Can you give me advice on overcoming self-doubt?
Can you give me advice on overcoming self-doubt?
user
Can you explain to me what you mean by “self-doubt”?
assistant
It means not feeling confident in own ability, pessimistic toward chance of success.
user
I can provide a non-expert opinion, and perhaps there are ways you can reframe the problem to reduce your own emotional reaction?
assistant
Just tell me what you know that can help.
user
My best guess is that your doubt about your ability stems from a deep-seated feeling that your expectations will be constantly disappointed.  It’s hard to come up with a way to reduce your emotional reaction, since it is connected to your self-image.  One thing I’ve found to be helpful is to identify specific examples of times when I felt similarly, and see if I can identify the circumstances and ways that I managed to overcome that feeling.
assistant
So look to past experience for clues.
user
Yes, exactly.  I’d recommend reflecting on times when you felt similarly and identifying specific things that helped you feel more confident.  Perhaps there was a time when you were nervous, but then you had good feedback from others.
assistant
Okay. Got it. Thanks.
user