Forum IAS - How to Avoid Burnout While Preparing for UPSC Civil Services Examination

1
HOW TO AVOID BURNOUT WHILE PREPARING FOR UPSC
CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION
2
It's normal for CSE students to stay up late at
night and study for hours on end, day after day,
making the expression "burning the midnight oil"
ring true. Aspirants frequently sacrifice sleep
in order to complete an 'extra chapter' or
'subject.' Without a doubt, cramming as many
hours into a day as possible is necessary to
study a large curriculum, but aspirants must keep
in mind that they must not sacrifice their health
in the process. Always remember that when we put
our bodies under a lot of stress, discipline, and
discomfort in order to improve our efficiency, we
must also allow the body to rest correctly. A
healthy, well-rested body and a stress-free mind
are those two of the most important needs for any
CSE applicant.
3
Major Causes of Burnout Although many minor
reasons can combine to produce burnout while
studying for the CSE, there are still some big
causes to consider Sense of losing
self-control The sense of not being able to make
good decisions or stick to a schedule can easily
lead to burnout in an aspirant. The feeling that
you don't have all of the necessary resources to
prepare can also be debilitating. Larger than
life expectations When preparing for the CSE, it
is common to find yourself fantasising and
imagining castles in the sky. However, once you
begin the actual preparation process, all of your
illusions begin to crumble under the stress of
passing the various phases of the exam.
4
Feeling of not being enough When an aspirant
begins to feel incompetent and compares himself
to his colleagues, he or she may experience acute
burnout. The extremity of schedules Given the
broad syllabus and the great strain that
aspirants endure while completing it, many
aspirants follow unusual schedules. Aspirants can
have severe sleep patterns, ranging from 1-4
hours of sleep to no sleep at all, which is
damaging to their health. Lack of positive
support and motivation Many times, CSE aspirants
will have few, if any, people in their circle who
can help them stay motivated. Furthermore, the
people around them can sometimes be so negative
that it causes acute burnout. Because negativity
in a group spreads quickly, this can happen even
among aspirants who live and study in groups.
5
Imbalance in personal life If an aspirant's life
revolves solely around CSE preparation, he may be
forced to neglect his personal and family life,
as well as his friends and relations, and this
could quickly wear him out. Steps to Overcome a
Burnout 6-8 hours of undisturbed sleep Since
ancient times, the human body has learned to
adapt to numerous stressful situations in order
to survive. Our species has lived for so long as
a result of this reality. But now the question
is how long can we handle stress? If we
repeatedly subject our bodies to high levels of
stress and suffering, our bodies will initially
resist, but we will eventually adapt, as nature
intended.
6
However, after some time, we will gradually
realise that our bodies require a significant
quantity of energy to perform properly. And, if
we want our bodies to catch up with us, we must
provide them with consistent dosages of energy,
which we can easily obtain by sleeping for a full
6-8 hours each day. Sleep should never be
considered a waste of time. This will allow our
bodies to catch up to our job rate (and life). As
a result, sleep is the best natural rejuvenation
one can discover, and it works best for
us. Short rests in between long hours of
gruelling study Sitting for lengthy periods of
time can be mentally draining. We may have
headaches, blurriness, or even a sense of
suffocation in the near future. Short 10- to
15-minute breaks are required during study hours.
If you're feeling stressed, you can listen to
soft music or do some short yoga sessions to help
you relax. Furthermore, a quick walk in the park
or garden might be a terrific way to unwind. The
objective is that during these little periods of
time, one must divert one's attention away from
the literature.
7
Mindful eating Many times, CSE candidates have
been observed eating less, or worse, eating
anything they can get their hands on, throughout
their preparation period (especially true if
living away from home). Aspirants must recognise
that such behaviours are unhealthy and would
weaken their bodies, making them more susceptible
to ailments, reducing their ability to prepare.
If you want to pass this exam, you'll need to eat
healthy and mindfully. Believing in yourself It
is a well-known fact that when you believe in
yourself, you have already won half the battle.
Keep reminding yourself why you've decided to go
on this adventure. Every time you are reminded of
the reason and your goal appears in front of your
eyes, you will realise that all of your
sacrifices have not been in vain. You'll realise
you're on the right track at that point!
8
Taking out time for your hobbies Last but not
least, seek hobbies to avoid burnout. The
importance here is to emotionally attach to a
passion so that it can renew the mind from time
to time. In any event, because hobbies must be
filled out in the Detailed Application Form (DAF)
for the Mains Exam, there's no harm in pursuing
your favourite hobby while studying.
9
About Forum IAS Forum IAS was founded in 2012 by
Mr. Ayush Sinha, the founder of Flaviant Network
Private Limited, as an online platform for young
people studying for civil service exams. In the
last eight years, it has produced Rank 1 in the
Civil Services Examination, the Indian Forest
Services Examination (3 times!), and the Bihar
State PCS. Today, more than 4000 Forum IAS
Community Members and Academy Students serve the
country on a national and international level. If
you want to become an IAS, Forum IAS can help you
reach your goal. If you have any more queries,
please contact Flaviant Network or Flaviant
Network Private Limited can be reached via their
website.