Doubt During Times of Change

Do you have a sense of doubt in yourself or the world around you? Take a look at how change in your life has impacted you.

Change is a part of life, but it may leave you feeling powerless because you are experiencing things that are unfamiliar or unexpected. It may also be difficult to trust others (or yourself) to make the best decisions during a time of change.

Anxiety and fear appear in the face of change, which leads you to doubt. Doubt distorts your view of our current situation and of future possibilities. Is it doubt that’s stopping you from embracing change and making healthy choices?

If you ignore the “inner voice” or “gut feeling” that tells you if your choices are right or wrong, you risk making mistakes and even can become disconnected from your sense of “self.” However, paying attention and responding to feelings and instincts often becomes complicated.

Defeating Doubt

You’ll recognize that doubt is limiting you if you start feeling too “stuck” to take action and possibly create more change (even if there is potential for a positive change). Also, if you’ve started trying to ignore mistakes rather than learning from them and getting input from trusted friends, this will make you more susceptible to doubt. When you notice doubt impacting your thoughts, start to practice re-directing your way of thinking.

If we want to let go of doubt, here is an important place to start. Ask yourself, “What am I already doing that is helpful? How is it that certain things are working as well as they are?

Taking Control During Change

When change occurs you may feel “out of control.” It is possible to get that control back simply by noticing what you can still control.

If you aim to focus on what you can do during times of change, you can feel more capable and even better enjoy the benefits of your chosen course of action. This will help you move forward more quickly toward a more comfortable place, rather than allowing something expected to keep you in doubt of yourself and others.

Compared to anything else in your current situation, you have the most control over your own perspective. Through awareness of the power of positive thinking, you can choose what messages to listen to and what to believe.

Remember How Far You’ve Come

If everything in life came easily, you might be bored! Confusion and frustration is not permanent. It may come easily to look ahead and fear what may come next during a time of change and doubt. Looking only at a situation through that lens will cause it to look like too great of a challenge, and it is tempting to just give up!

Reminder yourself of this by looking at how far you’ve come and remembering times you’ve felt accomplished. If life seems too difficult, you are probably overlooking accomplishments you’ve already made and forgetting what you are capable of enduring and achieving – even during times of change or turmoil.

You may tend to deny yourself some well-deserved credit for what you have already achieved. Many make this mistake because we often focus on what seems impossible rather than what we have made possible through our own efforts, however small. When recognizing the accomplishments that you have made in order to be where you are, it is far more likely that we will develop a successful next move.

Notice the Benefits

We wouldn’t do things if the cost-benefit ratio didn’t add up, so take time to bask in the benefits of the actions that you have taken. Our society tends to teach us to always ask for more; pause for a moment in the abundance that you already possess.

Also, appreciating the benefits of your hard work is how you reward your brain enough to get it to stay positive and keep trying the next time the going gets tough. You will be more likely to remember to thank those who supported you, as well, which strengthens important relationships and often allows new solutions to present themselves.

Positive thinking opens doors to guide us through changes in life. Click To Tweet

Here are two additional resources with some great quick tips for the use of positive thinking:
http://tinybuddha.com/blog/10-tips-to-overcome-negative-thoughts-positive-thinking-made-easy/

http://www.selfdevelopmentsecrets.com/positive-thinking-difficult-times/ 

If you struggle with coping with the changes in your life, you’re not alone. When things are changing around us, it can be difficult to feel peaceful and confident inside. Contact me for a free phone consultation to see if therapy can help you stay powerful during this difficult time.