When faced with a big challenge where potential failure seems to lurk at every corner, you’ve probably heard the advice, “Be more confident!” But where does confidence come from, and how can you get more of it? Here are three easy tips to boost your confidence.
Tip #1: Try a quick fix. There are a few tips that can give you an immediate confidence boost in the short term. Picture your success when you’re beginning a difficult task. Something as simple as listening to music with deep bass can promote feelings of power. You can even strike a powerful pose or give yourself a pep talk.
Tip #2: Believe in your ability to improve. Do you think your abilities and talents are fixed at birth like your eye and hair color? Or that can they be developed - like a muscle? These beliefs matter because they can influence how you act when you’re faced with setbacks. With a fixed mindset, you may be more likely to give up - thinking that you’ve discovered something you’re not very good. But with a growth mindset, a challenge can be an opportunity to learn and grow. In fact, the connections in your brain get stronger and grow with study and practice.
Tip#3: Practice failure. Face it: you’re going to fail sometimes. Everyone does. Studies show that those who fail regularly and keep trying anyway are better equipped to respond to challenges and setbacks in a constructive way. They learn how to try different strategies, ask others for advice, and persevere.
So, think of a challenge you want to take on, realize it’s not going to be easy, accept that you’re going to make mistakes, and be kind to yourself when you do. Give yourself a pep talk, stand up, and go for it. The excitement you’ll feel knowing that, whatever the result, you’ll have gained better knowledge and understanding. This is confidence.
maybe wander around the house/stretch a little if you’ve been sat at the computer a while (artists especially: sTRETCH THOSE WRISTS)
reply to that text/message from earlier you’d forgotten about
maybe send a nice lil message to someone having a bad day?
I just would like to thank everyone who ever reblogs this so that it somehow ends up back on my dash because I usually need the reminder (especially the drinking water one)
my #1 piece of college advice for you youngsters would be to always keep a phone charger, snacks, and an umbrella in your backpack at all times
Also for the love of God don’t skip class.
Buy a reusable water bottle / container. Especially if you walk around a lot.
Buy a watch because you can’t always look at your phone believe it or not.
Bonus if it has alarms (preferably quieter ones) so you can keep track of your time.
ALWAYS. KEEP. YOUR CHANGE. Especially silver coins! Adds up fast.
Talk to the people sitting next to you in class. Exchange phone numbers or something. Keep friendly. If you ever miss class, let them know and ask if they can share their notes. Always have at least 2 people in case 1 isn’t there.
Make sure you have at least one pair of sturdy walking shoes. Believe me, walking to class sucks sooooo much more with blisters and sore feet
MAKE FRIENDS WITH YOUR PROFESSORS. Seriously, they can help you get where you want to go in life by giving you good references and making your life easier.
Use every resource you have available. First week of classes: learn the library, find computer labs (especially the ones that aren’t on the first floor of any given building- the easiest to find labs are always the busiest and noisiest), familiarize yourself with tutoring/ help centers, learn where campus security is located and how to contact them, and if you don’t know your adviser, schedule an appointment to meet them within the first two weeks of the semester. Knowing all of this information/ people takes off so much stress and limits unpleasant surprises when you need them the least.
For work reasons, I regularly have to stand up in front of a bunch of people I have never met before, and talk to them. Usually it’s about fifteen people, but at conference time my seminars have upwards of seventy-five people or more in the audience.
For years, public speaking was not my favorite thing; I dreaded it more than anything else in the world. But I love it now, and I’ve been told I’m good at it, so I’m gonna share some tips.
Freak out. Go ahead. Give yourself permission to panic about having to stand up in front of a bunch of people and give a speech. Go. Panic, scream, cry, complain to the world. Just get it out of your system - really get it all out in one go. You can have anywhere from ten minutes to three hours, depending on how close this due date is. But however long you take, know that when you’re done freaking out, that’s it - it’s work time now.
Make an outline. Write down the main points you want to cover. Dates, theories, equations, all of the Big Stuff. Write them all down in the beginning, so you won’t forget them later.
