3 Steps That Could Help You Challenge Your Negative Thoughts and Build Confidence

My inner critic had created a suffocatingly negative view of the world for me.

My world became smaller. Every question was an attempt to find me out as a fraud. I would be filled with self-doubt and avoid new opportunities.

Three things helped me break free and start to discover discover the real me and seek out new opportunities.

💬 Seeing a Therapist

Therapy was a breakthrough for me. With each session we were able to uncover more about my unhelpful thinking styles or assumptions and find ways to confront or challenge them.

I subscribe to the view that therapy is like a visit to the gym for your mind, not something to be afraid or ashamed of.

🧘‍♀️ Practising Mindfulness

Using the Headspace app, I started each day with 5-10 minutes of mindfulness. It was difficult at first, but I discovered how much it brought me to the present moment and enabled me to see my thoughts and worries without being carried away by them.

📝 Journaling

I started to write in a journal each morning. This helped me to write about what was on my mind, and what I was concerned about and enabled me to challenge those views. Thoughts that feel scary or insurmountable take on a more manageable form when set out in black and white on paper.

Sometimes we can see the world not how it is, but through the eyes of our negative thoughts. Taking steps to recognise this can lead to a massive change for the better.