Do you often find yourself second-guessing your abilities or holding back from opportunities at work because of self-doubt?
You’re not alone....
Often it’s not because you lack the skills, experience or ability. It’s usually because of that little voice in your head whispering, “You’re not good enough.”
That voice is self-doubt, and it’s likely been holding you back for far too long—causing you to miss out on opportunities and feel crap about yourself.
But here’s the good news: you can quiet that voice, silence the self-doubt and start believing in yourself more.
If you want to silence the self-doubt and start believing in yourself more at work and in your personal life, here are a few proven-effective strategies to use that have helped me immensely.
I hope you find them useful, too!
What is self-doubt?
Self-doubt is that nagging feeling that you’re not capable of achieving your goals, that you’re not good enough, or the fear that you’ve made the wrong call.
It’s the fear of failure, the worry that you’re not as good as others, or the feeling that you don’t quite measure up. If you have an internal dialogue (many of us do) it often sounds like:
“What if I mess this up?”
“I don’t know if I can do that....”
“I don’t deserve this opportunity.”
“They’re more deserving/better than me.”
These thoughts are automatic and often feel very true in the moment, but they’re not facts. They’re assumptions, guesses, and fear manifested in thoughts.
They represent limiting beliefs you hold about yourself and your abilities, usually rooted in fear or failing, or negative experiences that have happened to you or others in the past.
The problem is, if left unchecked, these beliefs can begin to shape your actions—or lack of action. The more you listen to them, the more they hold you back.
They become your self-fulfilling prophecy, designed to keep you stuck and safe in your cushy comfort zone.
But here’s the truth; no magic can happen when you’re in your comfort zone, my friend!
The impact of self-doubt
When self-doubt takes over, it can affect every part of your life, especially your career. You might avoid applying for promotions, stay quiet in meetings or hesitate to take up new opportunities for growth.
Over time, this leads to feeling stuck or underachieving, even though you know you’re capable of so much more.
Sound familiar? It’s frustrating when you know you’re ready for more, but something keeps holding you back.
That “something” is self-doubt—and it doesn’t need to stay in the driver’s seat of your life. In fact, it shouldn’t be driving at all. You should be. And I’ll tell you how you can take back control.
6 ways to silence self-doubt and believe in yourself more
So how do you start overcoming self-doubt? Here are five practical steps to help you build self-belief and stop doubting yourself:
1. Challenge your inner critic
The first step to silencing self-doubt is to challenge the voice of your inner critic. When you catch yourself thinking, “I’m not good enough,” ask yourself, “Is that really true?”, and “How do I know that’s true?”
Most of the time, you’ll find those thoughts are exaggerated or just plain wrong. Counter those negative thoughts with facts—write down your past achievements or strengths to remind yourself what you’re capable of.
For example, if you’re doubting whether you can lead a project at work, list out times you’ve handled difficult tasks successfully. This helps retrain your brain to focus on what you can do.
This is a juicy topic in itself. For more tips on how to master your mind, check out my blog: Overthinking: Causes, effects and how to stop.
2. Small steps build momentum (and confidence)
Often we don’t start out being good at stuff. With practice and perseverance, we learn and develop our skills and abilities over time. If you’re not good at something yet, you can become good with practice.
Michael Jordan for example was so sh*t at basketball he wasn’t picked for his local team. What did he do? He practised and practised, then practised some more. Over time he got good. Then with more practice he got great. Then he became one of the best basketballers in the world. And he wasn’t even naturally good at the sport.
Due to the neuroplasticity of our brains, we can learn anything with repetition and exposure. That means you can literally learn anything you want, and develop any skill. All you need to do is put in the work.
Confidence doesn’t happen overnight, but you can start building it in small, manageable steps. Set achievable goals for yourself and celebrate the wins along the way. When you accomplish even small tasks, it reinforces the belief that you’re capable.
For example, if you’re nervous about speaking up in meetings, practice! Start by contributing in smaller settings or asking a question. Each time you do, you’ll feel more confident and ready for bigger challenges.