Once the Big Stuff is written down, start filling in details: what’s important about this date, explain this theory, what’s the application for this equation. If it seems relevant, give examples (but limit it to one or two easy examples per item; overfilling with examples can lead to your audience forgetting what you were talking about)
If you are making a PowerPoint - start transferring that outline into your slides. Don’t worry about design, format, animations, none of that right now. It shouldn’t be pretty at the beginning, all you need is your information on the slides. Make sure your slides are simple and not stuffed with information. Font size should be at least 28 for every bit of text - if you need to shrink it down to fit your information on, move it to the next slide or user fewer words.
Write your speech in bullet points. Resist the urge to write it out word-for-word. If you write it out word-for-word and practice from that and nothing else, one of two things is probably going to happen: you will recite the speech as you have written and it will come across as a recitation rather than a presentation, or you will forget a word somewhere in the middle and stumble over yourself. Writing your speech in bullet points lets you fill in the transitions as you’re practicing; your flow will be more even and natural when you’re speaking, and you won’t get caught up in what the next word is supposed to be.
Practice. Practice, practice, practice.Do not, under any circumstances, wing it. If you wing it, you will feel unprepared, so you will come across as unprepared, and you will probably forget important details or be surprised when a particular slide shows up. Practice until you are tired of your topic, practice until you want to murder your topic and bury it out in the back.
There’s nothing worse than being in the middle of a sentence and realizing you have no more air left. When you’re practicing, make note of where you should breathe.
Practice with an audience that can interact with you (your dog is a loving and supportive friend, but your dog can’t tell that you’re talking too fast). You need to give your speech to someone who will give you honest feedback - it can be an audience of one. Make it clear to them how you want their help: do you want them to critique your content, your presentation skills, or both.
Preparation is equally as important as practicing. Check your PowerPoint - are all your animations working correctly? Is everything spelled right? Do you have legible notecards written in a way that will help you? Do you have an outfit planned (you want to look nice, but you also want to be comfortable)?
Three days before, stop tweaking it. Stop making major changes. Go ahead and change the wording, but do not add any new content (and do not remove content unless it really is garbage). Up until now you’ve been practicing with a certain set of content, and throwing new content in at the last minute can unsettle your pacing and structure - it’s information you haven’t had nearly as much time as practice.
One day before, leave it alone completely.It’s locked. Done. It’ll be what it’ll be. 24 hours before your speech is not the time to making any kind of adjustments to it. You’ve practiced what you have, you know you can rock what you have, so you’re going to give what you have.
If steps 9 and 10 have both failed for any number of reasons (which is fine! happens to me all the time), then this is the rule you need to pay attention to. For the love of everything you find holy, do not make changes to your speech right before you give it. This has the same effect as winging it, and all the practice you’ve done will be for nothing.
Get a good night’s sleep. Be hydrated. Eat breakfast (but not a super big special breakfast that might upset your stomach; eat your normal breakfast, even if that’s toaster pastries and a can of soda). Dress in layers, so you can remove or add a layer as necessary and not be freezing or sweating up there.
Go first, if you have the option. Seriously. Volunteer to go first. You’ll get it out of the way, and you’ll be done. More importantly, you won’t be watching everyone else’s presentations/speeches while worrying about your own - that’s a super easy way to psych yourself out. So go first, or at least go early.
Other tips!
Watch stand-up comedy. What stand-up comedy teaches you is timing, pacing, and audience interaction. Stand-up comics stand in front of people and talk to them for a living - they just happen to be funny when they do it. Study them for timing and pacing: where do they pause, for how long, how do they transition two wildly different topics together, etc. Stand-up comics are great at handling unpredictable audiences.
PowerPoint animations: never use slide transitions, and the only animation you should ever use is “appear.” The “appear” animation controls what’s on the slide at any given time and is helpful for both you and the audience (though don’t make stuff disappear once it’s already on the slide). You won’t rush over yourself trying to move on to the next topic, because the next topic isn’t visible yet.
