5 Ways to Quiet Self Doubt

doubt growth tips self-doubt Jan 02, 2019

For many of us we have a hard time with the negative voice in our head that tells us it’s not possible for us to achieve what we are working towards. In turn that keeps us from even trying and then solidifies that negative belief. Can you trust yourself? Do you often self-sabotage as a means of protection when in reality it causes more harm than good? It’s a choice one has to make with anything in life: to either believe in yourself or be controlled by of self-doubt. Do you feel you are capable or incapable of achieving your goals? As with most things, either thought will end up being correct.

You are not alone to have feelings of self-doubt but it is important to keep things in perspective. What is real, what is perceived and what do you need to change? Doubt can keep you from achieving your goals if you let it dictate your life. Here are some ways to mute “the doubter.

1. Ground yourself.

Stay present and ground yourself. Up to this point you have survived whatever life has thrown at you. You have been given a lot of lessons to learn from, start analyzing the lessons to find the theme. There is always room for growth.

Get out in nature, meditate, use mindfulness techniques to help notice your environment and see things without judgement.  

2. Balance the negative.

Make a list of encouraging positive words about yourself. Start your day with daily affirmations like “I trust myself”, “I forgive myself”, “I let go of guilt”, “I deserve to be happy”, “I don’t need to compare myself to others” or “I love myself”. Find the words or phrases that work the best for you. When the self-doubt comes around have these handy to repeat to yourself. I have an app on my phone called “ThinkUp” where I have a recording of my voice going through these positive affirmations. It’s a good way to start the day and only takes a few minutes. Studies have shown that the more you practice these daily affirmations the more easily your brain will turn to them instead of the negative ones. Try it every day for 21 days and look the difference in your self-talk!

3. Practice Self-Care.

It’s easy to get caught up in life and what we think we are “expected to do” that we forget to take time for ourselves. The busier life gets the more important it is to take time for yourself. Make this a daily routine to help “let off the steam.” Some ideas that I love are meditation, yoga, music, coloring, dancing, journaling but you can come up with what works for you. Don’t forget to stay hydrated, get enough sleep and eat healthy food; it’s much easier to get through stressful times if we are physically healthy. I actually just did an interview with a Kundalini Yoga Master who gave us 2 different self-care techniques that only take 3-5 minutes to practice. Get out of the mindset that self-care has to be hours long. Sometimes it’s just taking 5 minutes out of your busy schedule to practice breathing techniques! Find things daily that work for you!

4. Create a Support Team.

It’s important to have time for yourself but it’s also important to have a positive team of people to help reassure and guide you. It can be a combination of positive friends, family or a professional therapist or coach. Getting reassurance or help from others can make a big difference. I recommend people out of your normal circle in order to get different perspective.

This can keep you away from the victim/stuck mentality and remind you of your abilities when you are having a hard time staying focused. Be careful to choose people that will help you move forward, not hold you back with their negativity or toxicity. These people should limited or even eliminated.

5.  Take action!

A really great way to help quiet the doubter is to take a few minutes and journal what you are having doubts about. Then take a look at what you wrote and figure out what strategies you need to use, then take action! For most people it is lack of education, money and support. All of those are obstacles that can be figured out. What separates people who achieve their goals from the ones who don’t is their ability to push out of their comfort zone and be OK with making mistakes. Remember, we didn’t learn how to walk on the first try! It took trial and error! Don’t let yourself get bogged down when you don’t succeed instead look for what you can learn from that mistake and then try something different. As you get more practice that doubt will start to fade and your confidence will build, but you have to start to get there!