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Youth Mental Health Day - 18th September 2026

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Youth Mental Health Day - 18th September 2026

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Youth Mental Health Day 2026 - #BuildFutureYou - stem4

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Join us on 18th September: this year’s YMHD theme, Build Future You, aims to help young people build for the future one step at a time.

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Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG)

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Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG)

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These resources are part of the Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) offer provided by Access Training.

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What do we mean by a "Mature Apprentice"

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What do we mean by a "Mature Apprentice"

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The term "Mature apprentice" can apply to any apprentice aged 18 or over.

At Access Training we work with apprentices ranging from 18 to 60+ years old, and recognise how different the needs of each kind of learner can be.

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Overcome the Challenge of Being a Mature Student.

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Overcome the Challenge of Being a Mature Student.

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Learning to learn again

There is no magic wand to wave over this issue, unfortunately. Mature students need to accept that they will have to re-learn how to study; and that it may take some time and a lot of effort. Be patient with yourself and remember that your increased life experience and maturity give you advantages over new school leavers in other aspects of your studies.

You may also find it valuable to book onto additional study skills courses offered by your college or university to help you brush up on the areas you feel you're weakest. In the end, the ability to study effectively is a matter of practice and motivation. The mature students are generally the most highly motivated in any group, so you start with at least that advantage.

The work-life balance

The next major challenge facing mature students is balancing the requirements of study with all the other "grown up" parts of your life that 18 to 20 year olds are unlikely to be bothered with yet.

Mature students often find themselves juggling the demands of families, partners, work, etc. and can struggle to find time for classes, study and assignment writing in addition to all these things.

Affordable, high quality childcare is a problem for many; sustaining happy and fulfilling relationships is the biggest hurdle for others; most mature students have a level of commitment to people and groups outside their studies that goes way beyond that of the traditional undergraduate.

The best strategies for dealing with these issues involve seeking out the help and support of other people. As a starting point, check out the student support services offered by your institution: many offer crèche and childcare facilities, for example; professional counsellors are a ubiquitous feature of modern campuses; and chances are, your college or university will also have a mature student group or society where you can meet others in the same situation as yourself and share stories and solutions.

Your tutors and lecturers will mostly be sympathetic to your need to balance life and learning and generally appreciate only too well the difficulties you face. Don't be afraid to tell someone if you're having problems, or to ask for help or extra time if you need it.

It's not all doom & gloom

Before it sounds as though life as a mature student is all doom and gloom; it is worth reminding yourself that you in fact possess a number of qualities in greater abundance than your younger colleagues, and that you can draw on all of these to help you succeed.

As mentioned earlier, mature students tend to be more highly motivated when they enter higher education. They are returning to academic work out of a personal desire to learn and develop and not to meet someone else's expectations of them, or because they couldn't think what else to do with their lives. This means that they are engaged with their subject and make more effort to do well. A positive attitude and willingness to work always confer an advantage on a student.

Use your work experience

Mature students bring a range of transferable skills from other areas of their lives to bear on their studies. Whether you have been a full-time member of the paid workforce or managing a home and raising a family before returning to education, you will have developed aptitudes for time management, teamwork, communication and a host of other life skills that are just as important to the successful completion of your studies as exam technique or essay writing skills.

Anyone with work experience has a particular advantage in studying management and business because they can relate the theories they are taught in class to actual situations they have observed or been part of. This personal experience is a great help in developing a proper understanding of, and critical perspective on, the material under review. What's more, when you share that experience and understanding with others, you enrich their learning and understanding as well - mature students are a real boon to management classes.

Don't hold back

There is some irony here, because the biggest factor which holds mature students back in higher education is their relative lack of confidence. Although these students have so much to offer, they tend to be the most anxious and worried about their own performance, seeing their additional years as a hindrance rather than a help in academic life.

The truth is that, like students of any age, they bring a mix of strengths and complexities to the classroom, which add greatly to the learning experience of all. And with support and recognition of their particular problems and requirements, there is no reason for mature students not be every bit as successful in their studies as anyone else. Indeed, these are often the students who finish the course with the highest grades in their cohort.

The result really is worth the effort!

Further reading

One mature student in the UK writes in the Education Guardian about the trials and tribulations of being " Stuck in the middle with youth" (EducationGuardian.co.uk, June 28 2005).

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Overcome the challenge of being a mature student

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There is no magic wand to wave over this issue, unfortunately. Mature students need to accept that they will have to re-learn how to study; and that it may take some time and a lot of effort. Be patient with yourself and remember that your increased life experience and maturity give you advantages over new school leavers in other aspects of your studies.

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These are some of the subjects that you (our learners) have told us that you find difficult.

We'll always listen to you and help as much as possible.

Below is some additional reading to help with these questions.

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I Feel intimidated in social gatherings.

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I Feel intimidated in social gatherings.

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It happens. A work event. Dinner with your partner's family. A friend asks you to be their last minute plus one. We all have to go to events where we know absolutely no one.

For a person with social anxiety, I can summarize our thoughts and feelings in one simple word:
"ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!"
It's like asking someone who's afraid of heights to jump out of a plane!

The first time I attended a party with my husband, the only time I let him leave my side was when he needed the toilet. And even then, I gave him dagger eyes! I probably would've gone with him, had it not made me look like a bunny boiler! If only they knew - it wasn't possessiveness, it was anxiety.

Over the years, I've accepted that this was something I needed to manage. As a writer, I get invited to events frequently and I didn't want to keep turning them down. I needed to face the demon, so to speak.

So, here are my top survival tips for dealing with social events if you have social anxiety:

If possible, be open about your anxiety to either the host, a friend, or the person who invited you. Nothing dramatic or over the top. Just a simple text or email explaining that you experience anxiety during social situations.

This will immediately get said person on your side, and lift the weight off your shoulders.

Choose what you're going to wear at least one day in advance. It should be something that makes you feel confident, and is also comfortable.

Oh, and seriously, now is not the time to experiment with a new hairstyle or makeup look. Trust me. Unintentionally turning up as the bride of Dracula does not a good impression make!

The journey to the event is when your nerves really start to kick in. So, preempt this by reminding yourself of how brave you're being. Remind yourself that, in the long run, this experience will help to improve your social anxiety.

Also on the way there, it always helps me to have some distractions or distraction techniques on hand. For example, I've recently become re-obsessed with Angry Birds. Nothing takes my mind off my anxiety like killing those laughing green piggies!

I know, this one sounds particularly alarming! Especially when all you want to do is hide in the corner, or in the toilets.

At first, I thought approaching people would be impossible for me: A sea of faces that I didn't recognize, all deep in conversation. I could never hope to be accepted. However, I've recently started trying this tactic, and the results have been very positive.

Approach two or three people and be honest: "I'm so sorry to interrupt, it's just that I don't know anyone here and I was wondering if I could join your conversation?" It's daunting, but try and remember that people are ... well, human!

Empathy is a strong emotion, and unless they're completely bonkers - in which case, you're better off not talking to them - then they'll be glad to accept you.

This technique has worked 89 percent of the time for me this year. Yes, I like stats. The last time I tried this, a girl openly admitted: "I'm so glad you said that, I don't really know anyone, either!"

There are a few select people in my life who I know I can text if I need encouragement. For example, I'll text my best friend and say: "I'm at a party and I'm freaking out. Tell me three great things about myself."

She normally responds with something like, "You're brave, gorgeous, and bloody hilarious. Who wouldn't want to talk to you?" You'd be surprised how much positive affirmations can really help.

Once you've left and are making your way home, be sure to give yourself a symbolic pat on the back. You did something that makes you feel anxious, but you didn't let it stop you.

That's something to be proud of.
Claire Eastham is an award-winning blogger and bestselling author of We're All Mad Here. Visit her website or connect with her on Twitter.

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The Anxious Person's Guide to Going to a Party

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Social anxiety can make parties and gatherings a difficult experience. This is how to take control of the situation.

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I feel like what I do makes no difference.

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I feel like what I do makes no difference.

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Crazy rare fact that you've probably never, ever heard: You're not going to feel awesome all the time.

There are going to be days when you feel like you're dragging all kinds of ass through your morning routine, your workout and most every task you've got planned for the day - this despite your mindfulness and gratitude practice.
(Mindblowing revelation, right?)
Your nutrition, hormones, hydration, and a hundred other factors beyond your immediate control might mean that you'll be enervated no matter what you do. You'll wonder if there's even a point to putting in the effort because you feel so far away from your goals, and you'll feel like doing no-thing.

Sometimes there's nothing you can do about that feeling.

But those feelings are just feelings: they don't get to dictate your effort.

When you're tucking that behind in bed at night, you're going to think about what you did in the last twenty-four hours. If you copped out and made excuses for the goals you planned, you will feel - like - sh*t, no matter how great the excuse is! But if you used your executive function, acted in alignment with your plan and your values, and kicked the most ass you could (despite not really feeling it at the time), you will fall asleep with a sense of pride and satisfaction that totally makes up for any 'blah' you felt during the day.
(This is especially true if you end each day with a journaling session about your accomplishments!)
So next time you're grinding through the day and you're not really feeling connected to any of the goals you're working on, and you're wondering why you should even put in any effort, I want you to think about that feeling you'll fall asleep with.

Will it be a feeling of satisfaction and confidence and pride-like you're a boss-a-holic? Or will it be regret and let down?

You've gotta consider this, because the way you feel when you fall asleep dictates your morning attitude and the effort you give tomorrow.

Sure, you might have a gray day today. But if you wake up feeling disempowered, like you're on the cusp of a rut because you hid under the covers all day yesterday, then you increase your chances of having another lackluster day and another no-show. And that's what leads to more 'blah' days and a wasted life!

That's why you always have to stick with the plan, to the best of your ability.

Some days you'll feel so bad that you can't possibly get to everything you had planned; you'll need a little more down time and self care. That's fine. But you're still going to have to face yourself before bed just the same. And even if you only got to half of what you had planned, that's still a lot, and it's still your best effort-which will make you feel incredible about yourself and increase your chances of waking up with the feelings of exuberance and inspiration that will certainly lead to an ass-kicking day. (Now that's self care!)

But if you chucked away your plan and said 'eff it because you weren't feeling it, there's no excuse that will help your conscience.

If you didn't do the best you could, that's a let down. And those negative feelings could lead to a cycle of learned helplessness where you feel bad about yourself because of your effort, put in even less effort the next day, feel even worse about yourself, and on and on and on.

Bottom line: you gotta stick with your plan.

Try to do what you can to enhance your mood through your daily routines: exercise, meditate, plan for some fun stuff to break the day-be a balanced human! It's definitely better to feel awesome and work than to feel bad. It's just that sometimes you can't help feeling bad throughout the day. But you can always control how much effort you give, how well you stick with the plan, and how good you feel about yourself when you go to bed.

And when you go to bed feeling like a golden God-okay, maybe we'll settle for feeling like a champ-you're pretty much guaranteeing that you'll come out swinging tomorrow. Which is what everyone of us needs to do if we want to feel and be more successful.

Want to build up a ton of momentum to start your new year off right? Check out my coaching program and see how I can help you get exactly where you want to be!
Originally published at millennialsuccess.io

Author(s)

Performance Coach, Writer for Greatist, Fitbit.com, Mindbodygreen, and FastCompany.

Dan Dowling, here. I was the poster child for lost millennials - couldn't keep a job...addicted to relationships...constantly checking social media and email. But when I got hungry enough for success as a writer, I gave up my distracted lifestyle and adopted one daily goal that changed my life forever: Do. Your. Best. Today, five years later, I'm a productivity coach who's published on the world's biggest sites (including Entrepreneur, Fast Company and Mindbodygreen), and I'm transforming lives through the best-effort, zero-distraction lifestyle that worked so well for me. Come and and learn how to always give your best at Millennial Success!

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When You're Feeling Like Nothing You Do Makes a Difference, Just Stick to the Plan-Everything's Going to Work Out - Thrive Global

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Read on for inspiration when you feel like crawling under the covers. You've got this!!!

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Self-management skills are the ability to plan for and organise your career and take responsibility for your actions by improving your professional qualifications.
This type of skill allows you to control your thoughts, feelings and behaviour.
Typically, having excellent self-management skills means that you're an independent and self-driven professional who can work with little to no supervision because you have the ability to prioritise tasks and set goals for yourself.

text from indeed.com

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World Mental Health Day (10 Oct) is a day to talk about mental health and show everyone that mental health matters. It's also a day to let people know that it's okay to ask for help, no matter what you're going through.

