2. Burnout zone to Performance zone

Burnout Zone (Low Energy, Negative Emotion):
You're drained, sad, or emotionally numb. Often due to prolonged stress without rest.

🪫 If You're in the Burnout Zone (tired, sad, demotivated):

Full Reset:
→ Take a full 24-hour break. No guilt. No syllabus. Just sleep, eat, and walk.

Micro Goals:
→ Restart with 30-min blocks of study with 5-min active breaks.

Sleep Hygiene:
→ Sleep before 12 AM. Avoid screens 30 mins before bed.

Nutrition:
→ Eat high-energy, low-junk meals. Hydrate. These small tweaks can lift energy levels fast.

#mentalwellbeing #performance

We often think studying is a passive activity. This article is a good reminder for us to understand Mental Fatigue in detail:

🧠 Even if you haven’t studied much, your brain can still feel tired—this is called cognitive fatigue. It makes you choose easy tasks (like scrolling or re-reading notes) over real preparation.

🧐 A study shows this kind of tiredness affects not only focus but also decision-making.

🔄 To reset your brain: take short, intentional breaks — walk, breathe, stretch, not just switch screens.

💪 Fight the “easy way out” mindset—train your mind to stay on track, especially when it resists.

#mentalfatigue #relaxation

3. Recovery Zone (Low Energy, Positive Emotion):
You feel calm, peaceful, at ease. Essential after intense prep days.

🛀 If You're in the Recovery Zone (calm, unproductive):
Channel the Calm Into Planning:
→ Set your study priorities while you're emotionally neutral.

Create a Reward System:
→ Link effort with small rewards (like chai break after 90 mins of study).

Visualize Success:
→ Spend 2 minutes imagining yourself writing prelims confidently. Trains your brain for performance.

#performance

🧠 Brain at 11 PM: "Let’s worry about everything — the exam, the future, your childhood nickname…"
Me: “Can we at least finish this polity chapter first?”
Mental health tip: Schedule your worries like study slots. Brain respects deadlines sometimes 😅

From today, we will cover some aspects of Mindfulness.

Mindfulness ≠ Meditation

Mindfulness is not always about closing your eyes and chanting.
It’s about being fully present in whatever you do — reading a paragraph, solving a question, or even eating a roti.

Try this today:

1. 👉 Next time you sit to study, take 3 deep breaths, notice your surroundings, and tell yourself — “I’m here, now.”

That’s it. You’ve already begun.

#mindfulness

Let us add some practices of mindfulness in our daily routine.

2. One Mindful Meal

🥣 Today, choose one meal to eat without your phone, book, or thoughts of tomorrow.

Just chew. Just notice. Just be.
Mindfulness begins with little pockets of presence. Even one mindful meal a day helps reduce mental fatigue.

#mindfulness@rebtwithsonali

3. Come Back to the Chair

🪑 Your mind will wander. A hundred times. That’s normal.
But every time you bring it back—to the breath, to the book—you’re strengthening your focus muscle.
It’s not about perfect concentration. It’s about coming back. Again and again.

#mindfulness

💤 8 hours of sleep: "Who dis?"

You’ve been studying so much your pillow filed a missing person report.
Your brain works better with sleep.

Respect it like you respect Laxmikant.

#humor #sleep #relax

Trying to locate some insightful content for you all, before I take a short leave of absence.

Handling tough emotions is super important if you're preparing for UPSC.

When your mind is calm and clear, you can focus better, think sharper, and make smarter choices. This does not mean we chase happiness, or try to suppress negative emotions or deny tough emotions.

Managing tough/negative/challenging emotions makes a big difference in how well you study and perform in the exam.

A stable mind is your real superpower in this journey!

Let's learn about how to manage these emotions for coming few days 🌻

#emotions@rebtwithsonali #emotions

The ones who were asking for Online workshop, it's finally here! Register soon to save your spot 🙂

Struggling with focus, memory, or mental fatigue during UPSC prep?

These are common challenges, but they can be managed with the right techniques.

🎯 LevelUp IAS is conducting a FREE Online Workshop:
“Concentration & Memory Techniques”
with Ms. Miti Sheth (Counselling Psychologist)

Register now & confirm your spot: https://forms.gle/Q76Vz8b4iGhg2prD6

Learn simple, effective techniques to stay focused and improve your memory.

📅 2nd August (Saturday)
⏰ 2:00 PM | Online (Zoom)
Open to all aspirants

Managing Tough Emotions

1: Don’t Fear the Fear

Feeling anxious before studying? You make amazing plans but just when it comes to start studying, you tend to avoid it out of fear?

It’s normal! Even toppers feel it.
Just sit down, open your book, and start with one page. Action beats overthinking.

Fear reduces once you begin 🌱🌱

#emotions #fear

On the similar lines of our previous post....

Initiating studies can be tough on a few days. Famous author Ruskin Bond is sharing his experience of such a day.

A page of his diary entry from the book 'Another day in Landour'

#startrestart

2: Talk to Yourself Kindly

Negative self-talk like “I’m not good enough” only pulls you down.
Instead, try saying, “I’m learning… and I’ll improve.” "Let me see how I can build this skill."

Being at war is not the way to motivate yourself. Your thoughts have a great impact on your emotions.

#thoughts #emotions #emotions@rebtwithsonali

🎯 UPSC Prep = Gym for the brain.
Only difference?

At the gym, muscles grow.
In prep, hair falls and eye bags grow instead 😩

Take breaks. You’re preparing for an exam, not turning into a philosopher-hermit.

3: Bad Day ≠ Bad Prep

One off day doesn’t mean your whole plan is a failure.
Take a pause, rest a bit, and come back stronger the next day.
This journey is a marathon, not a sprint. 🛤️

4: Journal It Out

Write down what’s bothering you. Just 5 minutes with a pen and paper.
Emptying the mind helps declutter your thoughts and brings emotional relief.
Let your notebook be your silent therapist. ✍️

5: You Are Not Alone

UPSC prep can feel lonely, but remember — thousands are going through the same.
Talk to a friend or reach out to a mentor.
Sharing reduces the emotional load and helps you move forward. 🤗

Stressed about UPSC prep? You’re not alone, but you can take control.

🧠 Stress Management Workshop with Miti Sheth Ma’am (Counselling Psychologist)
📅 10th Aug | 2 PM
Offline at LevelUp IAS Karol Bagh Center
✅ Free Registration: https://forms.gle/Q76Vz8b4iGhg2prD6

🎯 Learn to:
* Break the cycle of overthinking
* Build emotional discipline
* Handle burnout & performance anxiety
* Regain focus & joy in prep

Hello everyone,

Quick mental health strategies for extreme distress, also some helplines are mentioned in this document.

Kindly refer to this whenever needed.

Thank you,
Sonali.