Podcast | Stress of being a UPSC Aspirant during the Pandemic

UPSC, lesser known as the Civil Services Exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission is one of the toughest competitive examinations in the world. On average, 900,000 to 1,000,000 candidates apply every year out of which only 0.1% qualify! 

Undoubtedly, any UPSC aspirant would go through paramount amounts of stress and would need excellent focus to be a part of the qualifying 0.1%. 

The pandemic hit us all hard and especially, it hit the UPSC aspirants who were/are planning to appear for the exam either in 2020 or in 2021. In this MHT Podcast, under the Find your focus series, join us in conversation with a UPSC aspirant who shares about her journey of constant studying, her struggle with the pandemic and how she plans to go forward with the same. 

Note: Our speaker wishes to remain anonymous for this podcast due to the nature of her profession. We at MHT India honour her request. 

Tune in to this podcast where our speaker and host share insights on stress and how it affects work performance, decision making and focus. Gather more information regarding products and resources that can benefit the mental health of students.

Find your Focus with Neuphony – A Wearable EEG Device

We are living in a digital age where education is partially or completely conducted through online mediums. This is a double-edged sword as it affects not only your physical health but also your mental health. Where things are getting smarter and freeing us to be more, to do more, but are we?

Most of the tech today is designed to capture one thing, our attention. Neuphony helps you get that control back, you decide what to spend your valuable time on. We use meditation and neuroscience to help you identify the split second, where you decide either to go to gym or order-in and watch a re-run of your favourite show. Using our headset which captures the electrical activity and our mobile app which translates it and recommends you different meditative exercises tailored for you.

With the psychological practises such as:

Neurofeedback

Measure your brain waves using EEG sensors and get real time auditory feedback.

Neuroplasticity

We have the ability to structurally change our brain network through regular practice irrespective of age.

Meditation

Rewire your brain to gain attention and awareness using different meditation techniques.

Music

There are few things that stimulate the brain the way music does

How can Neuphony Support your Mental Health Issues?

With Neuphony Change the reactive approach towards mental health and start building resilience by being more proactive.

Improve Focus

Getting distracted is easy for our mind, all it takes is one stray thought. Distractions eat up so much of our time and mental resources that either we are left feeling overwhelmed or incompetent.

By creating a brain map of your cognitive state Neuphony helps you:

1. Identity these distractions, when they happen
2. Control your attention consciously using Focus excercise
3. Real time feedback to help you stay on your point of focus
4. It’s like going to a mental gym and training your brain muscles to help you concerntrate.

Reduce Anxiety and Stress

We are evolved in a way that we are susceptible to self-induced stress. If our brain thinks of past traumatic experiences our body experiences the event as if it is happening right now, and anxiety is our body’s response to stress.

Neuphony creates a brain map of your cognitive state to help you:

1. Identify the emotional triggers
2. Break the cycle of negative thoughts and feelings feeding off each other
3. Mindfulness exercises, which help you observe all your thoughts without getting attached to particular one
4. Auditory feedback if you get stuck on a thought and couldn’t let go

Achieving Internal Peace

With constant bombardment of information and being in a state of over-arousal deprives our brain the time to consolidate and enhance our understanding. Being thoughtless is a gift for your mind.

Neuphony creates a brain map of your cognitive state and helps

1. Create a roadmap tailored for your mind
2. Slowly guide and train your brain to take a break
3. Create awareness about the Inner working of your mind
4. Enhance the experience of your meditation session by tracking your brain activity

Self Development

Our habits are nothing but our autonomous nervous system taking control over our mind. We all have, at some point, made a conscious decision to make a change. Ever wondered why is it so hard?

Neuphony creates a brain map of your cognitive state to help you

1. Identify those autonomous programs in our mind
2. Similar to bad habits, good ones can be instilled into the subconscious
3. Recommend mindfulness meditation, and focus exercises based on your brain state
4. Help you retain your subconscious

To learn more about Neuphony: Click Here

Find your Focus with  Mind Alcove – Journaling and Mood Tracking App

Track your daily mood with a mood-o-meter, understand your emotions over time, manage your stress and anxiety, and increase self-awareness.

Mind Alcove also extends an in-app anonymous community platform for you to get a little extra support or guidance and feel lighter through sharing and caring for other community members.

• Five customized Diaries – Daily Journal, Gratitude Journal, Learning Journal, One line a day Journal, and Dream Journal
• Media & Audio: Take your diary a step further by capturing photos in your journal. You can also audio record your entry if you want to capture your thoughts in your voice.
• Journal Prompts: Get daily new journal prompts from our unlimited prompt library to activate your thoughts, reflect deeper, and know yourself better.
• Throwback: Revisit your old memories in the “Down the memory lane” feature. You can choose to switch off the feature if you would want to.
• Add to Favorites – Add your entries as favorites so that you never miss a great moment.
• Stats & Insights: Receive weekly, monthly, quarterly stats and insights on your mood, entry of positive and negative words during journaling.
• PIN Lock & Biometrics – Keep your diary safe and secure
• Available on the web – Write your heart out on the website with the comfort of a keyboard. Don’t worry; we back up and sync all the data.
• No Ads: We don’t obstruct your experience with ad space.
• Privacy: Your data is secure and private. No one can access your data; even we don’t.
• Connect with an in-app anonymous community – Seek comfort, guidance, and support with an empathetic and caring community without worrying about validation or judgment.