Scofield was always known as the “strong one” in the campus. The guy who cracked jokes in the mess, helped juniors with projects, pulled all-nighters for exams, and still showed up smiling the next day. To everyone else, he looked like he had it all together. But behind closed doors, it was a different story. Some nights his mind wouldn’t stop racing, so he scrolled endlessly on his phone till sunrise. On other days, he shut himself off skipping meals, ignoring calls from home, and pretending everything was fine. It wasn’t until he attended a workshop called “What Makes Me, Me” by the IITGN counselling team that something clicked.
The counsellor spoke about the Window of Tolerance, a simple idea that explained so much of what Scofield was going through.
“Life between 16 and 28,” the counsellor said, “is often called the making years. But for many, it also feels like the breaking years. The counsellor further said, Remember how in the first year, routines felt healthier, regular meals, proper rest, time with friends? Over time, performance pressure, late-night study marathons, peer comparisons, and lack of support slowly start chipping away at that balance that nobody notices. It’s no wonder even the smallest problems can start to feel like huge burdens. ”As Scofield listened, it began to make sense. He realized it wasn’t about being weak or strong. It was about whether he was inside or outside his window. Inside it, he could handle stress, think clearly, and connect with others. Outside it, even little things felt overwhelming. For the first time, Scofield thought, “Maybe I don’t need to just survive this phase. Maybe I can actually grow through it.”
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