How does one overcome self-doubt? Ah, self-doubt. It’s what gets into your head when you’re unsure about your abilities.
Whether that’s from something you’ve never done before or that one thing you’ve done a million times before.
Questioning yourself is natural. It’s what we do when we are trying to reflect on ourselves.
We want to make sure we are doing a good job, and living up to our standards.
When self-doubt does come into your head, it can quickly diminish your confidence
And sometimes it happens because we feel a little extra sensitive to things. But, these thoughts can actually become debilitating.
Doubting yourself can cause fear. Which will prevent you from trying in the first place.
Then it will make you question everything you do, leaving you wondering if you’ll ever be good enough to deserve what you want.
How to Overcome Self-Doubt and Boost Your Confidence
1. Speak up About Your doubt
It’s so easy to build up assumptions in our heads. When something goes wrong at work, you might question yourself and rethink if you’re even cut out for that position.
Whenever something goes wrong, we beat ourselves up internally. Because we are supposed to be on top of things, and we are supposed to be perfect at everything. Right?
Wrong.
There is no such thing as perfection! So push that thought out of your head. Instead, turn to people who can help reassure you that you are doing just fine.
If you keep things to yourself, it can quickly build up in your head.
Telling yourself you aren’t good enough and nobody really likes you anyway are thoughts that aren’t true.
They are just things you make up in your head because it feels true. But, this is why you need to talk to someone about it. Ask them if you’re doing a bad job at your job.
I can promise they will say no, and reassure you that you’re a great part of the team. We are so good about beating ourselves up and making sure that we don’t feel much pride in our work. Even if you are pretty close to perfect at your job.
That’s why it’s always good to get a second opinion and a different perspective.
Because other people see you differently than you see yourself. They value you and the right people want to be there to make sure you don’t have any self-doubt.
2. Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
It’s so easy to do. You see someone else at school who gets straight A’s and makes it look so easy.
They must be born with a skill that automatically makes them smart. There’s no way to compete with that. Well, you should stop competing at all.
There is no point in comparing yourself to others, except to make yourself feel worse.
And the best way to avoid doing this is by looking at it from a different perspective. Instead of telling yourself false assumptions, work at becoming a better person. Chances are that person who gets straight A’s probably has to work really hard.
They most likely study any free second they get, and there’s a chance they are struggling with self-doubt as well.
If you think about how hard it is to maintain that, then imagine how hard it is if you fall short.
Put yourself in their shoes for a second. And try to tell yourself that they might be struggling too. It’s easy to assume other people have it better than you, but everyone is dealing with something.
Some people are really good at hiding it, but no one is perfect.
Once you believe this, it’ll be easier to stop comparing yourself. And it might make you appreciate what you do have and what you are capable of.
3. Separate Yourself from the Cause of Your Self-Doubt
When you are at work for 40 hours a week, the cycle of self-doubt repeats itself every day. When you are constantly surrounded by the things that are causing doubt, then you need to take a break.
I know that sometimes it’s not possible, because we can’t just stop showing up to work or school. But, you do have control once you get home and I’m sure you have at least an hour a day you could use to get away.
Spend some time doing something you really enjoy, that you know you are good at. Something that makes you feel really good. And forget about what’s causing your self-doubt. We can get so wrapped up in feeling bad about ourselves.
Even when we get home, going on social media can bring us back into the cycle. That’s where we start comparing ourselves to other people who seem to have their lives figured out.
This is when you need to shut your phone off and go on a hike. Or hang out with people you really care about and ask them to not let you talk about the things that are bugging you.
It’s really important to take a break and not obsess over what’s causing you stress.
When you can learn how to separate yourself from the crap, it’s easier to get a new outlook. Read this guide to dealing with anxiety at work, which gives you a daily routine for managing your anxiety.
4. Write Down 3 Things You Love About Yourself Every Day
Thinking about what you love about yourself isn’t the easiest when you’re filled with self-doubt. You might think that you don’t like anything about who you are.
But, digging deep and understanding yourself more will give you more confidence. Think of the things that you are good at.
Are you a good person who cares about other people? Do you love animals? Is there a specific body type of yours that you love?
Grab a piece of paper and pencil and write it down. Then, do this every single day.
At first, it will feel weird, and maybe selfish. But, it’s not. And those thoughts are your self-doubt coming in to tell you it’s pointless. Ignore that voice, and do it anyway.
Then, you’ll start to discover what does make you so great. And you’ll remember these things when you question yourself. Which will make you believe in yourself more.
5. Tell Your Inner Critic to Shut Up
That inner voice that is always talking down to you needs to be quiet. What that voice is telling you isn’t true.
It’s a very convincing voice, but what it’s saying doesn’t provide any value to you.
Imagine if that’s how your best friend talked about themselves.
You would quickly tell them to stop being ridiculous and that they are great just as they are. You are perfect just as you are now. And those voices that tell you otherwise are liars. Don’t give in to that inner critic.
Tell it to shut up, and focus on doing the things you enjoy. Because you deserve them!
How To Overcome Self-Doubt And Boost Your Confidence – Conclusion
If you are having trouble building your confidence or getting rid of self-doubt, A Course In Gorgeous would be a great fit for you!
