Self doubt is a mis-trust of self. For most of us, this is when deep down we know we like something, or we want to do something, but then we stop and question ourselves - "Do I want this?, Do I like this?" This stopping of ourselves is the doubting which was something we learned along the way. We were not born with a sense of doubting , we learned this from others or our environment.
Learning self doubt can come from a parent or someone else in our lives especially when we are younger asking us; "Are you sure you want to do that?, Are you sure you want to wear that?" The question in itself isn't the problem, the problem comes in when we say to ourselves, well, I love my Mom or my Dad, maybe they know something I don't know, maybe I should listen to them and maybe I don't know what I'm doing? So the job of the parent for example is to teach the child, but let's say this questioning keeps on happening time after time. What would happen to the child's trust in themselves? Exactly, this is where the self doubt monster creeps into our consciousness.
I work with fully functioning, intelligent adults who make big decisions everyday and manage a lot in their lives. But these same adults are troubled with self doubt. Did I do the right thing?, Maybe I should make this or that choice? Over and over they question themselves and they don't give up.
So, what do to about this then.
We need to first establish that you are not perfect, you and I are going to make mistakes - welcome to being human. So with that, look back over your life and look at some of the choices you've made - the grand and the simple. Most of us wake up with the automatic underlying assumption that we are going to make the best choices for ourselves that day. We don't wake up consciously saying "how can I screw my life up today". So, you are going to do your best, but you won't be perfect.
Now let's look at your internal knowing. This is the feeling deep down of something you know you like, you want, or you need to do. This is where the trust comes in. Trust yourself. You are the best person in the world to know what is good for you. Sure, you may make wrong decisions, but not knowingly. And, you can bounce something off a friend as in "I'm thinking about doing such and such, what do you think about that?"
My message for you today is really talking to the self doubt - am I making the right choice, is this the right time etc. It is like worry but with a twist. Worry is fear about a future outcome. Self doubt is more about can I trust Myself.
Begin with small things that you know to be true such as what you like to eat or drink - trust this knowing. Then say - this feels right to me, I can trust myself, I have believe in myself.
Push the self doubt (What does she or he think I should do), out of your head. This is a lot of old programming that got into your head and no longer serves a purpose. Trust yourself.