According to our experts in the Nerdify reviews team, the majority of college students do not even realize that they are feeling depressed until things suddenly seem too dark and they do not feel like doing anything at all. It is only natural to feel this way when your immunity needs even more strength and the dim light of winter is only adding up to the way you feel. However, it is still possible to fight winter depression as you learn and find that inner strength and inspiration before the beautiful springtime. Honestly, though, winter can be beautiful as well if you follow these little tips and look at the brighter side of life!

1. Add More Physical Activity To Your Life

The safest way to fight winter depression while learning is to stay active. We have learned it the hard way at Nerdify reviews where we have tried our best to work hard no matter what. Our minds and bodies would only feel exhausted as we ignored basic stretching and going for a walk or dancing with our friends during the break. Just do something that you really like, play snowballs if there is snow, have some fun even when it is dark and you do not feel like doing anything. Just keep yourself active and your brain will release the stress.

2. Consider Winter Camp Exchange Programs

Another idea that we came up with at Nerdify reviews is the use of fun winter learning exchange programs where you can study beyond your bedroom or a college campus by joining winter camps for students. Sometimes you can even go abroad and stay somewhere where it is still warm while working on your research project or dissertation. Just enquire about your college opportunities and seek scholarships that may allow that! It will help you to seek opportunities even if it’s locally as you will be able to stay within a great social circle that will boost your emotional state.

3. Start Learning A Foreign Language

If you have not considered it before, think about learning a foreign language by turning to free apps like HelloTalk that allow you to learn by talking to native speakers from all over the world. The trick here is that your brain switches to another culture, which helps your depressed state become dissolved in a different realm where all the words are unknown and you can express your thoughts the way you have not tried before. Give it time, don’t push yourself towards results as the purpose here is to get relaxed and learn something new.

4. Focus On The Things You Love

Another safe way to fight winter depression is turning to sports, music, blog writing, or doing something that you really like. For example, you can start a college business by offering online help for ESL students. There’s a lot to look ahead to, which is why you should get creative and push that sadness away!

5. Keep Yourself Hydrated

As we did some research at Nerdify reviews, we found out that one of the core reasons why we feel depressed during winter is the lack of water as we forget about keeping hydrated when the air is getting dry and we turn on the heating devices. It is not only that our skin often suffers as we turn to lip balsams and things like that but our inner being also becomes affected. Just make sure that you drink enough and keep yourself hydrated!

6. Participate In Social Projects & Team Work

There’s always someone who needs your help and participation even if you feel as if there is not a person out there who would care if you are there or not. They may not even know you but there are thousands of people that need your support right now. Become a part of important social projects, offer help for people with disabilities, autistic children, students who have been through disasters and abuse. If it doesn’t sound right to you, think about environmental protection or team projects that interest you.

7. Seek Professional Help If You Can’t Cope Alone

If your depression lasts more than two weeks, affects your studies and daily life in a negative way, seek professional help as it’s only natural to receive some support. It may be a more relaxed schedule, a different group, a week’s break to visit your family and friends, or just someone you can talk to privately by discussing your fears, apprehension, and other aspects that you would like to mention.

You can either contact your college help center privately or seek help at places like The Recovery Village or other depression resources that are private and are free for most scenarios.

Unfortunately, as the Nerdify reviews team could confirm, there are many usual eyesight care rules that come as a surprise to most people when the talk goes about the daily habits that affect a person’s eyesight. In addition to staring at the phone for hours on end, there are many factors like hygiene safety that are often neglected. As we live in the age of technology where portable devices, social media, and television do make up most of our free time, there are still crucial things to watch out for. Luckily, even following these simple 7 rules can make a major difference to your life, habits, and the eyesight!

Wearing Sunglasses. On the contrary to what most people may believe, wearing sunglasses is not for being cool, but for protecting the retina. It is important not to ignore the UV effect on eyesight, especially when you are driving and the flashes of light are always changing one another. Even if you wear contacts, do not forget to wear your sunglasses for that extra protection layer. It is one of the most important factors that can prevent serious eye damage. Do not go for the cheap shades, if possible, but consult with a healthcare specialist about suitable lens.

