D is for Doubt (Secondary)

Doubt you can identify this problem?!

We all doubt ourselves & worry from time to time. This just means that we’re human. Sometimes though, situations might get on top of us and we might find ourselves dwelling on things a LOT, on doubting our every move. Not only is this totally exhausting, it can make us feel truly awful.

This can be a sign that we’re stuck in our over-thinking mind & we need to switch things up a bit so here’s how:

---

Surefire ways to deal with it

1. First up, it’s really important to send a strong message to our brains to soothe the message of doubt, worry, of feeling threatened. You can do this with a simple breathing exercise that sends a powerful message to your parasympathetic nervous system. Sit down, feet firmly on the floor & take a deep breath in through the nose. Count to four. Breathe deeply out through the mouth. Count to four. Take a few breaths in this way. Then continue to breathe in for the count of four but extend the out-breath to the count of 8, double the length of the in-breath. Take a few breaths in this way. Notice how you feel repeat if you need to

2. Slow down. Life can be fast-paced & we can feel lots of pressure to respond immediately. Yet when we doubt ourselves and our decisions, we sometimes make quick, rash decisions simply out of panic. So slow down - it’s really powerful. Give yourself permission to slow down. Doing nothing is actually doing something. And it also gives us space to choose our next move. Space to respond mindfully rather than react from that small, panicky place

3. Remind yourself that you’re not alone in feeling this way, in doubting yourself. You might be surprised to hear that some of the world’s most powerful people suffer from imposter syndrome - a form of self-doubt. One way to help with self-doubt is to ask the advice of someone you trust. Very often we’re so close to our feelings & our situations that we can’t see the bigger picture. And sometimes it takes someone else to help us get a different perspective. So, stand tall, be brave and ask for someone’s else perspective - someone who’s a friend, an ally, whose opinion you respect.

4. Change up your story - you’re in charge of you! You don’t have to be stuck in this pattern of thinking, of doubting, you can ask yourself - is this thought true, is there evidence behind this thought or am I just telling myself a story? Changing up our mindset can be really helpful to rewrite our stories of ourselves.

Manage your approach

Remember it’s ok to feel uncertain, we all do from time to time, particularly during these changing CoVid times, we’re all just feeling our way through. But, your approach and how you define your actions will help you manage the doubt and the worries that come with it!

“When we doubt & worry, sometimes this also affects our sleep, our appetite and how well we feel. ”

---

---

The not-so-small small print

There is none! Simply return to this part of the website daily to get the next part of this program. No payment or subscription required. This is a resource we are sharing with all of you through the website and aiming to help our youngsters, in the various stages of their lives. This program contains information and practices that are aimed for two different age groups and we intend to mostly post the primary level information in the morning and the secondary level in the afternoon. Please leave us a comment and let us know how you are getting on or get in touch if you require additional support. If you want to be notified of new content, courses and free resources subscribe to our mailing list.

---