As the theme of World Mental Health Day highlights, 'mental health is a universal human right'. That's why at Mental Health Foundation, we're dedicated to addressing the inequalities in mental health and working towards good mental health for all, not just for some. Read more below.

This year, over 260,000 people have had a Tea & Talk for World Mental Health Day - raising vital funds for mental health! Every donation supports our life-changing work and brings us closer to a world with good mental health for all.
Donate now

Share on social media, at work, or in your community

Join us in raising awareness about mental health on social media by following us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. Download images to share on social media or a poster to print:

Whether you wore your green ribbon to show your support, held a Tea & Talk, or got involved another way - we want to hear from you!

Share a photo of what you've been up to on Instagram and tag us at @mentalhealthfoundation.

We know that mental health is a universal human right. But despite this, some groups face more barriers to good mental health than others.

Inequalities in mental health lead to certain groups facing disproportionately higher rates of mental health issues.

This needs to be urgently addressed. And that's why we focus our research, policy & advocacy work, and programmes on the groups most affected. This includes families, young people, people with long-term health conditions, and refugees and asylum seekers.

We drive change towards a mentally healthy society for all, and support communities, families and individuals to live mentally healthier lives.

With prevention at the heart of what we do, we aim to find and address the sources of mental health problems so that people and communities can thrive.
Learn more

Talking about your mental health

1. Choose someone you trust to talk to

This might be a friend, family member or a colleague. Or you might be more comfortable talking to someone you don't know, for example, through a support helpline. It can help to do a pros and cons list about talking to someone.

2. Think about the best place to talk

It's important to choose a place where you feel comfortable enough to open-up. You might want to choose somewhere private where you're less likely to be disturbed. You also might want to talk while you do an activity, like walking together.

3. Prepare yourself for their reaction

Hopefully, you will have a good experience when you open-up to someone. But there's a chance that they may not react in the way you hope. This may be for different reasons, like they may be worried or not fully understand at first. If that's the case, try to give them time to process what you've told them. It might help to give them information to read to help them understand. And don't forget to be kind to yourself and practise self-care.

Talking to someone about their mental health

1. Find a good space to talk without distractions

If you're worried about someone, try to find a place where you know you can have a conversation without being distracted. Make sure to give them your full attention. It might help to switch off your phone.

2. Listen and ask questions

Listening can be one of the most valuable ways to be there for someone. Show them that you're actively listening by facing them, making eye contact, and not interrupting. Questions can help you clarify what they mean and also show that you're actively listening. But make sure the questions are relevant to what they're saying, and not changing the subject.

3. Ask how you can help

Ask how you can help or make suggestions, rather than telling them what to do next. They might want support with making a GP appointment, help around the house, or just for you to keep things normal and chat about what's going on in your life.

References

1. Marmot, M., Allen, J., Goldblatt, P., Boyce, T., McNeish, D., Grady, M., & Geddes, I. (2010). Fair society, healthy lives: Strategic review of health inequalities in England post 2010. Retrieved from instituteofhealthequity.org/projects/ fair-society-healthy-lives-the-marmot-review [Accessed 07/11/16].

2. Eaton, V., Ward, C., Womack, J., & Taylor, A. (2011). Mental Health and Wellbeing in Leeds: An Assessment of Need in the Adult Population. NHS Leeds.

3. Raj, D., Stansfeld, S., Weich, S., Stewart, R., McBride, O., Brugha, T., ... & Papp, M. (2016). Chapter 13: Comorbidity in mental and physical illness. In S. McManus, P. Bebbington, R. Jenkins, & T. Brugha (Eds.), Mental health and wellbeing in England: Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2014. Leeds: NHS Digital.

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We celebrate World Mental Health Day every year on 10 October. The theme for 2023 is 'Mental health is a universal human right'.

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One definition is:

"The ability to willingness to work without being told what to do"

Source: Cambridge dictionary

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One definition is.
"The capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness".
(source Oxford dictionary)

Resilience refers to both the process and the outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences.

Another definition is. Having the mental, emotional, and behavioural flexibility and ability to adjust to both internal and external demands.
(source American Psychological Association).

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Study skills are the skills you need to enable you to study and learn efficiently.
They are an important set of transferable life skills.

(source https://www.skillsyouneed.com/learn/study-skills.html)

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Explore our easy-to-follow, common sense guides to studying. For students and life-long learners our pages will help you to learn how to learn effectively.

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There are many resources available on the Mind YouTube channel.

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We’re Mind, the mental health charity. We’re fighting for better mental health – for support, for respect, for you.

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5 Ways to help someone struggling with Mental Health

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5 Ways to help someone struggling with Mental Health

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5 Ways to help someone struggling with their mental health | Mental Health Season - BBC Ideas

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One definition of integrity is:

"the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles".

Source: Oxford dictionary

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Integrity is the practice of being honest and showing a consistent and uncompromising adherence to strong moral and ethical principles and values. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one's actions. Integrity can stand in opposition to hypocrisy, in that judging with the standards of integrity involves regarding internal consistency as a virtue, and suggests that parties holding within themselves apparently conflicting values should account for the discrepancy or alter their beliefs. The word integrity evolved from the Latin adjective , meaning whole or complete. In this context, integrity is the inner sense of "wholeness" deriving from qualities such as honesty and consistency of character. As such, one may judge that others "have integrity" to the extent that they act according to the values, beliefs and principles they claim to hold.

In ethics when discussing behavior and morality, an individual is said to possess the virtue of integrity if the individual's actions are based upon an internally consistent framework of principles. These principles should uniformly adhere to sound logical axioms or postulates. One can describe a person as having ethical integrity to the extent that the individual's actions, beliefs, methods, measures and principles all derive from a single core group of values. An individual must therefore be flexible and willing to adjust these values to maintain consistency when these values are challenged-such as when an expected test result is not congruent with all observed outcomes. Because such flexibility is a form of accountability, it is regarded as a moral responsibility as well as a virtue.

An individual value system provides a framework within which the individual acts in ways which are consistent and expected. Integrity can be seen as the state or condition of having such a framework, and acting congruently within the given framework.

One essential aspect of a consistent framework is its avoidance of any unwarranted (arbitrary) exceptions for a particular person or group-especially the person or group that holds the framework. In law, this principle of universal application requires that even those in positions of official power can be subjected to the same laws as pertain to their fellow citizens. In personal ethics, this principle requires that one should not act according to any rule that one would not wish to see universally followed. For example, one should not steal unless one would want to live in a world in which everyone was a thief. The philosopher Immanuel Kant formally described the principle of universal application in his categorical imperative.

The concept of integrity implies a wholeness, a comprehensive corpus of beliefs, often referred to as a worldview. This concept of wholeness emphasizes honesty and authenticity, requiring that one act at all times in accordance with the individual's chosen worldview.

Ethical integrity is not synonymous with the good, as Zuckert and Zuckert show about Ted Bundy:

When caught, he defended his actions in terms of the fact-value distinction. He scoffed at those, like the professors from whom he learned the fact-value distinction, who still lived their lives as if there were truth-value to value claims. He thought they were fools and that he was one of the few who had the courage and integrity to live a consistent life in light of the truth that value judgments, including the command "Thou shalt not kill," are merely subjective assertions.

-  Zuckert and Zuckert, The truth about Leo Strauss: political philosophy and American democracy

Integrity is important for politicians because they are chosen, appointed, or elected to serve society. To be able to serve, politicians are given power to make, execute, or control policy. They have the power to influence something or someone. There is, however, a risk that politicians will not use this power to serve society.[citation needed ] Aristotle said that because rulers have power they will be tempted to use it for personal gain. It is important that politicians withstand this temptation, and that requires integrity.[citation needed ]

In the book The Servant of the People, Muel Kaptein describes that integrity starts with that politicians should know what their position entails, because integrity is related to their position. Integrity also demands knowledge and compliance with both the letter and the spirit of the written and unwritten rules. Integrity is also acting consistently not only with what is generally accepted as moral, what others think, but primarily with what is ethical, what politicians should do based on reasonable arguments.

Furthermore, integrity is not just about why a politician acts in a certain way, but also about who the politician is. Questions about a person's integrity cast doubt not only on their intentions but also on the source of those intentions, the person's character. So integrity is about having the right ethical virtues that become visible in a pattern of behavior.[citation needed ]

Important virtues of politicians are faithfulness, humility. and accountability. Furthermore, they should be authentic and a role model. Aristotle identified pride ( megalopsuchia, variously translated as proper pride, greatness of soul and magnanimity) as the crown of the virtues, distinguishing it from vanity, temperance, and humility.

Dworkin argues that moral principles that people hold dear are often wrong, even to the extent that certain crimes are acceptable if one's principles are skewed enough. To discover and apply these principles, courts interpret the legal data (legislation, cases etc.) with a view to articulating an interpretation that best explains and justifies past legal practice. All interpretation must follow, Dworkin argues, from the notion of " law as integrity" to make sense.

Out of the idea that law is 'interpretive' in this way, Dworkin argues that in every situation where people's legal rights are controversial, the best interpretation involves the right answer thesis, the thesis that there exists a right answer as a matter of law that the judge must discover. Dworkin opposes the notion that judges have a discretion in such difficult cases.

Dworkin's model of legal principles is also connected with Hart's notion of the Rule of Recognition. Dworkin rejects Hart's conception of a master rule in every legal system that identifies valid laws, on the basis that this would entail that the process of identifying law must be uncontroversial, whereas (Dworkin argues) people have legal rights even in cases where the correct legal outcome is open to reasonable dispute. Dworkin moves away from positivism's separation of law and morality, since constructive interpretation implicates moral judgments in every decision about what the law is.

Psychological/work-selection tests

The procedures known as "integrity tests" or (more confrontationally) as "honesty tests" aim to identify prospective employees who may hide perceived negative or derogatory aspects of their past, such as a criminal conviction, psychiatric treatment [according to whom? ] or drug abuse. Identifying unsuitable candidates can save the employer from problems that might otherwise arise during their term of employment. Integrity tests make certain assumptions, specifically:

that persons who have "low integrity" report more dishonest behaviour

that persons who have "low integrity" try to find reasons to justify such behaviour

that persons who have "low integrity" think others more likely to commit crimes-like theft, for example. (Since people seldom sincerely declare to prospective employers their past deviance, the "integrity" testers adopted an indirect approach: letting the work-candidates talk about what they think of the deviance of other people, considered in general, as a written answer demanded by the questions of the "integrity test".)

that persons who have "low integrity" exhibit impulsive behaviour

that persons who have "low integrity" tend to think that society should severely punish deviant behaviour (Specifically, "integrity tests" assume that people who have a history of deviance report within such tests that they support harsher measures applied to the deviance exhibited by other people.)

The claim that such tests can detect "fake" answers plays a crucial role in detecting people who have low integrity. Naive respondents really believe this pretense and behave accordingly, reporting some of their past deviance and their thoughts about the deviance of others, fearing that if they do not answer truthfully their untrue answers will reveal their "low integrity". These respondents believe that the more candid they are in their answers, the higher their "integrity score" will be.[clarification needed ]

Disciplines and fields with an interest in integrity include philosophy of action, philosophy of medicine, mathematics, the mind, cognition, consciousness, materials science, structural engineering, and politics. Popular psychology identifies personal integrity, professional integrity, artistic integrity, and intellectual integrity.

For example, a scientific investigation shouldn't determine the outcome in advance of the actual results. As an example of a breach of this principle, Public Health England, a UK Government agency, recently stated that they upheld a line of government policy in advance of the outcome of a study that they had commissioned.

The concept of integrity may also feature in business contexts that go beyond the issues of employee/employer honesty and ethical behavior, notably in marketing or branding contexts. The "integrity" of a brand is regarded by some as a desirable outcome for companies seeking to maintain a consistent, unambiguous position in the mind of their audience. This integrity of brand includes consistent messaging and often includes using a set of graphics standards to maintain visual integrity in marketing communications. Kaptein and Wempe have developed a theory of corporate integrity including criteria for businesses dealing with moral dilemmas.

