Personal Development

Everyone's different. While general advice might help you a bit, really figuring out what works for you is the key to improved self-awareness and personal development.

Personality
This short personality quiz can give you insight into the type of person you are, and what fields may best suit your style.

Interests/Hobbies

Hobbies can help you understand your interests and the jobs you may enjoy. They help you:

Develop transferrable and/or job specific skills e.g. communication, digital, creative thinking, cooking, gardening etc.
Show recruiters what type of person you are
Provide a topic for conversation at interviews
Relax, take time out and support your wellbeing

Take this quiz to find out how your interests relate to career choice:

My World of Work

Motivation

Motivation can come from different sources for different people. Take this quick quiz to better understand where your motivation comes from:

What Motivates You?

Acknowledging your strengths and skills is the first step to building a future plan.

What are Strengths and Skills?
Strengths are internal, positive qualities.
Examples:

Enthusiasm
Creativity
Patience
Honesty
Versatility

Skills are external actions you're good at.
Examples:

Good communication skills
Critical thinking
Working well in a team.
Being a quick learner.
Good time management.

Transferable Skills
The examples listed above are all transferable skills. They're useful in just about any industry or setting, and look great on a CV.

Knowing your Strengths and Skills
When you know what you're good at, it will be easier to think about your education, training or career path. Making good decisions early will set you on the right path to achieve your goals.

Employers will always ask about your strengths and skills. They look great on a CV and will be discussed during an interview. Being confident about them will increase the chance of being hired/chosen.

To help you identify your strengths take the Strengths Quiz
MyWorldOfWork

Life can be very stressful, whether it's because of a big test coming up or just general day to day activities.

What is stress
When your body perceives there's a threat, a signal is sent to the brain as a warning, which initiates the flight or fight response. Your heart will begin to beat faster, blood pressure increases and you start to take more rapid breaths. When this happens repeatedly, long term health problems may start to occur.

What helps reduce stress?

Music
Listening to music can help add a sense of belonging while also acting as a distraction from a stressful situation. Genres can alter the effectiveness, and the best genre may change from person to person, but studies show that our heartbeat can change to the rhythm of a song. This means slower, calmer music may help reduce your heartbeat in a stressful situation.

Exercise
Any type of exercise, from a full gym session to a simple brisk walk, is able to reduce stress levels. You could even combine this with music, which you may find more enjoyable and relaxing.

Hobbies
After a stressful and busy day, hobbies can help you wind down and put your focus onto the present. You may also be able to build a support network of friends around a hobby you enjoy, such as a sport, video games, reading, niche topics etc. Hobbies don't have to push you towards a career or become an income source, they can be enjoyed purely for their entertainment value.

Talking
Simply talking to someone can have a positive effect on your stress levels. It doesn't have to be about the stress itself, or to a professional. Send a quick message to a friend about something new you've found!

Meditation
Mindfulness meditation can help reduce stress by grounding you and being fully present within a safe environment.

Remember: if you are finding your feelings difficult to manage or they are not improving, speak to someone (eg at school, family, health professional).

Prevention of young suicide. Multiple ways to contact from 9am - Midnight
Papyrus-uk

Support for under 25s across a range of topics such as relationships, drug abuse and housing
Themix

Suicide prevention training
Prevent-suicide

Articles on maintaining your wellbeing, such as how to reduce stress or getting better sleep
Headspace

An online mental wellbeing community with discussion boards and helpful articles
Kooth

Confidential helpline available from 8pm - 8am for young people in the Wakefield, Leeds and Bradford area
Nightowls

Emotional wellbeing support for 16 - 25 year olds in the Wakefield area
Wakefield Parent Carer Forum