This course will not only help you feel confident and gorgeous in your own skin, but it teaches you how to put yourself first and get rid of self-doubt once and for all.
If you are ready to make some changes in your life, this is where you should start. A Course in Gorgeous teaches you exactly how to make the necessary changes in your life and start feeling confident almost immediately.
A Course In Gorgeous is an all-inclusive, 12-part online course that teaches you how to tackle mental roadblocks that are preventing you from truly enjoying your life.
Are you struggling, wondering how to deal with anxiety at work? Whether your anxiety occurs because of personal problems, or because of work, experiencing it while you’re on the job makes everything much more challenging.
Anxiety makes it difficult to focus on a specific task. This can make getting to your work assignments almost impossible, and take you forever to get things done.
If left untreated, your anxiety has the ability to make your job impossible. Which can result in issues, like getting fired or your boss not knowing if you’re capable enough to do your job.
But, anxiety is a very real thing. And if you don’t have the right resources to work through it yourself, that doesn’t mean all hope is lost.
How To Deal With Anxiety At Work
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Having anxiety doesn’t mean you’ve stopped caring about your job.
It just means there are other factors that are making it that much harder to think work is important right now.
How To Deal With Anxiety – Before Work
1. Set up a morning routine
Waking up, chugging coffee and heading straight into work is a great recipe for anxiety.
Without giving yourself time to slowly wake up and get ready for the day, you’ll feel on edge the whole day. Some people thrive by getting up and going, and not thinking about anything.
But, anxiety can easily creep in if you don’t practice being more in-tune with yourself and the world around you.
Here are some ways to set up an anxiety-free morning routine:
Wake up 30 minutes before you have to start getting ready
Avoid looking at your phone/responding to any emails
Take a second to be grateful for waking up to a new day
Read a chapter of a new book
Consider drinking a small cup of coffee while you’re still in bed
Plan out how your day is going to go, so you know what you expect
2. Avoid watching the news
I get that it’s helpful to stay up-to-date on what’s going on in the world.
I used to watch the news every morning before I went to work. But, I started to realize that it made me a lot more fearful of my surroundings.
The bad news I kept seeing just started to make me think there wasn’t much good in the world. If you have high anxiety, try to stop watching the news or reading it on your phone.
It doesn’t mean you’re avoiding what’s happening out in the real world, it just means you need to stop triggering anxiety by bringing in more worries to your life.
If you think about it, the news stations are trying to find the craziest stories out there. That’s how they get your attention and keep you watching. And that’s why usually what’s shown on the news is bad stuff.
Chances are, you’ll hear about the important stuff from co-workers or friends. You don’t need to know about everything else.
3. Meditate in the car
Commuting in traffic can contribute to your anxiety.
A great way to stay calm is by listening to a mindfulness app on your phone while you’re driving in the car. This helps you focus on your breathing and stay in the present moment.
That way once you get to work, you won’t already feel so tense and possibly irritated.
Another helpful tip is to always leave a little extra early heading into work, so you can stay in the slow lane. Driving in the fast lane can make you feel like you have to just get to the destination.
When instead, you can take your time and not feel so rushed.
How To Deal With Anxiety – During work
1. Set small goals
Once you get into work and figure out what has to get done that day, start by planning it out.
Part of what causes a lot of work anxiety is feeling like you’re constantly behind. And you have to hustle to get as much done as you can.
But, that’s how anxiety can form and it’s how it can prevent you from getting anything done. Feeling overwhelmed can make it difficult to know where to start.
Instead, look at your to-do list and focus on getting 3 or 4 things done that day.
Set mini-goals, so that once you accomplish one thing you actually feel like you’re being productive and achieving success.
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2. Take it easy on high-anxiety days
Sometimes, you’ll have days where no matter what you do you’re anxiety will take over anyways.
On those days, you have to take it easy on yourself. When anxiety comes in, it’s similar to getting a cold.
It physically and mentally won’t allow you to be 100% there. And if you think about having a cold, you would most likely do the best you can but then rest often and take it easy.
Don’t expect to get much done on high-anxiety days. Where we often go wrong when we’re feeling anxious is when we feel like we have to keep working harder. But, listen to your body and just take a break.
3. Practice being mindful
Work on grounding techniques and pay attention to what’s going on in the moment. Our anxious thoughts can make it feel like everything is wrong. But, when you practice being mindful you can reduce the negative thoughts.
And you can work on dissolving your anxious thoughts, when you take a few minutes to think them through and challenge them.
Eating a healthy lunch is always good idea, even on the days when you’re anxiety is low.
If you work in a busy office, it’s probably pretty normal to just order some fast food and go back and sit at your desk.
But, taking control of your anxiety requires taking care of yourself.
That means actually taking a lunch break, and packing your lunch from home. With a filling salad or a healthy sandwich.
Eating healthy will keep your anxiety levels even, and won’t make you crash a few hours later. Practice making it a point to take some time for yourself throughout the day, so that you can stay in tune with your body.
