5 Ways in Which Self-Doubt Interferes with Your Day-to-Day Life
Self-doubt is a feeling that’s hard to shake off. It sneaks up on you when you least expect it and can disrupt your day with its constant presence in your mind. If you feel like the glass ceiling of self-doubt is almost permanent, read on for some tips on how to rise above it.
Self-doubt can be a good thing if it makes you question things and forces you to think from all angles before making decisions. However, constant self-doubt is never a good sign and will hinder any progress you make in life or at work. The key here is to identify the source of your doubts and find ways to combat them so they have minimal impact on your life moving forward. Let’s take a look at five ways in which self-doubt interferes with your day-to-day life:
It stops you from reaching out to others
Self-doubt can often make you second-guess your abilities and your capacity to communicate with others. If this extends to your professional life, you may find yourself avoiding tasks that require you to work with other people. This can have a devastating impact on your career and your ability to climb the ladder.
If you’re unable to communicate your ideas effectively, collaborate with your co-workers, and reach out to your superiors, then you’re severely limiting your chances of career advancement. You don’t have to be the most eloquent person in the world, but you should at least be able to communicate with your team members and present your ideas in a comprehensible manner.
It makes you fear failure
If you’re constantly battling with self-doubt, then you’ll likely find yourself paralyzed with fear at the prospect of failing. You may even view failure as inevitable, which will only worsen your self-doubt and make it more difficult to turn things around. This fear of failure isn’t the same as a healthy level of concern for failure. It’s an irrational fear that can cause more harm than good. If you’re unable to do your job properly because of your fear of failure, then it can create even more issues. It can also prevent you from going after your bigger dreams, like starting your own business or trying to become a published author.
It stops you from trying new things
Self-doubt makes you worry about the outcome of even simple tasks. This can then turn into a fear of trying anything new at all because you’re so worried about the outcome. This fear can affect your everyday life in many ways. For example, you may find yourself avoiding social situations because you’re worried about saying or doing the wrong thing. If you’re constantly second-guessing yourself, you may hesitate to try new tasks, ask for assistance, or even ask questions during meetings.
It makes you compare yourself to others constantly
We’re all prone to making comparisons and forming opinions about others. However, self-doubt makes this almost an obsession. You may constantly compare your assets and your flaws to those around you. This can be incredibly harmful and prevent you from ever truly accepting yourself for who you are. If you’re constantly comparing yourself to others, you’ll never be happy with where you are in life. You may feel like you need to be as successful as your friend who just bought a house, and has a successful career and a beautiful family. Self-doubt can turn into a constant battle of trying to be better than everyone else around you.
Self-doubt can make you feel like you’re always failing
Self-doubt can make you feel like you’re constantly failing at everything in life. You may feel like you’ve failed in school because you didn’t get the highest grade, or that you’ve failed in your career because you weren’t promoted as quickly as you thought you would be. Self-doubt can also make you feel like you’ve failed in your relationships because your loved ones aren’t as happy as you want them to be.
Self-doubt is perhaps the most crippling form of self-criticism. And yet, it’s an easy trap to fall into. The key is to identify the source of your doubts and find ways to combat them so they have minimal impact on your life moving forward. Self-doubt can stop you from reaching out to others, make you fear failure, stop you from trying new things, make you compare yourself to others constantly, and make you feel like you’re always failing. If you’re struggling with self-doubt, then it’s important to discover its source and find ways to turn things around.
This article is written by a therapist from Sensera – a self-help app that provides daily CBT audio sessions and exercises. The app helps people deal with a variety of mental issues (anxiety, low self-esteem, relationship problems). Download Sensera now to become happier!