Also on PowerPoint: know where your slides end. Create a little circle or square in the bottom corner that’s just a shade or two darker than the background color, and have it be the last thing to appear on the slide. Your audience won’t notice it, but it’ll be an indicator for you that the slide’s over and you’re moving on.
If it’s speech with a time limit, have a buddy keep time by holding up a piece of paper with how much time you have remaining. Since you’ve practiced, you should know about how long your speech is, but you may speed up or slow down in front of people and you need to know about that. Be clear with them up front about what they need to tell you: you don’t want to be suddenly blindsided with 2:00 LEFT, but neither do you want to be warned every five minutes.
Have a buddy give you signals. I talk super fast in front of people, so I always have someone in the back of the room to give me the “slow down” hand signal. You may also get really quiet, and you need someone to tell you to speak up. If at all possible, you want to adjust your speed or volume before someone in the audience points it out to you, which can interrupt your rhythm and train of thought.
If you talk with your hands, talk with your hands. If you want to stand still, stand still. If you like jokes, tell jokes. If you need Star Trek references, make them. Let yourself be yourself. You’re already in an uncomfortable situation, and trying to silence something fundamental about who you are is going to make it so much worse. Be yourself in front of a crowd - you will be a lot more interesting, and a lot more fun (and have a lot more fun), than everyone else who’s trying to be as flat as possible.
If you have any questions or want some extra advice or anything, I’m happy to help!
I always hate it when people are all “so do you go to school, or are you working, or” and I either have to
make up some lie, or
eventually get around to “I am not working because of depression/anxiety,” and subsequently have to deal with whatever bullshit-riddled and completely unsolicited opinions on mental illness this stranger feels obligated to share with me.
So my therapist was like, “You don’t have to do either. You can just say you haven’t worked in a while because you’re recovering from an illness.”
I tried it when the home inspector was here today, and it fucking worked. He was like, “oh, I’m sorry, are you doing better now,” and I’m like yeah, and don’t worry, it’s not contagious, awkward laugh, and we moved on.
MY THERAPIST. IS A GENIUS. Because it is an illness, so it’s not a lie to say that, and it’s also none of his business to know specifically what it is, and I clearly don’t want to give more details, so we should move on from this topic. MYTHERAPIST IS A GODDAMN GENIUS.
Dude I needed this. I never know what to say when people ask if I work because I’m severely disabled and don’t work.
If this is the 700th tumblr post you’ve seen today, you need this post.
Practice Scheduling
Schedule a particular task in the morning and once in the evening.
The task should not take more than 15 minutes.
Wait for the exact scheduled time. -when the schedule time is due, start the task.
Advantages: Scheduling helps you focus on your priorities.
Focus on starting tasks rather than completing to avoid procrastination.
Use Routines
Instead of devoting a lot of hours one day, and none the other and then a few on an another day and so on, allocate a specific time period each day of the week for that task.
Don’t set a goal other than time allocation- simply set the habit of routine.
Apply this technique to your homework or your projects.
Have Daily Scheduling
When you first begin your work day, or going to work take a few minutes and write down on a piece of paper the tasks that you want to accomplish for that day.
Prioritize the list.
Immediately start working on the most important one.
Try it for a few days to see if the habit works for you.
Habits form over time: how much time depends on you and the habit.
Find Successful Role Models
Observe the people in your life and see to what extent self discipline and habits help them accomplish goals.
Ask them for advice on what works, what does not.
Don’t replicate their ideas, come up with your own plan.
Hello, Tulip here! As a studyblr and a pre-health student, I absolutely advocate the importance of self-care and healthy choices, which is why I am making this absolutely important master-post about sleep. I’ve done a lot of research to pull this together but I want to clarify that I am not a medical health professional, so some of the advice I give in this post will/will not work for everybody. Here’s an outline of the topics that I will be covering in this post:
thebenefits of sleeping
tips & tricks to a restful night of sleep
the art of napping
meditation
the (proper) way to pull off an all-nighter
waking up early
otherhelpful resources
A BIG remember: NEVER EVER sacrifice sleep for staying up all night to study. Never.