5. Take frequent breaks
When you struggle with anxiety, it’s just not possible to keep trying to hurdle passed it. If you try to fight it or ignore that you have it, it will eventually build and build.
Until you aren’t sure how to manage any of it. Most jobs think it’s more acceptable to just work, work, work until it’s time to eventually go home.
The norm is 50 hour work weeks, but working 40 hours is way more than plenty. We think we have to be tied to our jobs to feel any sort of value or success in our own lives.
That’s why taking breaks during work feels weird. Especially when everyone around you never takes any. But, go against what everyone else is doing and make it a point to start taking care of your mental health.
That means taking the designated 15-minute breaks you’re allowed for every 8 hours. Also, taking your lunch break. These can be times where you can practice being mindful and reducing your anxiety.
How To Deal With Anxiety – After work
1. Leave work at work
It is so easy to leave work, then go home and either still think about work or continue to do work.
This is where it will feel like you can never escape it. But, there are ways to actually enjoy your life outside of work and to separate yourself from it.
It starts by leaving all of the work at work. Don’t respond to emails after you have left the office. And avoid going on your computer once you get home.
If you struggle with toxic co-workers or a difficult work environment, it’s very easy to allow that to bleed into other parts of your life. But, imagine that once you open the door to leave your office, all of the issues you have at your job cannot leave that door.
And then once you get home, work on focusing on other things that bring you joy. Try to avoid getting wrapped up in your thoughts about your job.
Practice being in the present moment and focus on the now. That way you can actually enjoy the time off that you do have. And just tell yourself that you will deal with work tomorrow, when the time comes.
2. Have something to look forward to
Working 8+ hours a day and then driving in traffic is exhausting. That’s a long time to give your energy to another place.
And once you get home, you might feel too tired to do anything but make up some dinner and watch TV. But, this is how it can be easy to think that your job takes over your whole life.
It’s important to create things on your schedule that you look forward to after work, that can take you away from work for a while.
Things like:
Hanging out with friends
Going out on a hike
Going to the gym
Trying out a new hobby
Going to a night class
Having date night
Try to set up 2 or 3 nights a week that you have something exciting to look forward to. This can make going to work more tolerable because you will be doing something you enjoy afterward.
It will also break up the cycle of getting up, going to work, coming home to eat dinner, sleep, repeat.
3. Practice self-care
On the days that you don’t schedule trying something new, work on practicing self-care. Do what you want to do. If that means enjoying a Netflix marathon, do it!
Throughout the day, your cup is being drained from all of the work crap you have to put up with. Find the things that fill up your cup, and make sure to do these things frequently. And if you aren’t sure what fills up your cup, think about the things you enjoyed as a kid.
During the times when you didn’t have to be a responsible adult. Maybe you could even try going to the same park you used to play at as a kid, and mess around on the playground.
These things will help reduce your anxiety because they allow you to connect with yourself.
4. Keep in touch with close family/friends
Talking to other people who understand what you’re going through helps in so many ways.
And if you know people who experience anxiety as well, make sure to reach out to them during the days when you’re anxiety is high.
It helps to talk to someone who understands, and who doesn’t judge.
Sometimes when you’re around people at work who don’t get it, it can feel like there’s just something wrong with you.
In reality, everyone experiences stress and anxiety to some extent. Most people don’t know how to deal with it (that’s why they bury themselves in their jobs).
When you are experiencing anxiety, talk to someone about it. That way you can get your anxious thoughts out and hear what other people have to say about it.
5. Set up an evening routine
Having an evening routine before bed will help calm you down after a long day. It can also help improve your sleep.
And when you struggle with anxiety, these morning and evening routines are essential to keeping your anxiety in check.
A good evening routine consists of:
Shutting off all technology 30 minutes to 1 hour before going to bed
Writing in an anxiety journal about how the day went, how you’re feeling, and any remaining anxious thoughts you have
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What to do when you can’t cope with your anxiety at work
1. Talk to your boss/ HR
If there is someone at work who you trust, don’t be afraid to talk to them. Anxiety is a serious thing if you aren’t sure how to handle it.
It can ruin your productivity, and if your anxiety is caused by work, it will have an effect on your overall well-being.
That is something that your boss or HR would want to know about. A lot of companies are expanding their resources when it comes to mental health.
If you can talk to someone you trust about what you’re experiencing, they might be able to help you. If there isn’t anyone at work you feel like you can trust to talk about these things, it might be time to reevaluate where you’re working.
2. Evaluate how important your job is
Your job might be what is causing your anxiety to shoot through the roof.
Anxiety occurs for a number of reasons, but sometimes it’s the environment that we’re in that can set it off.
Think about how your job makes you feel when you’re there, and if there is anything that causes you stress there. Also, think about your co-workers and who you would feel comfortable talking to about your anxiety.
If you come to the conclusion that your job is what is causing anxiety, and there are a lot of things wrong with it, you should consider trying to find another place to work.
I understand that sounds way easier than it is. I’m not saying that you should just go in and quit your job tomorrow. We all have bills to pay and responsibilities.
But, if you know your job is causing you anxiety, I am here to tell you there are other options. You should never feel stuck where you’re at.