Another use of the term, "integrity" appears in the work of Michael Jensen and Werner Erhard in their academic paper, "Integrity: A Positive Model that Incorporates the Normative Phenomenon of Morality, Ethics, and Legality". In this paper the authors explore a new model of integrity as the state of being whole and complete, unbroken, unimpaired, sound, and in perfect condition. They posit a new model of integrity that provides access to increased performance for individuals, groups, organizations, and societies. Their model "reveals the causal link between integrity and increased performance, quality of life, and value-creation for all entities, and provides access to that causal link." According to Muel Kaptein, integrity is not a one-dimensional concept. In his book he presents a multifaceted perspective of integrity. Integrity relates to, for example, compliance to the rules as well as to social expectations, with morality as well as ethics, and with actions as well as attitude.

Electronic signals are said to have integrity when there is no corruption of information between one domain and another, such as from a disk drive to a computer display. Such integrity is a fundamental principle of information assurance. Corrupted information is untrustworthy, yet uncorrupted information is of value.

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Integrity is the practice of being honest and showing a consistent and uncompromising adherence to strong moral and ethical principles and values. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one's actions.

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One definition of confidence is:

"the feeling or belief that you can have faith in or rely on someone or something".

Self-confidence would be having faith in or relying on yourself.

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The Key to Self Motivation: Stay Driven and Meet Your Goals

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Having a tough time keeping yourself motivated? These tips can help you discover and cultivate genuine self-motivation that’s true to your goals.

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Self Motivation: Staying Motivated to Reach Your Goals

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A sound, unimpaired or perfect condition.

Although the definition is sound, it can be a bit more complex to define integrity in our everyday lives.

You could say that integrity is always doing the right thing, even when no one is looking, and even when the choice isn't easy. Or, you might see integrity as staying true to yourself and your word, even when you're faced with serious consequences for the choices that you're making.

Alternatively, look at the second and third of these definitions. These were likely meant for structures, such as the integrity of a building. But we can just as easily apply this definition to ourselves. When we have integrity, we're whole and in perfect condition, and we're not compromised by awkward "inconsistencies."

When we live our lives with integrity, it means that we're always honest, and we let our actions speak for who we are and what we believe in. Integrity is a choice we make, and it's a choice we must keep making, every moment of our lives.

Why Is Integrity Important?

There are several reasons why integrity is so important.

First, living a life of integrity means that we never have to spend time or energy questioning ourselves. When we listen to our hearts and do the right thing, life becomes simple. Our life, and our actions, are open for everyone to see, and we don't have to worry about hiding anything.

When we have integrity, we gain the trust of our leaders, our colleagues and our team. We're dependable, and, when we hold ourselves accountable for our actions, we become role models for others to follow.

All of this, in turn, directly impacts our success in life. People who live and work with integrity are more likely to be considered for promotions. Why? Because integrity is a hallmark of ethical leadership - organizations want leaders that they can trust, and when you demonstrate integrity, you show everyone you can be trusted.

How to Develop and Preserve Integrity

Your integrity is what determines your reputation, and, just as this proverb states, all it can take is a single bad choice to destroy a lifetime's worth of integrity.

So, how can you work on developing and preserving your own integrity?

Step 1: Define Your Values

You can't live by values if you don't know what you truly believe in. So, start by defining your core values. These are the values that, no matter what the consequence, you're not going to compromise on.

Step 2: Analyze Every Choice You Make

Often, people cut corners or make bad choices when they think no one is watching. Having integrity means that, no matter what, you make the right choice - especially when no one is watching!

You'll usually know what's right and wrong, although sometimes you might need some quiet time to figure it out. If you're not sure what the right choice is, ask yourself these two questions:

1. "If my choice was printed on the front page of the newspaper for everyone to see, would I feel OK about it?"

2. "If I make this choice, will I feel OK with myself afterward?"

Remember, honesty and integrity aren't values that you should live by when it's convenient; they're values that you should live by all the time. This includes the big choices and the little choices - the choices everyone sees, and the choices that no one sees.

Step 3: Encourage Integrity

People with integrity often have the same characteristics: they're humble, they have a strong sense of self, they have high self-esteem, and they're self-confident. These characteristics are important, because, sometimes, you'll be under intense pressure from others to make the wrong choice.

Work on building and improving these characteristics within yourself, so that you have the strength and courage to do the right thing when the time comes. Build your self-confidence and self-esteem. Spend time getting to know yourself, and what you believe in. Develop friendships and work relationships with others who demonstrate integrity, and who will support your decisions.

Further Tips:

Learn how to be assertive, so that you can defend an ethical position from an adult point of view, without whining or being aggressive.

Avoid white lies. They may seem harmless, but tiny lies are still lies. Always tell the truth.

Learn to take responsibility for your actions. If you make a mistake, own up to it immediately and do whatever it takes to right the situation.

Keep your word, and don't make promises that you know you can't keep.

Keep in mind that in times of fear, disaster and chaos, the temptation is even greater to make a wrong choice. Use these opportunities to demonstrate your true character.

Avoid seeming self-satisfied or priggish when you're acting with integrity: stay humble and down-to-earth, don't look for approval, and, where you sensibly can, try to let people save face.

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How to Preserve Your Integrity - Consistently Making the Right Choices

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Integrity means sticking by your morals, being honest and making the right, ethical decisions. Discover how you can keep this essential trait intact.

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One definition of Thoughtfulness is:

"consideration for the needs of other people".

source: Oxford dictionary

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How to build confidence: 5 tips for being more confident - FutureLearn

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We explore what confidence means, why it’s important, and how you can build confidence in your daily life.…

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Self-motivation is, in its simplest form, the force that drives you to do things.

The topic of self-motivation, however, is far from simple. People can be motivated by many things, both internal and external, such as desire to do something, love of someone, or need for money. Usually, motivation is a result of several factors.

The ability to motivate yourself-self-motivation-is an important skill. Self-motivation drives people to keep going even in the face of set-backs, to take up opportunities, and to show commitment to what they want to achieve.

This page explains more about this essential area, part of emotional intelligence.

What is Motivation?
Motivation is what pushes us to achieve our goals, feel more fulfilled and improve our overall quality of life.

Understanding and developing your self-motivation can help you to take control of many other aspects of your life.

Motivation is one of the three areas of personal skills that are integral to the concept of emotional intelligence.

Daniel Goleman, the author of several seminal books on Emotional Intelligence, identified four elements that make up motivation:

Personal drive to achieve, the desire to improve or to meet certain standards;

Commitment to personal or organisational goals;

Initiative, which he defined as 'readiness to act on opportunities'; and

Optimism, the ability to keep going and pursue goals in the face of setbacks. This is also known as resilience.

To improve self-motivation, it is therefore helpful to understand more about these individual elements.

The Elements of Self-Motivation

1. Personal drive to achieve

You could think of a personal drive to achieve as ambition, or perhaps personal empowerment. However, it is also worth thinking about it in terms of mindset.
There are two types of mindset, fixed and growth.

Those with a fixed mindset believe that talent is ingrained, and that we cannot change our level of ability.

Those with a growth mindset believe that they can improve their skills through hard work and effort.

Research shows that those who believe that they can improve-that is, who have a growth mindset -are far more likely to achieve in whatever sphere they choose. A growth mindset is therefore an important element in a personal drive to succeed.

For more about this, see our page on Mindsets.

Other elements of personal drive include being organised, particularly being good at time management, and avoiding distractions.

2. Commitment to goals
There is considerable evidence, even if much of it is anecdotal, that goal-setting is important to our general well-being. If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.
Albert Einstein
You should set goals beyond your reach so you always have something to live for.
Ted Turner
The greater danger for most of us isn't that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.
Michelangelo

It certainly makes sense that ' if you aim at nothing, it is easy to achieve it', and that most of us need something in our lives to aim towards. Having an awareness of where you wish to be, and an understanding of how you plan to get there, is a vital part of staying motivated.

For more about how to set good goals, see our page on Setting Personal Goals.

3. Initiative
Initiative is, effectively, the ability to take advantage of opportunities when they occur.
It is all too easy to hesitate, and then the opportunity may be gone. However, the old sayings ' look before you leap' and ' fools rush in where angels fear to tread' have a lot of truth in them. It is also important to think things through and ensure that you are making the right decision for you.
Initiative can therefore be considered as a combination of courage and good risk management:

Risk management is necessary to ensure that you identify the right opportunities to consider, and that they have the appropriate level of risk for you; and

Courage is necessary to overcome the fear of the unknown inherent in new opportunities.

4. Optimism or resilience
Optimism is the ability to look on the bright side, or think positively. Resilience is the ability to 'bounce back' after a setback, or keep positive in the face of challenges. The two are closely related, although not exactly the same.
Resilient people use their ability to think as a way to manage negative emotional responses to events. In other words, they use positive or rational thinking to examine, and if necessary, overcome reactions that they understand may not be entirely logical. They are also prepared to ask for help if necessary-as well as to offer their own help generously to others in need.

Types of Motivators: Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivators
In thinking about self-motivation, it is helpful to understand what motivates you to do things.
There are two main types of motivators: 'intrinsic' and 'extrinsic'.

In their simplest form you can think about these two types of motivation as:

A more detailed definition is:

Intrinsic: To perform an action or task based on the expected or perceived satisfaction of performing the action or task. Intrinsic motivators include having fun, being interested and personal challenge.

Extrinsic: To perform an action or task in order to attain some sort of external reward, including money, power and good marks or grades.

Different people are motivated by different things and at different times in their lives. The same task may have more intrinsic motivators at certain times and more extrinsic motivators at others, and most tasks have a combination of the two types of motivation.

Example:

John works because he has to pay his mortgage and feed himself and his family. He gets no satisfaction from his job and there is no chance of promotion. John's motivators are purely extrinsic.

Sally works because she loves what she does, she gets enormous satisfaction and self-fulfilment from her work. Sally has enough money put away that she does not need to work, she owns her house outright and can afford to buy what she wants when she wants it. Sally's motivators are purely intrinsic.

Clearly Sally and John are at different ends of the self-motivation spectrum. Most people, however, fall somewhere in the middle.

Most people do have to work in order to earn money, but at the same time they also find their day-to-day work life rewarding or satisfying in other intrinsic ways-job satisfaction and the chance to socialise with colleagues, for example.

We all have a tendency to work better when we love what we are doing.
It's easier to get out of bed in the morning, we are happier in our work, and happier in general.
Research shows that this is particularly important when we're under stress. It's much easier to cope with stress and long hours if we generally enjoy the work. Intrinsic motivators therefore plays a big part in self-motivation for most of us.

The Importance of Obligation
What about if a task has neither intrinsic nor extrinsic motivators?
The obvious conclusion is that we are unlikely to do it, because it will be pointless.

We all know it doesn't always work like that. There is a further issue: feelings of obligation.

Obligation motivators are not strictly either intrinsic or extrinsic but can still be very powerful. Obligation comes from our personal ethics and sense of duty, what is right and what is wrong.

For more about this, you may want to read our page about Goodness: learning to use your 'moral compass'.

You may feel obliged to go to a party because you were invited by somebody you know - there will be no obvious extrinsic or intrinsic benefit to you attending but you may worry that you will offend or upset your friend if you don't go. You are more likely to enjoy the party, however, if you go with a positive and open attitude, expecting it to be fun. This adds an intrinsic motivator: fun and enjoyment.

Further Reading from Skills You Need
The Skills You Need Guide to Personal Development
Learn how to set yourself effective personal goals and find the motivation you need to achieve them. This is the essence of personal development, a set of skills designed to help you reach your full potential, at work, in study and in your personal life.

The second edition of or bestselling eBook is ideal for anyone who wants to improve their skills and learning potential, and it is full of easy-to-follow, practical information.

One Step at a Time...
Becoming self-motivated, or even just improving your self-motivation a little, will not happen overnight.
There are many skills involved, and you cannot expect to develop them all instantly. However, a better understanding of the elements of motivation, and particularly how they fit together, should help to increase your skills. Just remember, Rome was not built in a day: think about making progress over a long period of time and in small steps.

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Self-motivation is, in its simplest form, the force that drives you to do things. Learn how to develop this essential skill, and the main types of motivators.

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Confidence is a feeling of trust in your abilities, qualities, and judgment. The American Psychological Association defines self-confidence as "a belief that one is capable of successfully meeting the demands of a task."

