How to Overcome Self-Doubt and Overthinking in 5 Genius Ways

Introduction

Self-doubt can limit you in many ways. It stops you from taking action and even take opportunities that come your way. The most frustrating thing is that it is also also comes with overthinking.

You might be asking yourself, How do I stop doubting myself? Well, you’ve come to the right place!

This post offers 5 genius ways for overcoming self-doubt and overthinking for good.

What is Self-Doubt?

I don’t deserve to have such a good job. Are they going to notice that the report I submitted is not perfect? I am obviously going to fail because I didn’t deserve to be assigned the project…

If you have noticed such thought patterns, you are most probably having self-doubt.

Self-doubt can be dangerous because it makes you doubt yourself and your abilities. it is the inner critic that is also connected to imposter syndrome.

It is easy for someone to fall into this cycle. For example, if you start doubting your ability at work, you will always criticize every tiny thing you do.

In essence, having chronic self-doubt can completely shatter your confidence. In your social life, it can affect relationships because you might wonder, “Do they really love me?” “Do my friends enjoy spending time with me?“

Seriously, it could affect every area of your life, whether it is school, family, friends, or work.

How to Stop Doubting Yourself

Self-doubt is rooted in fear because we fear what could go wrong. Overcoming fear and doubt is important because it helps you regain your confidence.

For instance, I used to doubt myself before a test even though I had been studying the whole semester. And stayed up all night! Ridiculous, right?

I would overthink, and before I knew it, I was almost having a full-on panic attack. This was serious because these negative self-doubt patterns led to other psychological issues.

However, I found my mojo again and came up with a genius plan to do away with these patterns forever. I will teach you the 5 strategies I used that I live by!

1. Challenge negative thoughts through positive self-talk

The first thing to do is to identify the negative thoughts. If they are to come to an end, you would need to know what you’re dealing with.

The best way is to catch them as soon as they happen. Stop them in their tracks because this is how you would challenge the negative self-talk. It can be scary at times, but in the end, it will be all worth it.

Negative self-talk is one sure way to self-sabotage. By starting to show some love to yourself, these patterns end.

First, you can write down the positive things you appreciate about yourself. This will make the process feel more authentic.

I find this to be the most effective way to start challenging negative thoughts. This is because you will gain more confidence because you know what you have written down is true.

The best way to describe this would be, imagine that you are feeling unworthy, affirming you’re worthy in the beginning can make you feel like an imposter.

Therefore, first try something simple like, I appreciate how I am always helpful to others. By recognizing such a trait, you will start feeling worthy.

Now, from that point, you can start positive affirmations like I am capable. They will feel more real and believable after you have dealt with the first step of appreciating the positive things about yourself!

2. Don’t compare yourself with others

One of the biggest mistakes I once made when I felt self-doubt was to compare myself with peers. It always made me feel worse!

It can be tempting at times to compare ourselves with those around us. This happens especially when we feel that we should be in a similar position or even better.

Overcoming self-doubt can be challenging. But when we measure our worth against those of others, we fall deeper into the darkness of self-doubt.

To overcome doubt, you need to realize that you are unique. Your experiences set you apart from everybody else.

Therefore, it is unfair to compare yourself with others. This is because the scales are not balanced at all.

I mentioned before that appreciating the little things about yourself can help you overcome doubt. Well, this also applies to stopping comparison with others.

Practicing gratitude helped me overcome this behavior. I found that I started doing better in life because I was more focused on improving myself.

I also tried as much as possible to eliminate the triggers that encouraged comparison. It even got to the point that I asked myself, “How could I doubt myself?” Come to think of it, the people I compared myself with had struggles of their own too!

Every small thing I achieved, I celebrated. Even if it was something as cheesy as getting takeout.

I realized that my journey and experiences were different. I did not have to compare myself with others who were on different paths.

This tip worked really well, and I 100% recommend that you try it too!

3. Seek support

It can be tough to do everything on your own at times. So, surrounding yourself with supportive people and environments totally helps.

First identify people who support and love you for who you truly are. This means that they do not judge you in your moments of weakness.

Remember, self-doubt can be challenging to get rid of if the people around you are constantly criticizing you. It can feel like you have to walk on egg shells because you don’t want to attract more criticism.

STAY AWAY FROM NEGATIVE AND OVERLY CRITICAL PEOPLE!

It does not have to be a physical environment or a friend where you find support. You can also find online spaces where you feel comfortable enough to share and get positive or constructive feedback.

Overcoming self-doubt when you have a supportive shield around you becomes easier. I was lucky enough to have a friend who helped me stop doubting myself.

Every time I wanted to go back to my old self, they would remind me of how far I have come. This encouragement at the time meant everything to me. I have come to a point where I am confident in what I want.

Also, for your supportive friends/spaces to help you, you have to communicate your needs. This means being vulnerable enough to admit that you are struggling with self-doubt.

By doing this, you will get the assistance and support you need. But, you’ll have to be open to receiving feedback to without guilt!

You can also watch or listen to content that uplifts you. I remember listening to Mel Robbins a lot, and she helped me create positive patterns that eliminated self-doubt.

Finding a podcast or book that you vibe with the most can help you get your mojo back 😉

4. Journal or meditate to become aware of thought patterns

Journaling or meditating helps you recognize recurring patterns. Self-doubt creeps in because of negative thought patterns.

These activities can help catch them early and stop them.

Think of it like research. You would document the findings of your research subject. This way, you can make conclusions and recommendations of what should be done.

So, thought patterns are your research subject and you are collecting data through journaling. This will help you know what comes up most of the time, why, and the causes.

The process ties back to the “challenging negative thought patterns” tip we discussed earlier.

Also, include things you are grateful for and you love about yourself. Again, this is all about YOU and who you become in the process.

Meditation will also help because as self-doubt arises, you can overcome these thoughts by letting them pass.

Thus, this will disengage overthinking. It is a foolproof hack because, most of the time, overthinking makes us doubt ourselves.

Showing yourself love and kindness matters when meditating. You will rediscover your strengths or even a better YOU.

You can do this!

5. Seek professional help

If your self-doubt is affecting how you would normally go about your daily life, please seek professional help.

It is a pattern that can impact your relationships at school, work, home, and in the community.

Also, if you are struggling with constant negative thoughts or anxiety, it might be time to consult a professional.

Other signs that you should contact a counselor/therapist is struggling with depression symptoms. Find help where you feel safe.

You can easily access therapy online via an accredited platform of your choice.

Congrats on your initiative to try to get better and get the help you need! xoxo

Conclusion

Now that you’ve come to the end of the article, you are unstoppable! With these 5 genius and super easy tips, you can overcome self-doubt.

I believe in you, till next time, xoxo