LIFE COACHING FOR STUDENTS - THURINGIAN AGENCY FOR SKILLED PERSONELL MARKETING (THAFF) CONSULTANT & LECTURER: KATHARINA PALKO, M.A - EAH JENA

Life Coaching for students
Thuringian Agency for skilled personell Marketing (ThAFF)
Consultant & Lecturer: Katharina Palko, M.A.

Information about ThAFF

         https://www.thaff-thueringen.de/

What does the ThAFF do?

Free offers:

  • Online information platform

  • job exchange

  • contact guide

  • Tips for a successful application (tips, checklist, sample applications)

  • Calendar of events with information on trade fairs and events of the ThAFF
    and the more than 450 Thuringian players

Job board of the ThAFF
                         about 3500 vacancies all over Thuringia

                          full time
                          part-time
                          apprenticeship place
                          internship
                          direct access to job descriptions with
                          contact details of the contact persons

Applicant registration of the ThAFF

• Create your own applicant profile
• Create application documents
• Search job offers
• online applications
• application status
• job agent

Inhaltsübersicht

   Life Coaching - Effects
   The wheel of life
   Target and career plan for students
   Self-motivation during your studies
   Time management
   Overcoming work blockades
   Overcoming fear
   Stress management
   How to focus and increase concentration
   Dealing with excessive demands during studies

Target group of the lecture:

• Students who want to improve their academic performance in order to
  achieve a very good degree.

• Students who have exam difficulties and may have a final attempt in front of
  them.

• Students who feel they have chosen the wrong studies and want to find the
  right path

Target group of the lecture

• Students who want to prepare themselves optimally for job interviews and
  plan the next stage of their lives.

• Students who have exam anxiety or are at risk from blackouts

• Students who have problems with time management or the "36 Hours Day“

Life Coaching - Effects

• Has a significant positive influence on the quality of life

• Leads to improved well-being, achievement of goals, alignment with values,
  strengths and goals

• Helps overcome obstacles and successfully manage transitions

Life Coaching - Effects

• The common goal of coaching is to gain new insights and create new habits as
  customers move towards a more fulfilling and prosperous life.

• Helps with the stress factors of students:
  financial difficulties, academic problems, career indecision,
  personal problems and relationship conflicts

Indicators of a person's success

Successful:                        Not successful:

Forgive others                     Criticize

Compliments                        Blaming others for
                                   their mistakes.
Has a sense of
gratitude.                         Think they know
                                   everything.
Setting goals and
developing plans                   Never set goals

Maintaining a "To-                 Talking about people
Do-Project" list
                                   emit trouble
Talking about ideas
                                   anxiety change
Read daily

Life wisdom - good luck in your studies and afterwards

• "Only those who know their destination will find their way" - Laotse (Chinese
  philosopher)

• "People usually fail on the brink of success. So dedicate as much care to the end
  as to the beginning, then there will be no failure." (Laotse)

• "The aimless suffers his fate - the purposeful shapes it." (Immanuel Kant)

Wheel of Life

Which areas are
100% fullfilled?

Which areas are 50%
fullfilled?

How round or
unround
Is the wheel?

Where something
has to be changed?

Annual review

• What were important topics?

• What have I achieved?

• What wass especially fun?

• Which personality traits could I develop further?

Set target for next year

Select 5-7 categories in which you would like to develop further

for example:
profession or study / practical experience / personality development
Partnership / Body / Commitment / Sports / etc.

Step 2: Now define for each category at least 5 (preferably more) sub-items,
intermediate steps, milestones, e.g.

Study: Pass exam "xy" with 1.7
Pass "xz" test with at least 2.3

Control set goals:

Step 3: Check regularly to see if you can cross out any intermediate goals.

You should read the list at least once a month, better at the end of each week.

Your goals are observable and controllable.

 100% are not always realistic, because priorities inevitably shift.

What goals do you pursue as a student?

“Make yourself free from what others want from you and consider what goals you
want to achieve at university. And then, "Just do it."