It can refer to a general sense of trust in your ability to control your life, or it might be more situation specific. For example, you might have high self-confidence in a particular area of expertise but feel less confident in other areas. Research suggests that confidence is important to health and psychological well-being.

Having a healthy level of self-confidence can help you become more successful in your personal and professional life. Research has found, for example, that more confident people tend to achieve more academically. Your level of confidence even affects how you present yourself to others.

Ways to Be More Confident

Fortunately, there are several ways you can increase your self-confidence. Whether you lack confidence in one specific area or struggle to feel confident about anything, these nine tips can help you be more confident.

Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

Do you compare how you look to people you follow on Instagram? Or maybe you compare your salary to what your friend earns. Social comparison theory explains that making comparisons is natural. But it isn't likely to help boost your self-confidence. It may even have the opposite effect.

A 2018 study published in Personality and Individual Differences found a direct link between envy and the way we feel about ourselves. Specifically, researchers noted that when people compare themselves to others, they experience envy. And the more envy they have, the worse they feel about themselves.

How do you build self-confidence when you notice that you are drawing comparisons? First, remind yourself that doing so isn't helpful. Everyone is running their own race and life isn't a competition.

If you're feeling envious of someone else's life, it's also helpful to remember your own strengths and successes. Keep a gratitude journal to better recall the areas in life where you are blessed. This can help you focus on your own life versus focusing on the lives of others.

Surround Yourself With Positive People

Take a moment and think about how your friends make you feel. Do they lift you up, or do they bring you down? Are they constantly judging you, or do they accept you for who you are?

The people you spend time with can influence your thoughts and attitudes about yourself, perhaps more than you realize. So, pay attention to how others make you feel. If you feel bad about yourself after hanging out with a particular person, it may be time to say goodbye.

Instead, surround yourself with people who love you and want the best for you. Seek out others who are positive and can help build your confidence. Self-confidence and a positive attitude go hand-in-hand.

Take Care of Your Body

This tip for how to be more confident is based on the idea that it's hard to feel good about yourself if you're abusing your body. When you practice self-care, you know you're doing something positive for your mind, body, and spirit-and you'll naturally feel more confident as a result.

Here are a few self-care practices linked to higher levels of self-confidence:

Diet: Healthy eating comes with many benefits, including higher levels of confidence and self-esteem. When you fuel your body with nutrient-dense foods, you feel healthier, stronger, and more energized, which can result in feeling better about yourself.

Exercise: Studies consistently show that physical exercise boosts self-confidence. For instance, a 2016 study found that regular physical activity improved participants' body image. And when their body image improved, they felt more confident.

Meditation:More than just a relaxation practice, meditation can help boost self-confidence in several ways. For one, it helps you to recognize and accept yourself. Meditation also teaches you to stop negative self-talk and disconnect from unhelpful mental chatter interfering with your confidence.

Sleep: Skimping on sleep can take a toll on your emotions. Conversely, good-quality sleep has been linked with positive personality traits, including optimism and self-esteem.

Be Kind to Yourself

Self-compassion involves treating yourself with kindness when you make a mistake, fail, or experience a setback. It allows you to become more emotionally flexible and helps you better navigate challenging emotions, enhancing your connection to yourself and others.

A 2015 study connects self-compassion with self-confidence. So the next time you're in a challenging situation, recognize that being imperfect or falling short at times is a part of being human. Do your best to navigate these experiences with compassion toward yourself.

Practice Positive Self-Talk

Negative self-talk can limit your abilities and lessen your self-confidence by convincing your subconscious that you "can't handle" something or that it is "too hard" and you "shouldn't even try." Self-talk that is optimistic, on the other hand, can foster self-compassion and help you overcome self-doubt and take on new challenges.

The next time you begin to think that you have no business speaking up in a meeting or that you are too out of shape to work out, remind yourself that your thoughts aren't always accurate. Then find a way to turn those thoughts around into more positive self-talk.

Here are a few examples of ways to challenge pessimistic self-talk and reframe your thoughts into a more positive way of thinking, increasing your self-confidence along the way:

"I can't handle this" or "This is impossible" becomes "I can do this" or "All I have to do is try."

"I can't do anything right" becomes "I can do better next time" or "At least I learned something."

"I hate public speaking" becomes "I don't like public speaking" and "Everyone has strengths and weaknesses."

Face Your Fears

Stop putting things off until you feel more self-confident-like asking someone on a date or applying for a promotion. One of the best ways to build your confidence in these situations is by facing your fears head-on.

Practice facing some of your fears that stem from a lack of self-confidence. If you're afraid you'll embarrass yourself or think that you're going to mess up, try anyway. A little self-doubt can even help improve performance. Tell yourself it's just an experiment and see what happens.

You might learn that being a little anxious or making a few mistakes isn't as bad as you thought. And each time you move forward, you gain more confidence in yourself. In the end, this can help prevent you from taking risks that will result in major negative consequences.

Do Things You're Good At

What happens when you do things that you are good at? Your self-confidence starts to soar. Your strengths become even stronger, which helps improve your belief in yourself. Taking this approach also has another benefit: it can increase how satisfied you are with your life.

One study found that believing in your ability to build on your personal strengths is moderately related to life satisfaction levels. This starts with identifying what those strengths are. Then, work to make them stronger by engaging with them regularly.

If you're good at a certain sport, for instance, make it a point to train or play at least once a week. If you're good at a particular task at work, try to do that task more often. Building on your strengths can also help you build your self-confidence.

Know When to Say No

While doing things you're good at can give your self-confidence a boost, it's equally important to recognize situations that can cause your confidence to plummet. Maybe you find that every time you participate in a certain activity, you feel worse about yourself instead of better.

Saying no to activities that tend to zap your self-confidence is okay. Certainly, you don't want to avoid doing anything that makes you feel uncomfortable because discomfort is often part of the personal growth process. At the same time, there's nothing wrong with knowing your boundaries and sticking to them.

Setting social and emotional boundaries enables you to feel safer psychologically. It can also help you feel more in control. Self-confidence is, in part, feeling like you have control over your life. Boundaries help establish this feeling of control.

The next time someone suggests doing something that you know will lower your self-confidence, respectfully decline. You don't have to avoid that activity forever either. Once you learn how to be more confident, you may feel strong enough to try it again-without hurting the confidence you have in yourself.

Set Realistic Goals

Pursuing your goals often involves failing several times until you figure out what works. This can make you wonder if you have what it takes to succeed. It can also leave you questioning how to be more confident while still achieving your dreams. The answer lies in setting realistic goals.

Setting high-reaching goals and failing to achieve them has been found to damage confidence levels. Conversely, realistic goals are achievable. And the more you achieve your goals, the greater your confidence in yourself and your abilities.

To set realistic goals, write down what you want to achieve. Next, ask yourself what chance you have of attaining it. (Be honest!) If the answer is slim to none, the goal may be a bit too lofty. Dial it back so it is more realistic and more achievable.

This may require doing a bit of research on your part. For instance, if you have a goal to lose weight, experts recommend losing one to two pounds per week for healthy, long-term weight loss. Knowing this helps you set a goal in line with this guideline, boosting your self-confidence when you hit it.

Press Play for Advice on Confidence

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Confidence vs. Insecurity

When learning how to be more confident, it can be helpful to understand how someone with self-confidence is different from someone who is more insecure. Here are just some of the differences between the two.

Benefits of Confidence

Being confident in yourself just feels good. That said, having self-confidence can also bring many additional benefits at home, at work, and within your relationships. Here's a look at a few of the positive effects of learning how to be confident:

Better performance: Rather than waste time and energy worrying that you aren't good enough, you can devote your energy to your efforts. Ultimately, you'll perform better when you have more self-confidence.

Healthier relationships: Having self-confidence not only impacts how you feel about yourself, but it helps you better understand and love others. It also gives you the strength to walk away from a relationship if you're not getting what you want or deserve.

Openness to try new things: When you believe in yourself, you're more willing to try new things. Whether you apply for a promotion or sign up for a cooking class, putting yourself out there is a lot easier when you have confidence in yourself and your abilities.

Resilience: Believing in yourself can enhance your resilience or ability to bounce back from any challenges or adversities you face in life.

Recap

A Word From Verywell

Everyone struggles with confidence issues at one time or another. Fortunately, there are several things that you can do to boost self-confidence. In many cases, learning how to act confident can actually help you feel more confident.

Sometimes low self-confidence is a sign of a mental health condition such as depression or anxiety. If your self-confidence interferes with your work, social life, or education, consider talking to a mental health professional. A therapist can help you better understand the issue, recommend treatment, and work with you to develop skills to build your self-confidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

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How to Be More Confident: 9 Tips That Work

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Confidence is important for mental well-being and can boost resilience and motivation while lowering anxiety. Here are nine tips for how to be more confident.

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Who needs Tony Robbins when you can motivate yourself? Overcoming the emotional hurdle to getting stuff done when you'd rather sit on the couch isn't always easy. But unless calling in sick and waking up at noon has no consequences for you, it's often a must.

For those of you who never procrastinate, distract yourself or drag your feet when you should be doing something important, well done so far! But for the rest of you, it's good to have a library of motivational boosters to move along.

Passion, habits, and a flow-producing environment can fail despite your best efforts. In that case, it's time to find whatever emotional pump-up you can use to get started. Whether you're starting a business, trying to lose weight, or breaking a bad habit, learning self motivation is important for success.

Ways to Work Towards Self Motivation

Here are the top twenty-five techniques of learning that you can motivate yourself down the road to success.

1. Go Back to "Why"

Focusing on a dull task doesn't make it any more attractive. Zooming out and asking yourself why you are bothering in the first place will make it more appealing.

If you can't figure out why, then there's a good chance you shouldn't bother with it in the first place.

2. Adopt Five Minutes Strategy

Instead of exhausting yourself with work all at once, you can work towards your goals by adopting a five minutes strategy.

Start working for five minutes, then take a short break. Often that little push will be enough to get you going.

3. Move Around

Exercise brings levels of mental clarity like nothing else. If you can't go to the gym, follow home workout videos on YouTube or stream fitness classes on apps like Peloton. If you prefer doing cardio outdoors, go for a run.

To build muscle, buy a pull-up bar or kettle bells and get to work. If you have bad joints, go for a swim in your nearest lake or ocean.

The bottom line is that there are so many fun ways to stay in shape and get endorphins flowing, and it can help you learn how to increase motivation.

Get your body moving as if you were extremely motivated to do something. This 'faking it' approach to motivation may seem silly or crude, but it works.

4. Find the Next Step

If it seems impossible to work on a project for you, you can try to focus on the next immediate step.

Fighting an amorphous blob of work will only cause procrastination. Chunk it up so that it becomes manageable. Learn how to stop procrastinating in this guide.

5. Find Your Itch

What is keeping you from working? Don't let the itch continue without isolating it and removing the problem.

Are you unmotivated because you feel overwhelmed, tired, afraid, restless, or angry? Maybe it is because you aren't sure you have time or you haven't finished your delegated tasks yet.

6. Deconstruct Your Fears

I'm sure you don't have a phobia about getting stuff done. At the same time, hidden fears or anxieties can keep you from getting real work completed.

Isolate the unknowns and make yourself confident; you can handle the worst-case scenario.

7. Reframe Your Questions

Let's say a problem that seems impossible to solve has you demotivated. Then, you can invest a lot of time upfront to frame the right questions.

In the Tribe of Mentors, author Timothy Ferriss encourages his readers to ask, "How would it look if this [endeavor, goal, etc.] were easy?"

In The One Thing, author Gary Keller suggests you ask yourself, "What is one thing I can do that would make everything else less important or unnecessary?"

Think about the problem you want to solve and ensure you ask the right questions. Also, consider if you have assumptions baked into your line of thinking. Remember: it's always better to ask (the right) questions than to assume. These methods can turn a frustrating problem into an inspiring solution.

8. Get a Partner

Find someone who will motivate you when you're feeling lazy. I have a friend I go to the gym with. Besides spotting weight, having a friend can help motivate you to work hard when you'd normally quit.

9. Kickstart Your Day

Plan out tomorrow. Get up early and place all the important things early in the morning. Building momentum early in the day can usually carry you forward far later.

Having a morning routine is a good idea for you to stay motivated!

10. Read Books

Read, not just for self-help or motivational books but, any book with new ideas. New ideas get your mental gears turning and can build motivation. Here are more reasons to read every day.

