Sometimes, in social situations, we feel like we blend into the background and are invisible. We feel microscopic, useless, and insignificant. We tell ourselves that our presence isn't necessary, that it adds nothing to the group. When these thoughts take hold, they loop endlessly in our heads like the haunting refrain of "Baby Shark." On her social media, psychologist Julie Smith offers a tactic to counter this side effect of our lack of confidence.<\/p>\n
It's a feeling that makes us doubt<\/a> our entire being. When we have low self-esteem, we often face it. There are days when we wonder what we're doing on Earth, what our mission is. And it's not an existential question, simply the reflection of a failing confidence. We then start to put ourselves down, to spout silent self-criticism<\/a> , to curse ourselves for being so "boring," an art at which we excel. In short, we put ourselves through a real internal trial. It's quite simple: we feel like a wandering ghost, a mere shadow, an extra. Like a drop of water in an ocean. We could be hidden under a sheet or adorned with Harry Potter's invisibility cloak, it would be the same.<\/p>\n This overwhelming feeling, which makes us almost feel guilty for being where we are and overwhelms us with negative adjectives, sometimes arises without warning, after a meeting where we didn't dare speak up. It resurfaces in social situations, when we're jostled on public transport, cut in line, or interrupted at parties.<\/p>\n