You need to learn from mistakes, but you really shouldn’t dwell on them. That’s difficult, especially in university, where you’re essentially paying people to point out your shortcomings and failures of understanding (as they grade your tests, mark up your assignments, etc.) all the time. While it’s very important to pay close attention to the academic areas in which you need to improve, it’s equally important to keep an eye on the big picture, and to see everything that you’re doing well.
One technique to help you to manage your mood and, in fact, your general sense of hope, in a rigorous university program is to start a positivity journal. Although you’re tasked with looking out for your weaknesses, this technique will help train you to find your strengths as well.
The technique is relatively simple. The benefits are not so simple, and they increase over time.
Here’s how to do it:
As you keep on top of the classwork, keep on top of the positivity as well. This is a busy and stressful time of your life, but it should be a great time as well. Remember to seek out the good. Train yourself to be nice to yourself.
One technique to help you to manage your mood and, in fact, your general sense of hope, in a rigorous university program is to start a positivity journal. Although you’re tasked with looking out for your weaknesses, this technique will help train you to find your strengths as well.
The technique is relatively simple. The benefits are not so simple, and they increase over time.
Here’s how to do it:
- Buy a small journal. Any journal will do. You get bonus points for finding one that you find pretty or that makes you happy.
- Notice nice things. Notice things for which you’re grateful. Notice things that you did well. Notice nice things about you. Notice things that make you happy, in general.
- Every night, write down three positive things about yourself from the day that just passed. These notes can be long and fully described, or they can be single words. They can describe events, things that you did well, or traits, aspects of your personality. Just find three nice things to write, and write them.
- Repeat every night. The effects of a positivity journal build up over time, so it’s very important that you stick with it.
- You can re-read the entries, or you can never look at them again. For a positivity journal, the main benefit is training yourself to identify the positive: things that went well, things you did well, great things about you. You don’t need to look back at them. You don’t need to review or look for trends (although it might make you happy if you do). You simply need to train yourself to notice things that are positive.
As you keep on top of the classwork, keep on top of the positivity as well. This is a busy and stressful time of your life, but it should be a great time as well. Remember to seek out the good. Train yourself to be nice to yourself.
