Insecurity Type 1 – Relationship Insecurity
A common form of insecurity is related to relationships or the emotional attachments you form with other people. This type of insecurity forms when you rely on a relationship with someone else to an extreme degree–the thought of that person leaving, abandoning you, or disappearing creates a sense of extreme anxiety. This insecurity type often arises when you fear a friend, partner, or family member leaving you for unrealistic or irrational reasons.
Insecurity Type 2 – Social Insecurity
This common form of insecurity is also referred to as “social anxiety.” This insecurity is triggered by a fear of how others might perceive you. For example, if you suffer from social insecurity, the idea of going to a party may feel crippling:
The idea of strangers judging you based on what you say, your clothing, or your actions is too insurmountable to even consider attending the party, so you avoid the social interaction.
Insecurity Type 3 – Body Image Insecurity
At some point or another, everyone has likely experienced some form of body image insecurity during their lifetimes (cue the flashbacks to your middle school years). Body image insecurity is triggered by a fear of not living up to a generally accepted ideal of what the “perfect body” looks like.
If you were ever bullied about your height, weight, skin type, or other bodily features, you may suffer from body image insecurity. From those negative experiences, you learned to be nervous that your body doesn’t match a social standard for what it should look like.
Insecurity Type 4 – Job & Career Insecurity
If you’ve ever been desperately searching for a new job, found yourself unexpectedly unemployed, or fearing for the state of your employer’s benefits, you may have experienced job insecurity.
Because we depend on employment for money and/or benefits, feeling fearful or uncertain about what the future could hold can lead to job insecurity. Job insecurity can be influenced by a number of factors, including your own anxiety about your job performance or external factors, such as your employer’s decisions or the economy.
Insecurity Type 5 – FOMO Insecurity
FOMO, or the Fear of Missing Out, is more than a popularly coined term from social media. It also reflects a specific type of insecurity.
If you’re experiencing FOMO insecurity, you probably find yourself comparing your life to the lives of others around you–when you think about your friends, coworkers, family members, and social media acquaintances, you probably notice that you’re constantly measuring their lives next to yours.
When you do this, it causes you to feel insecure. When you aren’t earning as much money, taking cooler vacations, or living as excitedly as others are, you feel insecure about how your own life is going.
Insecurity Type 6 – Comfort Zone Insecurity
If the idea of exiting your comfort zone for even a brief moment sounds unfathomable, you may experience comfort zone insecurity. Your comfort zone, or limits that make you feel safe and secure, has its benefits–however, if you feel insecure at the thought of testing your comfort zone’s boundaries, you could be missing out on chances for growth and new adventures.