Learning new ideas puts your brain in motion, requiring less time to speed up your tasks.

11. Get the Right Tools

Your environment can have a profound effect on your enthusiasm. Computers that are too slow, inefficient applications, or a vehicle that breaks down constantly can kill your motivation.

Building motivation is almost as important as avoiding the traps that can stop it. The free Worksheet For Instant Motivation Boost is a useful tool to help you clear your mind and regain motivation.

12. Be Careful with the Small Problems

The worst motivation killer is facing a seemingly small problem that creates endless frustration. Reframe little problems that must be fixed as bigger ones, or they will kill any drive you have.

13. Develop a Mantra

Find a few statements that focus your mind and motivate you. It doesn't matter whether you pulled them from a tacky motivational poster or just a few words to tell you what to do.

If you aren't sure where to start, a good personal mantra is "Do it now!" You can find more here too: 7 Empowering Affirmations That Will Help You Be Mentally Strong

14. Build on Success

Success creates success.

When you've just won, it is easy to feel motivated about almost anything. Emotions tend not to be situation specific, so a small win, whether a compliment from a colleague or finishing two-thirds of your tasks before noon, can turn you into a juggernaut.

There are many ways you can place small successes earlier on to spur motivation later. Structuring your to-do lists, placing straightforward tasks such as exercising early in the day, or giving yourself an affirmation can do the trick.

15. Put Some Motivation in Your Ear

If you're stuck in a slump, I've found that all it takes is one rousing speech to change your mindset. Changing your mindset is a great way to learn how to increase motivation.

The right motivational content at the right time can transform your attitude. Pop in your headphones, and do a Google search for "motivation." There are thousands of speeches on YouTube, even mega-mixes of motivational speakers like Joel Osteen, Wayne Dyer, Les Brown, etc.

Here is a motivational talk that you can check out to improve your self-motivation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqknb0S7ctk
16. Give Back to Others

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." -Mahatma Gandhi

When you're hurting, the best thing you can do for yourself is to help others. It's counterintuitive, but it's true.

Focusing externally on making a difference in the lives of others provides you immense satisfaction, which can also improve motivation. These acts of service make your problems look and feel smaller. Most importantly, you feel more empowered to overcome any challenges you face.

17. Call Your Most Positive Friend

We've all heard the adage, "You are the sum of your five closest friends." It's true because what our peers say, affects us.

If you suffer from negative family members or peers, their cynicism will slowly infect you. Instead, drown them out. If your mother is pessimist-in-chief, tell her you love her, and then draw some boundaries. Spend more time with people that are always searching for the silver lining.

It doesn't matter if it's your best friend or that acquaintance you haven't spoken to since high school. If you don't have anyone like that in your community, join Facebook or LinkedIn Groups for positive thinkers. Attend a virtual Meetup of like-minded individuals. Don't overlook the importance of your inner circle as you learn how to improve motivation.

18. Find Your Creative Side

Creativity is an essential skill and will gain more importance in the future. It's one of the few things that can't be automated, outsourced, or offshored.

Have you ever wanted to write poetry, play an instrument, or paint? Stop talking about it and start doing it. Pull out a piece of paper, buy a starter kit online, and unleash your artistic side to break through your slump.

19. Listen to Music That Moves You

There's never been a better time to go deeper into your favorite music genres or branch out and explore something new. Start with a "Best of" list, like the Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Use websites like SoundCloud and Spotify's Discover feature for finding new artists. Most importantly, they can help you get out of a funk and back to being productive as you learn how to increase motivation. Achieving your goal will feel much easier with inspirational music in the background.

20. Start a Gratitude Journal

"The struggle ends when gratitude begins." -Neale Donald Walsch

Let's take some lessons from the horrible pandemic-a simple but profound one: just appreciate everything we have.

It wasn't our first crisis, and it won't be the last, so let's take heart in gratitude for the simple pleasures in life. Appreciate that satisfying meal, the roof over your head, loving friends, and family.

It's easy to fall into the cycle of wanting more. Instead, build the habit of writing down three things you're grateful for in your journal every day. You don't need to list a million items. Instead, go deep into why you cherish a few people and things that mean the most to you.

21. Cherish Past Victories

Most people don't chase their dreams because of fear. They don't think they have what it takes-talent, resources, connections-to accomplish their goals. The best antidote is to relive your own victory story.

Think back to a time when you did something you previously hadn't thought possible. Maybe you earned a promotion, got an A in a class, or traveled solo. If it's been a while since you stepped out of your comfort zone, go back to your childhood.

Remember how you learned to ride a bike when you were scared, made a new friend, or asked someone out even though you were shy? We've all overcome fear in the past, so keep it in your mind as you learn how to improve your motivation each day.

22. Jot Great Ideas Down

You likely have dozens of great ideas each day, but life is a constant stream of distractions. We often forget about these ideas before we can give them a second thought or use them to create measurable goals.

Many comedians and artists get their best ideas in random moments-on the bus or waiting in line at the store. When a motivating idea or thought enters your mind, or you hear it outside, write it down immediately. This way, you can refer to and build on them later, rather than let them fall into the quicksand of time.

23. Disable the Distractions

The average person gets interrupted once every 8 minutes. It's no wonder that people struggle to stay focused.

Put your phone on do-not-disturb, or shut it off completely. Do the same for your desktop apps like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or email. If you're in a noisy environment, get noise-canceling headphones or earplugs. Follow the Pomodoro Method and set a timer for 25 minutes.

By reducing distractions and scheduling regular breaks, you will find yourself getting more done and going deeper into your work. You'll thus get better results, creating a virtuous cycle of motivation.

24. Learn From History

If you're unsure how to become your best version, follow those who inspire you. Maybe your idol is a parent or mentor-ask them about their past and discover how they grew into who they are today. Investigate the lives of famous people and find where their success left clues. Start with biographies or autobiographies.

Finding inspiration will help you learn how to increase motivation in the long run.

25. Just Breathe

The most important part of your daily morning routine should be meditation. You're probably familiar with some of the benefits of mindfulness, such as feeling calmer and better able to handle stress by reducing negative thoughts. Through consistent practice, I also improved my mental clarity and focus.

We all have a "monkey mind" that's always on the move, like a monkey swinging from branch to branch. All of life's distractions consume our thoughts, even when it's unproductive.

By meditating, we can consciously choose which thoughts to interact with. This practice gives you the mental space to operate at peak motivation and inspiration.

Final Thoughts

With all these tips I've shared, now you know what to do when you're feeling unmotivated.

Find your passion and develop a positive mantra so that when the next time negativity hits you again, you know how to stay positive and motivated!

Featured photo credit: Pexels via pexels.com

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How to Motivate Yourself: 25 Ways to Increase Motivation - LifeHack

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Who needs Tony Robbins when you can motivate yourself? Overcoming the emotional hurdle to getting stuff done when you'd rather sit on the couch isn't always easy. But unless calling in sick and waking up at noon has no consequences for you, it's often a must.

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In this section are resources to help you to understand the following topics:

Integrity

Self Motivation

Self Management

Confidence

Resilience

Thoughtfulness

Mental Health

Things You Have Told Us

Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar (SPaG)

Study Skills

Support for Mature Apprentices

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Resilience is the ability to cope with and recover from setbacks. People who remain calm in the face of disaster have resilience.

A resilient person is someone who has strong coping skills and is able to marshall their available resources, ask for help when needed, and find ways to manage the situation they are facing. People with psychological resilience are able to use their skills and strengths to respond to life's challenges, which can include those related to:

Instead of falling into despair or hiding from issues by using unhealthy coping strategies, resilient people face life's difficulties head-on.

People with resilience do not experience less distress, grief, or anxiety than other people do. Instead, they use healthy coping skills to handle such difficulties in ways that foster strength and growth, often emerging stronger than they were before.

This article discusses the signs, types, and causes of resilience. It also covers some of the strategies that people can use to become more resilient.

Signs of Resilience

Resilient people often have a number of different characteristics that help them weather life's challenges. Some of the signs of resilience include:

A survivor mentality: When people are resilient, they view themselves as survivors. They know that even when things are difficult, they can keep going until they make it through.

Effective emotional regulation: Resilience is marked by an ability to manage emotions in the face of stress. This doesn't mean that resilient people don't experience strong emotions such as anger, sadness, or fear. It means that they recognize those feelings are temporary and can be managed until they pass.

Feeling in control: Resilient people tend to have a strong internal locus of control and feel that their actions can play a part in determining the outcome of events.

Problem-solving skills: When problems arise, resilient people look at the situation rationally and try to come up with solutions that will make a difference.

Self-compassion: Another sign of resilience is showing self-acceptance and self-compassion. Resilient people treat themselves with kindness, especially when things are hard.

Social support: Having a solid network of supportive people is another sign of resilience. Resilient people recognize the importance of support and knowing when they need to ask for help.

Recap

Signs of resilience include the ability to regulate emotions, a sense of confidence and control, effective coping skills, and leaning on social support when needed.

Types of Resilience

Resilience represents an ability to handle life's setbacks and is an overall representation of adaptability. However, there are also different types of resilience, each of which can influence a person's ability to cope with various forms of stress.

Physical Resilience

Physical resilience refers to how the body deals with change and recovers from physical demands, illnesses, and injuries. Research suggests that this type of resilience plays an important role in health. It affects how people age as well as how they respond and recover from physical stress and medical issues.

Physical resilience is something that people can improve-to a certain extent-by making healthy lifestyle choices. Getting enough sleep, eating a nutritious diet, and engaging in regular exercise are just a few ways to strengthen this type of resilience.

Mental Resilience

Mental resilience refers to a person's ability to adapt to change and uncertainty. People who possess this type of resilience are flexible and calm during times of crisis. They use mental strength to solve problems, move forward, and remain hopeful even when they are facing setbacks.

Emotional Resilience

Emotional resilience involves being able to regulate emotions during times of stress. Resilient people are aware of their emotional reactions and tend to be in touch with their inner life. Because of this, they are also able to calm their mind and manage their emotions when they are dealing with negative experiences.

This type of resilience also helps people maintain a sense of optimism when times are tough. Because they are emotionally resilient, they understand that adversity and difficult emotions won't last forever.

Social Resilience

Social resilience, which may also be called community resilience, involves the ability of groups to recover from difficult situations. It involves people connecting with others and working together to solve problems that affect people both individually and collectively.

Aspects of social resilience include coming together after disasters, supporting each other socially, becoming aware of the risks that the community faces, and building a sense of community. Such responses can be important during challenges such as natural disasters that affect communities or large groups of people.

What are the four types of resilience?

Resilience can come in different forms. The four main types of resilience are physical resilience, mental resilience, emotional resilience, and social resilience.

Causes of Resilience

Some people are naturally resilient, with personality traits that help them remain unflappable in the face of challenge. However, these behaviors are not just inborn traits found in a select few. Resilience is the result of a complex series of internal and external characteristics, including genetics, physical fitness, mental health, and environment.

Social support is another critical variable that contributes to resilience. Mentally strong people tend to have the support of family and friends to help bolster them up in times of trouble.

Resilient people also tend to have characteristics like:

Being a good communicator

Having an internal locus of control

Having high emotional intelligence and managing emotions effectively

Holding positive views of themselves and their abilities

Possessing the capacity to make realistic plans and stick to them

Viewing themselves as fighters rather than victims of circumstance

Impact of Resilience

Resilience is what gives people the psychological strength to cope with stress and hardship. It is the mental reservoir of strength that people are able to call on in times of need to carry them through without falling apart. Psychologists believe that resilient individuals are better able to handle adversity and rebuild their lives after a struggle.

Dealing with change or loss is an inevitable part of life. At some point, everyone experiences varying degrees of setbacks. Some of these challenges might be relatively minor (not getting into a class or being turned down for a promotion at work), while others are disastrous on a much larger scale (hurricanes and terrorist attacks).

Those who lack resilience may become overwhelmed by such experiences. They may dwell on problems and use unhelpful coping mechanisms to deal with them.

Disappointment or failure might drive them to unhealthy, destructive, or even dangerous behaviors. These individuals are slower to recover from setbacks and may experience more psychological distress as a result.

How people deal with these problems can play a significant role in not only the immediate outcome but also the long-term psychological consequences.

