6 Ways to Overcome Self-doubt
Naturally, we as humans have fears and doubts which oftentimes impede us from doing something we really want to do or reaching our dreams. Self-doubt takes over our mind and we come up with every excuse in the book as to why we shouldn't act upon something. However, self-doubt is not an actual obstacle stopping you but rather an idea you create in your mind out of fear and lack of confidence. The only thing standing between you and your dreams is essentially yourself.
Check out some ways you can overcome self-doubt in order to live a more determined life:
1. Cease the Doubts Immediately
Stop the voice inside your head as soon as it begins to manifest doubt. Disrupt those negative thoughts by voicing or even shouting positive thoughts instead of letting doubts win. If you do something about those self-doubts at the very start, it'll gradually become easier for you to manage those negative ideas and attack with positive thoughts. The voice in your mind is like a second persona within yourself and sometimes it can be easy to get carried away by listening to this inner voice.
2. Visit your Past Experiences
Think about the last time you did something even though you were scared that something negative would happen. Were you able to succeed without that one negative thing coming in-between? If you reflect on your past experiences and see how well things have gone despite all those doubts, then it becomes easier to let go or ignore them and focus on positive outcomes. Self-doubts are in reality your own thoughts trying to get you to stay within your comfort zone. Change is scary for a lot of people and those inner voices of self-doubt are usually the main reason why most people stay in their comfort zone.
3. Don't Get Caught Up with Comparison
Comparing yourself to other people will immediately create self-doubt and crush your self-esteem. Don't believe everything you see on social media because most of the time it's not even real. Success is different for everyone and it can also be reached in distinct ways. Instead, compare yourself to yourself. Reflect on how far you've come, the obstacles you've gotten through, how much you've grown as a person, and think about those things you thought you could never do but you actually did. It's important to give yourself constant recognition.
4. Write it Down
If you don't want to talk to anyone about your self-doubts, get a journal and write down everything you're feeling. It'll be good to offload your brain without feeling judged or like someone is misunderstanding you. Journaling helps you organize your thoughts, see things in another perspective, and clear your mind. You can also use journaling to keep track of yourself. Write down positive things as well, don't only focus on the negatives.
5. Celebrate the Little Things
As mentioned before, it's important to constantly give yourself recognition. Celebrate any accomplishment whether it's big or small. Every step counts even if it wasn't a big leap. The important thing is that you did something about it and are working towards it. For example, if you ran your first mile after 1 year without exercising, it's still an accomplishment even though you didn't complete your usual 5 mile run. Don't beat yourself up because you didn't get to where you were before, but rather celebrate that you got up to run in the first place.
6. Seek Motivation
Listen to a podcast, go for a walk, workout, listen to your favorite song, think of your past accomplishments. These are all ways you can keep your motivation going. Find things that will provide a boost of optimism. If you maintain a positive mindset, your self-doubts will rarely impact your life and your fears will stay away.