Do you care too much about other's opinion of you? Everyone wants to feel accepted. It is human nature to want to be loved, cared for, and even liked within your group of friends. In this world of social media, the desire to feel that acceptance has grown even more.
But, there is a fine line between wanting to feel included and accepted verses caring too much about what people think. When your need for acceptance starts to take over your entire life, it can become overwhelming.
You might even find that you care so much about other's opinions that you start feeling less like your authentic self. As a result, you might lose value in yourself and the things you truly believe in, in favor of “giving in” to what others want from you.
So, what can you do to stop caring so much about what people think? How can you stay true to who you are?
Change Your Perspective
One way to stop worrying so much about other's opinions of you is to understand that they are probably thinking about you far less often than you realize. Almost everyone has their own insecurities to deal with. On top of everyday stress, work, relationships, etc., most people have very little time to waste on judging or even thinking much about others.
Once you realize that the people whose opinions you’re worried about probably don’t think about you as often as your anxiety tells you, your worries will start to lose power.
Take Your Thoughts Captive
Many times, worrying about what others think about you is just one byproduct of consistent negative thinking or negative self-talk.
If your internal world is filled with negativity, you’re bound to believe that others out there in the "real world" are thinking negative thoughts about you, too.
You’ve probably heard the saying, ‘you are your own worst enemy’. Unfortunately, that rings true for many people. Do you find yourself in a constant cycle of negative self-talk throughout the day? Do you criticize yourself or think you aren’t good enough?
Try to replace that negative self-talk with positive thoughts throughout the day. When you notice a negative thought creeping in, think about how you can flip it. When you’re able to do that, you will feel less vulnerable to what others may or may not be thinking about you.
Find Your Support System
One reason you may care so much about what people think is that you’re spending time with the wrong people.
If your group of friends is constantly trying to get you to conform to someone you not, or to “fit in” differently than you would like to, it might be time to find a new group of people to spend time with.
Friend groups (or even family members) who don’t value you for who you are can be toxic. They can contribute to things like low self-esteem and self-worth, anxiety, and even depression. You will also likely constantly be worried about what they are thinking about you.
Instead, find people in your life who will build you up and love and accept you for who you are. When you find friends like that, there is less pressure, and you won’t worry about what they’re thinking because everything is laid out in the open.
Spending time with the right people is a great place to start. But, if you’re still constantly caring too much about what others think of you, it’s no way to live. Feel free to contact me and set up an appointment. Together, we can get to the root cause of why you care so much, and figure out a few more effective ways to let go of that constant care, so it doesn’t completely take over your life.
Contact Me
I know how stressful and demanding it can be to make changes in your life, but you don’t have to figure it out on your own. Some of the benefits of individual therapy include:
- Having a safe, confidential space to work through life’s struggles
- Speaking openly with a highly-trained professional
- Learning to be curious about oneself and become more mindful about your choices
- Identifying relationship patterns that are helpful, or existing patterns that are interfering with your growth and wellbeing.
- I offer online therapy (video conference style of therapy), which provides an increased level of comfort as you could meet with me from the privacy and comfort of your own home or other location.
You can request a specific appointment time that fits your schedule. Once confirmed, you can complete all New Patient Intake paperwork online as well.
*** The tips offered in this article are for general information and should not be considered medical or psychological advice. For more personalized recommendations appropriate to your individual situation, please contact us or obtain professional guidance.
Related Articles
7 Tips for Breaking Your Phone/Social Media Addiction
Pingback: How to Stop Toxic People From Stealing Your Joy » Boundaries