Self-management Skills

Unit 2 - Employability skills

Self Management
Self-management, which is also referred to as ‘self-control’.

The ability to control one’s emotions, thoughts and behaviour effectively in

different situations.

This includes motivating oneself, and working towards achieving personal and
academic goals
Self Management skills
Students with strong self-management skills are better at doing certain things well,
such as coming to class on time, paying attention, obeying teachers, parents and
elders, working with discipline, etc.
Self Management Skills

Positive thinking: to think that one can get things done and be happy.

Result orientation: to dream big and achieve the desired or set results.

Self-awareness: to be aware of one’s personality traits and make the best out of
one’s strengths.
Session 1: Motivation and Positive Attitude
Motivation and positive thinking can help us overcome fears and take up new
challenges.

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without
hope and confidence.”
Motivation
Motivation is derived from the word ‘motive’. Thus, directing behaviour towards
certain motive or goal is the essence of motivation.

Intrinsic motivation

Extrinsic motivation
Intrinsic motivation
Includes activities.

no apparent reward

one derives enjoyment and satisfaction in doing them.

It occurs when people are internally motivated to do something because it brings

them pleasure.

Incentives related to the motive or goal can satisfy one’s needs.

Extrinsic motivation
It arises because of incentives or external rewards.

Lack of motivation or incentives may lead to frustration.

for example, employees who are kept on contractual basis for a long time may get
frustrated and leave an organisation.
Positive attitude
A positive attitude makes a person happier, and helps build and maintain
relationships.

It even increases one’s chances of success.

In addition, it can help the person make better decisions.

People, who maintain a positive or optimistic attitude in life situations and

challenges, are able to move forward than those with a negative attitude

Positive attitude helps improve mental and physical health..

Ways to maintain positive attitude
Start the day with a morning routine. Say positive affirmations, smile often and
think about the tasks to be accomplished during for the day.

Feed the mind with positivity, read motivating books, listen to music with uplifting
lyrics, watch inspiring movies, etc.,

Be proactive. A proactive person decides how one must feel regardless of what
may be going around or what the day may bring.

Focus on constructive and positive things. Do not approach life with ‘problems’.
Approach it with ‘solutions’.
Ways to maintain positive attitude
Learn from failures. Think what could have been better and work towards the
goals.

Learn to focus on the present. Negativity mostly stems out from anxiety of the past
and

future events.

Move towards your goals and dreams. Be cheerful and work hard to achieve the
dreams.
 Techniques that can help you to maintain a positive
outlook in the long run.

Physical exercise and fresh air: Following a healthy lifestyle is essential for students.
Practising yoga, meditation and deep breathing exercises help improve blood
circulation and relax the body.

Taking a walk or playing in the park helps one to get a lot of fresh air, which helps in
becoming more active.

Healthy diet: A healthy and balanced diet is important for a healthy body and mind.
Eating a balanced diet, such as daal, roti, green vegetables and fruits provides the
strength required to do daily work efficiently.
Techniques that can help you to maintain a positive
outlook in the long run.
Organise academic life: By keeping class notes organised, completing
assignments on time and keeping track of all deadlines, stress can be reduced to
a great extent. When you are not stressed, you can channelise your mind to
achieve the goals.

Adequate sleep: A good night sleep for at least seven hours is important so that
the mind and body can get recharged to function better the next day
Techniques that can help you to maintain a positive
outlook in the long run.
Holidays with family and friends: Visiting a relative’s place, such as grandparents’
house or a new place during summer vacation can help one break the the
monotonous normal routine and come back refreshed.
What is stress and how to manage it?
Stress is a state of feeling upset, annoyed and hopeless.

There are times when we feel nothing is working right, we are not able to achieve
our goals and feel hopeless.
Some of the ways to manage stress are given below
Stay positive and analyse what is going wrong in a certain situation

Resolving the situation is easy once understood

Maintain an accomplishment sheet and enter even small achievements.

Keep your thoughts in present.

Pondering over past issues makes us feel upset and helpless.

Talk to friends and family for comfort.

Practise meditation and yoga

Whenever you feel negative thoughts are taking over, take a look at your accomplishment sheet.
Some of the ways to manage stress are given below
By managing stress effectively and maintaining a positive attitude, one can
overcome any challenge and achieve heights in career. Managing stress
effectively helps one maintain a healthy work–life balance.
Session 2: Result Orientation
Result orientation is a term used to describe a person’s ability to recognise what
results are important and the steps needed to be taken to achieve them.
How to become result oriented?
Set clear goals: Setting clear and accurate goals is the first step one needs to take
to meet the targets.
How to become result oriented?
Prepare an action plan: An action plan describes the way a person or an
organisation will meet the set objectives.

It gives a detail of the steps to be taken to achieve the target.

Therefore, it consists of several actions or steps that need to be taken, and

changes that need to be made.

Each action, step or change should include the following information.

How to become result oriented?
What changes will occur after the actions?

• Who will carry out the changes?

• When will the changes take place?

• How long will the changes stay?

• What resources are needed to carry out the changes?

• Who should know and what should be communicated?

.
Use the right resources and tools:

One must evaluate the resources and tools needed to achieve those results and
whether they are available.

For example, you may want to clear the college entrance exam with 70 per cent
marks.

Do you have the books to study for the exam?

If not, from where and how can you get them?

