Amal Totkay

I have implemented these tips in my life in the past few years while I was making mistakes and trying to learn from them in university.

Self-talk has been a major game-changer for me because nowadays because of social media, we have become used to making fun of ourselves and putting ourselves down just to crack jokes and we don’t realize that it has a very negative impact on us. I observed a very positive change in my self-esteem and how I view myself when I stopped doing this.

I was able to overcome my fear of public speaking because I put myself in a situation where I could not escape from it and it helped me realize it wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be and now even if I’m scared, I can think ‘I’ve done it before I can do it again’.

Journaling is something I’ve wanted to incorporate into my life for a really long time now. Whenever I’m having negative thoughts and I’m worried I have not been productive enough, I try to remind myself of all the progress I have made this year and it helps a lot when you keep comparing your journey and your progress to someone else’s and you feel like you’re not doing enough. I think Journaling regularly will help me more with this exercise and I will start practicing this from today.

Asking people for help is something I struggle with because I feel like it might annoy them. I also have a hard time receiving feedback that might be negative because it might contribute to the negative self-talk I am trying to fight against.

The fake it till you make it mindset really helps instill confidence because if you’re constantly thinking ‘I can’t do this’, your thoughts translate into your actions and you end up making mistakes even if it could have been avoidable. If you are confident and you practice positive self-talk, you can successfully do a task even if you were doubtful because you went in with a positive attitude.

This reflection activity really helped me realize how important self-reflection can be because it helps you realize that specific habits have helped you in the past and you can intentionally implement in your daily life. It also helped me realize that I already have a growth mindset so I’m on the right track, and I can improve even more by working on the areas I struggle in.