As humans, it is natural for us to have feelings of doubt. No one can pride himself or herself of not having experienced it before. I have on many occasions displayed this feelings of doubt, and I know you have, too.
So basically doubt refers to a lack of certainty or confidence, that is, not being sure of or confident in something or someone. It is the opposite of conviction or faith.
Having feelings of doubt is not actually bad, in fact if we look at it critically it can be a tool for growth and learning. In the process of asking questions on the areas of doubts, one can seek out more information or understanding as it relates to those things, so having doubt is a two way thing - positive and negative
But this content will be based on the negative effects of doubt and how to handle it.
The Negative Effects Of Doubts
As noted earlier, having feelings of doubt is a natural experience, but be that as it may, allowing it go extreme not only have a negative effect on the individual, it also affects their relationships with others. Let's see some of them.
- Insecurity
Having doubt can make one feel insecure and suspicious of someone or something.
In this case, the person finds it hard to believe or trust others, and get connected to them. This lack of trust can lead to constant conflict and misunderstanding between the person and others. It may even be difficult for such a one to keep friends and have healthy relationships.
- Anxiety
A doubtful mind is never at rest or at peace, it is always having suspicious thoughts, afraid of the unknown ha
This situation can lead to anxiety, stress, depression and equally lose focus and so on.
One may not know the effect doubt can have in their life, family, business, work or relationships until they begin to drift away from from life or even sink.
- Indecision and procrastination.
One of the negative effect of doubt os that it can make to indecision and procrastination. When we're feeling uncertain about something, we may find it difficult to make a decision or take action. This can be frustrating and can cause problems in our lives.
- Perfectionism
Doubt can make one feel that he is incompetent, a failure or never-do-well. And when one is unsure of himself, he may want to overcompensate by trying to be perfect in everything he does. But this is a big trap because it is impossible for one to be perfect, and the harder the person tries to achieve perfection, the more stressed, unhappy, agonized he becomes, it can even lead to mental breakdown too.
How to deal with doubts
Feelings of doubt can be really challenging to deal with because they're normal and natural part of the human experience. But it's imperative that one learns how to deal with doubt in a healthy and productive way.
It is advisable that when making decisions about something or someone, one should endeavor to focus on the facts and evidence, rather than allowing emotions or assumptions to take over his thought process. This can help the person have a mind free from bias in order to make a sound and rational decision that will help him move forward in a positive way.
Practicing cognitive reframing is a useful strategy to dealing with doubts.
This has to do one changing one's perspective on a situation and focusing on the positive instead of the negative. That is to say instead of focusing on the doubt or uncertainty, one can look at the possibilities and opportunities in that thing.Going further, let's look at the strategy of mindfulness. This simply means being totally or fully present and aware in the moment.
Practicing this strategy can help one find a way to focus on the present happenings or events on their life instead of worrying or have fear about what is yet to come, the future.
We all know that worrying doesn't solve any problems, rather it complicates it
A simple technique to this is mindful breathing, which involves taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly until the last one is out. Doing this will help one to ease off tension, anxiety or worry and experience calmness in the moment.
This technique is very simple and can be practiced on the go, anytime and anywhere
Whenever I notice that I have entered that speed lane of worrying and my thoughts going haywire, I soft pedal and call myself back with this simple breathing technique.
Having self-compassion is a great strategy for managing doubt. This has to do with showing kindness, and understanding towards oneself rather than judging, criticizing or punishing oneself for being imperfect or fir making mistakes. The best to do is to learn from them and make amends.
Simply put, self-compassion involves we, accepting ourselves as we are, with our baggages of flaws, imperfections and all, and showing selfless love to ourselves.Another strategy that will help one in making better choices is evidence-based reasoning. This is all about focusing on objective, verifiable facts instead of mere assumptions and biases. So, instead of allowing our gut feeling or what we want to believe to guide our decisions, we use the evidence on ground.
Final Note
Everyone experiences feelings of doubt, sometimes, it is natural, but allowing it to go extreme is not only self destructive but it can lead to conflicts, misunderstanding, it can even cause one his or relationship, work or business.
Instead of allowing these to happen, try practicing any of the listed strategies.
Remember, being a doubting Thomas isn't a good thing.
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