“Inferiority complex begins when you agree that you’re nothing. No one is responsible or author of it except yourself” – Paul Gitwaza.

Inferiority complex is associated with the intense feeling of insecurity and feeling of not belonging or less than others. It is normal to feel bad about yourself in some cases especially when you’ve had a bad childhood or adulthood experiences, a sudden failure, and disappointment, or an experience of harsh criticism in school. People with inferiority complex only see their flaws and imperfections. Even if they see a particular potential quality in themselves, they neither accept nor honor these qualities and tend to compare themselves to others. It is important to move past an inferiority complex because of the negative effect it has on your mental health and how it limits your success in life.

Do you feel less about yourself? Do you not feel good about yourself? Or do you compare yourself to others? Here are 10 effective ways to overcome your inferiority complex:

Deal with your past

An inferiority complex may be a result of your past experiences. It could be as a result of the kind of friends that you’ve had in the past, a traumatic incident, or a bad childhood experience. When you learn that you have an inferiority complex, you need to tap deep into your past and try to remember the various experiences that may have been the cause. Be as honest and specific as you can in realizing this fact. Who do you feel inferior to? You have to look back into your past and find the reason behind your insecurity.

Once you have prior knowledge of who makes you feel inferior and the incidents that make you feel inferior, you’ll be able to effectively understand and control your feelings better and attain the right amount of confidence and guide to deal with your insecurities.

Practice positive self-talk

The things you tell yourself mentally often determines your attitude and behavior. It affects the way you communicate and interacts with people. Do you speak ill of yourself a lot? Learn and try to motivate yourself with your words and thoughts.

When you notice yourself getting negative thoughts about yourself, eliminate and replace them with positive ones. Change your mindset and practice more positive self-talk. When you continue to motivate and encourage yourself positively, you’ll start to feel more secure and satisfied with yourself and who you are. You’ll start to feel less inferior to others.

Be kind to yourself

Self-compassion is probably the hardest thing to do for a person with an inferiority complex because they are always berating themselves and thinking badly of themselves.

Try to be kind to your body and soul by practicing self-care, eating healthy foods, practicing meditation, looking after your mindset, being you, doing the things that make you happy, fulfilling your needs, and associating with people that uplift you.

Surround yourself with positive people

The kind of people that you surround yourself with will determine the way you feel about yourself. Do you have any toxic relationship? If yes, then remove them. Do away with people that aren’t adding positivity or value to your life.

Inferiority complex is mostly linked to the kind of people you surround yourself with and the kind of environment you place yourself in. Surround yourself with people that only want to bring out the best version of yourself, people that treat you with kindness and respect, and people that’ll make you feel good and comfortable with yourself. When you surround yourself with these kinds of people, you’ll notice a positive and big change in your life.

Embrace your imperfections

“Stop trying to fix yourself; you’re NOT broken! You are perfectly imperfect and powerful beyond measure” – Steve Maraboli

So what if you aren’t perfect? So what if you’re a little different? You are still you. Let go of the notion that you’re inadequate, unfit, or unworthy, and embrace who you are. Accept yourself the way you are and know that you are also full of wonderful qualities. Know that perfection is just an unattainable illusion and ambition that is present in your head. Be grateful for who and how you are.

To effectively accept your imperfections, it is important to let go of the bizarre habit of pleasing people. Cease trying to satisfy others and satisfy yourself first. Embracing your imperfections and letting go of the unattainable illusion of perfection will only give you a great amount of inner peace.

Recognize your qualities and bring out the best version of yourself. Perfection will only end up putting you in a bottomless pit because you’re constantly trying to change a particular aspect of your life that you’re not happy with. Start by making a list of the things that you’re good at and proud of or a list of your strengths and abilities. When you write and see this list all the time, it will make it easy for you to recognize the fact that you’re special in your way.  

Be more assertive

Inferiority complex tends to prevent one from doing things due to the fear of failure. It tends to limit your abilities because you’re always thinking too much. The things stopping you from attaining success and being happy is when you start to think; what will people think? How will they react? Whenever you want to do something and you find yourself thinking like this, tell yourself that it won’t burn if you try, and even if you end up failing, the important thing to take note of is that you tried.

You should practice the habit of standing up for what you think and what you want to do. Criticism, rejection, and failure should be seen as a sign that you’re doing your best and in the right direction. You should understand that your opinions count and your ideas or feelings matter. Know that you have the right to express your thoughts and feelings, and respect yourself and others.

Build your self-confidence

“The most beautiful thing you can wear is confidence” – Blake Lively

Write down a list of things that you like about yourself and read it up every day as a daily reminder to start your day. Inferiority complex contributes to increased insecurity and negative thoughts. When you learn to feel confident about yourself, you’ll start to feel worthy and secure about yourself which will automatically lead to less inferiority.

You can build your self-confidence by stopping the habit of comparing yourself to others and think of your qualities, practice good hygiene to promote a positive public image, empower yourself with more knowledge to feel less inferior to others, exercise regularly to improve your body image or make a gratitude list of the 10 things that you like about yourself and read it over and over again every day to remind yourself of how great you are.

Stop worrying about what others think

Inferiority complex is mainly concerned with the constant obsession with the perceived judgment of others about you, your behavior, and your personality and sometimes it is related to the things you imagine they think about you. At the end of the day, it is only what you think about yourself that matters.

It is necessary to disconnect from what others think about you to destroy your inferiority complex. Focus on what makes you happy and what brings you joy and fulfillment. When you do this, you’ll have less time to focus or mind what others think of you or say about you. Also, know that people are by far too engrossed in their thoughts and world than having the time to berate or degrade you.

Learn to say NO

People with an inferiority complex are mostly consumed with the extreme desire to please others and wanting to prove themselves in every situation or environment they find themselves in. But saying NO is another form of self-care that will also prevent stress. Saying NO is quite difficult especially for someone with an inferiority complex as they’ll start to think that they’re doing something wrong or committing a big sin. Stay away from doing things that you don’t enjoy or like just for others to like you and instead focus on yourself and your happiness.

Stop imitating others

People with an inferiority complex tend to want to be someone they’re not as a result of low-esteem or feeling that they’re not good enough. They tend to want to be and act like others which may later lead to an unhealthy obsession and devalue their potentials. It’s pointless and stressful trying to become someone you’re not.

Imitating others is normal and acceptable only if you don’t strip yourself of your authentic self in the process. Use others as a guide but never forget to be true to yourself. Learn the habit of accepting yourself the way you are and be aware of the fact that you have your style and way and that there are others out there that are willing to imitate you.

Know what you want and go for it. Make an effort on yourself and take over the responsibility of making your choices and doing what you genuinely want regardless of the opinions of others.

Final Words

Make an effort to overcome your inferiority complex and provide a happy and fulfilled life for yourself. Don’t continue to live in the shadow of others and find your potential. Find what’s comfortable for you and if you feel that you need a professional’s help, then do contact one. You can use the online therapy directory to find the nearest therapist in your area.