Resilience does not eliminate stress or erase life's difficulties. People who possess this quality don't see life through rose-colored lenses. They understand that setbacks happen and that sometimes life is hard and painful. They still experience the negative emotions that come after a tragedy, but their mental outlook allows them to work through these feelings and recover.

Resilience gives people the strength to tackle problems head-on, overcome adversity, and move on with their lives. In the wake of large-scale traumas such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals demonstrated the behaviors that typify resilience-and they experienced fewer symptoms of depression as a result.

Even in the face of events that seem utterly unimaginable, resilience allows people to marshal the strength to not just survive but to prosper.

How to Become More Resilient

Fortunately, resilience is something that people can build in themselves. Parents can also help their children become resilient. There are distinct steps that can lead to greater resilience.

Reframe Negative Thoughts

Resilient people are able to look at negative situations realistically, but in a way that doesn't center on blame or brooding over what cannot be changed. Instead of viewing adversity as insurmountable, reframe thoughts to look for small ways to tackle the problem and make changes that will help.

Focusing on the positive things you can do is a great way to get out of a negative mindset.

This approach can also be used to help children learn how to better cope with challenges. Encourage them to think about challenges in more positive, hopeful ways. This way, instead of getting stuck in a loop of negative emotions, a child can learn to see these events as opportunities to challenge themselves and develop new skills.

Seek Support

Talking about life's difficulties doesn't make them go away, but sharing with a supportive friend or loved one can make people feel like they have someone in their corner. That can support the development of resilience. Discussing things with others can also help people gain insight on the challenges they are facing, or even come up with new ideas for managing them.

To help a child develop a support network, adults should try modeling good social skills like sharing feelings, being empathetic, cooperating with and helping others, and expressing gratitude-and remember to reinforce a child's good behavior.

Focus On What Is Within Control

When faced with a crisis or problem, it can be easy to get overwhelmed by things that feel far beyond our control. Instead of wishing there was some way to go back in time or change things, it can be helpful to try focusing on what we can directly impact. Adults can also encourage children to develop this skill by talking about their situation and helping them make a plan for how they can react.

Even when the situation seems dire, taking realistic steps can help improve it. No matter how small these steps may be, they can improve your sense of control and resilience.

Manage Stress

Building healthy stress management habits is an effective way to increase overall resilience. These habits could include behaviors that help overall health, like getting enough sleep and exercise, as well as specific actions to take during moments of stress, like:

With some practice, adults and children alike can learn and master these skills. Eventually, they then tend to feel prepared to face stressful situations and resilient enough to bounce back quickly. For those struggling to keep stress levels under control, it may be helpful to consider enlisting the support of a cognitive therapist.

Recap

While some people tend to be more naturally resilient, it is also a skill that can be strengthened. Looking at situations in more positive ways, getting support from others, and focusing on what can be controlled are helpful strategies. Good stress management skills can also foster greater resilience.

A Word From Verywell

While previous findings suggested that most people tend to be resilient, one 2016 study found that resilience in the face of events such as the death of a spouse, divorce, and unemployment is less common than previously believed. Such findings indicate a need for interventions and support following stressful or traumatic life events.

If you are struggling to cope with challenges, don't be afraid to talk to your healthcare provider or a mental health professional. Even resilient people need help and part of being resilient is knowing when to ask for support and assistance.

Press Play for Advice On Building Resilience

Hosted by therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares how you can build inner strength and resilience.

Follow Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts

Frequently Asked Questions

The true meaning of resilience is that you are able to respond to the challenges you face in a way that not just helps you survive the adversity, but also bounce back. When you are a resilient person, you're able to recover from setbacks while remaining calm and in control in the process.

If you are faced with the loss of a relationship or the death of someone you love and respond in a way that fosters your growth-such as by focusing on what you can control versus what you can't-this is an example of resilience. Another example is being involved in a natural disaster and coming up with solutions to the problems the disaster created while also regulating your emotional response.

The impact of trauma can depend on a variety of factors, including a person's age, existing resources, and the nature of the trauma. People with strong support and existing emotional resources are likely to emerge from trauma with an even greater sense of resilience. Children are often resilient to trauma, but ongoing or cumulative traumas can significantly affect a child's ability to recover and may impact future resilience.

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How Resilience Helps You Cope With Challenges

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Resilience involves the ability to handle life's setbacks. Learn more about the true meaning of resilience and what you can do to become a more resilient person.

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The right study methods are critical if you're going to get the most from your time in education. Here, we look at the study tips that make the difference!
Have you ever noticed that some students are better at studying than others? They might have access to the same resources over the same period of time - but the information just seems to sink in more easily.

You might explain this with reference to intelligence, dedication or environment. But the truth is that even the most gifted students working in the best possible settings will struggle if they lack the skills necessary to study effectively. That's because studying is a skill (or a series of skills) that can be honed with practice...and a little bit of patience.

If you're going to get the most from your studies, you'll want to identify exactly what those skills are - and how you can acquire and improve them. Having done this, it's then a matter of learning as many tips and tricks as possible.

That way, you'll give yourself every possible advantage to get the most from the time you spend at the books!

How to study

The methods you use to study are vital. They'll vary depending on the subject you're learning and the medium of instruction. Some subjects are more skills-based, while others rely more on building a knowledge base.

For example, if you're going to get the most from your online studies, why not look into a few courses designed with this kind of learning in mind?

These include

For remote learners, the University of York's tips for studying with technology are worth considering. If you're a university researcher, then you might also look at the University of Southampton's tips on what to think about before you get started on research.

What are study skills?

Getting better at a few core study skills will help you get a lot more out of your time as a student. What's more, they can all be applied to the world of work, too. So, what are the skills you need to study effectively?

Time management

If you can't effectively manage your time, then you're not going to be able to get the best from it. This doesn't just mean being punctual but structuring your independent study so that you cover all of your bases while still diving deep into the materials.

Organisation

Effective study is organised study. You'll need to have all your materials within easy reach, and you'll want to have a system for absorbing them. This might mean skimming through everything, identifying problem areas, and circling back. It might mean dividing your days up into key topics and poring through them, one by one.

Note-taking

When you're taking on board information, being able to take notes effectively will be hugely helpful. It will give you something to refer to later, and, if you're writing by hand, help drive the information deeper into your brain.

Essay writing

Essays are a great way of demonstrating that you know what you're talking about. Writing them can also help you figure out exactly where the gaps in your knowledge lie.

If your essay-writing skills could use a bit of fine-tuning, you might look at the University of Reading's Beginner's Guide to Writing in English for University Study. We've also written on the subject in our Essay Writing 101 post.

The importance of study skills

Most of the advice you find online will be geared towards the average student - a young person who spends their time surrounded by other young people. If you don't fit into this category, then it's worth tweaking your approach until you find a method that works for you.

First-time adult learners

It might be that you didn't spend much time in the education system during your formative years. Perhaps you didn't consider it worthwhile, or perhaps you were denied the opportunity.

Whatever the reason, you might not yet have picked up the study skills you need to really thrive - so tips such as these can come in very handy. It's often a good idea to form bonds with other students in your position, which is why interacting with other students is one of the major study tips for online learning set out by Leiden University.

Adult learners returning to education

If you've already been through the education system, you might have an idea of what to expect. While a few more miles on the clock might make it harder to fit learning into an already busy schedule, you're ahead of the game in many ways. If you've come back to education, you've got a strong drive to learn. That will help you to focus during those late-night study sessions.

If you've been away from education for a while, you might be surprised to discover how much has changed. Getting acquainted with modern study methods can help you to close the gap - especially if you're relying on a few familiar, though outdated, techniques.

Neurodivergent learners

If you're neurodivergent (as opposed to neurotypical) then you'll be aware that in some situations you tend to think differently to other people - by definition. This could mean that taking a different approach to studying will bear significant fruit.

Finding the right study process for you might require a little bit of experimentation until you find an approach that works. If you're really struggling with conventional means, then try tweaking things a bit - or even tearing up the rulebook entirely.

How can you improve your study skills?

We offer plenty of courses designed to help you get the most from your study sessions, and teach you how to study effectively. Students of all ages and abilities can benefit from them. Even if you think that you have studying down to a fine art, there are always additional benefits to uncover.

Here are a few courses that can help you improve your study skills:

If you're studying for a Futurelearn Microcredential, there's also a blog on preparing for Microcredential Study that's worth exploring.

More specific niches will require more specific approaches. If you're starting a career as a teacher, you should look at theUniversity of East Anglia's strategies for effective learning, which is a part of their course on Professional Development for Early Career Teachers.

To find out how best to prepare for studying, try the quiz in the University of Groningen's open step about study prep - if you'd like a preview of what you can gain, this is an excellent place to start!

Top 10 best study tips

Over the years, students have come up with all kinds of novel ways to study more effectively. Some of these methods have been so reliable that they've become widespread. Try them all, and keep the ones that work for you.

1. Be consistent

If you try to cram, you'll set yourself up for failure. It's far more effective to get a little bit done every day than it is to get a lot done in a single frantic studying binge. This is because your brain needs time to shuffle all that information into your long-term memory - which it'll do while you're sleeping.

2. Sleep properly

If you're sleep-deprived, you won't be able to focus, and you'll have difficulty absorbing new ideas and information. In short, you won't be able to study as effectively. So, get as much sleep as you can.

Ironically, learning about the importance of sleep can bring on peoples' sleep anxiety. So don't set yourself a target of getting to sleep - just make sure that your sleeping environment is set up just right.

Make sure that you're going to bed at the same time every night, that you don't expose yourself to bright blue lights before bed, and that you generally have a nice wind-down routine.

Those looking to optimise their sleep hygiene might look into the University of Michigan's course on sleep deprivation and how to avoid it.

3. Try the Pomodoro method

In the 1980s, a student named Francesco Cirillo came up with the 'Pomodoro' technique. This word comes from the Italian word for 'tomato' - because that's the shape of the timer he used.

Yes, this is a time-management method. The Pomodoro technique involves breaking your study time into twenty-five minute 'sprints', during which you'll work intensively on a task. Then, when you're done, you'll take a five-minute break. After a couple of hours of this, you can then take a slightly longer break.

For some of us, this method is a reliable concentration booster. When you know that you're going to have a short break in ten minutes, it can help you to push through any boredom or distraction that might start to set in.

4. Create the right environment

Effective study means having a dedicated space to devote to the practice. If you're sharing your work and leisure spaces, you make it more likely that one space will bleed into the other. Even if you're not closing the book and firing up YouTube, the idea of doing so might come more readily to you. Battling temptation will use up brainpower that could be better devoted to your studies.

Your workspace might be a small corner of the house, or it might be an entire room that you've devoted to studying. You might decide that you work better with a certain kind of music or in complete silence. Noise-cancelling headphones (or earplugs) can be invaluable.

Creating the environment right is the first thing covered in the University of Groningen's video on how to prepare for a study session. Get it right, and you'll set yourself up for success!

5. Create flashcards

Flashcards provide an easy way to familiarise yourself with key concepts and pieces of information. You can also use them to quiz yourself later. You can create digital flashcards - but many people believe that the pen-and-paper version is more effective.

Flashcards are one of the six revision techniques highlighted in an open step from the University of Groningen.

6. Break everything down

Readers of a certain age might remember an episode of friends in which Chandler challenges Ross to name all 50 US states. It turns out to be quite a difficult thing to do, even for Americans. In fact, naming all seven dwarves in Snow White, or all seven wonders of the Ancient World can be tricky.

If you're studying something that requires a large base of knowledge, then you'll be expected to memorise far more than 50 things. Chemistry students will have to contend with 118 elements in the periodic table, and foreign language students might need to grapple with thousands of words.

If you break down long lists of information into groups, then you'll find it much easier to retain the knowledge. Think about how you think of landline phone numbers: they're made up of a five-digit area code, and then two clusters of three digits for the rest. This is called 'chunking', and it's essential if you want to commit lots of things to memory in a short period.

Also, consider systems and categories. You can use this to prompt yourself when you come to test yourself later. For example, if you are trying to remember the names of every European Union member state, you might remember that four of them begin with an S, and three of them begin with an L.

7. Teach other people

You only fully understand something when you can explain it to someone else. It's a well-worn piece of advice, but it's true: the surest way to expose gaps in your knowledge is to try to convey that knowledge to another person. Find a willing volunteer (maybe a friend or family member) and have them ask you questions about the topic.