HR managers at large companies want a CV with a central theme - they want to see
the right internships in their CV, the right focus subjects.

In the meantime, some personnel managers are complaining that many
applicants send them the same application documents: with a red thread, but
without personality. They say that many university graduates lack the unusual,
the rough edges and the experience of life.

Wie kannst Du Ziele erreichen?

Career Plan

  Serves as orientation and red thread, defines main direction and milestones

      Think about where you want to be professionally in a few years

                     Set medium- and long-term goals

    Follow the ideas and goals that YOU have and not the OTHERS for you!

What people think how careers go…

Your Career:

How can I plan my studies and career?

• Find out about gut feelings, themes and passions.

• Analyse interests, formulate core values and criteria

• How do I imagine my internship or later job?

• Analyzing passions and strengths

• Restricting the scope of work, rethinking planning and development

• Create networks

Self-motivation

Striving for top marks or top jobs

If-then-thinking:
"Once I've made a career... I'm happier..."
"If I get this job, I'll be happier..."
"When I make so much money, I'm motivated..."

We should always reward ourselves, even if we have achieved partial
successes (milestones).

Money only motivates in the short term. It is external influences and incentives that
make us dependent.
The better drive comes from within.

Self-Motivation

Self-motivation - things that help you..

Autonomy

To be able to give direction to life on the whole instead of being directed.

When you feel like you're doing what others want - you feel like you're being
controlled.

Things that help you to give more power
Mastery

There's nothing more frustrating than feeling that we can't do something.
With time, with a lot of practice, we get better and feel better.

Motivation kick: Progress is nothing but small successes that bring
us closer to a championship.

Motivation to keep going, to practice more, to outgrow oneself.

We are only motivated when it means something to us.

Things that help you to give more
power:

Purpose:

• Things we like to do must have meaning.

• We feel that we are serving something greater than ourselves.

• Who feels that it is noticeable whether he or she is there
  obviously fulfils an important purpose and is motivated accordingly.

The secret of self-motivation

Whatever we do it must have a meaning for us.
(I'm studying because I want to work later than xxxx).

Important: For us it must have a meaning (not for others) - to recognize a meaning
in the task - to reach the goal only becomes a success if it is desirable for us.

Ask yourself: What is really important to you?

Make a feeling of happiness perceptible and empathic!

How to get back into the fun of studying

1. Set goals

Make up your mind what you want to achieve,
    set measurable and realistic goals.

2. Internal adjustment

Make sure that you tackle your task with a positive attitude.

Abolish negative thoughts and say to yourself instead:
                   This task is fun

3. Reduce Demotivation

Get aware of what demotivates you during your studies.

     List all points and try to abolish them if possible.

4. motivating things

What motivates you? List everything you can think of.

5. motivation through visualization

                    What do you get if you pass the exam?

              Imagine your success in front of your inner eye.

This should help you to awaken your inner urge and to turn your imagination into
                                   reality.

6. Motivation through feelings

          Associate positive feelings with goals and tasks.

Feelings underline these and give us additional long-term motivation.

7. Motivation through reward

                     Reward yourself for your work.

       Even small partial successes should be rewarded.

In response, the brain connects the work with something positive.

      In the long run, motivation problems can be reduced.

8. motivation through memory

     Write down your incentives on small index cards.

Place in the daily change a small card in your field of vision
           where you perceive it again and again.

9. motivation through time pressure

Many people are more motivated by a deadline.

             Use this for yourself,
by setting yourself deadlines for your tasks.

10. motivation by the right measure

Do you know how much you can do in one day and when the amount of work
                        becomes too much?

          Use the knowledge to not do too much in one day.

  Otherwise you create failures and from it again demotivation develops.

11. Motivation through fear

                            Make yourself clear
what happens if you do not complete the task or if the work is left unfinished.

             What consequences does this have for you or others?

Time Management

Why don't you have enough time?

Thinking about what time steals from you?

Possible causes of time pressure: wasting time on unimportant things or distraction
from work.

