College is one of the most difficult times in a person’s life. A constant struggle of who he or she is, and wants to become, adds to this difficulty on top of the back and forth success and failures throughout the years. This is why it is a priority for everyone to always remind themselves not to sweat the small stuff and remain positive.

Self esteem has always been an issue, but thanks to several, well known social figures the needed awareness on this important topic has began to grow. In 2015, at the pre-VMAs, the microphone caught Demi Lovato behind stage telling herself repeatedly, “I am enough.” This grabbed many people’s attention. Many people know Lovato as a successful music artist. How could a woman with such talent have self esteem issues? The answer is simple, it’s because she is human.

Along with Demi, Lady Gaga has recently expressed her own way of boosting her self esteem. Waking up in the morning Lady Gaga has a daily routine of telling herself how wonderful she is. No matter the time of day, this is an extremely useful habit to form. Constantly building yourself up with positive thoughts instead of tearing yourself down, commonly by listening to sad music on an off day, will in turn increase your mood throughout the day. Walking around campus nearly half, if not more, of the students have headphones in. So, if you’re having a bad day but still want to listen to music check out Michelle Obama’s new Spotify playlist that focuses on feeling confident.

Students may not have such a large dilemma, like signing in front of a huge crowd, to conquer as these celebrities do; however everybody is facing their own problems, some smaller than others, but still an issue.Well known self-help mantras like just breathe, keep calm and carry on, and don’t worry be happy are all common phrases many have probably heard and maybe even said. While it may seem silly to sit in class and say, “I can do this.” it can change the entire mood set of the situation and make it actually come true. These simple phrases can help out with the day to day problems students are faced with.

Growing up saying, “I can’t.” is a pretty common phrase but it is quickly followed by a parent saying, “Well, if you say you can’t then you can’t.” It’s as simple as that. Don’t say I can’t, because you can. Everybody can do anything they set their mind to. Change the negative voice to a positive reinforcer in tough situations. Self-help doesn’t happen in a day. Thinking positive takes time and effort.