4 Ways To Overcome Self Doubt
I'll start this blog post by sharing that I am a very anxious person. I'm impatient. I can think of 1,001 ways something might go wrong. And, above all, I hate it when something is out of my control. Giving yourself, and your anxiety, grace can be a challenge. I've come a long way since my high school days of overanalyzing. But, i'd be lying if I said I never let self doubt and anxiety get the best of me.
It's human nature to over analyze the things we're insecure about or unsure of. BUT, that doesn't mean that you have to let negative, anxious thoughts get you down. I've finally hit a part of my life where i'm able to recognize my anxiety flaring up over something silly and calm myself down instead of let it tear me apart. Despite the self-imposed pressures that creep in, gone are the days where I let negative thoughts doubt my own self worth.
Keep reading to find out four ways you can quiet your self doubt too.
1. Set a Schedule
Nothing helps me curb my anxiety more than keeping myself organized, yet busy. If there's a new client proposal i'm waiting on that I find myself second guessing, I fill up my time with a little extra blog work to take my mind off the pressure. If work is stressing me out, I schedule a thirty minute run to clear my head instead of sit around and stew.
Next time you find your anxiety flaring up and negative thoughts filling your head, try looking at your calendar. Have you scheduled time to mentally focus on other things? Or, have you scheduled in time for self-care? Organizing your time can often be the first step to reorganizing your thoughts!
2. Shift yourFocus
Whenever i'm feeling anxious I always seem to forget that I am 100% in control of my mind and its thoughts. My inner critic is a bit of a B*tch, so whenever she comes out I contradict her with positivity. For example, if I'm stressed about a big meeting I have coming up, i'll build myself up with memories of meetings that went well. Try combatting the negativity with positivity. I promise, positive thinking goes an incredibly long way.
3. Surround Yourself With People That Make You Smile
When i'm having an especially critical day, the first people I turn to are those closest to me. More often than not those you love most know you have a tendency to overanalyze, and are willing to help talk you down when you can't find a way to do it yourself.
I can't tell you how many times I've spoken with Jordon, my parents or my best friends about the anxiety I experience. Each time, they all sit me down and run though a more positive way to look at things. Surrounding yourself with people who make you smile goes a long way. Find your tribe and love them hard people.
4. Learn to Accept your Imperfections
This isn't easy. And, if i'm being honest, it's something that I still work on day in and day out. But, perfection is impossible. And, if we hold ourselves to a standard that's impossible to achieve, then we're setting ourselves and our minds up for failure.
I find myself drawn to people who are unapologetically themselves. People who wear their imperfections as badges of honor. It gets harder to love ourselves every minute we're on social media, but the reality is that when embrace yourself wholly you become the BEST version of yourself.
I want to live my life feeling confident in my skin, mind and profession. And, I want to surround myself with people who do the same. I certainly still face my own self doubt off and on, but i'm getting better each and every day and that's something i'm incredibly proud of.
How do you cope with self doubt?
XO,
K