The benefits of sleeping
It can boost your mood, motivation and health. The amount of sleep you get can determine your lifespan and quality of life! With inefficient amount of sleep, people get agitated and moody during the following day; chronic limited sleep can lead to mood disorders and long-term anxiety and depression. In addition, during sleep, your immune system is busy making new molecules to strengthen your body’s ability to fight off infections. When your body is awake, your cardiovascular system is put on a lot of stress and constantly under pressure; with sleep, your heart can take a breather and keep your blood pressure and cholesterol level in check.
Sleep reduces stress levels. A good nights sleep can help lower blood pressure and elevate levels of stress hormones (which is good). A lot of stress can literally degenerate and tear your cells, which makes you age faster. Sleep slows down these effects and encourages relaxation
Sleepcontrols body weight issues. Sleep helps regulates hormones that affect and control your appetite. Studies have shown that when your body is deprived of sleep, your hormones are imbalanced and increases your appetite.
Sleepimproves your memory. Sleep can help you make better connections, and improve your concentration. When you sleep, your brain is busy making correlations and organizing memories and “practices” skills learned while you were awake.
Sleepspurs creativity. In addition to making connections and organizing memories, it can help your brain reorganize and restructure them to cultivate creativity! As they say, when you’re stuck on something, sleep on it!
Sleepincreases your grades. Studies have shown that students who don’t get enough sleep tend to get worse grades than those who do get better sleep. Sleep deprivation impairs learning.
Sleepsharpens your attention and keeps you focused! Many studies have shown that those who are lacking in sleep have a lower attention span and ability to concentrate on tasks. Studies have found that lack of sleep happens to often be a symptom among those diagnosed with ADHD.
Tips & tricks to a restful night of sleep
Follow a schedule. Don’t make sporadic sleep times. Lights out at 9pm means lights out at 9pm, not binge-watch on bed until 2 am.
Read a book. Especially a boring book with jargon that you don’t understand (my personal favorite is Atlas Shrugged by Any Rand - I never get past the first 3 chapters without dozing off). No murder mysteries or books with some kick-ass female main character that makes you want to rip your hair apart because of the plethora of romance interests you can pair her up with, but can’t decide.
Listen to soundtracks of rain or ocean waves crashing or crickets chirping.
Sayno to technology near bed.
Cool down your room.
Dim the lights.
Relax your body. Try yogaor some light stretches to relax your muscles. Do some relaxing night rituals like putting on some nice scented lotion.
Meditate for 15 minutes. Clear your mind, and you can go to sleep peacefully.
Comfy bed + comfy sheets + comfy clothes
bye bye caffeine = no tea, no coffee, no soda, no alcohol
cut down onwater consumption before bed (to avoid going to the bathroom in the middle of the night)
wear socks to bed - warm hands and feet have some weird effect on falling asleep
take a warm shower before going to sleep - on that note, don’t go to bed with wet hair…it’s a cold waiting to happen.
lavender scent in the bedroom - a stress free aromatherapy
Remember what I said about never sacrificing sleep? Well, there’s an exception…if you really can’t fall asleep and your body is restless, don’t just lay there and stare at your ceiling. Get up and do something.
The art of napping
Napping, aka, mini-sleeps or dozing off…especially during the day (ideal for a peaceful afternoon) happens to actually have an art form to it, especially in increments of time. Napping is beneficial as it can restore alertness, enhance performance, and reduce mistakes and accidents. How long should you nap? Here’s a brief guide:
1- 5 minutes (micro naps): great for shaking off sleepiness.
10-20 minutes (power naps): ideal for a boost of alertness and energy; usually limits your sleep at the Stage 1 and 2 of sleeping, making it easier to get up and get moving.
60 minutes: best for improving memorization. A little grogginess when waking up. Best before a presentation or meeting.
90 minutes (the full cycle): Improves creativity, emotional memory and procedural memory. Best before an impending deadline or a big test. Avoids sleep inertia and makes it easier to get up.
Quick pointers: Prime nap time is between 1pm to 3pm. Don’t nap 3 hours before bedtime because it will interfere with your regular sleep schedule. Always set an alarm or ask someone (reliable) to wake you up. Find a quite and dark place (or white noise + eye mask) to nap at.
