8 Reasons You Underestimate Yourself: How Should You Tackle Them?

8 Reasons You are Underestimating Yourself: How Should You Tackle Them?

Life keeps going, and you have to keep up with it, but progression in goals can be interrupted by many factors. Growth in life is highly influenced by the image a person holds of themselves. With low self-esteem and confidence, one might foster underestimation. In the past, what has stopped you from reaching your full potential? Are you the reason you hold yourself back? As you continue to read this article, reflect on how often you actually ask yourself these questions. If you usually don’t- now is the time.

Do You Underestimate Yourself?

Sometimes, people don’t even realize when they underestimate themselves. However, its effects still persist, hindering actions and decisions in daily life. Now, how does one understand whether they’ve been underestimating themselves? Observing behaviors, choices and actions can be useful as patterns can be traced. A person who underestimates themselves might struggle to accept a compliment. This might not just be because of their humble nature, but also because they don’t believe that these compliments are truthful. They always question themselves, and seek the approval of others for self-assurance.

Also Read: The Psychology Behind Compliment

They think that others view them in a negative light, making them feel like they aren’t good enough. These people often put others first and deny themselves certain luxuries. This is because they don’t think they are deserving of something good enough, and that they haven’t done anything to validate it. If you find yourself identifying with these attitudes, chances are that you have underestimated yourself. Now let’s look at some of the reasons you might be doing so. Hopefully, by looking at these, you will be able to cut yourself some slack and give yourself some room to grow.

8 Reasons you underestimate yourself and how to tackle this behaviour

1. When it comes to socializing, you take the easy way out:

Socializing can be draining. You might be facing social anxiety, and fearing judgment from others. You might not think you have enough to contribute to a conversation. By building a strong network, not only are you showing your employers why they were right to hire you, but you are also opening possible doors for your career to grow.

Show that there is more to you than your knowledge to do the work. Right now, you are denying yourself the opportunity to see how you interact with others. When you look back and see no growth in your career, it’s only natural that you’ll underestimate yourselves. If your fear is judgment, there will be a lot of it even if you aren’t in the spotlight. By socializing, you will hold the narrative in your hand. Reach out to professionals in your field. Connect on social media sites like LinkedIn. Attend those office parties during which you lock yourself up.

Also Read: Work Buddies: Why Having Friends at Workplace is A Good Idea!

2. You don’t set goals for yourself- or you do the opposite:

When you set no goals for yourself, you aren’t motivated to grow. Even if you are, you wouldn’t know the steps to achieve it. On the other hand, if you set too many goals or unachievable ones, you won’t be able to cope with them. In both cases, you are setting yourself up for failure, making you feel inadequate. Set short-term and long-term goals for yourself. Think about where you want to see yourself in the future. Make sure these goals are challenging but also achievable. This is only the first step. As you work towards your goals, check on your progress at regular intervals.

Read More: 4 Tips to Set High-Achieving Goals

3. Being subjected to criticism is your nightmare:

Criticism can be harsh, and sometimes, not even from a good place. It’s hard to hear someone comment on your work, especially if it is negative. You’ve put work into it after all. But when you are open to criticism, you learn more and let yourself grow. Really listen to criticism when you receive it. Don’t see it as someone pulling you down. It is often meant to be constructive. If it comes from jealousy, reflect on the criticism, and act on it only if you feel like it is substantial. Don’t see it as criticism! It’s feedback.

4. You are sensitive to suggestibility:

People around you say a lot of things. When you hear it again and again, you might start to believe it. Not everyone around you is your friend. Whatever they say, it is finally your opinion that matters. When you are sensitive to suggestibility, negative comments can really affect your self-image. Surround yourself with people who you know will tell you the truth. Ask yourself if what they are saying is true before you blindly believe in it. They don’t know you the way you do yourself.

Read More: 9 Signs of Highly Sensitive People

5. You are humble- maybe a bit too much:

Growing up to be humble is an important characteristic trait to have. However, you don’t want it to overpower you and make you feel like you’ve done nothing. While being extremely proud can be harmful, being too humble might hurt you as well. Underselling yourself will make others believe that your capacities are lesser than they truly are. There’s no need to feel guilty. Own your work. If you’ve done it, be proud to say it. If others appreciate your efforts, it’s okay to agree with them sometimes. There’s a fine line between being boastful and being confident.

6. You struggle to believe in yourself:

Maybe you’ve always had others dictate your life. Maybe you were never encouraged to do what you believe you can. You will know when you hold yourself back. Usually in this case, people avoid opportunities saying that they can’t live up to the expectations of the task. Remember that there is always a first time. It’s okay if you aren’t perfect, you’ll learn with time. You’ll only start to believe when you start to do.

Also Read: The Psychology Behind Confidence

7. You don’t put your best foot forward:

People’s opinions of you are based on what you present yourself to be. You might like to live in your own bubble of comfort, but this influences what others think of you. When others don’t see your potential, they won’t give you the chance to prove yourself. When they don’t, you’ll feel less worthy. It’s a cycle. Don’t let others take your spotlight, Show your capabilities to others. Prove yourself again and again if required. Stop hiding, it’s okay to challenge yourself.

8. You make a big deal of all your flaws:

You might see a flaw in yourself that you don’t see in others. This makes you think that they are better. As you obsess over the smallest flaws that you have, you tend to highlight them. At some point, these flaws will become your personality if you don’t work on them now. Remember, for all you know, the person in front of you is hiding their flaws! You need to learn to do the same and find a way to work around them. Let yourself know that it is okay to not be perfect.

Final Word

Being self-assured at all times is difficult. As you encounter new tasks or challenges in your life, you will have to give yourself room to do those tasks and let yourself fail. While it might sound scary, that is the only way for you to get ahead in life. Locking yourself up is actually going to do more harm to you. If you choose to continue this way, you will forget how to take risks and also how good it feels to overcome them. Once you start underestimating yourself, you are stuck in that cycle.

While it is possible to get out of it, only you can let yourself do that. Take on challenges and explore your capabilities. Step out of your comfort zone, don’t hinder your own growth. Know all your abilities, not just a share of them. When you start to look at yourself positively, the world will do the same. For others to have faith in you, you’ll have to have faith in yourself first. This is your opportunity to break free and prosper. Don’t let yourself be a barrier in your own life.