Avoiding self doubt can be an incredibly difficult task for those who are not experienced with instilling confidence in themselves. Even for those who are generally confident people, it can only take a slightly stressful day for someone’s confidence to cave in. As a result, they give in to self doubt.
This can be a stressful dilemma for those who aren’t expecting it, causing the normal aspects of somebody’s personality that help temper confidence to give into feelings of distraught anxiety.
However, this doesn’t mean that everybody must succumb to a lack of confidence. In fact, what if we were to tell you that there were actually many ways to overcome doubt and begin leading a happier, healthier life?
Though there are many ways to effectively overcome doubt, we’ve come up with a few of the best to help you out.
Here are 5 ways to overcome self doubt:
1. Don’t Focus on What Other People Say
One of the key reasons why people develop a lack of confidence stem from the belief that they are not as good as they appear to be. This results from anxiety about what people think, something that is often easy to amplify in one’s own head. While it is important to take criticism from others and internalize it, there is a point where you have to let go of other people’s perceptions of you, as it can ultimately be more negative than positive and a true deterrent for those looking for a sense of mental clarity and relief.
2. Take Time to Wander in Nature
One of the biggest aspects to do with anxiety and losing confidence is our connection to the modern world. Social media in particular is an aspect of our modern life that has improved many things, but has also added a feeling of constant sharing that appears to be universal, but oftentimes feels more constricting. For people with self doubt, focusing on their appearances can be multiplied by how they feel they represent themselves on social media.
This is not a phenomenon unique to social media, but a way to alleviate it is to unplug for a while. Whether it be a few hours, a day, or even a month, taking a break from electronics in general can be incredibly helpful for those experiencing self doubt. Understanding that the way in which you represent yourself and your appearance is not an essential thing to worry about can be an incredibly liberating feeling for many and can inspire feelings of enlightenment.
When you indulge in disconnecting yourself from electronics, use the opportunity to take a walk in nature and surround yourself by the beauty of the natural world. This will allow you not only to have a moment of sincere reflection among the peaceful surroundings, but also remember that life and the natural forces feel much more urgent than any of our worldly concerns and fears. Realizing this will help you gain more independence in your overall demeanor and life.
3. Surround Yourself With Positive Material and Affirmations
One of the best ways you can help your overall self confidence is to stop indulging in content and literature that encourages negative moods. Instead, you can focus on the various authors and publishers whose content is able to help instill confidence. Surrounding yourself with things to boost your confidence have been shown time and again to be effective ways to bring your mood up and decrease the power of your self doubt. For example, two great suggestions are the books of Pema Chödrön and Oprah Winfrey. Both are extraordinary women who understand a lot about keeping internal balance.
4. Use a Gratitude Journal Each Day
An entirely underestimated way to stay motivated and inspired is to keep a gratitude journal on a daily basis. Through writing about what you are grateful for at the end of the day, you can remind yourself of the many positive events of your life. Writing positive affirmations about your experiences and ambitions can help keep you going and inspire you to do better each day. It serves as a type of affirmation that many people would benefit from if given the chance.
5. Talk to a Professional
Undoubtedly the most effective way to overcome your lack of confidence is to reach out to a counselor. Indeed, talking to anyone is helpful on its own, at the end of the day only a medical professional will be able to provide you with objective methods to deal with your mental health effectively and get yourself back on your feet.
For more tips, check out these helpful lists!
