Bryn Carden Suggests What to Do if You Worry Too Much About What Other People Think of You
As social beings, we all want to be accepted by the group we belong to. Some people, however, suffer from overthinking, worrying too much, and social anxiety and should do a self-evaluation to see how much this affects their everyday lives. The fear that stems from focusing too much on what other people think can be detrimental to one’s mental health and needs to be addressed.
Bryn Carden, former Miss Kemah Teen USA, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, spends her free time mentoring and leading other women by setting an example through practicing kindness, authenticity, and compassion. While promoting health and wellness, generosity, and strong ambition, Carden highlights the importance of self-confidence, which is essential to build up when tackling fears of others’ opinions. Carden dives deeper into the discussion of why individuals may worry about how others see them and explains how to increase self-confidence.
Signs That You Worry Too Much About What Other People Think of You
There are multiple signs that can help you realize if you are afraid of what other people may think of you. One of the signs is that you do things that you might not want to do, and then feel aggravation and resentment towards the people involved. Other signs include lacking direction in knowing what you really want, holding back on saying what you think or believe, or finding it difficult to make your own decisions. You also might create false negative scenarios in your mind about people being unpleased with you who actually are not.
The ‘Why’ Behind the Worry
Why do we worry about what other people think of us so much? The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History explains that a significant aspect of human survival throughout history is to be accepted by others in a tribe or group. Thus, caring about what others think of you is an evolutionary adaptation. In today’s world, we might not be looking for a clan but instead, feel a need to connect with other people for companionship and stimulation. Being the social creatures we are, social anxiety greatly stems from putting too much mental weight around other’s opinions. Caring too much about what others think of you also can be a result of your upbringing or low self-esteem.
Steps to Increase Self-Confidence
A proactive way to step further from all the worry is to focus on building your self-confidence. Boosting your self-esteem will grant you a better mindset to handle any outside opinion that comes your way. Start strengthening your self-confidence by practicing self-reflection. Self-reflection is an excellent tool to use when developing a solid identity. During self-reflection, you ask yourself tough questions such as: What defines me? Who am I? What motivates me? What sparks my interest? What brings me joy?
Another step towards releasing excessive worry of others’ opinions includes discovering what you value and piecing together the robust foundation of a value system. Maintaining solid roots in your value system and basing your life off of your values will help criticism from others seem dimmer. At the end of the day, if you know your values and act in accordance with them, it shouldn’t matter that much what other people think of you.
About Bryn Carden
Bryn Carden is a young entrepreneur and philanthropist with a passion for real estate and design. She is currently studying at Neeley School of Business, pursuing a major in Finance with a Real Estate Concentration. Besides working towards her degree, she has already begun her entrepreneurial journey as a co-founder of BF Hats and a creator of Styles for Smiles — a company selling bracelets to help fund cleft palate operations for children in developing countries.