Expired or Cheap Makeup. While it is not widely discussed, recent research shows that expired makeup can easily pose serious damage to the eyesight. A reason for that is that expired chemicals contained in mascara or eyeliner become dangerous for the sensitive components of an eye and the surrounding area. It is a great place for the bacteria to overcome the barrier, which is especially relevant in winter or the times when a person undergoes high amounts of stress and anxiety. A general rule is to throw away any eye makeup element that goes beyond the three month period to avoid the risks.

Eye Hygiene Habits. In most Nerdify reviews that we do, our authors always stress the importance of keeping eyes safe from irritation or infection, especially during the long hours of studying or browsing through photocopied lecture notes. Rubbing your tiresome eyes or even stretching the corners to get rid of itching with the dirty hands can easily bring infection to your eye and cause temporary damage. The golden rule is to keep your hands clean and to blink several times to let the dry eye be washed with the tears. It may not work right away, yet it is a much safer way to keep your eyes safe.

Smartphone and TV. This is probably the most difficult part for all of us who cannot imagine a day without staring at the smartphone or spending at least an hour watching a favorite TV show. It is reading through the tiny text of the small screens that decreases the frequency of blinking that is a problem. As a result, our eyes feel dry. Another problem is that spending hours with our beloved smart devices, we forgot to drink enough and take breaks for high-fiber foods. It is also believed that spending a lot of time sitting at the computer screen causes headaches and anxiety. The only solution that really works is taking breaks and drinking at least a cup of orange juice or eating an apple to let the eyes readjust.

Wear Your Contacts Right. If you are the one wearing contacts, remember about the hygiene and safety rules. For example, avoid sleeping in contacts as it does not let your eyes get hydrated in a normal way during sleep. Likewise, avoid wearing contacts in the pool or public shower because it increases infection risks. As the Nerdify reviews team has confirmed with the ophthalmologists, there is no need to wear one-day contacts for the entire week because it damages the retina.

Smoking and Alcohol. It should be obvious, but most people these days do not really connect these bad habits with degrading eyesight. In fact, diseases like macular degeneration are linked to excessive smoking. The reason for that is that smoking damages eye muscles, making them weaker, thus resulting in a vision that is less sharp and focused. The smokers and those that consume alcohol are more prone to eye diseases because of a weaker immune system.

General Safety Goggles. We have intentionally put this part at the end because it is a known fact that information at the end of the article will be remembered. An important rule for keeping the eyes safe is wearing safety goggles when working with anything that can splash with liquids, pull back at an unexpected moment or flash with a strong light beam. No matter what kind of work you might do, it is much better to be safe and keep the safety goggles always at hand!

Be healthy,

Nerdify Reviews Team

Here is another blog post dedicated to Nerdify reviews of the most interesting and important stuff. This time we want you to meet Chelsey – one of our top Nerds. Hear her out.

Hello, I’m Chelsey. I decided to contribute into Nerdify Reviews topic to share my experience and help people who suffer from the phenomenon of “unhealthy perfectionism”. I see myself as a perfectionist, albeit an unhealthy one. I mentally criticize people (specifically new ones) who I think do not meet my standards or expectations.  

I’m afraid of failure because I always want to be “perfect”. In school, I exert as much effort as I can in my exams. When the results are not in my favor, I would internally beat myself up for not getting the grade I desire. I tend to be overly cautious of taking risks, possibly rooted from my fear of failure. If I stay in my comfort zone, then nothing will happen.

I conducted a short research about perfectionism, and I’d say that (to an extent) I inhibit one of the main signs of a perfectionist. I’m not surprised; perfectionism does have harmful effects on my mental health.

What is Perfectionism?

Perfect means “… being entirely without fault or defect.” Now, if we look at Merriam-Webster’s definition of perfectionism, it means “… to regard anything short of perfection as unacceptable.”

In psychology, perfectionism in the psychological field means “… striving for flawlessness and setting high-performance standards….”

If they do not meet such standards, it would take a huge toll on their self-esteem and self-worth. On the same vein, unattained goals and standards would contribute to disappointment and unhappiness. Possibly, even depression.

Why is it a Toxic Trait? 

People usually regard perfectionism as a “positive” trait. I’ve read articles that it is a cliché answer to the job question, “what is your weakness?”

Yes, it can be your weakness. But did you know perfectionism is more than that? Are you aware that it is toxic to your mental health and detrimental to your growth? For the curious soul, here are the reasons why:

You can’t bring yourself to commit mistakes or experience failure, for they make you believe you are incompetent. You have to be ready to face failure in order to be successful.

