Breaking the Habit of Self-doubt and Overthinking

One of the biggest virtues of happy people is the ability to trust themselves and their decisions. Self-confidence works like magic when you have no one to support you. The ability to back yourself up is a hidden treasure, which can take you to places.

In order to make better decisions, one needs to have clarity of mind. One can’t fall into the trap of overthinking as it wastes a lot of time and delays conclusions. Therefore, self-doubt and overthinking are potential roadblocks to reaching a sense of wholesomeness and success in life. 

1. Practice self-compassion 

There are many reasons why we don’t learn to trust ourselves. It could be the upbringing, events, past failures, and more. The seed of self-doubt can eventually lead to self-blame. It is again a dark tunnel that should be crossed as soon as possible. So, it is important to understand that it is nobody’s fault, not even yours.

Learn to like yourself and treat yourself with compassion. Just like you will help a friend in need, start helping yourself with positive mental talks. Do not be hard on yourself as it will lead to nothing, instead start from scratch and work your way out of the vicious cycle.

Read positive articles, listen to inspirational podcasts, and start loving yourself. Don’t be over-critical, everybody on the planet has made mistakes. Grow out of your mistakes, learn from them and move on. 

2. Meditate your way to achievements

A cluttered mind is a big reason for failure. When the mind is occupied with the storms of negative thoughts, self-doubt, and overthinking, it results in stress and depression.

The easiest way to come out of such stressful situations is to relax the mind through meditation. The practice of yoga and meditation is a sure-shot method of relaxing the mind and increasing its power. When the monkey mind gets a break, it rejuvenates itself to normal health.

Meditation is the key to healing the mind and the body. At least half an hour of meditation done regularly will weed out the seeds of self-doubt and overthinking. 

3. Start a practice of journaling

When you have a lot of thoughts, it is good to pen them down. Get them on paper and clear your mind. Journaling helps a lot if you don’t have a mentor or friend to talk to.

Maintain a daily journal that helps to keep the mind empty. It helps to declutter the mind. So, pen down everything that you think, feel and observe. In the beginning, the journal may be full of complaints, but over a period of time, it will start hosting new thoughts.

Start writing gratitude notes for every little positive thing that happens during the day. Gradually, you will discover that there is a lot more to be grateful for than to crib for. Journaling helps not only to flush out negative thoughts but creates space in the mind to notice the good things in life. 

4. Ponder upon your past achievements

When doomed with self-doubt, think about the glories you have achieved in the past. Even the smallest achievements count so, think about how wonderfully you handled a challenge and came out of it.

Be it a sports medal in school, an appreciation letter from a dance teacher, a compliment by a friend, etc., every little glory shows your ability to win. It is proof that you have overcome several dire situations in the past. It will help you gain confidence and give strength to face the stormy times. 

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5. Talk to someone about it

There is nothing more therapeutic than venting out one’s heart and emotions. If you have a friend, teacher, mentor, or family member, with whom you like to share your feelings, then sit with them and discuss your problems.

It is important that you discuss with people who make sense. Such occasional sessions of sharing what is going on in your life, have proved a great deal in routing out self-doubt and overthinking. 

6. Embrace Your Self-Doubt

Self-doubt can be reversed by having compassion and love for yourself. So, don’t run away from any doubtful thoughts, instead accept and embrace them. Let them flow out of the system without you trying to throw them out.

When you try to push something out of the mind, it stays there longer. Become aware that low self-esteem is creeping in and that’s okay. Work on it through meditation, music, positive thoughts, and progressive steps toward your goal.

Have patience with a mind that has a habit of negative thinking. It will eventually turn upside down and you will have a steady, trusting, and happy mind. 

7. Try not to compare yourself to others

There are billions of people on this planet. Everyone has something unique to offer. If we keep comparing ourselves with others, it will lead to frustration.

We would end up being a mess. Instead, practice healthy competition where the process matters and not just the victory. If someone else wins, but you have enjoyed the process of participating then it is enough of a valuable lesson.

Over a period of time, you will know that you have outsmarted yourself. It is a wonderful practice to feel uniqueness in yourself. 

8. Don’t get stuck in the comparison trap

Comparison with others is a fatal trap. You will always find friends, colleagues, neighbors, relatives, etc. who are progressing and reaching their goals.

Remember that everyone has a unique journey and time to reach there. Whether it is a materialistic goal or spiritual progress, you must trust your journey. Give it the required time and things will manifest like never before.

Until then, do not be feverish. It will spoil the present moment instead, practice patience and self-compassion, while still working hard on your goals. This process will help you enjoy the journey. 

9. Sharpen your skills

Self-doubt and overthinking make one complacent. You tend to waste a lot of time thinking about the pros and cons, the results of the action, and the loopholes in the plan.

Instead, work on your skills, and sharpen them while working towards your aim. It helps to create a productive mindset as well as boosts confidence. If you are into sports, practice harder every day. If you are a startup, make sure you create a cohesive environment where people can collaborate without the fear of results.

If you are a writer, focus on enhancing your creativity. Even the sharpest minds are the outcome of the hard work they put into developing their skills and positive outlook toward life. 

10. Celebrate that small step and win 

When you are doing everything you can to achieve your goals, you need to value every small success encountered. Encourage yourself by embracing every small win. It helps not only to boost confidence but also helps to create a positive self-image. So, reward yourself for every small win. 

Conclusion

With all these steps, you can easily create a positive mindset. Ways may change as per the personality of an individual and that’s totally fine. Move as per your speed and forget about the rat race.

Build yourself first instead of burning yourself out. Remember that no matter what happens, you need to back yourself up, stand for yourself and applaud yourself. All the very best! 

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