Communicate with mentors and peers:
One must talk to teachers, seniors and mentors for help in setting realistic goals.
Make a calendar:

One must make a calendar to monitor the progress at regular intervals

Work hard:

One must work hard and believe in one’s dreams.

Goal setting
Goal setting helps us to understand what we want, how to achieve it and how do
we measure our success.Writing a goal requires that we should understand its

purpose and objective.

SMART
S: Specific
Goals should be stated in specific terms. Vague goals are difficult to attain. Specific goals
give us a concrete target. Hence, a goal should have a specific purpose.

M: Measurable
Goals should always be measurable. If we do not set our goals in measurable terms, it is
difficult to assess whether we have achieved them or not.
SMART
A: Action-oriented

Goals do not just come true on their own.

Effective goal setting should include action-based steps that one will follow to achieve the goal.

R: Realistic

There are few things more damaging to our sense of self-efficacy than setting ourselves up for failure. Goals

must always be realistically attainable.

T: Timely
Goals must have deadlines. However, deadlines may change. But one must
always set a deadline to get the job done within a specified time limit.

A student may set a goal of scoring high marks in an exam.

• An athlete may run five miles a day.

Session 3: Self-awareness
Self-awareness is about understanding one’s own needs, desires, habits, traits,
behaviours and feelings.
Steps towards self-awareness
Steps towards self-awareness
The first step for practising self-awareness is gaining a greater awareness of
one’s emotions.

The second step to practising self-awareness is making a habit of tracking one’s

feelings.

The third step for practising self-awareness is expanding one’s practice to areas
of life beyond the person’s feelings.
Personality and personality traits
Personality is a cluster of thoughts, feelings and behaviours that make a person
unique and different from others.
Five Factor Model
There are five parameters that describe an individual’s personality. These five
dimensions are also called the ‘Big Five Factors’ and the model is referred to as
the ‘Five Factor Model’, which is abbreviated as FFM
Five Factor Model
Openness: Individuals with openness to experience are, generally, creative,
curious, active, flexible and adventurous.

If a person is interested in learning new things, meeting new people and

making friends, and likes visiting new places, the person can be called
open-minded.
Five Factor Model
Consciousness: Individuals, who listen to their conscience, are self-disciplined,
do their work on time, take care of others before themselves and care about
others’ feelings.
Five Factor Model
Extraversion: Extroverts are individuals, who love interacting with people around
and are, generally, talkative.

Agreeableness: Individuals having such a trait are, generally, kind, sympathetic,

cooperative, warm and considerate. They accommodate themselves in any
situation. For example, people who help and take care of others are, generally,
agreeable.
Five Factor Model
Neuroticism: Neuroticism is a trait, wherein, individuals show tendency towards
anxiety, self-doubt, depression, shyness and other similar negative feelings.

People, who have difficulty in meeting others and worry too much about things,

show signs of neuroticism.

Common personality disorders
Paranoid personality disorder: Paranoid personality disorder is characterised by
distrust for others, including friends, family members and partners. People with
such a disorder mostly hold grudges against others.
Schizoid personality disorder:

The term ‘schizoid’ refers to the natural tendency to direct attention toward one’s
inner life away from the external world.

A person with schizoid personality disorder is detached and aloof, and prone to
introspection and fantasy. The person shows little interest in forming personal
relationships and seems to be emotionally cold.
Schizotypal personality disorder:

People with this type of personality disorder believe that they can influence other
people or events with their thoughts. They often misinterpret behaviours.

This causes them to have inappropriate emotional responses. They may

consistently avoid having intimate relationships.
Antisocial personality disorder:

People with antisocial personality disorder disregard social rules and obligations.

They are irritating and aggressive, and act impulsively. They tend to lack

guilt and fail to learn from experience. They may lie, steal or abuse, and may also
get addicted to alcohol or drugs.
Dependent personality disorder
People with such a disorder are characterised by lack of self-confidence and an
extra need to be looked after.
They need a lot of help in making everyday decisions and surrender important life
decisions to the care of others.

Suicidal threats and acts of self harm are common in people with such
a personality disorder. They may have difficulty in dealing with stressful events.
Histrionic personality disorder:

People with histrionic personality disorder frequently try to gain more attention by
being overly dramatic.

They are extremely sensitive to criticism or disapproval, and can be easily

influenced by others.
Narcissistic personality disorder:

People with narcissistic personality disorder believe that they are more important
than others. They lack empathy for other people and tend to exaggerate their own
achievements.
Avoidant personality disorder:

People with this type of disorder are socially inept, unappealing or inferior, and
constantly fear being embarrassed, criticised or rejected.

They avoid meeting others and often experience feelings of inadequacy,

inferiority or unattractiveness.
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder:

People with such a disorder strongly stick to rules and regulations. They can be
characterised by a general pattern of excessive concern with orderliness,
perfectionism and attention to details.

They feel extremely uncomfortable when unable to achieve perfection. They may
even neglect personal relationships to focus on making a project perfect.
Steps to overcome personality disorders
Talk to someone. Most often, it helpsto share your feelings.
• Look after your physical health. A healthy body can help you maintain a healthy
mind.
• Build confidence in your ability to handle difficult situations.
• Engage in hobbies, such as music, dance and painting. These have a
therapeutic effect.
• Stay positive by choosing words like ‘challenges’ instead of ‘problems’.