Observe your way of working: What people, behaviors, circumstances or things
prevent you from doing your work?

How can you remove these time thieves?

What are sources of disturbance, how can they be prevented? Start with the
biggest time thief to gain the most time.

How can you prioritize?

Decide what is important to you and set priorities.

Consider whether each task is important or urgent.

Important activities:
something that contributes to making your wishes, goals and dreams come
true.

Urgent tasks: something marked with an end date

How can you plan your week?

                              Targeted planning

Arrange all important appointments with the persons concerned in advance.

              Don't forget to also consider private appointments.

You can keep a checklist on which you write down everything you want to do
                             in the next week.

         For longer-term projects, plan backwards from the end date.

Systematic approach

• Think about which tasks are particularly important on your checklist in the
  respective week. Which of these do you have to do?

• Try to be realistic and don't take on too much. Reserve dates for these tasks so
  that you can really accomplish them.

• You can think about what you can do to advance your long-term projects week
  after week.

• TIP: Stay flexible despite planning and use unforeseen free time sensibly.

Insert rest day

• You should treat yourself to a day off a week!

Use this day for your friends, family, hobbies and other nice things.

• On this day off you should not work or make up for your unfinished work. But:
  note the tasks on the checklist for the next week.

• Try to rest on your day off and recharge your batteries. This will give you a good
  start into the new week.

How can you plan a single day?

1. Write down tasks

Collect activities and dates of the following day in the form of a to-do list

This way you always have the tasks before your eyes and don't lose track of them.

2. Estimate length/duration:

            You can write down the time needed for each task.

Try to calculate the amount of time generously so that you don't overdo it.

          To avoid prolonging the work, set a realistic time limit.

3. Schedule buffer times

                   Avoid planning the day to the last minute.

 Try to leave enough time for unforeseen events. Plan only 50-60% of your time.

Unnecessary stress can be avoided if you have enough time for your tasks and if
                         you have some free time left.

4. Make decisions

            Set 1-2 priorities that you want to do in one day.

Then shorten the remaining daily tasks to the essentials and delegate
            everything you don't have to do yourself.

 It is advisable to determine in which order you want to complete tasks.

5. Follow-up check

In order to check whether the daily workload has been fulfilled, one can
                draw up a daily balance in the evening.

Think about why you didn't do. Use your successes as motivation and
         failures as stimulation to improve time management.

     Then decide if the unfinished tasks are still important and
                     plan them for the next day.

Overcoming work blockades

• Exam anxiety and writing blockades

• Causes: Perfectionism and low self-esteem

• Impairs concentration and wears out forces

• Problems with students:

        Too high imagination of what it means to work scientifically

        Not enough knowledge of the working techniques (fear of writing, too
        much reading material and no strategies for reading them).

How to overcome writing blockades:
• Structuring Text, Finding Headings
• Change the place where you write
• Start right in the middle instead of at the beginning if you have problems with the
  beginning
• First write down everything and then check it for correctness and sense.
• Take a break - the brain can work effectively for 90 minutes at a time, then get up
  and breathe fresh air, exercise (break limited in time)
• Develop new ideas through brainstorming
• Inspiration by other texts - reading enlivens the mind and dissolves blockages
• Writing spontaneous text before you start writing
• Parallel writing on texts
• Structure text
• Admit errors
• Discipline

How to overcome fear

Fear of trials means you can't concentrate.

Possibly the fear of further examinations grows, in particular oral examinations.

Examination anxiety can affect anyone, in any semester.

Fear develops in the mind/head.

Positive images must be developed, not fear of failure or failure.

What to do in case of examination anxiety?
• Attend an anxiety management seminar

• Role plays of exam situations

• The most important thing is good preparation

• Who suffers from examination anxiety begins to learn too late

• Those who prepare well for exams will be calmer

• Practice relaxation techniques (e.g. breath relaxation)

• Dealing with the exam (where does it take place, getting to know the examiner beforehand,
  etc.)

