Have you ever felt small and inadequate, like you didn’t belong or you are not enough? Have you ever looked at your own reflection in the mirror and felt bad because it doesn’t look like the ones you see in magazines? Have you doubted your own ability because you felt that someone else seemed to think you didn’t measure up? We all feel invalid from time to time. These feelings of inadequacy can seem overwhelming too. Read on to learn more about how to cope with feelings of inadequacy!
Know That Everyone Is Insecure About Something
Insecurity is a normal part of being human. In fact, it is necessary. Healthy self-doubt helps us look at ourselves and keep working on ourselves. It brings about introspection and motivates us to change and grow. We doubt ourselves to check ourselves, allowing us to get along better with other people. Not only is insecurity part of being human, but the lack of insecurity can also even be a sign of things gone wrong.
Add “Yet”
Tell yourself “not yet”. This moves the focus from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset, which means that your talents can be developed. This shift in attitude will help you to gain eventual success. In the meantime, focus on effort, resilience, strategy, and perseverance. For your own endeavors, rather than saying something is a failure, add on the word “yet.” Like I don’t have my dream job yet but I will someday. Believe that you can improve, instead of thinking you will always be stuck with what you have right now.
Replace “But” With “And”
Another great word is “and”. It lets us see a more complete and balanced picture of things. When you say “but,” you erase whatever came before it, especially when you are saying something good about your progress so far. Instead, when you say “and” you look at your wins and use them to fuel your goals.
Broaden Your Scope
Pop culture makes us feel inadequate because we don’t have fame, career achievement, financial success, relationship bliss, or the ideal physical appearance. We narrow our own vision accordingly and therefore feel inadequate if we are not rich, famous, or hot.
But these points of view are narrow and also misguided. A successful life is made of more than that. It comes from being curious, chasing inspiration, having integrity, appreciating beauty, speaking the truth, and having
It Is Okay To Not Be The Best
No matter what you believe, it is perfectly okay not to be your “best self” all the time. We try too hard for people to like us or want to be seen as having everything together, and end up trying too hard. In pushing too much, we subtly tell ourselves that being who we are is insufficient.
So, it’s okay not to be your “best self” all the time. Instead, just be yourself. This means having bad hair days, lazy afternoons, relationship stumbles, awkward conversations, and any other perfectly human experiences without judging yourself.