Meditation
Choose a quite place and sit comfortably. Most people sit in the traditional cross-legged. The most important thing is to keep your back straight.
Have your eyes partially closed and concentrate on your breathing. Don;t control your breathing, just be natural about it.
Don’t think about anything but the rhythm of your breathing. Don’t worry about clearing your mind, it comes naturally with your concentration.
You can even count beads or say a light repetitive prayer.
I don’t encourage all nighters at all, but sometimes, desperate times call for desperate measures:
Take a nap during the day. Your body won’t be as tired while you stay awake all night.
Perfect time to take a nap is between 1pm-3pm or 1am-3am
Eat proteins. Your body needs energy to fuel it through the night. That being said, eat light. Avoid carbs.
Grab caffeine. Caffeine is only effective in keeping you up all night if you abstain from it the day before and the day leading up to your all-nighter.
Do some exercise periodically through the night.
Play video game soundtracks. Keeps your attention from drooping.
Do not study on your bed.Self-explainatory.
Keep your window open during the night. Fresh air = fresh mind
Don’t make all-nighters a habit. It decreases concentration and hurts your long term memory.
Another alternative to all-nighter is to go to sleep early (8 pm), and wake up early, around 5 am or so.
Waking up early
Get excited about the morning. A funny thing that motivates me is to imagine my dream breakfast, you know, chocolate chip pancakes, a fresh choice of fruit, a tall glass of refreshing juice (yum!)
Put your alarm/phone far away from your bed. This will force you to get up from your bed to turn off your alarm.
Set your alarm clock 15 minutes ahead your actual wake up time.
Sayno to the snooze button.
Schedule your wake up time. Wake up at the same time every morning and be consistent. No excuses.
(Not saying you should live off of this but my favorite school phenomena is grown ass professors giving me better scores because I’m sociable with them)
Always make friends w your professors, if possible. They’ll be more willing to be lenient with you if they get to know you. Also, them being able to pick you out of a crowd will be good for letters of rec and networking.
Would you prefer waking up at 7:50 than at 7? Or maybe you’re a Tired College Student™ like me who’s in their second semester just waiting for the sweet release of death? Either way, today I’m going to be v non-studyblr and show you how you too can be a lazy asshole and sleep in.
Lay out your clothes the night before. If you feel like trash sweater + leggins takes 2 mins to put on and feels like PJs
If you shower at night just sleep in your leggins tbh.
If you have bangs do them the night before and sleep on your back. If you can’t keep still, wear headphones bc they’ll keep you from turning. It’s better for your back anyway.
Brush your hair before bed and tie it up so that it’s faster to brush in the morning.
Tbh smoothing the ends and the top layer works just as well.
Get a Tangle Teezer. It’ll save you so much time.
If you plan on using dry shampoo, do It the night before. It’ll absorb way more oil and you just have to brush it and go in the morning.
If you wear makeup, have all your basics in one easy to reach place.
If you take the bus or sth just do your makeup there.
If you need to wet your beauty blender, carry a mini spray bottle of water in your makeup bag.
Carry rollerballs of perfume in your backpack so that you don’t have to waste time putting it on.
Have your fucking backpack ready the night before.
Have a designated place near the door for the shit you need to carry (keys, glasses, USBs, idk). If you know what shoes you’re gonna wear, put them in front of the door and leave everything you need inside of them.
Putting on a coat is faster if it’s hung on a chair than if it’s hung on a hanger.
Breakfast is essential. Doesn’t mean you can’t just take it with you and eat it during break or on your way to school.
Make it the night before and put it in the fridge if it’’s temperature sensitive. Avocado toast can be turned into a mess free sandwich js. Also you can make overnight oats in a mason jar and take them with you.
Same with coffee. Honestly at this point just carry a bottle of it in your backpack. It lasts for like three days.
And that’s how to be a Slightly More Rested Mess. I realize this is not for everyone but hey, desperate times call for desperate meassures.