• No more learning directly before the exam

Stress Management
• Every 4th student complains about stress and headaches (study of the Techniker
  Krankenkasse)

• Before the burn-out comes it is better to use stress management offers

The typical symptoms of stress:

•   Pressure
•   insomnia
•   excessive demands
•   dissatisfaction
•   Susceptibility to disease
•   No time for yourself

Harmful behaviour patterns for stress management

   Medications for stress reduction
   Striving for perfection
   Frequent breaks
   Addictive behaviour
   Not going for studies
   "Daydreaming"
   Displacement of the problem
   Ignore problems

Methods for coping with stress
 • Accept a state of stress (it burdens me... what stressors are there?)
 • Opening up to a trusted person
 • Changing one's attitude to stress
 • avoid phrases like "I must," "I can't," "I can't."
 • accept one's own responsibility
 • to formulate positive objectives and actions such as "I can", "I want", "I will".
 • Expose perfectionism (stress is a question of one's own claim...)
 • Changes through new formulations (moving away from one's own
   perfectionism; "no human being is perfect")
 • Do sports to relax (when you move, stress hormones are broken down, mind
   can recover)

Methods for coping with stress
Nutrition (no energy drinks, not too much coffee, better: water, products that
lower blood pressure and support nerves)

Foods against stress: blood pressure lowering foods: oils with unsaturated fatty
acids (e.g. rapeseed oil), garlic, fresh fish, little salt, fruit (bananas, raisins, kiwis,
watermelons)
Vitamin B1 for the nerves: pulses, potatoes, meat

Time management (no work blocks longer than 60 minutes, then 5-10 minutes
break, high phases (8-12, 15-19 o'clock) use as main work phase)

Methods for coping with stress
 Learning relaxation techniques

 Dream Travel / Mental Training / Hypnotherapy / Thought Stop /
  Progressive Muscle Relaxation / Meditation

 Using moments of relaxation

 Communicating stress as such to the environment

Advise for more concentration

Advise for more concentration

Overwhelmed?

Signs of overload:

• You feel limp, exhausted, tired, frustrated and have no desire to do anything.

• You are often ill and do not feel able to go to university.

• You have to get up and get over yourself to go to work.

• In your private life you suffer more and more from the situation.

• You are afraid of new tasks.

How to deal with being overwhelmed?

Reduce your tasks

Concentrate on the most important things

Give yourself regular breaks

What to avoid when overworked
• The "downplay" of the situation is wrong

• Distraction is wrong - do not avoid problems

• Self-pity - doesn't get you anywhere

• Isolation - seeking support is not a weakness

• Doing nothing - is wrong! Approach the matter systematically

• Overzealous - find a workload you can handle well

Panic attacks? How to deal with it?

Conscious breathing control

• (Inhale through nose, exhale through mouth)

• Do not condemn the feelings, be merciful to yourself

• Concentrating on something harmless

• (realize wind, temperature, sounds)

• Do endurance sports such as walking or jogging

Semester break...time for....
Besides your tasks for your studies you can do the following:

Voluntary internship in a company or organization related to your studies
(increases your career opportunities)

Language courses abroad or voluntary service abroad

Check the Summer School offers of the universities

Work on your future also during the semester break and choose something
meaningful for your leisure activities.

Where can you work with your studies?

               Use the consulting services of the
   Thuringian Agency for the Recruitment of Skilled Personnel
   and the Career Center/Study Counseling of your University

       Overview of the corporate landscape in Thuringia:
              https://www.invest-in-thuringia.de

If you need more help – Life Coaching during
study / Psychosocial Counselling:

• https://www.stw-thueringen.de/deutsch/beratung/psychosoziale-beratung/index.html

Thüringer Agentur Für Fachkräftegewinnung
                   (ThAFF)
                0361 5603-620
Welcome-Center@LEG-Thueringen.de (Englisch)
      thaff@leg-thueringen.de (Deutsch)
          Petersstraße 5, 99084 Erfurt