A lot of thoughts come into my mind, and a lot of bad memories come into my mind. I could not handle this situation. Please help me.
If you resonate with this feeling? You’re not alone. Many students and even professionals experience overwhelming regret and overthinking.
Here I am sharing powerful advice to break free from this mental loop:
Understand the Problem
See, today is also going to become past tomorrow, and you’ll have the same kind of regret, the same kind of frustrations about today.
One simple truth is that if you keep living in the past, you will keep repeating this cycle. The key is to break it now.
Also Read: Strategy for Students Scoring 145+ Correct in NEET PG 2025 With Dr. Praveen Tripathi
Step 1: Identify the Thought Pattern
- Whenever you feel that you are going down that rabbit hole of what happened in the past, identify it.
- Ask yourself a simple question:
“What can I do now?”
This forces your mind to shift from rumination to action.
Why Does This Happen?
Here I tell you:
- Many students say, “As of now, I am unable to concentrate on my studies. Whenever I want to focus, many thoughts and unpleasant memories come to mind. I could not handle this situation.”
- This is not a problem only for medical students — it is a human problem.
- People get stuck thinking: “I wish I had studied more.”
“I wish I could have passed that exam.”
- Then the mind builds on this:
“If only I had done this… if only that person had said this… I should have said that…
- Before you realise it, your mind multiplies the problem.
Result?
You feel bad, sad, angry — even though nothing has actually changed.
The Brain’s Limitation
- Your brain is not really able to differentiate between imagination and reality.
Have you ever been lost in an imaginary argument and suddenly realised you’re actually feeling angry?
That’s how powerful imagination can be.
The Core Issue
- You cannot change the past. No matter how much you think about it.
It becomes an unresolvable loop that drains your energy.
- And remember — today will become past tomorrow. You will regret wasting today, too, if you stay stuck in this loop.
Practical Strategy to Break the Cycle
- Identify the rabbit hole early: As soon as you catch yourself thinking about the past, stop.
- Ask yourself: “What can I do about it now?”
Also Read: NEET PG Strategy After Postponement: Join Mission NEET PG 2.0 Final Batch
Example:
Two years ago, I didn’t start studying like everyone else. Now I’m behind.
You can either stay stuck in that thought… or tell yourself:
- “That was the past. What can I do now?”
- “I still have 9 months, 1 year. How can I use this time wisely?”
- This forces your mind to look for solutions instead of amplifying problems.
Make It a Habit
We cannot resolve the past. The mind multiplies the problem. We need to identify this pattern early and force rational thinking by asking ourselves:
“What can I do about it now?”
- This method won’t work perfectly every day. Sometimes you’ll slip back into old habits.
- The key is to keep reminding yourself.
Over time:
- If earlier you were spending 10 hours thinking about the past, it will reduce to 2 hours, 1 hour, 30 minutes…
- One day, you won’t be troubled by your past at all; you’ll be focused on the future.
All the best.
Dr. Praveen Tripathi
Download Cerebellum NEET PG Preparation Android app
Download Cerebellum NEET PG Preparation iOS app
Download Cerebellum NEET PG Preparation iphone app
