Getting to the ‘aha!’ moment: 10 ways to embrace discomfort and pain when you study

We live in a world where comfort is king. A world where we think pain is bad. Pleasure is good. Following this logic, we should avoid pain and pursue pleasure at all costs. But is this the recipe for academic and life success? Surely life can’t be all ponies, kittens and rainbows all the time? […]

No pain, no gain: Why doing (learning) something is better than doing nothing

When you don’t understand something or feel confused as you study, what do you do? A. Consider dropping the subject B. Say to yourself, “You’re stupid!” C. Procrastinate by going to the fridge to get a snack D. Embrace the pain and keep going Most of us do A, B and/or C: we give up […]

A Simple Way to Shift your Perspective: The Five Minute Journal (5MJ)

You stepped in dog poo. Your sandwich is soggy. That essay you’ve been avoiding for weeks? It’s due tomorrow. Ugh. We all have moments where our lives feel like a chaotic mess. A shemozzle. But in those moments of despair, it’s important to remember that things could be worse. Much, much worse. Consider this for […]

“I’ll start trying in year 12 when it really matters” and other delusional thoughts: Debunking 3 ideas that stop you from achieving your personal best

I’ve just finished reading a book called ‘You are not so smart: Why your memory is mostly fiction, why you have too many friends on Facebook and 46 other ways you’re deluding yourself’. It’s got me thinking about thinking. In particular, it’s got me thinking about cognitive distortions. What’s a cognitive distortion? A cognitive distortion […]