Tip #3: Small Victories

Uncertain times can have an impact on our mental health. It can feel overwhelming and as I had said in my tip yesterday, sometimes it is good to embrace our humanity and take it easy.

But this can also quickly turn into a long-term behaviour that could become challenging to overcome, especially because the more we take things easy, the more things pile up and the more we start to feel guilty. This adds to our stress and impacts our mental (and consequently, physical) well-being.

What can you do?

• Focus on small victories! Create a to-do list with items that are small to complete in a short time and check them off the list.
• Trust me, checking things off the list is satisfying :) And it demonstrates that you have completed something!
  • For example, if you have a big assignment that is due, work on one small part of that assignment.
  • In the context of web development, it could be as small as creating one HTML file or the set of style definitions for the web page header.
  • Or it could be smaller -- create all files and folders that you need for an assignment, and update the README.md file. Even better - make them to be two smaller tasks to check off the list.
• Then check it off the list as a task that is completed.
  This is it! Small victories :)

Recognize that eventually, these small victories help you accomplish the bigger goal.

This tip has helped me immensely. Try it out!

Take care, and may the Force be with you!