It might be that you've taken your understanding for granted in many areas. If you're studying programming or linguistics, you might think you know what 'syntax' means. But do you really?

Often it's only when you come to explain something that you really appreciate the depths of your understanding. Like angled torchlight exposing a shoddy decorator, an outsider's scrutiny can help you see where you should focus your studies in the future.

8. Get some exercise

Your mind is going to be in better condition to focus and to take on board new information if your body is in good shape. You don't have to dedicate yourself to achieving sporting excellence - but going for a brisk walk every so often will allow you to return to your studies feeling refreshed.

In the long-term, regular exercise will improve your memory and concentration, as well as fending off the stress that's associated with intensive study. You'll become better able to come up with creative solutions to problems, and you'll feel better about yourself. So, find a form of exercise that you enjoy and make it a part of your study schedule.

Naturally, exercise should be supported by a healthy, balanced diet - something covered extensively by the University of Aberdeen's course on nutrition and wellbeing.

9. Set yourself deadlines

In 1955, Cyril Northcote Parkinson wrote an essay for The Economist. The first line said, "It is a commonplace observation that work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion."

While Parkinson might not have been the first to make this observation, his succinct description of it led to this maxim being named after him. If you have a lot of time to do something, then Parkinson's Law makes it clear that you'll fill the available time - or waste it.

Setting yourself short-term deadlines will allow you to avoid procrastination and the stress that comes with cramming. Do the work right now, get it done ahead of time, and come back to dot the 'i's and cross the 't's just before the real deadline hits.

When it comes to studying, you should have a timetable laid out. Within this schedule, you should set your study goals and when you expect to have conquered them. If it turns out that you're not making progress as rapidly as you'd hoped, then you'll be motivated to knuckle down. If you're ahead of schedule, you can double-down, emboldened by the knowledge that you're an overachiever.

10. Meditate

We've already talked about exercise for the body. But what about exercise for the brain? Mindfulness practices are sweeping through the modern world of work. They're associated with lowered stress levels, improved concentration, and general improvements in wellbeing.

Even a small amount of meditation can make a huge difference if you're doing it consistently. You might get an app to help you reap the benefits, or you might look into online instruction. Mindfulness has never been more accessible - and it might provide just the boost that your study sessions need.

Monash University provides two courses that focus explicitly on mindfulness, namely: Maintaining a Mindful Life and Mindfulness for Wellbeing and Peak Performance. If you'd like to start from the ground floor, then Leiden University's Demystifying Mindfulness is also well worth considering.

Final thoughts

Learning to study effectively will provide benefits that will far outlast your time in education. Aiming to improve your study skills will make you a more productive and desirable employee, and it'll also bring benefits to your personal life. Many of the tips we've run through are echoed in our previous blog post on how to succeed with online learning. So, be sure to check that out if you'd like to learn more.

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Top 10 study tips for effective learning - FutureLearn

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Our study tips can help you to learn more efficiently and effectively. Here, we run through ten of the best!

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When things don't go to plan, it affects my self belief.

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When things don't go to plan, it affects my self belief.

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From ruminating over work-related blunders in the middle of the night to repeatedly over-apologising for a miscommunication with a friend - forgiving yourself after making a mistake isn't always an easy feat.

As fallible human beings, we're all guilty of getting things wrong from time to time, both at work and in our personal lives.

So why is it that we often beat ourselves up for a minor mess-up? And how might we learn to be more compassionate next time we (inevitably) make the wrong move?

We spoke with counsellor and psychologist, Divya Berry, and psychologist and author of Finding Forgiveness, Dr Stephanie Thornton, about why we're our own worst critic - and how we can be more forgiving when it comes to our missteps.

Don't shame yourself

Knowing the difference between guilt and shame might help you move past your slip-up more swiftly.

'We're often much more critical of ourselves than we are of others,' Stephanie tells Metro.co.uk 'When we criticise other people, we tend to focus on what they did, which incites guilt. But when we criticise ourselves, we tend to focus on shame.'

Stephanie explains how they differ: 'Guilt is telling yourself the mistake was a bad thing to do, but shame is telling yourself you're a bad person. Shame is related to our identity.'

Our tendency to shame ourselves for mistakes is a big obstacle to self-forgiveness.

'It's much easier to address guilt, you can reform and apologise,' Stephanie says. 'But shame is a difficult thing to get over. The bad thing becomes who you are.'

Shame can lead to a simplified view of ourselves. 'We indulge in black-and-white thinking. Am I a good or bad person? Am I good or bad at my job or relationship? We don't use nuance when we think about ourselves, but very few people are entirely good or entirely bad,' Stephanie notes.

Reframing your mistake as a misjudged act, rather than evidence that you're a bad parent, friend or employee, might help foster forgiveness. As Stephanie says, 'reject the wrong action, not the person.'

Treat yourself like a friend

Giving too much airtime to critical voices will make it harder for you to reach a place of forgiveness.

'We all have an inner critic and for some it's very strong,' Divya says. 'This can be a really dark place because the inner critic can make things feel very fixed and without softness.'

Instead of over-indulging in these critical thoughts, Divya suggests treating yourself as you would a friend.

'The first word that comes to mind when I think about forgiveness is empathy, which is something that cannot be stressed enough,' Divya explains. 'Empathy helps us extend the same compassion to ourselves as we would to other people. Often I ask clients: what would you say to a friend if they came to you with the same problem?'

Commit to doing better

Accepting that mistakes and misjudgements are inevitable might help to soften their blow.

Stephanie points out: 'If you're trying to live up to high moral standards, of course you're not going to succeed all the time, of course you will fail.'

Rather than obsessing over our errors, Stephanie suggests we should consider how we can be better in future.

'Today is not the final version of you, you're a work in progress,' she tells us. 'What you can do after making a mistake is accept that you've messed up and promise to be better tomorrow.

'That's the way to forgive yourself - the commitment to trying to be better.'

Instead of beating yourself up, take a moment to reflect on what you've learnt from your mistake and how you could approach things for the better in future.

Step away from perfectionism

Divya speaks about the perils of perfectionism that can be felt with more force if we have low self-esteem.

'When you're not sure of your own self-worth, you wonder how other people are going to see you,' she explains. 'If you don't feel good about yourself, you might feel like there's less room for error.'

As a result, even the smallest of slip-ups - a typo in an email or a Whatsapp message forgotten and left on read - can feel like a catastrophic error.

'People with high self-esteem can take the blows more easily, they don't take things so seriously,' Divya says.

Easing your grip on perfectionism and learning to take your mistakes less seriously may help you recover with resilience.

'Try to accept the parts of yourself that are more complicated, taking the mucky stuff with the brighter stuff,' Divya says.

Put the mistake into perspective

Your mistake might feel like a huge event in your life, but chances are others won't see it as such a big deal.

Reaching out to friends or family can help you see the bigger picture and feel more confident in yourself.

'The value of social support is often understated,' Divya says. 'When you have that softness, and you have relationships that give you confidence, you might be able to take some of life's challenges with a lighter eye, rather than taking things very intensely and personally.'

And in your efforts to show yourself more compassion, it's worth considering whether your error or misjudgement is really at the top of people's lists of things to worry about.

'Most of the mistakes we make are not in this category, we apologise and are forgiven,' Stephanie suggests. 'Beating yourself up doesn't benefit anyone: commit to reform and move on.'
Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
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How to forgive yourself and move on from your mistakes

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So you messed up - why do you feel so guilty? Experts reveal how to ditch the shame and toxic perfectionism.

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Inspirational Quotes for Self-confidence | Barclays LifeSkills

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Be inspired by Barclays LifeSkills motivational messages to help you push through doubt, find your self-confidence and keep moving forward.

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When you lack motivation, completing things like coursework or personal projects can sometimes feel almost impossible. Understanding and tapping into what motivates you can help you plan ahead and achieve things you'll be proud of. Here are some tips to get you started:
1. Set yourself a bigger goal
A goal is something you want to aim for in life, but it doesn't have to be in 20 years' time. Why not set yourself a 12-month target - the one main thing you want to achieve by next year.
It could be to:

pass exams and carry on studying

get an apprenticeship

earn enough money to spend a summer working abroad

get your foot in the door of a great organisation

2. Set smaller goals along the way
Keep reminding yourself how you'll feel when you complete your goal. When the reward is within reach you'll find it easier to stay motivated to reach the finish line.

Whatever your main goal is, you'll need to take smaller steps to get there. These might be:

completing a training course

applying for work experience

getting a Saturday job

volunteering in your local community. To get started, why not check out the UK's national volunteering database, Do-it.

3. Do your research
Breaking down your ambition into smaller tasks will make it feel easier from day to day and the constant progress will keep you motivated. Make a list of all the steps and take satisfaction in crossing each off when you complete them.

People often give up on their plans because their expectations are too high or they're not quite ready to make such a huge leap. There's no harm in thinking big, though you need to remember that getting a job as, let's say, a mechanic, a journalist or a nurse, will take time and hard work.
4. Get support
Don't be discouraged, but do be realistic about what it will take to achieve your goals. Do your research and set your plans accordingly, then it will all start to feel real and much more achievable.
5. Stay positive
Chat with a friend, your parents or a teacher about your goal and how you're going to achieve it. You'll no doubt get some valuable advice and encouragement as a result, just from hearing a second opinion if nothing else. Plus, once people know about your goal, you'll find it harder to abandon it and it will strengthen your commitment.

Be prepared for obstacles on the path to achieving your goal - there might be a few, but that's to be expected and completely normal. When issues do present themselves, don't rush to react - relax, think them through and most importantly, don't give up.

The challenges that come your way as you work towards your goal will serve as priceless experiences to help you build your skills and knowledge. Don't be discouraged; take them on board as part of the process. You never know what you might discover. Check out the 6 stages of problem solving module useful for more inspiration.

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How to motivate yourself | 5 motivational techniques | LifeSkills

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Staying motivated is key to achieving your goals. If you're struggling, read these motivational tips to help stay on track and get more done.

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Fears have the power to stop us in our tracks and prevent us from trying something new or doing what we really want to do in life. But there are ways to overcome our fears, accept them, and get on with reaching our goals.
Overcoming fear of failure
It sounds strange but we learn far more from our failures than our successes. Mistakes force us to think again and come up with new and creative ideas as well as different ways of tackling a problem. Look at the story of any successful person. Struggles and setbacks are key features of their journey. And it's because they have remained resilient and kept perspective, that they have been able to overcome their fear of failure and achieve their goals. You can do it too.

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." - Winston Churchill, British prime minister

"If you fell down yesterday, stand up today." - H.G. Wells, author

"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new." - Albert Einstein, theoretical physicist

"Before you succeed, you'll get temporary defeat and sometimes total failure. It's how you cope in those moments that really sets you apart." - Baroness Karren Brady, sporting executive, small business ambassador
Overcoming fear of embarrassment
Embarrassment is the fear of looking foolish or, more accurately, of thinking we look foolish. We can become convinced that we've made the biggest fool of ourselves even when that's not the view of others.

Here are a couple of ways to approach embarrassment, to either minimise it or perhaps even get rid of it altogether:
Throw yourself into life
By grabbing opportunities that come your way, friends and colleagues will admire you for being brave enough to give things a go - whatever the outcome. And the more you get involved, the easier you'll find it to overcome any embarrassment.
Put things in perspective
Some people don't seem to get embarrassed by anything, when in actual fact they have probably just adjusted their attitude to those potentially embarrassing situations. They understand that people will have different opinions. You don't have to stop caring what others think but you can stop worrying about it and you can develop these skills over time when dealing with different situations.
Overcoming fear of rejection
It's easy to take rejection personally but, like fear of failure, you're far from alone in worrying about it. And, like fear of embarrassment, putting things in perspective and remaining positive will help.
Don't miss out
If no one ever tried anything for fear they might be rejected, the world would grind to a halt. Don't sell yourself short or deny yourself opportunities just because you think it probably won't work out. Ask for feedback and understand the reasons why you might have been rejected for something. Take a positive approach and you'll soon find the confidence to keep moving forward.
Think about the bigger picture
'There are plenty more fish in the sea.' 'When one door closes, another door opens.' These are well worn clichés, but there's a lot of truth in them. And, like failure, rejection gives us a chance to come back stronger.

