Fostering a growth mindset and resilient attitude is a good way to combat procrastination, feelings of imposter syndrome, and other negative emotions that can impact our mental health in the academic space. By having a growth mindset, you are more likely to take on challenging tasks and succeed at them because you are more willing to try new strategies or increase your effort than students with a fixed mindset.

Remember that you are at Stanford to learn. You are in the process of becoming an expert in your field, and that means you won’t always get everything right. Instead of a self-critical approach in the face of failures, reframe failures and challenges as opportunities for learning and growth.

By using the word “yet,” you focus on the future, and the ever-present potential for improvement. For example, “I don’t know how to solve this problem set yet,” “I haven’t mastered this theory yet,” or “I will do better next time.”

Self-compassion is an effective emotional regulation strategy that involves turning the compassion you give toward others inward. The process neutralizes negative emotional patterns and engenders more positive feelings of kindness and connectedness. One way you can practice self-compassion is to talk to yourself as you would a friend, especially in moments of perceived failure and insurmountable challenges.