Many people suffer from occasional episodes of self-doubt, but at its worst, it can be devastating. When self-doubt takes hold, it can convince you that there is no point in pursuing your dreams and keep you from experiencing the happiness you deserve in life.
When you’re wracked with self-doubt, everyday tasks become way too difficult, and trying to make a decision is almost impossible.
Fortunately, there is hope because self-doubt can be conquered, and negative self-talk can be silenced. Here’s how:
Immediately Reverse Your Negative Thoughts
As self-doubt starts creeping in, many people allow these thoughts to totally take over. Once they gain momentum, it’s extremely hard to get them under control.
To combat this negative self-talk, you need to immediately take charge the moment it begins. Mentally tell yourself things like, “Stop now. We are not going to think like this.” If the negative self-talk starts up again, keep talking and be definite that this is to end here and now.
When you do this, it interrupts your thinking, which breaks your negative thought habits. If you do this every single time, the self-doubter inside your mind will get the message and finally stop.
Get Started Now Without Worrying About Mistakes
People are often so afraid of making mistakes that they sit back and do nothing to reach their goals. If you think of reaching a goal as like going on an adventurous road trip, you’ll plan your route on a map and get on the road. At the same time, you know that you might take a detour here and there for some sightseeing, to grab a meal and buy some souvenirs.
Of course, these side trips altered your original itinerary and added sometime, but you’ll still reach your destination. And when you arrive, you’ll have a lot more photos, gifts to hand out, and some great memories!
Delaying the start of getting rid of your negative self-talk until you have everything perfectly planned out makes no sense. You need to take it one step at a time, starting with that first step. Just like in the example above, you can always make adjustments along the way.
Confide in Someone
Self-doubt has a way of growing way out of proportion when all these negative thoughts are kept inside. But, if you have someone you can trust that you can confide in, it helps. Once you verbalize your thoughts you will realize how exaggerated they are. Talking about your inner thoughts with a therapist you trust is a great way to see things from a different perspective.
If you or a loved one is suffering from self-doubt and wants to explore ways to overcome this, please contact me today. I’ve helped many people conquer their insecurities and would be happy to speak with you about how I might be of help to you.
