126 - Friday Fix: How to Stop Letting Self-Doubt Hold You Back

The Verywell Mind Podcast

Dotdash Media Inc.

Health & Fitness, Self-improvement, Mental Health, Education

5 • 703 Ratings

🗓️ 3 December 2021

⏱️ 9 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Maybe you find yourself doubting whether you are actually good enough for someone you’re dating. Or maybe you second guess whether you’re able to fulfill your role at work. Self-doubt can creep in at any time about all sorts of things. And most of us aren’t sure how to deal with those nagging thoughts. Sometimes we run those thoughts by a friend or family member in hopes they’ll give us some reassurance. At other times, we believe our doubt and don’t give ourselves a fair chance. But self-doubt is something everyone deals with. Even people who look completely confident on the outside often question themselves on the inside. Fortunately, though, you don’t have to let self-doubt get in your way. And you don’t need to wait until you eliminate it to do your best. You can embrace it and manage it in a way that turns self-doubt into an advantage. On today’s Friday Fix, I share the strategies you can use to deal with self-doubt. So whether you’re doubting you are attractive enough or you’re doubting your ability to be good at your job, here are some surefire strategies that can help. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the Very Well Mind podcast. We've interviewed over 100 authors, experts, entrepreneurs, athletes, musicians, and others to help you learn strategies to care for your mental health.
0:22.9	This episode is hosted by psychotherapist and bestselling author Amy Morin. Now let's get into the episode.
0:48.8	Okay. You're listening to the Friday fix. Every Friday, I share a quick mental strength strategy that will help fix the thoughts, feelings, and actions that can pull you back in life.
0:53.6	Today I'm talking about self-doubt.
0:55.7	We all have it sometimes, but most of us weren't ever taught how to deal with it in a healthy way.
1:01.6	Well, today I'm going to teach you how to respond to self-doubt in a way that you can actually
1:06.0	turn it into an advantage. It's because self-doubt doesn't have to be a bad thing. In fact, it might help you
1:12.8	perform better than you would if you felt completely confident, but only if you know how to
1:17.7	respond to it in a healthy way. In fact, research shows that athletes who have a little bit of
1:23.1	self-doubt out perform their completely confident competitors. That's likely because they've learned to
1:29.5	embrace their self-doubt rather than fight it. The same's been found for students. Students who feel
1:35.9	completely confident that they're going to pass an exam score lower than students who feel a little
1:41.5	more doubtful. Why is it that self-doubt helps sometimes? Well, it has to
1:46.2	with effort and attention. If you embrace a little self-doubt, you might try harder. You're also more
1:52.6	likely to stay focused on the task while you're doing it. Someone who feels overconfident might not
1:57.9	prepare as well. They also might allow themselves to be a little more
2:01.7	distracted when they're doing something. And while they're busy daydreaming about their next
2:06.2	vacation, your hint of self-doubt might help you keep your head in the game. Of course, though,
2:12.1	we've all had experiences with self-doubt that didn't end in victory. And each time your self-doubt seems to be true, your belief that you just aren't capable
2:21.2	can grow stronger.
2:23.2	When you believe you can't do something, it often becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
2:28.7	If you step into a meeting thinking, no one's going to listen to me, you might be less
	...

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