Five Methods for Overcoming Self-Doubt

Would you like to find a way of overcoming self-doubt or low self-esteem? Maybe you frequently ask yourself if you have made the best decision or maybe you think that you only have a faint hope that the next meeting, project, or date will turn out well. Probably the most unfortunate factor about self-doubt is that your fears frequently become self-fulfilling prophecies.

However, when you do feel more confident about yourself then things start to turn out better for you. For example, you will notice that:

Your decision-making abilities are enhanced,
People become more attracted to you at social situations,
You produce better quality work,
You are better able to produce the kind of life that you would like.

1. Stop and Think

Think about why you are going through feelings of self-doubt. Consider the situations that triggered you to feel insecure. Being confronted with challenges that you don’t think you can effectively finish is a major reason for self-doubt.

Have you got into the practice of putting yourself down? You might be unconsciously repeating negative ideas that stop you from moving forward. Such ideas as “I can not do that” and “I am not adequate” become good reasons to opt out of new encounters that would provide you with benefits.

Next time you’ve got a self-questioning thought, take a couple of moments to consider the reason for believing the thought is correct. If you are feeling insecure because of past failures then you must resolve to live in the day. Today is a new day!

Replace any negative self-talk with the positive idea that you can do it and then consider how it can be done. Do this whenever you’ve got a self-questioning thought. Develop this habit and you will soon start to sing your praises rather than having self-doubt.

2. Learn Self-Acceptance

Frequently, whenever you feel insecure regarding your capabilities, you begin to berate yourself. However, when you beat yourself up about something that you feel you did wrong it creates a cycle of frustration and putting things off. Understand that making mistakes does not cause you to be a poor or incompetent person – it shows that you are human. Just learn from your mistakes and move on.

Allow yourself to believe that while you are not perfect, you are certainly somebody who always aims to complete the most effective job you can. Embrace the concept that every challenge you come across is a chance to learn new things and grow as a person.

3. Create a List

Make two columns on a blank piece of paper. Down the left side, list any doubtful ideas you are getting about yourself. Down the right side, write all the positive ideas that contradict your self-doubts.

For instance, suppose you have been assigned a new task at the office that you haven’t done before, and you immediately become negative since you feel your abilities aren’t sufficient. On the left side write “I can not do that because I do not have the ability.” On the right side write “I can do this task because I learn fast and always complete my tasks.”

You will find that you’ve listed more positive ideas than doubts but if you find that your positive list is too short, then keep searching until your positive list exceeds your negative list.

4. Write Down a Letter to Yourself

Write a letter to yourself that discusses your positive skills and how you have overcome previous obstacles. If you’re able to recall a particular time that you overcame self-doubt and accomplished something that made you feel proud, meditate on this and tell yourself that you have done it before and you can do it again. This is self-talk and it is powerful for overcoming self-doubt.

Keep your letter inside a vibrantly colored folder, to help you refer to it if you need to.

5. Make a Folder of Appreciation

Look out for encouraging words of appreciation that other people give you. When you are going through self-doubt, it’s easy to ignore any wonderful comments that you receive for doing stuff that improves life for others in some way. Collect any notes, emails, and cards that say kind and encouraging words to you.

Then, whenever you feel self-doubt welling up within you, you need to go to your appreciation folder and browse people’s wonderful comments.

Conclusion

Self-doubt can rob you of opportunities to accept new challenges and to rise to new levels of success. By using the five methods above of overcoming self-doubt you will be able to boost your self-confidence and take on new exploits. Your life will become more fulfilled, happy, and joyful, so what are you waiting for?