Anxiety counseling for “not enough”: by Empower Counseling in Birmingham, Alabama
Do you ever tell yourself you are “not enough“? Do you have thoughts of not being thin enough, not being a good enough girlfriend, not being smart enough? You are not alone. This is a problem many have and it is driven by a common negative core belief. The three most common negative core beliefs we humans have about ourselves are “Not Enough”, “Unworthy” and “Unlovable”. These negative core beliefs show up differently in our thoughts and our behaviors.
“Not enough” tends to drive us toward anxiety and perfectionism. If you think you are “not enough” then you will always be striving to do enough to prove that you are enough.
Ask yourself the following questions to determine if you might have the negative core belief of “Not Enough”:
Do you worry about the judgment of others?
Do you focus on what you see as your flaws and shortcomings rather than your strengths?
Do you feel like you should always be productive?
Do you have difficulty ever relaxing completely? Are you always thinking about what else you need to do or could be doing when you are trying to relax?
Do you set and hold yourself to unrealistic standards?
Do you think in all or nothing terms, like everything is a total success or a complete failure?
Do you have a narrow definition of success and a broad definition of failure?
When you evaluate your own performance, does it typically lead to self criticism?
Do you focus on past mistakes or failures?
When you think you have failed at something, do you see yourself as a failure?
Anxiety Counseling for “Not Enough”: by Empower Counseling is for You
If you answered yes to most or all of these questions, you are most likely being driven by the negative core belief of “Not Enough”.
At Empower Counseling, we specialize in using Acceptance Commitment Therapy for “Not Enough” and the other two negative core beliefs as well. Through ACT, which is a scientifically proven methos to treat anxiety, we first diagnose any negative core beliefs that may be causing you problems.
Then our knowledgeable and compassionate therapists, Kathryn, Savannah, and Marti will help you shift from thoughts of not being enough to self-compassion and then self-love. A common misconception that perfectionists, driven by the belief they are not enough, have is that they must be hard on themselves to get anything done and to reach goals. The truth is that self-criticism is a form of negative reinforcement that makes it more difficult to try new things and accomplish big goals.
Self-compassion is much more likely to help you reach your potential than self-criticism. Another misconception many have is that if they love themselves themselves they will become cocky and arrogant. What actually happens when we move from the self criticism that “Not Enough” brings to self compassion and self love is that when we stop judging ourselves harshly, we stop judging others harshly. We are able to get out of our heads. Instead of worrying about ourselves and how others perceive us, we can actually give our full attention to others and be fully engaged in the present moment. When we love ourselves we are not stuck in our own heads with worry, so we are less self-centered and more available to others. Loving yourself actually takes away the need to compare to others. No longer do you have to gauge how you are doing by comparing to others. Loving yourself frees you to begin really living life to the fullest.
From “Not Enough” to Self Compassion to Self Love: Anxiety Counseling for “Not Enough”
If you are ready to move from anxiety and “Not Enough” to self-compassion and self love, Empower Counseling can help with anxiety counseling. Our therapists will meet you right where you are and guide you through the process of ACT to a better place.
We offer Acceptance Commitment Therapy for anxiety counseling to adolescents, teens, college students, young adults, and professionals. We also offer in person and online counseling for depression and difficult life transitions.
It is simple to get started.
Click this link to schedule a consultation call so that we can pair you with the best therapist for you!