Self-Improvement Archives

How to Process Emotions: 4 Tips for Well-Being

Do you struggle with how to process emotions? How can properly processing your emotions help you overcome codependent tendencies? Many codependent people tend to repress their emotions, because feeling numb is better than feeling pain. However, not processing your emotions can lead to a multitude of issues, including worsening your codependency issues. In order to gain back your self-esteem and work towards becoming more independent, you need to learn how to process your emotions. Here are four tips for processing your feelings.

How to Make an Impact on the World Around You

Do you want to know how to make an impact on the world? How can sharing your values with others make an impact on both of your happiness? According to Jay Shetty, the author of Think Like a Monk, the final step in adopting a monk mindset is to share your values, strength, and compassion with others. It can be difficult to know where to begin, so Shetty describes three opportunities where you can leave a mark. Here are tips on how to make a positive impact.

5 Strategies for Managing Test-Taking Anxiety

Do you struggle with test-taking anxiety? How might your test performance improve if you successfully managed that anxiety? According to Barbara Oakley, test-taking anxiety can be relieved by managing your time, changing how you view your anxiety, exercising mindfulness, using breathing exercises, and recording your feelings. She describes these strategies in her book A Mind for Numbers. Read more to learn these tips for managing test-taking anxiety.

How to Generate Self-Insight: Risk Failure

What is self-insight? How can you prompt self-insight on demand? Self-insight is your metacognitive understanding of your psyche and behavior (your thoughts, feelings, motivations, etc.). According to Chip and Dan Heath, the authors of The Power of Moments, the best way to gain self-insight is to put yourself in situations that expose you to the possibility of failure. Keep reading to learn how risking failure translates into valuable self-insight.

Stop Trying to Control Others—It Harms You Both

Do you have a bad habit of trying to control others? Why is it so important to take responsibility for yourself? If you have a codependent personality, then you probably try to control those around you, whether it’s intentional or not. However, when you spend your life trying to control others, you’re allowing other people’s lives to control you. To counter this bad habit, you need to start focusing on your own needs. Here’s how you can regain control of your life and stop focusing on others.

The 6 Ways to Deal With Negative Thoughts

Do you want to know how to deal with negative thoughts? Do you often stress about circumstances that are out of your control? How can negative thoughts affect your mental health? The quality of your thoughts, both positive and negative, affect your mental health and state. Focusing on negative thoughts can cause overthinking, anxiety, and depression. So, rather than stressing about things that are beyond your control, learn to reframe your thoughts and improve your mental state. Here are some productive ways to process your fearful and negative thoughts.

What Are Counterfactuals—and How Do They Hurt You?

What are counterfactuals? What’s the difference between an upward and a downward counterfactual? Counterfactuals are the hypothetical situations you imagine—such as wondering what life would be like if you had taken that other job. Counterfactuals can go both ways. Upward counterfactuals are when you imagine how things could be better, and downward counterfactuals are when you think of how things could be worse. Learn more about counterfactuals and how they affect mental health.

How to Take Tests: 5 Steps to Success

Do you know how to take tests well? What strategies work the best? A Mind for Numbers author Barbara Oakley recommends the “hard-start-jump-to-easy” test-taking strategy. It has five steps, and it leverages the way your brain works. We’ll discuss this strategy and compare it with a few others. Keep reading to learn how to take tests.

How to Act With Courage: Preload Your Response

Why do people tend to withdraw and do nothing when they witness unjust or even violent behavior? How do you act when you witness unjust treatment? Usually, when you see something wrong or unjust, you don’t react right away, or at all—most people don’t naturally know how to react to these situations. Without a specific planned response, we end up spending too much time deliberating what we should or could say or do, and miss the moment. To avoid decision paralysis in situations that call for courage, plan out exactly how you’d respond with “preloaded responses.” Here is how preparing

Robin Sharma: How to Give Yourself a Break

Do you take enough breaks in life? Why is it so important to give yourself a break? Robin Sharma, self-help guru and the author of Who Will Cry When You Die?, asserts that you should take intentional breaks in order to feel refreshed and energized. The three types of breaks he suggests are a weekly personal break, a short, imaginary holiday, and a one-day break from your watch. Here’s a rundown of the different types of breaks and why it’s so important to cut yourself some slack and let things go sometimes.