Self doubt is a normal part of life, but when it becomes overwhelming and keeps you from trusting your instincts, it can be dangerous. Our Self doubt can appear in many different ways, including thoughts about how others perceive us, our past experiences, or simply being overwhelmed by what we face on a daily basis. But the good news is that you can overcome it, if you learn to identify your triggers and work toward improving your self-trust!
If you find yourself being hard on yourself, afraid to fail, make mistakes, or afraid of what others think about you or your work, take a moment and consider whether these thoughts are accurate or if you are doubting your own self-worth. If so, it may be time to learn how to overcome your self doubt thinking, so you can move forward in life with confidence.
Self doubt is an insidious force that can undermine our confidence in ourselves and our abilities. And while it’s not always easy to recognize when we have lost faith in ourselves (we often don’t even realize it until someone else points it out). If we can recognize the signs that we are doubting our own competence then we have an opportunity to shift into a more positive mindset.
11 signs you don't trust yourself
Don’t take risks. You avoid challenges and opportunities that may be beyond your current skill level. You don’t believe in your own ability to succeed. You’re always waiting for someone else to tell you what to do next.
Don’t ask for what you want. If you’ve ever wanted a raise, promotion, or more responsibility but didn’t know how to bring it up with your boss then this might be an indication that something is holding you back from being able to express yourself
Don’t ask for what you need. You don’t ask for what you need because you think it will be too much of an imposition on others. You feel like a burden to people, even when they tell you otherwise. You don’t trust yourself enough to take charge of your life and make the decisions that will move it forward.
You don’t ask for help when you need it. You don’t ask for help because you’re afraid of being vulnerable and opening yourself up to rejection or criticism
Don’t spend time on the things that are important to you: You don’t spend time on the things that are important to you because you’re too busy doing things for other people. You feel like your needs aren’t important, so you put them aside in order to make sure everyone else around you is happy.
Keep other people’s priorities at the top of your list: You don’t prioritize your own priorities because you feel like they aren’t important, so you put them aside in order to make sure everyone else around you is happy.
Don’t take time to recharge your batteries. You don’t take time to recharge your batteries because you feel like it’s selfish to do so. You think that you should be constantly working and doing things for other people,
Don’t set boundaries. You don’t set boundaries because you feel like it’s selfish to do so. You think that people will be upset with you if they feel like they aren’t getting what they want from you, so you allow them to take advantage of your good nature.
Don’t take care of yourself: You don’t eat right, exercise, or get enough sleep. You sacrifice your health and well-being to make sure everyone else is happy.
Don’t think for yourself: you never question authority. You are willing to go along with whatever others want you to do, even if it goes against your better judgment.
Don’t take responsibility for your own life. You blame other people for anything that goes wrong and make excuses for why you can’t do something.
build trust with yourself
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes: You are human and you will make mistakes. It’s okay to mess up sometimes; nobody is perfect.
The first step is to trust yourself. Start by focusing on your strengths, positive traits, and successes. It’s also helpful to make a list of accomplishments and achievements you’ve made in the past—even if they were small!
Second, make sure you are working toward your goals and dreams so that you can feel good about your accomplishments in the future. This will help build self-confidence and self-worth which are important aspects of trusting yourself.
Third, focus on your values. What do you value most? Is it family? Friendships? Traveling? Working hard? Once you know what matters most to you and how those things affect how others respond to you, then make sure they’re part of your daily life.
Building trust with yourself is an important step because it helps to build self-confidence and self-worth which are important aspects of trusting yourself.
Self doubt and overthinking
Overthinking is a sign that you don’t trust yourself.
When you are questioning every decision, it’s a sign that something is wrong. You have lost confidence in your ability to make good decisions and you don’t trust yourself anymore. This can happen when we experience failure or rejection, but also if we are constantly told “no” by people who don’t believe in us; or even worse, if we don’t believe in ourselves!
It’s important to learn how to stop overthinking and start to trust yourself again so that you feel comfortable executing your ideas without second-guessing every step along the way.
When you do not trust yourself, you are going to overthink every decision. You will question your ability to make the right choice and then second-guess yourself over and over again. The more stress or pressure on the situation, the more likely you will be stuck in this cycle.
Does overthinking cause self-doubt?
Overthinking is something we all do. You can’t always stop it from happening, but you can control how much you do it.
