This was our(me and my brother’s) room at my home during UPSC preparation.I never stayed outside and prepared exclusively from home.
Loneliness during UPSC preparation arises because –
1.Noone understands your journey.
2.Noone understands the uncertainty of this exam.
3.Taking this exam too “personally” i.e attaching your worth with it.
As I had noone even remotely close to preparing for UPSC,no friends or seniors,so sometimes I felt “bhagwan jaane log kitna aur kya padh rahe honge”.However even after preparing ruthlessly for this exam for 2.5 years and eventually succeeding,I never felt much lonely –
1.Sports – I played 1–2 hours everyday,no matter what happened.Even one day before prelims and mains.This boosted me up and kept me balanced.
2.Avoided social media – Social media makes you feel even lonelier as you start to compare your lives with others.
3.Avoided toppers’ talks – Because they will sing their songs in that and you will mostly feel downgraded.However I loved the talk of IAS Govind Jaiswal .His rags to riches story boosted me up.
4.Talk with family Please stop pretending that you are on a very sacred mission and you cant talk normally with family and friends.
5.Not studying at all when I didnt feel like – Its normal to not have motivation to study some days.I too had such many days.But I studied with a timetable and made sure to bounce back harder after taking off some rest days.
6.Telling myself that I will prove myself
My pic when I was preparing for UPSC.I didnt use study table much as I felt more comfortable on a cot.
7.Doing one thing at a time – When I studied,then I just studied ruthlessly and when I did masti,I did hardcore masti.Plan your preparation journey.
And most importantly,studying hard and very passionately.You will feel more lonely when you have guilt feeling of wasting your time. So make a time table and study and keep track of yourself.
Lastly,you have promises to keep to yourself and that shall be your fire for preparation
And finally the destination – IAS
Edit – My brother never prepared for this exam.We just were together in that room.
You can read rest of my answers to know about my preparation journey and whatever I have learnt out of it.And finally – “It ain’t over till I win”