{"id":6721,"date":"2026-02-06T11:38:37","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T11:38:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.psicologiasexologiamallorca.com\/?p=6721"},"modified":"2026-02-06T12:05:20","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T12:05:20","slug":"self-sabotage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.psicologiasexologiamallorca.com\/en\/self-sabotage\/","title":{"rendered":"Self-sabotage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><p><strong>Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p><nav><ol><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#what-is-self-sabotage\">What is self-sabotage?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#the-ally-of-self-sabotage-self-deception\">The ally of self-sabotage: self-deception<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#why-do-i-do-this-to-myself\">Why do I do this to myself?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#quiz-do-you-tend-to-self-sabotage\">Quiz: \u201cDo you tend to self-sabotage?\u201d<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you feel that you set goals for yourself that you often fail to achieve? There are many reasons that may be standing in the way of your success. However, one of the most common reasons is self-sabotage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-is-self-sabotage\">What is self-sabotage?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Self-sabotage occurs when we put obstacles in our own way to avoid achieving something that, in theory, we want. It\u2019s as if a part of us decided to derail our own plans, goals or decisions. It is not a conscious or ill-intentioned act. In most cases, self-sabotage is an emotional protection strategy: it seeks to avoid pain, failure, criticism, exposure or frustration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-ally-of-self-sabotage-self-deception\">The ally of self-sabotage: self-deception<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, our brain looks for ways to <em>justify<\/em> carrying out actions that go against our goals.<br>Self-sabotage rarely appears alone. It usually comes hand in hand with self-deception. Together, they operate as a psychological mechanism that attempts to <em>protect<\/em> us, even though in practice it limits us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"206\" height=\"138\" src=\"https:\/\/www.psicologiasexologiamallorca.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/self-sabotage-and-self-deception.jpg\" alt=\"Self-sabotage and self-deception\" class=\"wp-image-6724\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Self-deception involves convincing ourselves \u2014partially or completely\u2014 of a version of reality that reduces immediate emotional discomfort. It\u2019s not about consciously lying to ourselves, but rather distorting what we feel, think or decide in order to avoid facing something uncomfortable: fear, insecurity, guilt, doubts, pressure, expectations\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"why-do-i-do-this-to-myself\">Why do I do this to myself?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As we\u2019ve seen, our brain tries to protect us from emotional discomfort. Fears such as failure or even success activate defensive mechanisms that hold us back before taking an important step: we avoid taking risks so as not to fail, or we pause our progress to avoid facing new changes, expectations or responsibilities. Added to this are limiting beliefs \u2014\u201cI\u2019m not enough\u201d, \u201cI don\u2019t deserve things to go well\u201d\u2014 which operate unconsciously and shape our decisions without us noticing.<br>Self-sabotage is also fed by the apparent safety of the comfort zone, even when it doesn\u2019t benefit us. The unknown creates uncertainty, and our brain prefers the familiar even if it restricts us. Automatic habits \u2014like procrastinating, avoiding or comparing ourselves\u2014 also play a role, becoming ingrained patterns over time. Altogether, these factors push us away from our goals, not due to a lack of desire, but as a confused attempt at self-protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"quiz-do-you-tend-to-self-sabotage\">Quiz: \u201cDo you tend to self-sabotage?\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Answer yes or no to each statement:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You postpone important tasks even when you know it will cause you stress or negative consequences.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You sometimes reject opportunities (work-related, social or personal) because you fear not being good enough.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When things start going well for you, you get nervous and do things that may ruin that progress.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You find it hard to accept compliments and tend to downplay your achievements.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You tend to compare yourself to others, and this decreases your motivation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You feel you don\u2019t deserve certain successes or positive relationships.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You\u2019ve made impulsive decisions that you later recognize were not in your best interest.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You avoid starting important projects because you\u2019re afraid of failing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You sometimes look for flaws in favourable situations until you convince yourself they\u2019re not worth it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When you set a clear goal, over time you find ways to get sidetracked or give up, even without meaning to.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>0\u20132 \u201cyes\u201d answers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You are probably not showing clear patterns of self-sabotage. You may occasionally experience doubts or insecurities (like anyone), but they don\u2019t seem to systematically interfere with your goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3\u20135 \u201cyes\u201d answers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There may be some self-sabotaging behaviours. They might appear during stressful times, transitions or situations that create pressure. Being aware of them is the first step toward managing them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>6\u20138 \u201cyes\u201d answers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Self-sabotage may be affecting several areas of your life. Exploring the beliefs, fears or habits behind these patterns could help you understand how they influence your decisions and motivation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>9\u201310 \u201cyes\u201d answer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You are likely experiencing frequent self-sabotage. This may be limiting your wellbeing or your goals. Recognizing it opens the door to seeking support, working on self-esteem, self-compassion and developing healthier strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Self-sabotage is NOT a sentence or a fixed trait, but a set of patterns we learned to protect ourselves \u2014patterns that may stop serving us over time. The good news is that it can be worked through, and doing so makes an enormous difference in how we relate to our goals, our emotions and ourselves.<br>If you feel that self-sabotage shows up frequently in your life or limits you more than you\u2019d like, attending therapy can help you. In cognitive-behavioral therapy, at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.psicologiasexologiamallorca.com\/en\/\">Institute of Psychology-Sexology Mallorca<\/a> we help you build a version of yourself that is more connected to what you truly want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>J\u00falia Taranc\u00f3n Estades<br>General Health Psychologist<br>Licensed Psychologist B-03232<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do you feel that you set goals for yourself that you often fail to achieve? There are many reasons that [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6723,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-psychology"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/www.psicologiasexologiamallorca.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/self-sabotage.jpg",1200,1152,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.psicologiasexologiamallorca.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/self-sabotage-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.psicologiasexologiamallorca.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/self-sabotage-300x288.jpg",300,288,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.psicologiasexologiamallorca.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/self-sabotage-768x737.jpg",768,737,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.psicologiasexologiamallorca.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/self-sabotage-1024x983.jpg",1024,983,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.psicologiasexologiamallorca.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/self-sabotage.jpg",1200,1152,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.psicologiasexologiamallorca.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/self-sabotage.jpg",1200,1152,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Instituto Psicolog\u00eda Sexolog\u00eda","author_link":"https:\/\/www.psicologiasexologiamallorca.com\/en\/author\/admin\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Do you feel that you set goals for yourself that you often fail to achieve? There are many reasons that [&hellip;]","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.psicologiasexologiamallorca.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.psicologiasexologiamallorca.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.psicologiasexologiamallorca.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.psicologiasexologiamallorca.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.psicologiasexologiamallorca.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6721"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.psicologiasexologiamallorca.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6721\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6725,"href":"https:\/\/www.psicologiasexologiamallorca.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6721\/revisions\/6725"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.psicologiasexologiamallorca.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6723"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.psicologiasexologiamallorca.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.psicologiasexologiamallorca.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.psicologiasexologiamallorca.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}