Why not make a list of the things you fear and the things they've stopped you doing? Naming and shaming your fears (not yourself) will help you deal with them when they try to get the better of you and can help you identify ways to focus on the positives. Get the fear around interviews? Check out lots more advice here.

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How to Overcome Fear | Face your Fears | Barclays LifeSkills

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Failure, embarrassment, rejection. Here's how to overcome and cope with some of life's biggest challenges and get on with reaching your goals.

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Feelings of worthlessness often involve a sense of insignificance in oneself and are strongly linked to hopelessness and self-blame.

Such feelings are often a common symptom of depression, but can also arise due to things such as low self-esteem, neglect, abuse, trauma, or difficult situations that pose a threat to a person's sense of self.

Feeling worthless can create significant distress and make it difficult to function normally in daily life. You might find it difficult to feel motivated to pursue your goals when you feel that nothing you do is right or that none of your efforts will make a difference. Because of this, it is important to find ways to manage these difficult feelings and seek help when needed.

Causes of Worthlessness

Feelings of worthlessness can be caused by a number of different factors. Upbringing, social experiences, explanatory style, stressful events, and mental health conditions may all play a role. Some reasons why you might be struggling with such feelings include:

Childhood Trauma

You may have had negative childhood experiences that have left a lasting mark. Neglect, abuse, and maltreatment during childhood can all play a role in the development of feelings of worthlessness. Children who are abused or who are frequently criticized by parents or other caregivers may carry those feelings of insignificance into adulthood. Research has shown that these early interpersonal traumas are linked to later feelings of worthlessness.﻿﻿

Seeing Negative Events as Your Fault

You may attribute negative events to your own actions or characteristics. People who are prone to attributing negative events to internal causes may be more likely to experience symptoms of depression, including worthlessness.

Past Criticism

You may have been criticized by others in the past. Negative experiences where a person has been degraded or faced criticism from others can also leave people feeling as if they lack value.

Difficulty Handling Stress

You might be having trouble coping with stress. Both acute and chronic stress can take a toll on a person's perceptions of themselves. You might feel worthless after experience a serious setback such as financial problems, divorce, or job loss.

Sign of a Mental Health Condition

You might have a mental health condition. Mood disorders such as major depressive disorder are often marked by symptoms such as shame, guilt, hopelessness, and worthlessness. Such symptoms create distress and make it difficult to manage usual daily tasks.

What You Can Do If You're Feeling Worthless

If you are experiencing feelings of worthlessness, there are small, actionable steps you can take that may help you start to feel better. Here are some ideas that can help.

Speak Kindly to Yourself

People who feel worthless often engage in negative thinking and self-talk. It may be challenging at first, but focus on treating yourself with kindness. When you notice negative self-talk, look for ways that you can reframe those thoughts in a more positive or realistic way. Instead of thinking " I hate myself" or "I'll never be able to do it," for example, you might say, "I can do small things each day to improve."

Pay Attention to When Worthlessness Strikes

Sometimes these negative feelings arise in response to certain situations, thoughts, experiences, or even people. Start noticing when these feelings emerge, what is happening when they occur, and what type of thoughts might be contributing. This is one way to help combat the negative rumination that might be fueling feelings of inadequacy.

Press Play for Advice On Coping With Self Pity

Hosted by therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares why you should stop feeling bad about yourself. Click below to listen now.

Keep a Gratitude Journal

Worthlessness can creep in when you find yourself comparing your own life unfavorably to the lives of others. Rather than falling into the trap of only looking at the ways in which it seems you are lacking, consider keeping a gratitude journal where you spend a little time each day thinking about the things you are grateful for. Refocusing your thoughts in this way can help protect you from the negative effects of comparison and envy.

Do Something for Someone Else

Sometimes when you are feeling worthless, focusing your attention on something other than yourself can help. Research has shown that engaging in prosocial activities like volunteering for your community or helping someone else in need can have a positive effect on a person's happiness and well-being.﻿﻿ Helping others can also help you feel a greater sense of connection and purpose.

Try a Mental Health App

There are a number of different mobile apps devoted to improving mental health. Some apps may provide tools such as positive affirmations, mindfulness training, or exercises rooted in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) that are designed to help you identify and change patterns of negative thinking.

How to Get Help If You're Feeling Worthless

It's important to remember that feeling worthless can also be a sign of an underlying mental health condition. If such feelings are persistent, distressing, or make it difficult to cope with everyday tasks, talk to your primary care provider or contact a mental health professional.

Your primary care provider may ask you about your feelings and other symptoms you have been experiencing. They may also ask you to fill out a questionnaire to screen for symptoms of depression or anxiety. You may also have a physical exam and lab tests to rule out medical conditions that might contribute to symptoms of depression.

You might also want to consider trying online therapy. Research suggests that online therapy can be as effective as traditional face-to-face treatment. Online therapy presents an accessible and often affordable way of getting help for mental health concerns. Services that provide online therapy can vary in terms of what they offer, their price, and how therapy sessions are conducted. In many cases, options include online chat, video conferencing, email, and phone options.

Get Help Now

We've tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of the best online therapy programs including Talkspace, Betterhelp, and Regain. Find out which option is the best for you.

A Word From Verywell

While everyone might feel worthless once in a while, it can become a serious problem if such feelings are chronic and pervasive. Fortunately, there are steps you can take that may help you feel better.

Professional help is also available, including face-to-face psychotherapy, medications, or a combination of the two. Depression can grow worse over time, so talking to your primary care provider now about your feelings of worthlessness may ensure that you get treatment before your symptoms get worse.

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5 Things to Do If You are Feeling Worthless

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Feeling worthless can be a symptom of depression, but everyone may feel this way from time to time. Here's what to do to feel better and improve your sense of worth.

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Generally I feel like my life is out of control.

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Generally I feel like my life is out of control.

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There are many decisions that you must make throughout the course of a day. Whether you're deciding what clothes to wear, which activities to do, or which people to see, life consists of constant decision-making at pretty much every moment.

Although you can make choices and plans for life, no one can ever be prepared for the unexpected. When these unexpected situations add up, it's easy to become overly anxious and feel as if your life is out of control. This is why we often seek control whenever we can.

Feeling as if your life is out of control comes from the anxiety of not always having access to the driver's seat of life. People have no idea when disaster may strike and for how long, so it produces fear that triggers other emotions like sadness, frustration, and anger.

The best way to handle this is by finding ways to be content with not knowing. Of course, this is easier said than done and is a constant process, but doing so is worth it.

This article discusses some reasons why you may feel like your life is out of control and offers tips on how you can cope with these feelings.

Press Play for Advice On Dealing With Emotional Crises

Hosted by Editor-in-Chief and therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares a technique that can help you when you're experiencing an emotional crisis. Click below to listen now.

Follow Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts

Reasons Why You Feel Like Your Life Is Out of Control

There are plenty of reasons why life may feel out of control, the following are a few:

A lot of anxiety and overwhelming feelings can often be caused by stress coming in at every corner. A person can feel overloaded with the pressures of having to keep everything together for their family, job, finances-it all starts to pile up.

Stress can be very toxic and it's really easy for it to make life feel out of control, so it's important to try and manage stress.

People often worry about both mental and physical health, especially when they have a health condition or are susceptible to one. Then, there's the chance of health issues suddenly making an appearance.

There are a lot of health issues that are just out of one's control. They can be due to genetics, environmental factors, or even by chance. It is a very scary thing to have to be constantly concerned about not just your health but also the health of loved ones.

Health can be a very stressful aspect of life but then stress can trigger many health issues. It can be difficult to not worry and wonder about health but vital for you to not worry too much.

You can only really focus on what is in your control-taking the appropriate health precautions, engaging in wellness practices, and attempting to remain optimistic.

Relationships

All of the different relationships that you have in your life can begin to feel overwhelming. Although you may be grateful for these relationships, it doesn't mean they won't take a toll on you at times.

Whether you're busy being a parent, spouse, friend, caretaker, etc., every relationship comes with a different set of obligations. Relationships carry responsibilities, compromise, and sometimes require taking on other people's feelings and problems. It can also be pretty stressful for you when a loved one is going through a difficult situation themself.

It is important to have relationships in your life, but these relationships cannot consume your life, especially not to the point where it's affecting your mental health.

Additionally, if you find yourself in a toxic relationship (with a partner, friend, or even family member), this could cause you to feel like your life is spinning out of control especially when all attempts to mend the relationship have failed.

National Crises

The combination of living through a pandemic, and witnessing natural disasters and social injustices has been overwhelming for everyone.

It's important to find ways to process everything that is going on in the world because constantly hearing of tragedies can not only become disheartening but can produce feelings of defenselessness, anxiety, fear, and even anger.

There are times when a person's job consumes all of their time and it seems as if it's taking over their entire life. People can become very overwhelmed by what they have to get done inside and outside of the workplace.

Sometimes you can fall into a need to constantly keep busy and be productive, but a healthy balance is key.

If you've experienced a tragic life event (e.g., a death in the family, job loss, etc.) you might be feeling extremely overwhelmed. When tragedy strikes it is often sudden or abrasive, producing a lot of overwhelming emotions. Since these kinds of situations are out of your control, you may feel helpless and lost.

Additionally, tragic events typically produce painful emotions that can stay with you long after the event has passed. The experience of a tragedy may feel like an attack that you didn't see coming or couldn't prevent. In fact, one of the most common traumatic experiences is the sudden death of a loved one, and this type of trauma is cited as a major leading cause of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Regardless of the nature of the tragic event, it's common to experience a flood of varying emotions, and it might seem as if it's too difficult to cope with them.

In being overwhelmed by such uncontrollable circumstances, you may feel like you have no control over your own feelings and your response to the tragedy.

What to Do When Life Feels Out of Control

Some of the below steps may be useful when life starts to feel out of control.

Pause and Take a Break

It is important to take a break every now and then. It is perfectly OK to take some time to yourself; meditate, destress, and practice self-care.

A recent study discovered better stress management and quality of life for medical students who engaged in self-care as opposed to those who did not.

Try to Change Your Perspective

Rather than viewing your life as "out of control," it may help to take an "it is what it is" perspective for the time being.

This does not mean accepting poor treatment. Instead, it just means letting go of needing control; letting go of a need to control everything can life lead to greater life satisfaction.

Take Control of Things You Can Change

Even though people may not have control of everything in their lives, they do still have control of some things. Work on changing the things in life that you do have control over, like going to the gym a bit more, eating fewer sweets, or removing a toxic person from your life.

Even if it is the littlest of things, it can help in establishing a sense of control and optimism in your life.

Be Confident in Your Life Decisions

Sometimes life can feel out of control when you are constantly worrying and wondering if you are making the right choices in life. With the things you do have control over, you tend to want to make sure you get it just right, almost perfect-but nothing will ever be perfect.

Take pride in what you created for your life and, if you made a few bad decisions, learn from them and move forward. These mistakes may have fostered personal growth and wisdom.

In suffering comes resilience and determination to seek greater opportunities for your life. So, it is important to remember that whichever paths you decide to take in life, try not to worry too much about how things will pan out.

Try to also be appreciative of challenging situations in your life because they push you to keep going and brought you to better times.

It is beneficial to talk about what may be making you feel overwhelmed and stressed. Whether it be with a loved one or maybe receiving professional expertise from a therapist, it's helpful to have someone with whom you can voice your concerns and worries. They can help you deconstruct these feelings and sort them out accordingly.

Pick Up a Hobby

Hobbies are a great way to take your mind off of things you can't change. Whether it be going for a daily walk, or jotting down a few sentences in your journal, hobbies may help you to feel a bit of an escape from life's challenges.

Hobbies, in a way, act as a simple reminder that you do hold the steering wheel to your life since it's you who gets to choose how to spend your free time.

Think Positively

Try to think positively. Life won't always feel this way, it will get better if you believe it will. Practice focusing on what is going well in your life, and aim to be thankful for the things you do have.

It's also important to remember that sometimes you have to take the bad with the good. Do your best to be appreciative of challenging situations in your life because they can foster so much personal growth.

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How to Manage The Feeling of Life Being Out of Control

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There are many decisions that you must make throughout the course of a day. Whether you're deciding what clothes to wear, which activities to do, or which people to see, life consists of constant decision-making at pretty much every moment. Although you can make choices and plans for life, no one can ever be prepared for the unexpected.

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How to #BeBrave School and College Edition