Start by writing down a pros and cons list of your job, then think about the type of job you would really enjoy. You can slowly work on trying to find a new one while practicing the things above.
Or, do what I did: I quit my job so I could blog full-time. My blog is now my full-time, 6 figure business.
Anxiety is not the easiest thing to handle on your own. Especially if it has grown over time. Sometimes, talking to a professional is one of the best ways to sort through your thoughts.
A therapist can work with you to give you the right tools you need to work with your anxiety.
BetterHelp matches you with a licensed therapist who has professional experience in teaching you how to get through social anxiety.
The cool part is you can connect with your therapist any time you need to. If you have any questions throughout the week, you can just shoot them an email or a message, and they usually get back to you within a day or two.
When I used to go to in-person therapy, it was only once a week, which sucked when I really needed to talk to someone.
I would also sometimes forget what I needed to talk about, and end up remembering later and would have to wait another week to talk about it again. If you’re interested in learning more about BetterHelp, you can click here.
Do you have more questions about overcoming social anxiety? Leave them in the comments below!
I have created this 30 Day Mental Wellness Challenge to help you. Are you interested in improving your mental health?
To help reduce anxiety and depression, and improve your overall confidence within yourself.
Improving your mental health takes some time. Your brain is like a muscle, so you basically have to work out that muscle just like you would any other muscle in your body.
And you know that you have to work out at least a few times a week to continue to build muscle. So let’s begin!
30-Day Mental Wellness Challenge
There are a lot of options out there to help improve your mental wellness. Medication and therapy help in ways other options can’t.
But, if you can’t afford them or just want to see what else is out there it is possible to improve your mental wellness without those.
Note: You can get an affordable, virtual therapist via the BetterHelp app.
Working on building up your mental strength requires that you focus on it daily. The good part is it doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of time on it.
And you can do it anywhere, you don’t need any special equipment.
To help you improve your mental wellness and reduce anxiety, doing a 30-day challenge can help keep you on track. You’ll also know exactly what to do each day, which makes it super easy!
You can start the challenge at any time. Some people find success at the beginning of the month, but you can start today as long as you just make a note of the day you started.
In addition to this mental wellness challenge, you may also like my Self-Love Guide, you can download that for free by clicking the image below:
Week 1
Welcome to the 30-Day Mental Wellness Challenge!
Day 1. Write down your goals for the next 30 days
What do you want to accomplish with this challenge? How do you want to feel when you’re done with this?
Where are you currently at with your mental health?
Tracking your progress throughout the whole challenge can help you notice a difference or not. Getting into the habit of journaling your thoughts daily can help improve your mindset as well!
Day 2. Wake up 30 minutes earlier to write in your journal about how you’re feeling
Today wake up 30 minutes earlier than you normally would so you have time to write down in your journal.
Here are some journaling prompts to help get your brain working first thing in the morning.
Day 3. Spend 20 minutes outside. Take in what you see and hear
Take some time to enjoy being outside, no matter what the weather! If it’s snowing, you don’t have to do it for the full 20 minutes.
Pay attention to what you see as you go on a walk. Being aware of your senses can keep you in the present and help reduce anxious thoughts.
Day 4. Drink enough water. A minimum of 8 glasses. Cleanse your body
Most people don’t drink enough water and instead replace it with other drinks.
Caffeinated beverages can increase anxiety levels and overall not make you feel your best.
Try to drink at least 8 glasses of water today, and avoid any other type of drink.
If you need a cup of coffee in the morning to get you going (like I do!), that’s fine. Just use the rest of the day to hydrate your organs and feel a little more refreshed.
Day 5. Ask to hang out with your closest friends
You might want to isolate yourself when you’re feeling anxious. Staying indoors away from people sometimes feels like the best solution.
But, isolation makes your anxious thoughts worse and can soon turn into depression.
Make it a point to reach out to your closest friends or family.
The people in your life who love to hear from you and want to support you. Set a date to hang out with them tonight.
Day 6. De-clutter
Cleaning out your closet might feel overwhelming, but it can seriously do wonders for your anxiety levels!
Look around your room or house and think about the things you can either clean or get rid of.
Clean up the space around you so you can clear your mind.
If It’s too overwhelming to tackle your whole house, just focus on one room at a time. Then reward yourself with a relaxing afternoon or your favorite dinner.
Day 7. Spend time alone. Practice self-care.
Today is your day. Time to be alone with your mind and body.
Practice some self-care:
Sleep in
Avoid any difficult chores
Read a good book
Take a bath
Give yourself some much-needed time to unwind and de-stress after a long week.
Week 2
Day 8. Eat healthy anxiety-reducing meals for the whole day
You can plan this out in advance or just work on making better food choices today.
Here is a list of the best anxiety-reducing foods and meals you can try today.
Starting the week off with a healthy mind and body gives you the energy to tackle the rest of the week.
Day 9. Take a social media break for 24 hours
It’s scary how much we rely on our phones to get us through the day.
That’s why it’s important to consciously take a break from it all for a day.
Turn off your social media notifications, log out of your accounts, or even delete the apps off your phone.
