Confident individuals understand who they are, what they are good at, and the areas they need to improve. However, it is hard to imagine that they never had thoughts of insecurity. Irrefutably, self-doubt is a challenge everyone has struggled with.
It’s normal to have self-doubt, but how we manage these feelings separates successful people from dreamers. Successful people have mastered the art of overcoming uncertainty and pushing towards reaching higher limits. Below are essential techniques you need to combat self-doubt.
Remember Your Past Achievements
It is essential to reflect on your life and recall the instances when you doubted something negative would happen, but it didn’t. Self-doubt is an obstacle in your mind that limits you from making life changes.
If you look back and remember the times things went well despite hesitation, it becomes easy to manage and ignore these feelings. This way, you will overcome the fear of failing and focus on the possible positive outcomes.
Point out Your Limiting Beliefs
Our beliefs guide the directions we take in life, and they determine whether we will take a bold move or fail to follow our desires. Once you discover the beliefs holding you back, you will overcome self-doubt easily.
See Your Challenges as Temporary
Despite all your efforts, some setbacks and circumstances may limit you from achieving your goals. These situations may cause frustrations, anxiety, depression, and self-doubt. However, it’s essential to stay positive and understand that life has its highs and lows. Your challenges are temporary as long as you do not give up.
These setbacks are meant to teach you valuable lessons you need for life. Therefore, learn from your setbacks and acknowledge that you are not a loser just because you failed. Understanding that challenges won’t be on your side for long is an excellent step towards managing self-doubt.
Avoid Comparing Yourself to Others
If you compare yourself to other people or their achievements, you will most likely doubt yourself. Being afraid that you can’t achieve something like someone else can rob you of your joy and paralyze your efforts to be a better person.
Remember that everyone has a different journey and purpose in life. Focusing on your path regardless of what other people have achieved is an excellent step towards becoming more self-confident.
Seek Self-validation
Although it feels great to hear someone else appreciate your efforts, it’s essential to believe in yourself and seek validation from within. Receiving words of affirmation may not mean much if you don’t have self-confidence. Although you may not be the most confident person, acknowledging your strengths and what you can offer can eliminate self-doubt.
Keep a Journal
Keeping a journal can be therapeutic, and writing about your experiences with self-doubt is a great way to handle the situation. Once you start keeping a journal, you will notice that your concerns with imposter syndrome and self-doubt may not be as damaging as you thought.
Journaling helps you maintain a realistic record of your life and recall your successes. It also helps you remember how you overcame obstacles, mainly if you are prone to focusing too much on impossibilities. Remember that it’s easier to eliminate doubts and fears if you have the issues on paper.
Restructure Your Thoughts
It’s essential to train your mind to avoid producing overly unhelpful and negative thoughts and instead be more optimistic. A great way to start is restructuring a self-distrust thought to be more helpful. For example, if an argument with a colleague leaves you feeling guilty, you might consider retraining your mind to focus on the positive things you said to move on faster.
Once you start restructuring your thoughts, you can quickly transform that negative self-talk in your mind into something more realistic and positive.
Be with People Who Believe in You
We all need affirmation and social interactions no matter how confident we feel. Most people who cannot overcome self-doubt try to prove themselves to silence the self-doubt. However, surrounding yourself with people who don’t love or aren’t supportive only worsens the situation.
People who love you and believe in you will keep reminding you how valuable you are whenever feelings of self-doubt start creeping.
Get Help from a Reputable Counselor
While self-doubt is a behavior you can work on alone by practicing proper mental health habits, some guidance from a professional counselor can go a long way to ensure you manage the problem more effortlessly.
At Dr. Quintal & Associates Counseling Center, you will always find someone to offer the support you need to overcome self-doubt. Contact us at (941) 907-0525 to schedule a free consultation.
