INTRO:
What is self doubt? why understanding it matters and how to manage self doubt in a healthy way?
This is what we will talk about in this episode.
Welcome to minutes of facts podcast.
WHAT is self doubt:
Self doubt can be defined as “a feeling of having no confidence in your abilities and decisions”.
It is a form of self protection, and it can actually be a healthy thing because it forces us to stop and think about what we are (or are not) doing, but often it can go into overdrive and become almost crippling, and that can sometimes make it seem easier to keep ourselves small or avoid taking risks in life.
But if we let that happen then we hold ourselves back from trying new things and being the best that we can be, which in turn steals our happiness and life satisfaction… so that is why self doubt must be confronted, dealt with and squashed in order to help you to grow!
WHY understanding self doubt matters:
And it matters because seeking to understand your doubts, so that you can identify if and when it is happening, allows you to begin to strip away its power. Because the majority of what self doubt tells you — that you’re useless, that what you’re doing is pointless, that you’re going to fail — is actually just a whole bunch of fears and insecurities trying in a warped way to keep you safe.
HOW to deal with self doubt:
- Ground yourself:
When self doubt happens, you can either choose to let it overwhelm you and hold you back or you can choose to ground yourself by reminding yourself that what is happening is simply an instinctive self-protection response.
- Doubt your doubts:
Thoughts are not facts; and when you think about it, doubts are just thoughts…
So I encourage you to stop and reflect on the doubt — you might even like to write it down and look at it while you’re doing this — and ask yourself whether it really is the truth or not.
- Develop your self awareness:
I know that like most of us, you go hush on yourself more than anyone else. That’s why, you need to work on your self awareness in order to deal with your inner critic.
- Cultivate positive self talk:
Be aware that how you talk to yourself or think about yourself has a direct impact on your self esteem. If you’re supportive and kind and understanding towards yourself then it will be more likely that you will be more confident in your abilities.
- Make friends with that doubting voice:
Instead of resisting that nagging and critical little voice in your head, make friends with it… because it just might offer you clues about how to grow.
- Redefine what success means to you:
As Maya Angelou said, “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” So success is you vs you! It is not related to anyone or anything else.
- Celebrate your successes:
Whatever success looks like to you, celebrate your wins on a regular basis because it serves to reinforce that you are capable and that you are on the right track.
- Stop comparing yourself to others:
Because it does far more harm than good. You can absolutely study success and look for lessons to learn from others, but there is no point in ever comparing yourself to someone else because their life journey will have been different to yours, because we’re all unique, and their skills and attributes are different to yours.
OUTRO:
Thank you for your time and support.
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STAY SAFE & HEALTHY!
TALK TO YOU NEXT TIME!