Do a social media detox for the whole day and log how you feel at the end. (If you don’t use social media, then you can do the same thing for emails, text messages, and phone calls. The only exception is if you need those things for work.)
Day 10. Spend 5 minutes meditating
There are some awesome apps out there that help you focus on meditating.
The cool thing is you only have to do it for 5 minutes today!
The best times to practice being mindful are either first thing or right before you go to bed.
Choose an app from below and pick a time of day that works best for you to practice being more mindful.
Avoid coming home and watching Netflix for the rest of the night.
Most of the time we turn to TV as just a distraction from our lives.
Tonight, do something you really enjoy. What hobbies do you like that you haven’t done in a while?
This can be something simple like cooking up a tasty dinner and baking dessert, reading a book, being around family, learning a new language, practicing an instrument, or building a skill of some sort.
Day 12. De-compress. Spend the evening watching your favorite movie and relaxing
You’ve worked hard, so it’s time to take a break!
Go easy tonight and do what makes you most comfortable.
Day 13. Make a list of all the things you enjoy doing, then spend today doing them
Make it a point to go after the things you want today.
Splurge a little and go do something fun. Maybe that’s calling up some friends and going to the museum, bowling or on a hike.
Really enjoy today and soak up every minute of it
Day 14. Dance around to your favorite playlist.
Let loose, throw on some headphones, and dance around to your favorite tunes.
This helps you release all of the built-up tension. Allow yourself to fully enjoy each song and let go of all your problems for a few minutes.
Week 3
Day 15. Start your morning with a bang. Wake up earlier, drink some water, write in your journal, and practice gratitude
Today’s challenge is setting up a strong morning routine.
Take some time to complete each thing and really focus on being present for each task.
You can see how you feel at the end of the day and if it helped your anxiety levels at all.
Day 16. Workout for 30 minutes
Yay, exercise! Well, the good part is you get to choose what it is.
Everyone has different preferences for working out. Some love running, others love yoga.
Choose an exercise that works best for you and do it for 30 minutes today.
Day 17. Do something that pushes you out of your comfort zone
Talk to your crush, ask your boss for a promotion, talk to a stranger, or travel to a different city.
These are just some things that will push you out of your comfort zone.
A good way to combat anxiety is by taking action and doing some of the things that really scare you. That way once you do them, you will see they aren’t as scary as you thought.
Choose one thing that would make you uncomfortable while also benefiting you. Preferably something you have really wanted to do but were too afraid to try.
Day 18. Give more to someone in need.
Today you can focus your attention on helping someone else.
Pay close attention to someone who may be in extra need of support today.
Day 19. Listen to Mental Health Podcasts
Fuel your mind today by listening to mental health podcasts that are relatable to what you’re going through.
Podcasts have become really popular lately and there are a lot of valuable series to listen to or save for later.
You can do this for every meal or just for one. Even if you barely know how to cook use it as a challenge to learn something new today.
Pick one of your favorite dishes and spend time cooking it up and enjoying the art of cooking.
Day 22. Practice breathing exercises
Having a few breathing techniques up your sleeve can quickly help you relieve anxiety.
Any time you’re feeling anxious today (or any time you want to), practice some breathing exercises.
Week 4
Day 23. Don’t complain at all today. Work on seeing the good
Complaining leads to feeling like the victim of your own life. Instead of blaming other things for going wrong today, practice letting go.
Each time you get annoyed or frustrated by things, turn your thinking to something good.
For example, if you get annoyed about waiting in traffic, turn on some music or a podcast and look around.
List 5 things you see, feel, and hear.
Then list 3 things you’re grateful for. And think about what you have to look forward to when you get home.
Day 24. Act like a kid for the day. Do things your inner child would love
Think back to what you liked to do as a kid, then make it a point to do some of those things today. Act like a kid for the day and let go of adult responsibilities (as best you can).
When you listen to what your inner child wants, you help connect with yourself on a deeper level. And life doesn’t feel so overwhelming when you work on taking care of the inner child in you.
Some ways you can act like a kid for the day are:
Color in a coloring book
Go for a bike ride
Eat your favorite cereal and watch some cartoons
Hang out with your friends or family’s children
Day 25. Set some boundaries. Practice saying no to doing the things you really don’t want to do
Today, focus on setting some boundaries. If you have agreed to make plans or do something you didn’t want to do, speak up and let the people know you can’t do them.
Setting boundaries helps you feel mentally stronger because you don’t put up with things you don’t want. And other people start to respect you because they know they can’t walk all over you.
Day 26. Put yourself first today. Be kind and listen to what your gut tells you
There are many reasons to put yourself first, the main one being that you will have more patience for the people around you because your cup is filled.
Spend today putting yourself first. Set some boundaries and listen to what you truly want to do. Try to let go of the stress that other people may be causing you today and remember that you deserve to come first.
Day 27. Make a list of 10 things you love about yourself
Practice some self-love today and come up with 10 things you personally love about yourself. This can be anything.
From your personality to what you look like, list some things that you appreciate about who you are.
And if you can come up with more than 10 things, great! Throughout today try to come up with some things you like and then review them at the end of the day.
