Well my journey has been a long one for which I don’t think even a book would be enough but jokes apart, I have seen many different things in life at a very young age. I belong to a small town in Haryana and was brought up in an English-medium school.
I had always had a dream to be a doctor and so I studied very hard for it. In 2015, I got into an MBBS program at the college of my dreams but then I was suddenly struck with clinical depression and intense suicidal tendencies. The worst part was that there was no reason for it.
It was something genetic and there is nothing I could do to control it. It took me almost 2 very long years before I could get back on my feet again but I had to give up on my dream of being a doctor for the sake of my mental health.
I ended up joining psychology and making it the mission of my life to spread mental health awareness in my society. In my city, being from a small town, there wasn’t a lot of knowledge on this issue but I am trying to change that. And today, here I am.
2. What led you to take up this career path?
In 2017, I had to make a choice of whether to start from the first year of MBBS again or to join something else. I felt the course in medicine was too demanding for me so I decided to join a course where I could learn a lot and also take care of myself so I ended up joining Applied Psychology in Delhi University.
2. What led you to take up this career path?
In 2017, I had to make a choice of whether to start from the first year of MBBS again or to join something else. I felt the course in medicine was too demanding for me so I decided to join a course where I could learn a lot and also take care of myself so I ended up joining Applied Psychology in Delhi University.
I wrote a couple of books while going to regular classes and that has put me on the path that I am today. Being an author is not as easy as I thought it would, but it is definitely worth it.
3. What are some common myths in society about psychology?
The first one that comes to mind is the thinking that psychology means I can read people’s minds or read their faces. I cannot. No one can. Otherwise, something that I used to think before joining it too, was that Psychology is not a real science or that it is just a very simple Arts subject which it is not. It is a very young scientific field and I am happy to be able to take it forward.
5. What are your tips for people who want to practice this profession?
The most important thing would be to continue being open to learning. Today I see myself in the profession of writing as well as psychology so this question is sort of two sides for me.
3. What are some common myths in society about psychology?
The first one that comes to mind is the thinking that psychology means I can read people’s minds or read their faces. I cannot. No one can. Otherwise, something that I used to think before joining it too, was that Psychology is not a real science or that it is just a very simple Arts subject which it is not. It is a very young scientific field and I am happy to be able to take it forward.
5. What are your tips for people who want to practice this profession?
The most important thing would be to continue being open to learning. Today I see myself in the profession of writing as well as psychology so this question is sort of two sides for me.
Being an author, means having discipline to write each day. Discipline is one of the most important things and the second thing would be to be close to someone who can offer you honest feedback. It is important to be able to take criticism and learn from it.
Another thing would be to have the reader in mind at all times and ensure that you don’t end up creating a detachment from them. Your reader should be able to understand what you are trying to say without the use of technical jargon.
6. Is work-life balance a myth or reality according to you?
I don’t look at my work for mental health as work, although I am told that I should. It's something that comes very internally for me and I don’t see it as being detached from my ‘life’ per see.
6. Is work-life balance a myth or reality according to you?
I don’t look at my work for mental health as work, although I am told that I should. It's something that comes very internally for me and I don’t see it as being detached from my ‘life’ per see.
That said, for professionals, it is important to have some set boundaries in our daily lives to ensure that neither our life nor our work interfers with one another. Too many people make the mistake of taking liberties either with their work or with their general life.
In the end, both suffer as a result. So, the work life balance is real and it can be achieved by proper, honest communication and setting personal and professional boundaries.
7. How according to you can one manage stress?
There are three ways you can deal with stress. Change the problem, change how you think about the problem or deal with the emotions that the problem makes you feel. Stress is an everyday part of our lives and we cannot escape from it, what we can do though, is that we can deal with it either emotionally, psychologically or using our actions. The choice is up to each person.
- Arjun Gupta, Psychology Professional
- Interviewed by Shilpy Sharan
7. How according to you can one manage stress?
There are three ways you can deal with stress. Change the problem, change how you think about the problem or deal with the emotions that the problem makes you feel. Stress is an everyday part of our lives and we cannot escape from it, what we can do though, is that we can deal with it either emotionally, psychologically or using our actions. The choice is up to each person.
- Interviewed by Shilpy Sharan
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