The new school year has started and an exciting year of learning is in full swing! Whether you鈥檝e just started at a brand new school or in a new class, here are some tips on greeting the new school year with confidence, meeting new people and keeping yourself grounded.

1. Let your clothes speak for you. Meeting new people is not easy for some students. (In fact, it can be difficult for adults, too!) If you want to engage your peers in conversation, but don鈥檛 quite know what to say, see if you can get them to speak up first. Do you have a favorite t-shirt? Maybe one that鈥檚 unique or one-of-a kind? You鈥檇 be surprised at how easily a t-shirt, hat or pin can start up a conversation. My favorite animal is the hedgehog and whenever I wear this shirt, people inevitably ask me about it:

You might have a t-shirt from your last vacation, a hat with your Harry Potter house on it, a pin or button from your favorite band or a jersey from a popular 鈥� or even little-known 鈥� sports team. Letting your classmates know what your interests are by expressing yourself through fashion will lead to some great conversations.

2. Remember to breathe. After a summer of camp, vacation, barbecues and adventures with friends and family, getting back into the school year routine can seem daunting. It may seem counterintuitive to add another 鈥渞outine鈥� to your day, but consider meditation. Taking 10-20 minutes to yourself each day to quietly reflect and focus on breathing can help center you and restore a sense of calm. You can do it in silence or with music, or use any of several apps to guide you. You鈥檒l be surprised how something so seemingly simple can have such a large, positive effect on your well-being and outlook.

3. Digital detox: Though a lot of schools now have a one-to-one tablet or laptop program, and more and more schoolwork has a technology focus, make sure you find time 鈥� throughout the week, if not every day 鈥� to unplug, especially at night. Swap your e-reader for a good, old-fashioned book; play a board game instead of a video game; draw, paint or sketch; pick up an instrument instead of an iPod. Being in nature is also a great way to recalibrate, whether it鈥檚 taking a walk, playing Frisbee, riding your bike or having a picnic. Swap screen time for green time for fresh air and a fresh perspective.

4. Write it down!: Let鈥檚 face it: our lives are hectic. After school hours are spent shuttling from piano to soccer to art class to scouts. Sometimes, it鈥檚 nice to take a minute and reflect on all the things we鈥檙e grateful for 鈥� including the people and opportunities we鈥檙e afforded. Keeping a gratitude journal is a great, intentional act that can quickly turn even the most hectic mind calm. A gratitude journal can be blank and freeform or include prompts with different ways of experiencing thanks, such as 鈥淲hat are three sounds or songs you heard today that made you think of something you鈥檙e grateful for?鈥� or 鈥淲hat is something someone else did today that made you grateful to have that person in your life?鈥�

5. Replace 鈥淵es, but鈥︹�� with 鈥淵es, and鈥︹�� One of the most basic rules of improv comedy is that you don鈥檛 counter what someone says to you; you run with it. If your scene partner hands you a 鈥減hone鈥� and says an alien is on the line, you can鈥檛 say, 鈥淵es, but that鈥檚 ridiculous.鈥� Rather, you must then begin speaking with that alien: 鈥淵es, and he just told me that he wants to play baseball this afternoon.鈥� And so the scene continues. This is a great strategy to employ in everyday life 鈥� especially when trying new or challenging things. If someone asks if you had a good day at school, instead of responding with, 鈥淵es, but math was really hard and I don鈥檛 think I鈥檓 going to like it,鈥� try 鈥淵es, and I鈥檓 looking forward to understanding these new math concepts that were introduced today.鈥� A negative reaction can be an easy way out if something is frustrating you, but intentionally reacting positively will ultimately pay off much more.

6. Vary your activities: A good rule of thumb is to be involved in one activity you enjoy because you鈥檙e good at it, one social activity and one activity that is new or challenging, but also enjoyable. Maybe you鈥檙e not a confident public speaker, but you鈥檙e involved with a community theater group that requires you to cultivate that confidence in front of large groups. If you can make 100 free-throws in a row, you鈥檝e developed a skill. By stepping back to the three-point line and working to master that skill, you鈥檙e not only developing muscles, but also valuable muscle memory. Greeting challenges with confidence and an open mind will have lasting benefits both in and outside the classroom.

What are some of your favorite back-to-school tips and strategies for success?

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The is within all of us. As I start writing this blog, I find myself typing and deleting, starring at the screen trying to brainstorm the perfect sentence to write. Perfect sentence to write? That sounds oxymoronic!

Perfectionism is often branded as a positive stereotype, whereas if a person is a perfectionist, he or she must already mastered their school/work, they are going above and beyond and do not require additional help 鈥� much like the positive stereotypes associated with the needs of a gifted student.

Perfectionism is defined as the disposition to regard anything short of perfection as unacceptable. When in reality being perfect is just a myth, people who struggle with perfectionism are left with doubts and unacceptability. Perfectionists often experience self-criticism, anxiety, and isolation, which can lead to lack of confidence, low self-esteem, and sometimes depression.

Gifted children 鈥� who exhibit , highly self-critical, and have a high standard for excellence 鈥� are prone to struggle with perfectionism. They crave the perfect feedback from their teachers and parents; they take great pride in being known by their peers as the person who knows the answer to everything; they believe, based on their experience, that learning should always come easy; and they are good at anticipating expectations and try to live their lives by the approval of others.

Perfectionism manifests itself in multiple ways, and the struggle can be a lifelong challenge. It is important to recognize the debilitating qualities of this trait, but trying to manage it or even overcome it, is certainly possible.

These are some of the techniques people have shared:

1. Value the journey

In so many cases, people put a tremendous amount of effort working toward their goal. Just because you fall short of your own expectations, does not mean you did not learn anything or you are a failure. The lessons and skills you learned along the way are valuable and can be applied to other tasks in the future.

Take exercising for example. It is one of the best ways to give value to progress. You may not be able to run a marathon in one week, but every time you run, you can feel the muscle ache and know that you are getting ever-so-closer to your goal. The end does not justify the means. The journey matters.

2. Meditate

Meditation is a great opportunity to catch up with your thoughts and regulate imagination. Rather than allowing your imagination to conjure the worst possible outcomes when you feel you have let yourself or other people down, take a mental 鈥渢ime out鈥� and meditate. Meditation increases sensory awareness, and helps with self-regulation. It is a moment to practice leaving behind self-doubt and judgement to just focus on the power of now.

3. Practice self-compassion

When you feel overwhelmed with intense emotional stimuli, take a moment to practice breathing, and relive your favorite moment of the day. Take pride in small achievements of the day 鈥� did you make your bed this morning? What acts of self-care did you do? Asking positive mindset oriented questions can shift your mental state and lift you out of the dark place. Fill in the blank and remind yourself that 鈥淚 am worthy of___.鈥� No one is best at everything, all the time. Recognizing your potential and allowing yourself to learn from mistakes is a great way to practice self-compassion.

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