Day 28. Treat yourself. Buy that outfit or thing you’ve been wanting for a while
You’ve been working hard at improving your mental health! Take today and treat yourself to something special.
It’s always good to reward yourself every once in a while when you’re doing a challenge. This keeps you motivated to keep going.
Treat yourself to your favorite meal or buy that thing you’ve been thinking about for a while now.
Whenever you feel your inner critic take over, work on challenging those thoughts. And if you’re feeling particularly anxious work on digging a little deeper as to why you’re anxious.
Ask yourself “Why is this bothering me?”. You can even write down your thoughts to get them out of your head and into the open.
Day 30. Self-reflect on the month
What do you want to do differently next month? What worked this month? Did this challenge help your anxiety?
Reflect on how this month went and see if this challenge helped your mentality at all.
Did you accomplish the goals you wanted?
Which was your favorite and least favorite day?
What do you want to do next month to help with your mental health?
I know first hand how difficult it can be to stay positive around negative people. Negativity is kind of like a cold. It’s highly contagious, and if you’re around it long enough you’re bound to catch some form of it.
Consider this list of ways to stay positive around negative people article your negativity flu shot. Here are some tips to help you keep your cool around uncool people.
9 Powerful Ways to Stay Positive Around Negative People
Not too long ago I worked in an office with a toxic co-worker.
He was miserable in his own life, and needed to bring people down with him. Any time I came in with a happy mood or tried to make a joke, he would shut it right down.
And I am a quiet, reserved person. I try to be polite and keep a good attitude to avoid being a burden on people. I never tried to piss this guy off, but it just seemed like any hint of positivity was his kryptonite.
Eventually, going to work started to feel like I was going in to get my teeth pulled out every day.
After a while, I started to become negative. My boyfriend was scared to be around me. I was kind of a monster. I am also an empath, which is someone who tends to take on other people’s emotions.
Anyway, I started to realize that something needed to change. I could not keep working at this job if this was how it was going to be.
If you are constantly surrounded by negativity, here are some ways to stay positive during the tough times.
1. Pay Attention to Your Triggers
When someone or something is affecting you in a negative way, spend some time figuring out why it’s making you feel that way.
Different things bother different people.
Figuring out your own triggers is important because these are warning signs. You’ll want to know what you can and can’t handle.
This is how you can determine how serious the situation is for you.
Sometimes negative situations can bring feelings you had at other times in your life. Like if you were in a toxic relationship, and then a co-worker started treating you the same way.
If you come to find that the negative people are setting off too many triggers for you to handle, it’s probably best to distance yourself from them as best you can.
2. Make Sure to Speak Up
When I worked with that toxic co-worker, I made it a point to tell my boss and the right people so they were aware of what was going on.
If it’s affecting how you do your job or how you function daily, it’s time to speak up about it.
A negative environment is not the norm, and it can quickly turn toxic. That’s why it’s good to just let people know what is going on.
That might mean talking to a trusted friend who can give you a different perspective on it.
Just remember that if something is affecting you in a negative way, and it’s having a huge impact on your overall well-being, it is not complaining or wrong if you decide to say something about it.
3. Think About All of the Good Things in Your Life
A good way to fight off the negative thoughts is to think about the good things.
Remember the things that make you feel great. Maybe that’s your family, or your pets, or the comfort of your home.
These are the things that will bring you out of the negativity. So when you’re around a negative person who is nitpicking everything, think about 5 things you’re grateful for right now.
That could be something as simple as breathing. And you can even practice some breathing techniques to calm you down.
Negativity is way easier to give in to than positivity. Staying in a good mindset takes a little more effort, but it’s definitely not impossible.
4. Set Boundaries
The thing with negative people is they feed off of nice people. Caring a lot about other people and their own happiness is what makes you a really good person.
But, people who don’t feel so great about their own lives will try to take the joy right out of yours.
If you’ve ever seen the movie Trolls, that’s exactly what I’m talking about. The Trolls are naturally happy and the Bergens want to eat them just so they can feel that happiness for a moment.
Setting boundaries is one of the best ways you can draw a line at what you won’t tolerate.
It’s hard at first, and if you’re dealing with a particularly difficult person it might seem impossible. But, putting up a boundary is the only way negative people will know how far they can go.
Otherwise, they will push and push until you completely lose it.
When you’re in the midst of negativity, work on staying grounded. Grounding yourself allows you to stay present and helps clear your mind.
If you find you take on other people’s emotions, and feel negativity strongly from others, grounding yourself will allow you to separate from it all.
Here’s how to ground yourself:
Close your eyes (if you can)
Plant your feet firmly on the ground
Take deep breaths
Think about what you hear
Think about what you smell
Breathe in good thoughts, and breathe out the bad ones.
6. Work on Being More Resilient
When it comes to dealing with negative people, Resilience is an invaluable tool to have.
It allows you to bounce back from anything, no matter how awful. But, it’s not always easy to be resilient, especially when you’re in the heat of the moment.
During the rough moments, resilience is about not giving up or giving in. Negativity can eat away at your soul if you allow it, but resilience is there to prevent that.
