Self-doubt can cripple our ability to make important decisions, but knowing yourself and living your values is one of the best antidotes.
What is self-doubt, exactly? In its most basic form, self-doubt manifests itself as a lack of confidence in yourself or your abilities.
In its more complex form, self-doubt can be a state of uncertainty about the truth of anything.
Self-doubt in varying capacities is incredibly common and is something that most of us will experience at some point or another. This mindset however, can hold you back from achieving what you want.
If you're consistently plagued by persistent self-doubt, it’s a good idea to take a step back and recognize the negative impact it may be having on your life or career. From there, you can work to implement self-confidence boosting strategies that can help you to improve your self confidence.
Remember when you may have been scared to do something, in school or work, but it actually ended up going really well? It helps to reflect on concrete achievements where something challenging for us turned into something great. A lot of achievements are born out of initial uncertainty or doubt. It helps to remind ourselves about the times that things have gone right, because the same thing could happen in the present moment.
On the flip side, it’s good to not focus too much on the past or past failures we might have had. The present moment is a new opportunity to do well, even if things didn’t go right the first time.
They say that comparison is the thief of joy. This saying rings true in many ways. If you’re experiencing self-doubt because you’re afraid you won’t accomplish something at the same level as someone else, then it can be a paralyzing feeling. Everyone’s journey and ideas of success are different. What we can control and focus on is our own path and where we want to take it, regardless of where other people are at or what they have done.
The friends and family members in our lives who believe in us and everything that we’re capable of will always be on our side. When you’re feeling self-doubt, surround yourself with these people. They can remind you of how talented and resilient you are during times when you’re not feeling that way about yourself.
Journaling is always a therapeutic exercise to practice. Writing down your thoughts of self-doubt or experiences with imposter syndrome onto paper might be a good release. You may even realize after you see your concerns written down, that they may not be as detrimental as you thought they were. This can help to gradually overcome self-doubt.
It may help to see a mental health professional to overcome self-doubt if these feelings persist to the point that makes it difficult for you to function in everyday life. Therapy can help us feel understood and give us tools to alleviate feelings of doubt. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a popular form of therapy that can help specifically with self-doubt. With CBT, we can learn methods to challenge problematic ways of thinking that may lead to an improved mood and overall well being.
Self-doubt is learned. No one is born with self doubt – children typically move through the world with plenty of confidence. By the time we reach adulthood, our natural confidence has been undermined by the opinions of others and by our own experiences.
The biggest influences on our lives are the people who raised us. This can mean two parents, a single parent, grandparents or anyone else. These are the people we spend the most time with, and when we are young, we soak up their influence like a sponge. We also crave their love. We mold ourselves into what we think they want us to be in order to identify with them and earn affection.
This isn’t always a bad thing. Connection is one of the six human needs. But this craving for affection can obscure who we really are and cause us to doubt ourselves. If you grew up having to constantly prove that you’re worthy of love, or with a caretaker who planted seeds of doubt instead of lifting you up, you have your answer to the question, “Why do I doubt myself?”
If you’re wondering how to deal with self-doubt that seems to have come on suddenly, it could be the result of a specific experience. For example, if you were passed over for a promotion, you may feel less than confident not only at work but in other areas of your life. It’s important to identify and acknowledge the triggering event so you can move past it.
Wherever it comes from, self-doubt is a defense mechanism. It’s our brains protecting us – from failure, from embarrassment, from heartbreak. But it’s also driven by fear and it prevents us from achieving excellence.
Self-doubt issues are hard to deal with, but there are things you can do to move forward from them. First of all, taking time to learn how to build confidence and how to stop being insecure are key components of escaping feelings of self-doubt. It’s also important to find inner validation, practice positive self-talk, and remind yourself of all your achievements.
What is self-doubt, exactly? In its most basic form, self-doubt manifests itself as a lack of confidence in yourself or your abilities.
In its more complex form, self-doubt can be a state of uncertainty about the truth of anything.
Self-doubt in varying capacities is incredibly common and is something that most of us will experience at some point or another. This mindset however, can hold you back from achieving what you want.
If you're consistently plagued by persistent self-doubt, it’s a good idea to take a step back and recognize the negative impact it may be having on your life or career. From there, you can work to implement self-confidence boosting strategies that can help you to improve your self confidence.
Remember when you may have been scared to do something, in school or work, but it actually ended up going really well? It helps to reflect on concrete achievements where something challenging for us turned into something great. A lot of achievements are born out of initial uncertainty or doubt. It helps to remind ourselves about the times that things have gone right, because the same thing could happen in the present moment.
On the flip side, it’s good to not focus too much on the past or past failures we might have had. The present moment is a new opportunity to do well, even if things didn’t go right the first time.
They say that comparison is the thief of joy. This saying rings true in many ways. If you’re experiencing self-doubt because you’re afraid you won’t accomplish something at the same level as someone else, then it can be a paralyzing feeling. Everyone’s journey and ideas of success are different. What we can control and focus on is our own path and where we want to take it, regardless of where other people are at or what they have done.
The friends and family members in our lives who believe in us and everything that we’re capable of will always be on our side. When you’re feeling self-doubt, surround yourself with these people. They can remind you of how talented and resilient you are during times when you’re not feeling that way about yourself.
Journaling is always a therapeutic exercise to practice. Writing down your thoughts of self-doubt or experiences with imposter syndrome onto paper might be a good release. You may even realize after you see your concerns written down, that they may not be as detrimental as you thought they were. This can help to gradually overcome self-doubt.
It may help to see a mental health professional to overcome self-doubt if these feelings persist to the point that makes it difficult for you to function in everyday life. Therapy can help us feel understood and give us tools to alleviate feelings of doubt. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a popular form of therapy that can help specifically with self-doubt. With CBT, we can learn methods to challenge problematic ways of thinking that may lead to an improved mood and overall well being.
Self-doubt is learned. No one is born with self doubt – children typically move through the world with plenty of confidence. By the time we reach adulthood, our natural confidence has been undermined by the opinions of others and by our own experiences.
The biggest influences on our lives are the people who raised us. This can mean two parents, a single parent, grandparents or anyone else. These are the people we spend the most time with, and when we are young, we soak up their influence like a sponge. We also crave their love. We mold ourselves into what we think they want us to be in order to identify with them and earn affection.
This isn’t always a bad thing. Connection is one of the six human needs. But this craving for affection can obscure who we really are and cause us to doubt ourselves. If you grew up having to constantly prove that you’re worthy of love, or with a caretaker who planted seeds of doubt instead of lifting you up, you have your answer to the question, “Why do I doubt myself?”
If you’re wondering how to deal with self-doubt that seems to have come on suddenly, it could be the result of a specific experience. For example, if you were passed over for a promotion, you may feel less than confident not only at work but in other areas of your life. It’s important to identify and acknowledge the triggering event so you can move past it.
Wherever it comes from, self-doubt is a defense mechanism. It’s our brains protecting us – from failure, from embarrassment, from heartbreak. But it’s also driven by fear and it prevents us from achieving excellence.
Self-doubt issues are hard to deal with, but there are things you can do to move forward from them. First of all, taking time to learn how to build confidence and how to stop being insecure are key components of escaping feelings of self-doubt. It’s also important to find inner validation, practice positive self-talk, and remind yourself of all your achievements.
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