Quieting the Doubter

“Trust yourself." Does that sound like a difficult task at times?

It’s a choice one has to make with anything in life: to either believe in yourself or be controlled by of self-doubt.

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 yours 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” “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.

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 good, it’s much easier to get through stressful times if we are physically healthy.

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.  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.

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.