Being resilient is about having faith in yourself to push through anything. And the amount of mental strength to fight back the negative thoughts.
When you have tough moments that test you, work on staying strong. Tell yourself you will get through this, no matter what. And you won’t go down without a fight.
Telling yourself these things will help build up your resilience so you can bounce back quicker every time you’re faced with a difficult situation.
7. Don’t Give in to the Negative Talk
I know it’s usually a lot easier to just go along with what other people are saying, even if you don’t agree with them.
Speaking up and telling them they’re wrong isn’t always the best option.
It can cause uncomfortable conflict, and it’s hard to find that line between being a jerk and speaking your truth. But, once you start to let that person talk negatively to you, they will think it’s acceptable.
And sure, sometimes complaining about something unfair is acceptable. The moments when it’s not is when it happens often, and it’s getting under your skin.
Obviously, pick your battles. Just don’t give in to all of the negative talk. Sometimes all a negative person needs is someone to put them in their place or shine a light on their thinking.
It can actually be beneficial for them if they are willing to see it.
Avoiding giving into the negative talk will help with keeping your own thoughts positive because you refuse to allow them in.
8. Think About How You Can Grow From This Situation
Everything in life can be a learning opportunity, depending on how you look at it.
The situation you’re in right now won’t last. Time goes on and things morph into something else.
What is bugging the crap out of you today will be a distant memory 3 months from now.
So, with that in mind, think about how you can grow from this moment. What is this person teaching you?
Maybe that’s how to treat other people, or knowing how to be aware that your own comments can negatively affect other people.
Thinking of this situation as a learning curve can change your view on it, which can keep you staying positive throughout it.
9. Don’t Be Afraid to Get Out
If you really want to be able to stay positive around negative people, you need to take a stand. No one should have to tolerate a toxic environment. And trying to stay positive around people who are doing their best to bring you down isn’t always worth it.
At the end of the day, it comes down to your mental wellbeing. What a lot of people have to do is take themselves out of the equation.
It’s sometimes the only way to get your mindset right again. So, don’t think that you just have to endure the crappy people and that it has to be a part of your life.
It’s totally okay to realize this fight isn’t worth fighting anymore, and you have to put yourself first! Which means sometimes letting go of the things that are holding you back.
9 Ways To Stay Positive Around Negative People – Conclusion
I hope this list of ways to stay positive around negative people was helpful. If you enjoyed this article on how to improve your life or have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below!
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What is a bad mental health day? Well, do you ever have days that just feel impossible to get through?
Where your energy is low, nothing goes as planned, and every little thing irritates the hell out of you?
Here are some things you can do to get through a bad mental health day.
11 Ways To Get Through A Bad Mental Health Day
When you battle things like anxiety and/or depression on a daily basis, you will have days where you don’t mentally feel strong enough to fight them off.
Some days they will win and that’s OK.
I know for me, I’ll feel on top of the world one day and the next I’ll shut down and wonder what the heck is wrong with me. Nothing around me will actually be wrong, but my thoughts convince me otherwise.
I just don’t feel my best, no matter how much medication I take, how much mindfulness I practice, or how much I exercise.
That’s because some days, my depression just isn’t willing to see the good in things. It wants to keep me down, and that’s when I realize it’s a bad mental health day.
I like to relate it to having a broken arm. You can do all the right things, like physical therapy and resting. But, at the end of the day, your arm is still broken and it just takes time to heal on its own.
I’m not saying your brain is broken, but depression and anxiety are not always easy to manage. You will have times when you won’t feel so great. That doesn’t mean anything is wrong with you, though.
What I want you to know is when you choose to work on your mental health, you’re committing to it for the long haul.
11 Ways To Get Through A Bad Mental Health Day
There is no easy quick fix for anxiety or depression. Some days you will make huge strides in your journey, and others will feel like a setback.
Remember, there is a certified therapist standing by to talk or text you at all times here.
1. Practice Acceptance
When you start to realize today is just not your day, one thing you can do is practice accepting it.
Tell yourself “Obviously today isn’t going quite as I planned. My brain doesn’t want to work with me, and that’s OK. I can go easy on myself today and hope for a better day tomorrow.”
Acceptance helps you come to an agreement with your brain. You stop the resistance that is telling you that you should be happier than you are.
This is a way of practicing mindfulness in your everyday life. Mindfulness slows down your racing thoughts and allows you to be in the present moment. Accepting things you can’t change and reducing anxiety in the process.
Be sure to download your free mindfulness activities so you can quickly go back to having a better day!
2. Let go of Your Own Judgement
On a bad mental health day, you want to avoid making yourself feel worse than necessary.
It’s very frustrating when your mind doesn’t want to work with you, trust me I know. But, there’s also not much you can do in that situation.
Instead, you can stop telling yourself “I’m such a failure for not being able to control my anxiety/depression right now.”
Stop making yourself feel worse! Your self-talk on a bad mental health day is so important in helping you get back on track.
Stop the judgment. Don’t call yourself any names or get frustrated because you aren’t improving. Forgive yourself and be patient with the process.
