I know I personally struggle with this and so do many other students. I want to start off by saying that self worth should not be tied to your accomplishments and failures. It is easy to get stuck in a cycle of anxiety and self-doubt when doing hard things.

The biggest thing you can do for yourself is to have positive self-talk and change your mindset and thinking patterns. It may take awhile but switching negative phrases when you meet challenges to non-judgmental ones will help a lot.

Stop comparing yourself to others. Not everything in life is a competition. Even while it may feel like others are criticizing you, you are your own worst critic. Everyone else is struggling with their own issues and it can be freeing to know that the sympathy you may feel for others is being felt for you.

Examine why you feel the need to be better. Ask yourself if you are hoping it will make people like you more, or hoping it will make you like yourself better? Brainstorm other ways you can feel that connection and get curious about others. Getting out of your head by taking the focus off yourself, like doing a kind deed for someone, will open your mind and help you realize there is more to life than ‘success.’

Be kinder to yourself. Acknowledge your mistakes and learn from them, but also take into perspective the severity of the situation and don’t beat yourself up over something that might not deserve it.

An effective method for calming yourself during a moment of self-criticism is to stop, breathe and focus on being in your body. This will slow down your mind and stop you from spinning untrue stories. Realizing that these thoughts are a habit and that you have control over them can be a small step in overcoming feelings of self-doubt. Try not to give these thoughts power, because once you start changing your thoughts, no matter how you perform, you will be much more satisfied with yourself.