At some point in your career, you will feel insecure. And that’s normal. Sometimes, it comes from personal pressure to do your best. Other times, it may be caused by your boss’ excessive or even obsessive encouragement. And there may be occasions, that this comes from the belief that you will never be enough.
Your inner critic can help you do well, as it polices your actions and performances. But being too dependent on it may make you unhealthily insecure. From time to time, you need to silence that inner critic, as it hampers you from doing your best and shining in the workplace. If you want to deal with your insecurities gracefully, here are some of the things you ought to keep in mind:
Just let the inner critic speak
Constantly shutting your inner critic does not always help. At times, you need to listen to it. You have to give yourself time to feel insecure. If it helps you, tell yourself that others also feel insecure, too. Just let it talk, and it’ll get tired. While you’re dealing with it, you have to understand that insecurities are not the absolute reflection of your value and worth. Your tasks at work, your performance, and your relationship with your colleagues are the real bases for your career success.
Stop comparing yourself
Comparing yourself can make you unhappy. It makes you obsess over what others can do and accomplish, and it makes you wish that you are not you. When you see a colleague with stellar presentation skills, you may want that person was you. Comparisons happen because you know that someone will always be better than you. But you know what? You can be a better version of yourself. And that should be a goal that you must take. Focus on your skills, and always cheer yourself on.
Know your worth
Salary is a taboo subject at work. Nevertheless, you may get an idea of how much a colleague is making. And you can sense that a colleague may be making more than you. That may make you feel inadequate and insecure, leading you to question your worth and purpose to the company. If you know your worth to the business, and you are doing the best work, that should be enough to give you a sound footing. It should be enough to motivate you to ask for a salary increase or a promotion. When you know your worth, you won’t settle for anything less.
Seek help
You have your friends and family to help you deal with workplace insecurity. But if it becomes chronic to the point that you feel stress and anxious, it would be wise to seek the help of a therapist. A person dealing with a toothache visits his best dentist, right? The same should apply to you. If you are having a hard time and it’s causing you pain, find professional help.
You are more than enough
You might have told yourself that you’re not getting any better. But that is the inner critic speaking. You have to shut it every once in a while and remind yourself that you are more than enough.