You don’t celebrate with pure joy and happiness. Instead, your success and achievements are met with scorn and self-criticism. Negative self-talk is what harms your happiness. You are too focused on the negative aspect of things.

You are afraid of being judged. You like other people to see you as a perfect human being (when in fact, you’re not). Perhaps you are hesitant in stating your flaws, as it may ruin your “perfect” self. There’s internal pressure involved too.

Apparently, these reasons are also correlated with the signs of perfectionism. Let us move on.

Five Signs of Perfectionism

1. Setting high (unrealistic) goals and standards

There’s nothing bad in establishing standards and not settling for anything less. It’s not even bad to have high goals. However, creating unrealistic standards and goals is unhealthy because they have to be realistic. Further, you are pressured to accomplish your goal no matter what. You may even have the tendency to expect that everyone has to abide by your… demanding and ultra-high standards. As said by Amy Morin, a psychotherapist. perfectionists are critical of people and expect them to be perfect as well.

2. Fear of failure/Making mistakes and staying within your comfort zone

You set a goal for yourself, but you are afraid of failure. In that regard, you are more inclined to focus on the end results (without fail) rather than enjoying the thrill and experience of achieving your goal.  On the other hand, you refuse to move out of your “shell” because you don’t want to disappoint yourself (or anyone). Hence, you lean towards tasks you can do successfully—100% guaranteed. This brings more harm than good to your mental health and personal growth.

3. Trust issues

According to Elizabeth Lombardo Ph.D., perfectionists rarely delegate tasks because they think that their peers cannot do the job correctly. In practical settings, you don’t trust your colleagues enough if you want to assign them work. In the end, you do everything by yourself.

4. Low self-esteem and unhappiness

Let’s say you are angry with yourself because you failed to reach your goals. You immediately conclude you are inadequate and flawed. It can leave you a feeling of unhappiness and dissatisfaction. Kendra Cherry states that fear of failure is a sign of low self-esteem.

5. Negative self-talk and too critical

Perfectionists have the habit of finding faults in their achievements— no matter how small that is. You loathe yourself because you are not good enough. Therefore, your mind ends up being clouded with negative thoughts. You are also too critical of other people. Like I said, perfectionists highly expect their peers to be of “high standard” and “perfect”. This may push (or intimidate) people away. Unfortunately, it can lead to loneliness.

Overcoming Perfectionism: What Can You Do?

1. Accept the realities of life

Let’s do a reality check—you have to acknowledge that everyone, including you, makes mistakes in life. We fail in life— tests, interviews, work, assignments, and etc. At the end of the day, they push us to do better and improve ourselves.  Just like everyone else, you have flaws. Don’t expect people to be exactly like you. Every individual is different. 2

2. Take on the challenge

Risk-taking is hard, as we do not know what is beyond the abyss of the unknown. If you are eyeing an activity that you’ve always wanted to try, go on ahead… don’t be afraid of failure and mistakes. Let go, and experience the “challenge” in all its glory.

3. Be open to learning

We have to reskill to cater to the demands of the 21st century. Skills are also a plus point in the workforce. When you are learning, always remember that everyone starts out as a noob or a newbie.

4. Set realistic goals and standards

Be grounded in reality! It’s fine to have high standards, but they have to be realistic. Use your standards as a guide or a framework, rather as an absolute ideal.  Also, make your goals feasible (Remember SMART?). Again, don’t let failure bring you down. Failure does not mean that you are garbage, and it does not define who you are. As said by Oscar the Grouch, “just because you’re trash doesn’t mean you can’t do great things. It is called garbage can, not garbage cannot.”

Don’t forget to reward yourself if you achieved something big or small. Bring nothing but good vibes ☺

5. Learn to trust and delegate tasks

This is a leap of fate you must take. If you are overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to ask your colleague for assistance. You have to learn to understand and work with your peers. Bear in mind that you can’t do everything by yourself all the time. 

After reading about perfectionism, I realized that I need to work on myself. I’d say that it was an eye-opening experience. Perfectionism is embedded in my psyche, and it will be a challenge to completely get rid of it. I hope this article has made you reflect on yourself.

How about you? Do you consider yourself as a perfectionist?

xoxo, Chelsey

More Nerdify reviews to come, stay tuned!