Gaslighting is a term used frequently in modern psychology. It’s most often associated with the abusive language used by others to convince a person they didn’t see or hear something they witnessed directly. As with many forms of emotional abuse, it’s not uncommon to turn inward. You become your inner saboteur, gaslighting yourself into questioning firsthand things you’ve seen and experienced. The first step is to be aware of your inner voice gaslighting. Here’s how it can impact your career success and what you can do to stop it.
Why Self-Gaslighting Can Negatively Impact Your Career Success
Gaslighting Can Stop You from Making a Positive Change
When you tell yourself you imagine the situation, you can fool yourself into believing that the problem isn’t so bad. That can mean you’ll stay in a negative role for far longer than is healthy for your mental wellbeing and career.
Signs of Self-Gaslighting
You might think these thoughts are normal, which will lead to increased self-gaslighting. Look for the following signs.
Telling Yourself That You’re Overreacting
If your first thought is to minimize your experience and feelings, you’re likely engaging in self-gaslighting. You may think this response means you’re staying strong, but repeatedly telling yourself that your feelings aren’t suitable can evolve into more abusive behavior toward yourself.
Self-Doubt
Do you struggle with thinking your ideas are good enough? Do you tell yourself that you’re too stupid to have good ideas? That’s self-gaslighting behavior.
Not Trusting Your Memories
Have you ever doubted your memories? Sure, memory is imperfect, but you should be able to trust your recollection skills. If you tell yourself you don’t remember that correctly, that may be self-gaslighting.
Telling Yourself Things Aren’t So Bad
When things are terrible, and you tell yourself that they’re not so bad, that’s not good. Just like gaslighting from another person, you will try to convince yourself that what you’re experiencing isn’t real when you self-gaslight.
Blaming Yourself
That can also lead you to blame yourself for things you had no control over. “If only I hadn’t done that, this wouldn’t have happened,” is a common refrain, even when your actions wouldn’t have impacted the outcome. When anxiety turns to self-gaslighting, it’s time to take a step back.
How to Stop Self-Gaslighting
The first step is to know you’re doing it. Now, how do you stop? Here are a few steps that can help you overcome self-gaslighting.
- Recognize the problem
- Learn why you do it
- Feel your feelings and know they’re valid
- Practice affirmations when you feel yourself slipping into gaslighting
Affirmations can include things like “It’s okay to feel these feelings” and “I deserve to be happy.”
Ready to Stop Gaslighting Yourself and Have a Successful Career?
Contact the team at Recruitment in Motion today.