3. Continue to Take Action and Try Not to Sulk
When I have a bad day or a bad week, I want to avoid everything on my day off. I shut the blinds and stayed in bed all day.
This is okay to do for a small portion of the day, but not the WHOLE day.
Whenever I do it for the whole day, I feel awful. Like I gave into my depression and gave it exactly what it wanted… isolation and negativity.
Don’t give into your current mindset. Work on taking action even if you aren’t feeling it.
Practice things that you know will help. I deep clean my home because when things are clean, I feel a lot better. Or blast some good music to release the tension.
4. Do a Quick 8-Minute Workout
There are a lot of quick workouts nowadays that you can do in less than 10 minutes.
The benefit of this is later in the day, you can tell yourself “I worked out today!”
Also, it improves your mood on a subconscious level. Remember, accept that today isn’t your best day. You don’t have to challenge yourself too much, and a quick workout still ensures that you’re practicing self-care even on your worst days.
5. Cook Your Favorite Meal
There’s a lot of peace that comes out of cooking. If you enjoy it, that is.
If it’s not something you enjoy doing, then you can skip this step. I personally don’t have a lot of energy to cook but when I do, I really like it.
The creativity that goes into it can help inspire you. And when you treat yourself to your favorite meal, it’s a great form of self-care.
Do you ever have bad mental days where it feels like nothing is going right in your life? Learn what to do during bad mental health days. These 11 tips will help you stay sane and positive during the toughest moments of your life.
6. Vent to a Close Friend
On your bad days, let your closest friend know what’s going on. Communicating how you’re feeling will definitely help you feel better. Suppressing how you’re feeling only makes it worse.
When you don’t let it out, you may even start to believe that you’re overreacting or what you’re feeling doesn’t matter. If you don’t have someone available at the moment you need them, another good option is to write out your thoughts in a journal.
This helps you get to a spot where your thoughts don’t feel so overwhelming all in your head and they start to make more sense once you get it out on paper.
7. Take a Hot Bath Before You go to Bed
I always used to think that people telling you to take a bath was an easy fix. Like, “Just take a bath and all your problems will go away!”.
Just so you know, that won’t happen. However, it will help relax you and is a great way to put yourself first.
Hot baths are a go-to at 8 p.m. on a Friday night for me. Paired with some candles and peaceful music, I seriously feel like I’m being pampered.
If you’re a highly sensitive person like me, then taking a hot bath can help release a lot of built-up overload.
Turn the lights off and keep the music calm and quiet. Make sure the other people in your house are occupied with other things and use that time to reset yourself.
Again, this isn’t something that I’m saying just for the heck of it. This works for me, and I believe it can work for you.
I have two dogs, so I have to get out for a long walk at least once a day for their sake. When I miss a walk, I know it. It actually can be the cause of my bad mental health day. Not only do I feel guilty for not walking my dogs, but I also don’t feel as energized.
Taking a walk out in nature is so beneficial for anyone who has mental health struggles. The sounds that you hear, and the sun on your skin are just what your body needs on a daily basis. When your body is happy, your mind becomes happy too.
Do some research on good places to take a hike near where you live. I don’t like walking near busy roads because they’re noisy and stress me out.
Figure out your personal preferences for a walk, and start doing it for just 10 minutes a day. After you do that, write down how it makes you feel. You can even use a daily mood tracker to see if it’s working for you.
Being prepared for the worst can help in a lot of ways. When you’re upset and unmotivated, it’s hard to think rationally and remember the good things in your life.
That’s why creating a mental health toolbox is perfect to have for a bad mental health day. This is something you can create today using ideas from this post, and here is a list of other things you can add to it:
When you’re stressed out you go into survival mode. That means doing the bare minimum to get by. That consists of eating and sleeping and the things you’re required to do, like work and school.
There isn’t enough space in your life to enjoy things when you’re in survival mode. But, when you’re having a bad mental health day, it’s good to just take a break and focus on finding inspiration again.
Take a step back and think about what things excite you. What motivates you to get up in the morning? If you can’t think of anything at the moment, then work on taking the afternoon off and coming up with something.
Think about the things you like doing in your free time, or what you used to do when you didn’t feel so anxious. Maybe that was taking a bike ride or going to a pottery class.
Whatever it is, start doing some research and try to organize your schedule to figure out how to add more of the inspiring stuff to your life.
When you’re inspired you start to light that spark inside you. The spark that needs constant attention or else it will burn out.
Anytime your spark goes out, you lose motivation and wonder what your purpose in life is. It’s essential for your mental health to keep inspiring yourself to move forward.
11. Talk To A Professional
It’s always good to talk to a professional if you can’t seem to shake the feelings of anxiety and depression.
This is a guide for people who are able to manage their mental health for the most part, they just have certain days where they need a little help.
If you’re at a point where your anxious or depressed thoughts are taking over your life, talking to a professional can help you get back on track and feel better.
11 Ways To Get Through A Bad Mental Health Day – Conclusion
I hope these things can help you in the future for any bad mental health days that you have. Everyone is different in how they handle stress and bad days, that’s why I wanted to give you a variety of options.
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