If self doubt and overthinking are a constant problem for you, try to learn how to
- Avoid stress and anxiety (stress will make it harder for you to think objectively)
- Focusing on the present moment in order to avoid ruminating about past events or worrying about future ones (this will help keep your mind off of things that might be out of your control)
- Avoiding negative thoughts and other people’s opinions (the more you surround yourself with positive people, the easier it will be to stay positive)
- Taking care of your physical health (eating well and exercising regularly will help prevent stress from getting in the way of your thinking)
- Focus on your strengths and accomplishments instead of dwelling on what went wrong or what didn’t happen as planned (this will help you be more confident in yourself, which will make it easier to trust yourself)
- Be kind to yourself, first and foremost. Treating yourself with respect will help you build trust in the choices you make for your own life.
- Stop overthinking about things that don’t matter, like what other people think of you or how others will perceive your actions (this is a great way to waste time).
Overthinking can be an insidious condition. It can lead you to question yourself, worry about things that might not happen, or cause you to be anxious when there is no reason to be.
The more you worry about something, the more likely it is that you will get caught up in a vicious cycle of negative thoughts and emotions. This can be draining and stressful, which is why it’s important to learn how to stop overthinking when it happens and be a little kinder to yourself
Related: What is Emotional Health? And the 5 Simple Ways to Improve It
be kind to yourself first
Be kind to yourself it’s the first step in learning how to trust yourself.
- Being kind means treating yourself with respect and dignity, even when you are feeling down or anxious.
- Being kind means taking care of your emotional needs as well as your physical needs. It is important that you are able to love and cherish yourself despite what might be going on in your life at any given time.
There are many ways in which we can be kinder to ourselves including:
- Taking time for relaxation and meditation
- Practicing breathing exercises that calm the mind and body (i.e., yoga)
- practicing positive affirmations
- Eating a healthy diet which will give me energy throughout my day
- Treating yourself to a spa day
- buying yourself a new outfit
- Treating yourself to a nice dinner out
It is also important that you treat yourself when feeling upset. This can be done by listening to music, dancing around with friends, or just going for a walk in nature. It may seem silly but it works wonders in lifting your mood as well as helping to put things into perspective.
Related: 57 Powerful Morning Affirmations to Kickstart Your Day
why you should be kind to yourself
You are the only person you can control how you feel. You decide how to live your life, what mindset and habits will bring you happiness or ruin it, and whether or not to improve your health. Your mind is a powerful thing—it can either be an amazing tool for accomplishing great things or it can become your biggest enemy by holding onto toxic thoughts that keep you from being happy.
If you want to create a better life for yourself, then the first step is loving yourself enough not to allow self-doubt to enter your mind. When you are kind to yourself, it’s easier to be kind to others. We often put our own needs on the back burner in order to help others out, but if we don’t take care of ourselves first then we can burn out quickly and become resentful toward those around us.
Being kinder to yourself means recognizing that everyone makes mistakes—including yourself—and letting go of any negative thoughts. You deserve love and happiness!
Need a little Self Love
- Take time out for yourself. This can be as simple as a walk around the neighborhood or an evening at home with your favorite book and a cup of tea.
- Take care of your body. Eat healthy foods, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, and rest when you need it.
- Practice self-care. Self-care is any activity that brings you physical or emotional joy, comfort, or peace. It could be something as simple as watching your favorite TV show, listening to a podcast you’ve been wanting to listen to, or even treating yourself to a new haircut
- Journaling. Making time daily to write about your life can be a powerful way to connect with yourself and learn more about who you are.
What happens when your trust yourself?
When you know who you are, how to live your life, and how to be successful, it feels like the weight of the world has been lifted off your shoulders.
When we trust ourselves, we are happier, more motivated, and inspired—and feel more creative about what we do on a daily basis. All of these things lead to increased self-confidence which is something everyone wants for themselves.
When you stop being so hard on yourself and show more love toward yourself
You feel more confident. You’ll be able to accomplish more. You’ll be able to make decisions and stick with them, rather than second-guessing yourself or abandoning your plans at the first sign of trouble.
You feel more relaxed. You feel more relaxed and confident because you have a strong sense of who you are. You know your life is moving in the right direction and you can handle in hurdles that come your way
You feel more secure. Your confidence will lead you down new paths, some of which may seem risky at first glance but which ultimately turn out to be worth it. There’s no limit to what you can achieve
Your self-esteem will improve and this will have a positive effect on your entire life. You’ll feel like you’re in control of your destiny, which is always an attractive quality in a person.
Don’t let self doubt hold you back. If you want to do something, go for it! It’s better to try something and not succeed them never having tried.
There’s no need to waste any more time on negative thoughts if they aren’t helpful. Instead of doubting yourself, take a step back and look at the facts objectively: You are a good person. You have a lot to offer the world. You can do anything you set your mind to if you believe and trust yourself enough.
You are capable of anything. So go out there and do it!