Small steps over time build momentum, confidence, and also your abilities.
If you want more tips on building confidence, check out my blog: How to develop confidence and self-belief
3. Surround yourself with positive people
Who’s in your tribe currently? The people around you have a huge impact on your mindset, so it’s important to surround yourself with people who believe in you and lift you up.
If your environment feeds your self-doubt, it’s time to change it. Find a mentor, coach, or supportive colleagues who can offer encouragement and constructive feedback.
The more you interact with people who reinforce your strengths, the more you’ll start to believe in them too.
4. Reframe failure as growth
I hate the word failure. Hate is a strong word, but so is failure.
One of the biggest triggers of self-doubt is fear of failure. But what if you could reframe failure as a chance to grow? Instead of seeing mistakes as proof that you’re not good enough, see them as lessons.
There is no failure, only feedback. Every ‘failure’ is an opportunity to learn and improve. I think what’s so much worse than failing is never trying in the first place—to me that’s true failure.
I always reference Thomas Edison when I talk about failure because he failed at inventing the lightbulb over a thousand times and kept going. His thought? “I’ve discovered a thousand ways NOT to make a lightbulb’.
Every misstep takes you one step closer to figuring out what does work.
5. Visualise your success
Visualisation is a powerful tool for overcoming self-doubt. Take a few minutes each day to picture yourself succeeding in your goals—whether it’s nailing a presentation, leading a project, or getting that promotion. Imagine the scene in detail: what you’re wearing, how you’re speaking, and how it feels to succeed.
When you visualise success regularly, it starts to feel more achievable, and your actions will begin to line up with that image.
It also taps into this part of our brain called the reticular activation system (RAS) and our wiring for confirmation bias, which means your mind will subconsciously be on the lookout to prove you right, and bring your vision to life.
6. Get hypnotised
Hypnotherapy is a highly effective tool for changing thought patterns and habits quickly. If you struggle with self-doubt, overthinking and negative thoughts in general, it can help you to shift this pattern of thinking at an unconscious level, helping to facilitate change incredibly quickly.
Completely safe, it feels like a lovely relaxing meditation, and uses creative visualisation to get the unconscious mind on-board with your goals and the outcomes you want to create.
I offer hypnotherapy services (both online and in person in Wellington, New Zealand) to help with self-image and confidence. Learn more about hypnotherapy and book a free consult with me to see if it’s the right fit for you.
I also create self-hypnosis meditations regularly, which you can purchase from my shop.
Final thoughts: You’re more capable than you think
The truth is, you’re far more capable than you give yourself credit for. But self-doubt has a way of making you forget that. Remember, self-doubt is just a thought—it’s not the truth. And like any thought, it can be challenged and changed.
By practising these steps—challenging your inner critic, taking small steps, surrounding yourself with positive people, reframing failure, and visualising success—you can start to believe in yourself more.
Your career, your goals, and your future are all waiting for you to silence the self-doubt and take action. You’ve got this—now it’s time to show yourself just how capable you truly are!
If you need help on your journey, book a free consult with me – I’m a certified life coach, hypnotherapist and accredited cognitive behavioural therapy practitioner who specialises in helping ambitious peeps like you to reinvent themselves from the inside-out and achieve their biggest goals.
Check out my Career Confidence Coaching Services to learn more.
Thanks for reading! If you want more, check out my other blogs, follow me on TikTok: @janelle.keesue and Instagram: @janellekeesue.coaching
About the author, Janelle Kee-Sue
Janelle Kee-Sue is a career confidence coach for introverts. She helps career-focused women to develop quiet confidence so they can find their voice, rise in their careers and stay true to themselves. Based in Wellington, New Zealand, Janelle is a Coach, Hypnotherapist, accredited Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Practitioner, and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner. In her spare time, you’ll find her at the gym, working on her novel, or hanging with her floofy Samoyed Zeus and her husband Ricky. Learn more about Janelle.
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