How To Overcome Self-Doubt
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I'm never going to be good enough. I fail at everything, so why bother. That person will never love me because I am nobody. These are the thoughts of someone with self-doubt.
Self-doubt is a plague that takes over your body and makes you unclear. Unable to live a happy, fulfilling life. In this article, I will go over how it affects you.
So get comfy and read on.
How does self-doubt affect you?
Self-doubt affects you in so many ways:
Fear of Failure: Here is an article that I wrote about the fear of failure: Fear of Failure-What Is It?
Fear of being out of control.
Not Being Good enough.
The fear of sharing your thoughts or feelings will appear wrong.
Creates Worry.
Having Self-doubt even causes more severe issues:
Anxiety
Depression
Lack of motivation
Emotional Instability
Low self-esteem
Difficulty making decisions
High blood pressure
Chronic fatigue
Even increased rate of heart disease!
Paranoia
What happens when you doubt yourself?
You're constantly apologizing: This is something that I do so much and, I have to catch myself. Not only is this a sign of self-doubt. But also a sign of anxiety.
You second guess yourself: Not trusting your thoughts or decisions.
You'd rather be in the background: You think being invisible is what you are worth. You might say something wrong or do something that you shouldn't.
Uncertainty: You don't know if you should do something or not. To hang out with friends or even go into that job interview.
Self-distrust: Meaning lack of confidence in yourself.
Lack of conviction: Inability or refusal to accept that something is genuine. The belief that life is meaningless.
Missed opportunities: You are so uncertain with yourself that you fail to achieve any opportunities that come your way because you don't think you are good enough. Or that it isn't even worth the try because you will fail.
What causes self-doubt?
Past Experience and Mistakes:
Maybe you didn't get the grade you wanted on an essay, or you are stuck in the same position at work when you are working your hardest.
Childhood Upbringing:
If your parents were over-involved or maybe even not involved could cause you to have self-doubts when you were a child and, you grew up with that mindset.
Comparisons With Others:
You compared yourself to someone who you think is attractive or someone successful.
Fear of Failure / Fear of Success
You get a new job and instantly think, "What if I fail?" or worse, "What if I succeed and make a laughing stock out of myself?"
How does self-doubt affect performance?
Self-Doubt causes you to have a fixed mindset. A fix-mindset is "It is what it is thinking". Or that you will never succeed, so there is no reason to try. You will be so scared to put one foot forward in the direction you want to be in because in your mind. You will fail.
Here is an article about mindsets and how to go from fixed to growth. The Art Of Mindset: Grow Into Growth. It explains how to overcome this mindset of "I am who I am, and nothing is going to change" Into, "I am a badass, and I'm going to grow myself into a better version of myself more and more every day. There are no limits in which you cannot achieve."
How to overcome self-doubt?
Reframe it: It's dier to understand where these thoughts came from to fix them. So take out a pen and paper and write. Write down what you are feeling and what triggered you to feel this way. Dig deep. For more on how to journal to clear your mind. Here is an article of different journals and how they can help you: Journalling, One Hell Of a Habit.
Distinguish between realistic and unrealistic self-doubt: While you are writing things down. Get out another sheet of paper. On one side, I want you to write down the thought you are having, then on the other side, I want you to write a positive version of that thought. This is called CBT: Cognitive Behavior Therapy. The goal of this is to redirect your thoughts into something positive to help healthily grow your mindset.
Take tiny steps: Do not, I repeat. Do not take giant leaps and think you will feel better sooner. This will make you crash and become worse off. Remember the saying, slow and steady wins the race.
Practice self-compassion: Look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself exactly what you would tell a friend or family member that feels the same way as you right now. You wouldn't call someone you care for worthless. So do not call yourself that.
Clarify your values: Write down or think about what your values are and work towards them. Ignore that voice in your head or use it as a tool to go harder and achieve your goals.
Summary
A certain level of self-doubt is good because it indicates that you understand what you need to improve to do a better job. However, persistent fear and self-doubt can affect your life.
You deserve to live the life of your dreams and become more amazing every single day.
Practice the tips from above, and you will be on your way in your self-growth journey.
Thank you so much for reading my article today. This one hit home. I have so many days where I doubt myself. But, I have become stronger more and more every day. Do not allow negative thinking to rob you of your dreams. Don't forget to join my Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more on personal growth.
I know that it is hard, that it feels like there is no way out. But there is, follow those tips every single day and don't give up. You are a warrior and a freaking goddess. When you overcome your self-doubt, and you will. You will be stronger than ever.
Until next time my loves. Always remember you are strong, you are beautiful, and you are HELLA freaking powerful!
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