If you are a person who suffers from self-doubt, then you probably feel like you’re the only one who doesn’t have confidence in your abilities. Actually, you may feel that everyone views you in the same way you view yourself. Self-doubt is an issue that many people deal with within their lifetime, but it is one that can be conquered. All you need is a little determination and motivation, persistence and patience.
Below are some simple steps for overcoming self-doubt.
1 – Verbally Compliment Yourself – You may feel a little silly doing this at first, but it is a critical thing to do when working on overcoming self-doubt. In the morning, when you go to the bathroom, look at yourself in the mirror and give yourself a compliment. It may just be something simple like, “I look good today.” It doesn’t really matter what it is, the point is that you compliment yourself. You are your toughest critic, so if your toughest critic can give you a compliment every day, everyone else should be easy, right?
2 – Address the Problem – In order to overcome your struggle with self-doubt, you have to acknowledge it’s there first. So, sit down and think for a minute. What exactly is it about yourself that you doubt? Are there specific instances when you doubt yourself more than others? If so, what are those instances? Write them down. This process will help you specifically identify what it is that you fear the most. It may be that you aren’t confident in your speaking abilities or you doubt your professional abilities. Once you know what the problem area is, you can begin to work on it.
3 – Find the Good – Now that you’ve determined what it is you doubt about yourself, write down every good quality you have. It doesn’t matter if you are a good cook, have great typing skills, are punctual or are great with other people. Whatever good qualities you have, write them down. And, write them down in “I” statements. For instance, “I am a great journalist.” Use this list of “I” statements to read in the morning when you give yourself a compliment. This step is key in overcoming self-doubt as it will give you a list of things that you feel good about.
4 – Keep a Daily Journal – A great way to build your confidence and work on overcoming self-doubt is to begin keeping a daily journal. Throughout the day, write down everything good that you do. Basically, you want to write down all of your accomplishments over the course of each day. Then, at night right before bed, take the list out and read over it. End the day by reading good things about yourself and you’ll be more likely to wake up thinking good things about yourself and will be motivated.
5 – Talk to Friends – Everyone has at least one friend, so I don’t want to hear that you don’t have any friends to talk to. When you’re suffering from self-doubt, you need a support group to help you talk your way out of the self-doubt pit and back up to your mainland of confidence. This is what good friends are for. Use them!
6 – Celebrate – Don’t place minimal importance on your achievements. Celebrate them! You need to celebrate the specific times when you overcome your self-doubt and achieve something you didn’t think was possible. These celebrations will give you more motivation to keep on going!
Related article: Unwanted Worry: How To Defeat It forever
Self-doubt is a real problem that affects many people. However, you can defeat it. The six steps listed above may seem simple. That’s because they are! Start implementing them in your daily life and you’ll be amazed at the difference they will make and you will also be amazed at the progress you make with overcoming self-doubt.
