about jobs, about pay packages, about office environment, about finances, about health, IT JUST DOESN’T STOP. Few survive the test of stress, while few surrender themselves, accepting defeat.

India is a reservoir of talent and it is heart wrenching to witness the loss of such brilliant young minds. Stress is a very complex and vast term and has a different impact on different individuals. To me not fitting into my old jeans is really stressful, as funny as it may sound, but being overweight actually accounts to a substantial number of suicide cases amongst the young Indian women.  Un- accomplished goals, disturbed relationships, academic pressure, loss of job, unhealthy environment; anything can trigger your stress levels.

Student suicide cases have swollen up in India as compared to the other developed countries. There are many loopholes in the education system that build up the pressure in the Indian students. The rat race that the kids are thrown into right from the start is a reason why even teenagers adopt to suicides. Stress is a natural phenomenon, and it is okay to be stressed about things, but it should be tackled in the most effective manner possible.

Dealing with stress is not a rocket science. It can be as simple as talking to an old friend and talking about the things that are troubling you.

The exam season is at peak and so is the level of stress amongst students. Here is a list of the predominant factors leading to the increasing student suicide cases in India. It is very essential to know the cause of something before getting to its solution.

Causes of Stress

Pressure of Studies- The education system of India in itself is very complex. A student, who wishes to become an artist, will have to slog himself/ herself trying to understand the how and why behind chemical formulas. A basic knowledge is necessary but going into the details of these complex procedures is not required for an artist. Not everyone has the bent of mind for chemical reactions, and it is perfectly normal, normal abroad but not in India. In India, such is the grading system (yet another loophole) that identifies students inclined towards one field as failures. They may rise in life to become great artists, making their country proud but back in school they were failures. This is actually a very wrong practice and has a very bad impact on our students. Grading in itself serves as the biggest demotivating factor in our lives.

Competition- Competition is good. It usually brings out the best in you. But given the population of our country, we definitely know the flip side of competition and how bad an impact it is creating on our society. Instead of performing to the best of their potential, most students aim to perform better than the others, so what if 'the better than the others' is actually much lower to what you could have done. A healthy competition is what students should look forward to, and most importantly 'learning from your and other’s mistakes' is the key take away of participating in a competition.

Fear of Failure- It is not easy to accept defeat and hence a major reason for stress is the fear of failure. Often, it is seen that it is not you but the fear of failure that comes in the way of accomplishing your goals. Everybody fails, Thomas Edison once said, ‘I haven’t failed, I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.’ Only if you fail would you realize your mistakes, which you will never repeat again. Failure is a very important part of learning. It helps you identify your weak points, which ultimately help you in the longer run.

Gadgets replacing Relations- Relationships are an essential part of our lives. Interacting with people actually helps you feel relaxed and relieved. Nowadays, laptops, tablets, phones and these gadgets have reduced the interaction levels between individuals. Human interaction is essential for individuals to cope with stress. The latest trends have minimalized the interaction levels, and individuals are alone most of the time with the gadget of their preference leading to stress. 

Wrong Career Choice- People make wrong career choices due to the pressure of the society and the parents at large. One must take aptitude tests and go ahead with a career of their choice. A wrong career pick leads to depression, as the person feels demotivated and underperforms in that field. The unsatisfactory performance is not make because the candidate is not smart but because of lack of interest and aptitude. Hence, it is essential for people to make the right choice.

Lack of Proper Guidance- A proper guidance is very much needed. People under depression or in stress seek guidance failing which, it just builds up and has a very negative impact on the psychology of individuals. Parents, friends, colleagues or peers, anyone can help in counselling the stressed person. There are times when you don’t feel like confiding into people who know, interaction with strangers actually helps in this case. Say hello to psychologists. People really need to realize that getting help from a psychologist does not tag you as crazy or mentally challenged. It is a very healthy practise to refresh and relax your mind.

Society- The society at large has a huge impact on the way we Indians think and act. There are situations when our ideologies clash with the norms of the society, the stronger lot choses to fight while few succumb to the pressure. We must believe in what we think is right and act accordingly. The stress level in these cases actually goes down if you do what you want to do and not what you are expected to do. So step out of the closet and believe in what is right according to you.

Tips to Cope Up With Stress

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Manage Well: Manage your time and yourself in a better manner. Delaying things actually builds up the stress and you are not able to perform to the full of your potential. Hence, think, plan and then execute. In the case of exams, if you delay your preparation and push everything for the last moment, stress is bound to take a toll on you. Prepare from the start and revise as much as you can.

Control your Environment: You should always be in a happy state of mind. The kind of people you are living with and the kind of environment you are staying in actually makes a lot of difference. Make sure you build up a positive atmosphere for yourself. Keep yourself happy and keep others happy as well, it really helps. Negative people drain you of all your positivity leading to stress, just bid adieu to negativity.

Reward Yourself: Why wait for others to reward you for doing something good. Treat yourself to good food, music, outing with friends, gadgets, just about anything that you think would make you happy. Appreciation is very important, if you don’t get it from others, don’t hesitate in rewarding yourself for things you think you have performed well at.

Exercise: Exercising actually helps to tame the stress levels. Go out for a walk, vent out your anger at the machines in the gym or relax your nerves doing yoga. It helps in burning the anger produced by stress. Also, the scientific logic says that exercise helps in producing endorphins which help in reducing stress and help you feel good. And of course, you start looking better which is just the boner and adds to your self-confidence.

Eat Healthy and Sleep Well- Eating right and getting the required hours of sleep gives the body the energy to fight stress. Unhealthy eating habits and irregular sleeping pattern often drains out all your energy, making you feel lethargic and unproductive leading to a decrease in concentration levels. This affects your work and study routine which ultimately leads to stress. We must focus on keeping our body fit and healthy.

Take Regular Breaks- Whether you are studying or working, it is very essential to refresh your mind by taking small break and breaking the monotony of work. This relaxes your mind and increases the concentration levels, whereas constantly doing one thing for a long duration reduces your retaining power and efficiency thus leading to a stressful environment.

Realize your Worth- You deserve everything that you have earned and are aiming for in life. Never under- estimate yourself and don’t even let others do that to you. There are things you might not be good at compared to others but then there are things that you are better at. Realize your forte and brush up your skills. Low self-esteem leads to depression, avoid it. If you don’t value yourself, no one else will.

Socialize- Making new friends, meeting old ones, interacting with new people, it all helps in bringing out the happier side of you. Going out for social outings helps in refreshing your mind and eliminate the signs of depression. Don’t ever alienate yourself, it is the worst thing one can do.

Identify One Hobby- Sing, even if you have a pathetic voice, draw, even if you can’t tell the difference between different shades of the same colour, dance, even if you have two left feet, it is fine to not excel in these art forms, but it is great to practise them. There is a reason why college and schools have fests and art societies, they help and prove as great stress busters. If people laugh at you, laugh at yourself with them.

Just Stay Happy- Stress is vast but it is nothing compared to happiness. If small things can give you stress, there are even smaller things that can give you happiness. Identify your small things and do them on a regular basis. Helping a stray dog might make your day, or cooking a burnt dish can make you happy. Just stay positive and stay happy.