You have probably heard that little voice inside you that says, “You can’t do it.”
When you hear this voice, it brings about a flurry of other negative thought patterns that will push you even more not to do a specific thing. Thought, such as, “What if you mess up?,” “What if you make a fool of yourself?”
These thoughts are hindering. It brings self-doubt, which is, unfortunately, a part of the human experience.
A little self-doubt can be dangerous, and when you leave it unchecked, the fear behind the doubt can make you over-cautious and keep you from taking the essential actions that will help you live a better life.
Don’t hold yourself back.
Here are some things that you can do to overcome times of self-doubt:
1. Talk Back
The most obvious thing to do when thoughts creep in is to counter it with positive words. Say it as many times as you can.
Letting the thoughts come may spin out of control or grow into more discouraging sentences if you don’t put an end to them. Tell yourself, no, we are not going down that road again. Doing this will help disrupt the thought pattern. Of course, this is not an overnight thing. You have to practice it every time you feel the thoughts of self-doubt creep in.
2. Tell Someone About It
Keeping your thoughts and emotions all bottled up inside can distort or exaggerate them. They can turn into something not in line with reality or reasonable expectations.
Let them out and talk to someone close to you about them. Just letting and saying them out loud can usually help you hear how the thoughts have turned absurd, which can present you an opportunity to change the way you look at things.
3. Stop Comparing
How many times have you heard or read that comparing yourself to someone will NOT do you any good? The fact that it’s being widely spread out there is a strong message that you should NOT.
If you have to compare, do it to yourself. Compare yourself to the past you, or who you were yesterday—it will show you how far you’ve come. It will reveal to you the overlooked details that are significant that brought you to where you are today. It will show you what you have overcome, and it will encourage you to fearlessly move forward.
4. Journal It
Even if you don’t like writing, or you think you’re not a “journal person,” trying it to help overcome self-doubt can be a breath of fresh air. It’s a helpful habit for a lot of reasons when it comes to your self-doubts.
For one, a journal will help keep a realistic record of your life. It will help you remember the positive things in your life, as well as the negative things that you have overcome. Furthermore, it will help you gain clarity that will alleviate fears and doubts when you have your thoughts written down instead of trying to go through it all in your mind.
5. Quit Thinking Someone’s Negative Actions Is About You
Criticisms are usually the root of self-doubts. When somebody hurls a negative comment or action towards you, self-doubt creeps in. It makes you question yourself.
What you don’t realize is that you take that criticism against yourself, when it was only supposed to be an aspect of yourself. We all have flaws, and there are going to be A LOT of times when people will not agree with a specific aspect of yourself.
What you need to realize is that THAT IS OKAY.
You also have to think about negative words or behaviors thrown at you—is it really about you? Or is it because of them?
The bottom line here is that you don’t know everything that’s going on in another person’s life. Plus, the world doesn’t revolve around you. So, take it easy. Handle and accept every criticism towards you and keep a level head.
6. Work On Being Optimistic Every Day
Every day, we have an opportunity to be optimistic. No matter how bad things may seem, there is always a silver lining.
Instead of focusing on what went wrong, why don’t you look for the silver lining and focus on that? It’s a quick way to cheer you up and stabilize your negative self-talk.
On the other hand, if it’s just a normal day, don’t let it be just a normal day if you can pour positivity into it. Because trust me, you can always do this.
Set aside time every day to do something that will lift your spirits up. It can be as simple as listening to a podcast, reading a book, or talking to a friend.
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