Overcoming Insecurities

Sabina Salcedo

Insecurities are something everyone deals with daily. Overcoming insecurities is not always easy, but it’s not impossible either. There is always a way to practice self-love and be patient with yourself. It’s important to know that it’s ok to have an off day, and it’s ok to feel a little lost once in a while. Not feeling good enough can impact your day-to-day life, like harming your relationships or not feeling motivated to do anything. Overcoming your insecurities won’t happen overnight, but it is possible to work through it. 

What causes insecurities? A variety of things can impact our self image, in turn resulting in insecurities. They mainly stem from unrealistic standards set by the people we interact with, or from a traumatic event, which means that there are many different reasons why someone may be insecure. We develop these insecurities when comparing ourselves and our lives to other people. It’s important to keep in mind that you’re never alone in your insecurities, everyone has gone through a moment of self-doubt, and you may relate to many other people. Some of the three most common causes of insecurity are rejection, social anxiety, and perfectionism. 

One way we can overcome insecurities is through affirming our values. By this, you focus on your contributions instead of what you could’ve done. Your negative thoughts are preventing you from seeing all the hundreds of positive decisions you have made. Another way to overcome insecurity is by taking care of yourself and putting yourself first. By doing this you can treat yourself to your favorite food or do something you enjoy for half an hour, and you can also practice saying nice things to yourself and learning to be compassionate and patient towards yourself. There is also challenging your negative thoughts and spending time with those you love. By challenging your negative thoughts, you realize that it’s just a thought that doesn’t define you as a person. Take time to forgive yourself and start to think about the positive. Spending time with those who love you will also take your mind off things for a while and allow you to surround yourself with supportive people and feel accepted for who you are. 

In conclusion, overcoming your insecurities is a process and may take time, but it’s completely possible. We tend to spend too much time thinking about what we could be instead of living in the moment. We then lose our time worrying about things that won’t matter at the end of the day. We need to be patient with ourselves and practice self-love to understand ourselves. By doing this, we get motivated for a healthy and balanced lifestyle to appreciate everything life has to offer.