Self-doubt is a seed that can grow into the largest, tangled tree of worries, fears and insecurities. We all have our own triggers for feeling this way, and we can all rewrite our stories to create new, powerful pathways forward when we feel stuck in self-doubt.
Self-doubt is about lacking confidence in ourselves, our skillset, our abilities and our innate power. On one hand, a little self-doubt might make you prepare for an interview more diligently, set goals to help you move closer to your dreams, or plan ahead to feel more organised.
But on the other hand, self-doubt — if not approached with self-compassion and the ability to witness yourself and your thoughts — can lead to feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, anxiety and depression. It can deplete you and demotivate you. But the good news is, there’s always an answer, a remedy, a salve. And it comes from inside you.
Write it out
Journalling helps to bring our awareness to the fore. Here are some prompts for you to contemplate:
- Where is my self-doubt coming from? What does it feel like; what does it look like; where does my body hold it; what colour is it?
- Is this truly coming from me, or have I been triggered by something/someone outside of myself?
- What time period is this coming from? (Ie, in the past, at a certain age? Current time? A future worry/fear?)
- Are there any related memories that are coming up around this? What could these memories be guiding me to forgive or release?
- Is there an important message behind this self-doubt, or is it ego-based and fear-driven? If there’s a message to take from it, what am I here to learn from in this situation?
- What does the wounded part of me need in order to heal?
- What would change if I could feel a deeper sense of self-trust and self-knowing?
- What do I need to do to bring that in and embody it?
- What is bringing me joy and fulfilment lately? Can I lean into this more?
Take gentle action
When you find yourself sitting in the energy of self-doubt, remember there are lots of ways you can come back to yourself and find your feet planted on your best path forward:
- Take a break. Sometimes self-doubt is seeded simply because you’re exhausted, doing too much and putting so much undue pressure on yourself.
- Let me remind you, you’re allowed to take a break. Please take it.
- Remind yourself that there is not just “one” next step, but an unlimited number of potential possibilities that all lead you to where you want to go, or somewhere better. A quote by the late author Douglas Adams comes to mind here: “I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.”
- Remember that this is just a season of your life, a moment where things might not feel as you wish for them to feel. Things are constantly changing and evolving — no feeling is final — and you will find a connection with yourself, your self-trust, your intuition and your guidance again. You can shift what you’re feeling, you can clear away the comparison and fear, and you can trust your innate worth and power.
- Sit with yourself and simply breathe. Come back to yourself; your essence knows that you are enough.
More than anyone else, you know what you need to do to clear away the self-doubt, call your energy back, ground into your sense of self and reclaim your own (inner) power. It’s time to listen to yourself.
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