How can you overcome anxiety and self-doubt when learning?

1 Identify your triggers

Anxiety and self-doubt are often triggered by specific situations, thoughts, or feelings that make you feel insecure, inadequate, or overwhelmed. For example, you might feel anxious when you have to present your work in front of others, or doubt yourself when you receive negative feedback or compare yourself to others. Identifying your triggers can help you understand what causes your anxiety and self-doubt, and prepare yourself to cope with them more effectively. You can use a journal, a mood tracker, or a self-reflection exercise to monitor your triggers and how they affect you.

2 Challenge your negative thoughts

Anxiety and self-doubt are fueled by negative thoughts that distort your reality and make you feel worse about yourself and your abilities. For instance, you may think that you are not capable enough, that you will fail, or that others will judge you harshly. These thoughts are usually irrational, overblown, or based on assumptions that are untrue. Refuting your negative thoughts can help you replace them with more realistic, positive, and supportive ones. You can use a cognitive-behavioral technique called the ABCDE model to challenge your negative thoughts. The ABCDE model stands for an Activating event which is the trigger that causes your negative thoughts, Beliefs which are the pessimistic ideas that you have about yourself, the situation, or the future, Consequences which are the emotions and behaviors that result from your negative thoughts, Dispute which is where you question the accuracy and helpfulness of your negative thoughts and look for evidence to counter them or support an alternate perspective, and Effect which is where you recognize how disputing your negative thoughts changes your emotions and behaviors for the better.

3 Focus on your strengths

Anxiety and self-doubt can lead to a focus on weaknesses, flaws, or mistakes, which can negatively impact your self-esteem, self-efficacy, and resilience. To combat this, you can use a strength-based approach to focus on your strengths. This approach includes identifying your strengths through a strength assessment tool such as the VIA Character Strengths Survey, applying your strengths to overcome challenges and enhance skills, and celebrating your strengths by acknowledging, appreciating, and rewarding yourself for using them. Additionally, sharing your achievements and feedback with others can help boost your confidence, motivation, and performance.

4 Learn from your mistakes

Anxiety and self-doubt can make you fear making mistakes, viewing them as failures, setbacks, or evidence of your incompetence. This can lead to avoidance of risks, trying new things, or seeking feedback, ultimately limiting your learning potential and outcomes. However, learning from your mistakes can help you embrace them as opportunities, feedback, or evidence of your effort and progress. To do this, you can adopt a growth mindset and take the following steps: having a positive attitude towards mistakes; analyzing what went wrong and why; and applying your learnings by implementing the changes or actions you have learned from them.

5 Seek support

Anxiety and self-doubt can make you feel isolated, ashamed, or helpless, leading to increased stress, frustration, and confusion. Seeking support can help you feel connected and understood, as well as benefit from the guidance or encouragement of others. You can use a social support network to seek assistance by identifying trustworthy and supportive people who share your interests or challenges. These can be your friends, family, mentors, teachers, peers, or online communities. When asking for help from your supporters, be specific and clear about what you need and how they can assist you. Additionally, you can offer help to your supporters when they need it, being empathetic and constructive about how you can help them.

6 Practice self-care

Anxiety and self-doubt can have a detrimental effect on your physical, mental, and emotional well-being, leading to neglect of your needs, boundaries, or preferences. This can be detrimental to your health, happiness, and performance, leaving you feeling drained, overwhelmed, or unhappy. Practicing self-care can help you take care of yourself and balance your energy, while also improving your mood. A holistic self-care plan is a great way to practice self-care. This can include taking care of your body through healthy eating and exercise; taking care of your mind through activities such as meditation or reading; taking care of your emotions through journaling or doing something that makes you happy; taking care of your relationships by spending time with people who make you feel loved; and taking care of your environment by organizing or decorating it in a way that makes you feel comfortable.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?