Blocking out self-doubt
You wake up. You say “today is going to be a good no…a wonderful day”. You are so excited to start the day. Suddenly, you are dancing to find your favorite outfit. It is like you found the rhythm of your day. You strut into the bathroom to start your morning routine. You splash cold water on your face and look up into the mirror and then, you hear a small whisper. Even though it might be so quiet a pen could drop, the words get louder. Then, loud and clear you hear those negative and nagging thoughts telling you “you can’t do that. your dream is impossible.”
Oh great. Good morning, self-doubt.
Self-doubt can be tiresome and draining. We can be really excited to start a project, an adventure, or day and then it suddenly washes over like a wave. Sometimes, we are just waiting for that wave to recede. So what are some exercises that we can use to block and fight self-doubt?
Here are some ways that have helped me over the years and to this day:
Encouraging Notes to self
We are always writing notes to remember items on the grocery list or that bill to pay. Why not write notes to remind you how awesome you are? We don’t often do this, but if we pause just once to do this it could be very helpful in the long run. It could be on a piece of paper, journal, notes in your phone or a post-it.
Examples of note to self:
You are WORTHY.
You are beautiful.
Your dream is beautiful.
Your dream makes a difference.
You make a difference every day.
Record a pep talk. Record a prayer just for you.
It may seem weird, but hearing words of encouragement from yourself could be helpful. There is strength and confidence in the words you are hearing. If you don’t know where to start, you can use your encouraging notes-to-self.
Recording a prayer to speak over your life.
My prayer:
Lord, thank you for creating me. You created me in your image. You designed an amazing gift to use just for me. For I am beautifully and wonderfully made. Lord, instill confidence and strength to see me through today.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Jesus name, I pray. Amen.
Have a friend record a pep talk or prayer for you
Sometimes it is hard to be your own cheerleader, so a good friend in your corner is always helpful. It could be just 1-2 minutes of words of encouragement to help inspire and motivate you.
Hearing words of increase in prayer helps to uplift and encourage. Instead of words of negativity, you are hearing how strong you are and how far you have come. It is reassuring to know that you are not alone.
Talk it out
Talking to a friend, family member, therapist could be helpful for someone just to hear you out. Sometimes we feel that if we bottle it up that it will eventually diminish. But it is the exact opposite. It will start to build and build making it more difficult to face.
“Sing A Song”
Yes, as you can tell from the title I was inspired by the legendary band “Earth, Wind and Fire”. To block out self-doubt, sometimes you gotta sing it out. It is weird how sometimes you just listen to a lyric, feel a beat and you can connect with the music in an instant. You feel empowered. You feel confident. You feel strong. Artists have been through self-doubt and many of them write about it and words to overcome.
Some of my favorite uplifting songs to sing along to:
“Step by Step” by Whitney Houston
“Think” by Aretha Franklin
“Proud” by Heather Small
“Who Says” by Selena Gomez
“Unbreakable Smile” by Tori Kelly
“Coconut Oil” by Lizzo
“Masterpiece” by Tori Kelly
“I Don’t Want to Be” by Gavin DeGraw
“God Blocked It” by Kurt Carr
“Schoolin’ Life” Beyoncé
Facing self-doubt is not easy. Not at all. But, we can find some ways to fight through it. Remember, you are NOT alone.
In comments below, feel free to share:
What self-care exercise above could you see yourself try the rest of this week and the next?
What are some other ways that help you face self-doubt?
Write motivational words for yourself or someone else
I hope you have a lovely rest of the week and weekend!