Are You Plagued with Self Doubt? 7 Ways on How to Overcome Doubt and Move Forward

Self-doubt is a ruthless taskmaster and it holds you back from seizing opportunities. Majority if not all of the human race battles from this crippling feeling which is destructive.

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Self-doubt can be significant when applied positively. It leads to self-introspection by aiding you to identify areas that need improvement in your life.

When self-doubt is used to reflect internally then that's a healthy way because it leads to personal development.

Self- doubt stems from childhood experiences from caregivers who had authority over you. For example, If you were raised by a narcissist parent who negatively described you, and never positively affirmed you, can cause self-doubt. Most people who experienced these, in early childhood internalized this negative script, which has negative effects on adult life.

I will explore some helpful tips that will help you overcome self-doubt in this article, which I believe will be helpful and practical. Ok, let’s dive in.

1. Focus on the Positive

If you are still trapped in your past experiences from parents, caregivers or others you need to change that narrative intentionally.

What do you enjoy doing that ignites a positive feeling? For me, I write and it works well. Your's could be different like listening to soothing music, watching a movie, etc. The key thing is staying in the present and focusing on positive thoughts and activities.

2. Investing and Raising Your Self Awareness

Self Awareness is an immense arsenal at your disposal, how well do you know “self”? Overdependence on seeking validation from others is proof of a lack of self-awareness. I'm not castigating feedback from others, but knowledge of self plus feedback is vital. What are the roots or the triggers of self-doubt?

You need to identify them and take appropriate action. For example, if you fear to lose your job due to poor skills in a dynamic field, go out there and get training. Equip yourself by reading books or attend seminars on personal development occasionally.

3. Journaling

Naturally, I'm not an expressive person so I write down my thoughts to declutter my mind. Writing is a powerful strategy that I can recommend for anyone battling this vice.

Writing your thoughts helps to explore your deeper feelings providing you with a real stronger connection with “you”. This enables you to track down negative cycles of doubt and enhances better performance.

4. The Imposter Syndrome

This syndrome gives you an unreasonable feeling of being a fraud even after numerous successes. This syndrome invites anxiety, depression and self-defeating beliefs basing past successes as luck and not based on personal effort or abilities.

Have you ever felt like a fraud after a successful venture?

Learn to affirm yourself on your success, based on your effort and eliminate the thoughts that others are better than you.

Competing with yourself is a great way of treating this syndrome. Set higher goals for yourself and evaluate them based on meaningful things. This deters unhealthy competition from others.

5. Talking to Someone Supportive

When you feel overwhelmed with doubts it’s good to get support from people who you trust. This can be family members, friends or co-workers. There is a common phrase that says a problem shared is a problem half solved.

When you talk about your fears with others you get reassurance, or even get shocked on how you can exaggerate your issues. There will always be someone better than you and likewise, someone doing worse than you. That’s just how life is!

6. Take a Break

A change is as good as a rest, so it's good to shift focus on a particular project and set out on something different. When you take breaks you declutter your mind and sober up and come up with a new positive perspective. Don't beat yourself so hard loosen up, it's not the end of life.

7. Get unstuck With Comparison

We all have tendencies of comparing ourselves with others who seem to be high achievers in our view. The irony of this is that you have many people out there looking up to you admiring your abilities. That's the naked truth!

A better perspective is reflecting on how far you have come, appreciating your achievements, however, small.

Bottom –line

Self –doubt if left unchecked can lead to anxiety and depression, which affects your physical health, with conditions like blood pressure and chronic fatigue.

Life is worth living when you are healthy, so nurture yourself with a positive attitude and pat yourself on your back for your small achievements. Won’t you?

What're your key takeouts? What challenges can I help you with? Please share your Wisdom.