Do you want to eliminate your self-sabotaging patterns? I thought so!
Eliminating self-sabotaging patterns takes conscious awareness of your behaviours and actions at all times to understand why we indulge them in the first place.
In this article, I explain what self-sabotage is, why you indulge self-sabotage behaviour, and how it manifests in your life. I also go into detail on the same 4-step process on stopping your self-sabotage patterns in their tracks that I use to overcome self-sabotage. <– check it out!
I always find I’m more successful when changing a habit, learning a new skill and trying a new hobby when I implement strategies. Eliminating my self-sabotaging ways was no different.
Here are the strategies I used when I started on my journey to eliminate self-sabotage and a few extras that might help you on your journey.
10 Easy Strategies to Eliminate Self-Sabotaging Patterns
Learn from your mistakes
As I explain in my article on tips to adopting a growth mindset, mistakes are just an opportunity to grow and improve.
This process to eliminate self-sabotage is no different. Take time at the end of the day to reflect on how you responded to events and circumstances. Write them down in your journal or sit in a quiet place and visualise yourself going through the motions as if you were reliving the experience.
Reflecting on how you responded to a situation allows you to to be better prepared for when facing a similar or the same scenario in the future.
10x your thinking
It can be so easy and tempting to become engulfed in our self-sabotaging ways that we lose sight of what is actually important. We lose focus of the big picture, start to think small and limiting.
Try 10x your thinking to gain clarity and refocus your energy on achieving your goals instead of being narrow-minded and indulging your self-sabotaging behaviour.
Ask questions
I am a huge fan of asking questions. What better way to learn than to ask questions?
When we ask questions, we gain a different perspective on our particular situation. We become more aware of the self-sabotaging patterns of behaviour we have indulged for far too long.
The trick is to ask better and more effective questions. Which can be difficult at first but like all things become easier over time.
Try asking yourself the following questions:
- What have I learned from this experience?
- What would I do differently given another opportunity?
- What could the potential benefits be?
- How will changing my response allow me to get what I want faster?
By asking better questions, you’re expanding your choices and options to work through and move forward to eliminate self-sabotage.
Experiment with the process of change
Change, like learning to walk, doesn’t happen overnight, it happens over time.
The process of change should be treated as the same as an experiment. An experiment that takes effort and time to master. Take small steps and make small changes, and over time they will add up to big outcomes.
Ask for help and advice
One of the best ways to learn is from personal experience through another. To do this, you’ll need to find someone who has practical experience in dealing with what you’re currently struggling with.
Once you find someone who has personal experience in the situation you’re struggling with, they will likely be able to give practical advice and suggestions on how to deal with and eliminate self-sabotage.
Make solid plans for the future
I can’t speak for you, but I struggle when I don’t know what to expect or have little to-no-idea how a particular circumstance will unfold.
However, from experience, I do know that making solid plans for the future gives me a sense of control over my life.
In this scenario, I am referring to making solid plans for how you will respond to events, circumstances and people to help you eliminate your self-sabotaging ways.
Consider the possible challenges and obstacles you might face, acknowledge them and consider how you’ll respond if they cross your path. Using visualisation methods may help you examine a particular situation and run through the possible scenario’s.
If you don’t handle the challenge or obstacle as you had planned at the time, remember it’s just another lesson in life. You gain another experience and can adjust your approach the next time it arises.
Use problem-focused coping strategies
It is so easy to get caught up in our limitations and flaws that problems and setbacks become the norm. Think about it, if you have this type of mindset, you’ll only create more challenges in your life.
Try to consider using problem-focused coping strategies instead. I write about it in detail in this article, so I won’t go into too much depth here.
Essentially:
“Problem-focused coping is the approach of resolving or eliminating the stressful situation or altering the source of the stressor. This approach is used when we feel we have control over the situation and can manage the cause of the problem.
The individual acknowledges an event or situation does not cause the feelings they are experiencing, but the underlying problem is the cause of stress.” Snippet from 2 effective stress coping strategies for mindest transformation.
Yes, problem-focused coping is used for stress triggers, but the overall concept can be applied with your self-sabotaging patterns of behaviour.
Make time to focus and consider possible solutions to your problem. Try asking more effective questions as mentioned above that help focus your mind on finding solutions, insights, and coming up with ideas, not problems.
Keep your expectations in check
Your expectations can either lift you up to new heights or discourage you emotionally. Keeping your expectations in check ensures that you’re not aiming too high to fast only to be met with a disappointing outcome.
Now don’t get it twisted, set your expectations high. Just make sure you take into account your current circumstances, level of knowledge and the resources you have available. Your expectations need to be flexible and adaptable to so you make change not create more problems.
You didn’t master walking in one day, so it is only fair to allow yourself time to make when mastering your self-sabotaging behaviour patterns.
Take more risks
I find those who take more risks have fewer regrets than those who play it safe and struggle with uncertainty. The same concept applies to transform your patterns of behaviour.
If you want to eliminate your self-sabotaging ways, then you’ll need to take more risks, take a chance on yourself. By doing this, you can remove your limiting patterns of behaviour that are no longer serving you.
Make self-reflection a priority
I follow high achievers, entrepreneurs and peak performers and have noticed that they ALL have one thing in common: they take time for self-reflection.
They think through their daily choices, decisions and actions. Learn from what worked and what didn’t. They use this information to adjust their approach and try a new course of action.
When you take time for self-reflection, you gain the required insight, perspective and understanding to begin the process of change and transformation.
If you enjoyed this post and found it helpful please share or leave a comment on your main takeaways, share them on Facebook and tag me.
If you would like to receive tips on how to live your best life through mindset transformation and finding a balance between your mind, body and soul, follow The Wellness Blogger by clicking your preferred social platform below.
Instagram (twb_blog)
Twitter (blog_twb)
Pinterest (The Wellness Blogger)
or E-mail me (krystal@the-wellness-blogger.com)
Never miss a post.
If you prefer receiving updates, and not miss a thing like you can on social media, subscribe below to receive quotes to inspire, book reviews, my thoughts on the BIG topics, content not available on TWB blog & more.
