I don’t know about you, but I have experienced the trap of self-doubt for almost all my life.

Doubt and fear are the two most prominent dysfunctional thoughts I go through repeatedly. Some call it “Monkey Mind.”

In Buddhist terms, the monkey mind is equivalent to restless, confused, indecisive, or uncontrollable.

The flight of the monkeys produces a slew of thoughts that ban together and create anxiety and dark fears. It is a quick flight to self-doubt.

Travel around the internet to explore anxiety and fear, and you can receive a ton of advice.

Change your limiting beliefs, do the shadow work, develop self-awareness, meditate, and let it go.

While this is fantastic advice, very few instructions on how to do those things rarely exist.

Left to our own devices, and honestly, if you already have Monkey Mind, it can add more layers.

That is how I became involved in mindset & self discovery coaching.

I have learned tips and tricks that have helped me take a more positive flight with my “flying monkeys.” It begins with a foundation of mindfulness.

We all have a personal definition of mindfulness. We start there. How do you define mindfulness?

A mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations.

My definition started with researching how the brain works with trauma, and questioning why I always fought with myself about meditation.

My original definition of mindfulness as “being present in the moment” and meditation was having no thoughts and a quiet mind.

Now, I define mindfulness as the foundation that leads to higher benefits with or without meditation. Mindfulness is the process of being aware of your thoughts, emotions, and reality.

At least 50% of our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors come from an unconscious habit of thinking.

However, when we are not conscious or on auto-pilot, we can’t change it.

There are four traps of self-doubt: Hesitation, Hiding, Hypercritical, and Helplessness.

1. Hesitation– triggered by uncertainty and looks like waiting, overthinking, and perfectionism.
2. Hiding — triggered by fear of others (opinions) and overwhelm and looks like avoiding, procrastination, shrinking back, staying behind the scenes.
3. Hypercritical — triggered by the fear of being hurt, disappointed, or failing and looks like arguing with yourself, being self-critical, or complaining.
4. Helplessness — triggered by insecurity or low self-esteem; fear of success and looks like playing victim, blaming, lack of self-trust, dependency, or defeatist attitude.

Most of us have been in each of these traps at one time or another. Which one stands out the most for you? Which one is your current trap?

The good news, you can learn to set yourself free from these traps by simply understanding them.

About Guest Writer

Esther King’ori,

A Counselling Psychologist,Mentor & Coach.

My goal is to help you reach your fullest potential, through self discovery and self awareness .

This will help you to unshackle you from the chains that have held you down for so long.

To clear the confusion and help you gain clarity not just in your relationships but in all aspects of life. I want them to experience life and live as a free soul, every single day.

This is achieved through equipping you with tools you can use to find your way back from despair to living a fulfilling life.