How do you start to believe in yourself?

If you have a pulse then you're going to experience setbacks, defeats, fear and doubt. The question is: how much will you let this affect you? Are you going to get back in the saddle or are you going to derail and let life chuck you about?

Find out how to build that strong foundation of self belief that will help you weather the storms. Read on to start implementing the steps you like most:

1 - Easy action is the antidote

What if I told you that the key to self-belief isn't some grand gesture? It's in the little steps, challenging yourself, ditching self-limiting thoughts, and embracing actions that bring you closer to your dreams. 

There’s no need to take massive action. Simply get into the energy of creation. Heck, get into the vibration of creation. Let action be the vehicle that gets you from your desire to the goal you’re after. 

Don’t overdo it, just keep moving in the direction you’re after. Slow and steady, even micro steps are just fine.

The important thing is to lean into the fun and say YES more! Enjoy this process. So the antidote to self-doubt is to take action and prove you doubt wrong. 

How? Imagine having a camera that is currently zoomed in on an anxiety about something you need to do. Now focus your energy away from this fear and doubt and push your viewfinder out into a different direction. The direction of taking action. This sets the wheels in motion and remember that every small step you take now will chip away at the block you feel.

2 - Expect limiting beliefs to flare up 

Find the beliefs that hold you back and replace them with positive mantras. You can literally change your self-talk and become instantly calmer and happier. Replace limiting beliefs with your favorite affirmations. Find out how to write effective affirmations that sink straight into your subconscious.

Highly personalised affirmations that speak straight to your heart are the most effective, but don’t let this fact stop you in case you can’t think of any right now. 

Positive self talk works. Even simple, ‘naff’ affirmations (such as ‘good job’, ‘well done’) work great. Because whatever you tell yourself shapes your confidence and your performance, no matter how trite it may feel. 

Research backs up how even simplistic and overused positive self-talk can boost sporting performance: 

In one study, fit men and women cycled for 10 minutes. 

Group A just got on with it. Group B was taken aside and taught basic confidence-boosting mantras (‘doing well’, ‘feeling good, ‘pushing through this’). This increased their endurance by 18%. They also reported feeling less strain than group A.

3 - Put your mind to rest 

Overthinking and worrying will cause you to doubt yourself. Let unhelpful thoughts and ruminations go. There’s no need to spin out or future-trip. Doing this will simply sap your energy. You can't stop all the thoughts in your head, but you can choose not to focus on them. Accept the negative thoughts you have. Then let them go. 

Let go of swirling thoughts with this free guided meditation so you can manifest what you want, listen to it straight away.

4 - You’re in charge, own it

Choose helpful thoughts, choose how you act. This will ripple through to your feelings and experiences. You are steering this and ultimately can control of how you live your life. All you need to do it is to step up to it. Some people hesitate to step up, because having control comes with responsibility. You'll have to own your actions, own what you focus on, own your choices. Let this empower you and don’t fear taking charge. 

Here's how to navigate this. Realise that you can't break life. You always have the option to stop to make a new plan, change lanes, go at a different speed, change vehicle or even back up and do a u-turn.

So don't let this stop you. The key is to have a plan and start moving into that direction without too much fear.

5 - Cultivate a growth mindset

Even the most confident person isn’t always successful. But they usually do something many of us don't: they just pick themselves up faster after a setback. So try not to view your setbacks as failures, see them as learning opportunities and don’t take them personally. 

Don‘t make a failure mean things about you, just stick to the facts. If someone unfollows you on Instagram it doesn’t mean that your content must be boring. It simply could mean that you weren’t for them. 

Take the learning from every setback and mistake, make a correction if necessary and move on. Feeling bad about past mistakes can make you lose confidence.

6 - Be a player

Make a pact with yourself that you’re going to back yourself up no matter what.

Understand that those who cast doubt, spread negativity, or undermine your aspirations often live in their own realm of truth—a truth that may not align with yours. Their skepticism or criticism doesn't define your path or your potential. You live in your reality, your dreams, and your capability.

By making this pact, you're creating an unbreakable bond with yourself. It's a promise that in the face of skepticism, you'll remain strong. External voices don't get to hold the compass to your journey; you do. You're the player in your story, navigating through challenges and victories.

And that commitment to yourself, your dreams, and your capabilities, regardless of the outside noise, becomes the foundation for resilience and unwavering self-belief.

7 - Embrace self-love

You can't have faith in yourself unless you love and accept yourself. Take time to appreciate who you are and what makes you unique. Take time to know what your values are and celebrate those values! Take pride in your mix of strengths and weaknesses. Be comfortable with your quirks! 

So silence your raging inner critic and adopt a more positive commentary. Seemingly basic affirmations will have a profound effect on you if you keep repeating them daily. So start like telling yourself: 'I am ok', 'I am safe', 'I am loved'.

8 - Join others!

We might feel insular sometimes but in the end we are social creatures. And we thrive on being part of something bigger with others or having someone reach out to us. So hang out with people who lift you up and stay away from the downers. 

If you're looking for support try networking, find a mentor, or a community. It's different from having friends and family around. You want someone who understands your situation. Someone who’s been there and who can support and challenge you.

9 - Get a new perspective

It's just a matter of changing what you focus on when you're discouraged. Don't focus on your failures or weaknesses. Switch off negative self talk. Instead, focus on your achievements and on those moments where your strengths come out. Let your light shine.

Think about how you got through all those challenges and obstacles life has thrown your way. You've been through some big things and have come out the other side. Give yourself a pat on the back for that. We rarely appreciate ourselves for this.

And on the other hand, take time to appreciate and be thankful for the little things in life. Focus or re-focus on the positive so you don't get permanently sucked into negativity.

10 - Dare to bomb

Fact: everyone is going to bomb. It’s a fact of life. Don’t let fearing it hold you back. Give us the show and entertain us! Going all in might not feel safe, but it is what will let your passion shine through. 

Embrace failure without fear. Know that every ‘wrong’ move is a lesson that leads to success. Not taking yourself too seriously and learning to laugh about yourself is a first step to confidence and self esteem.

11 - Don’t consume mindlessly

Pay attention to what you feed your mind with. Put some thought into what you read and watch. 

The content we consume isn’t just information, it influences our emotions and perspectives. It's like choosing the company you keep; some make you feel empowered, inspired, or informed, while others might leave you feeling drained or inadequate. There’s power in being aware of what you consume, just like surrounding yourself with positive, supportive people in real life.

When you notice how certain content or individuals make you feel, you're tuning into your emotional compass. If someone or something consistently triggers negativity, self-doubt, or unease within you, it's okay to create distance. Unfollowing or removing accounts on social media for example isn’t just about reducing clutter and freeing up time. It's an act of self-care and preservation of your mental and emotional well-being.

12 - Tap into your inner strength

Everyone feels like they don’t have what it takes from time to time, but don’t give up. How you respond to these doubts is what will make or break your success. What are the resources you have available to deal with life’s ups and downs? List them. It could be people, spiritual beliefs, material things, even pets, nature. Everyone will have a unique set of support. 

And this is the most important and reliable one: YOU. 

Take a moment right now to connect to your inner strength. Pause, take a deep breath. Let yourself know that you got this. That you’ll back yourself up. The more you do this the easier it will be to connect to it. So don’t give up if you feel nothing on the first try. You have this power.

And with each challenge you face you become stronger, bigger and you gain a better understanding of life. Challenge yourself to flex your confidence muscle. Be bold. Take on bigger challenges next time. You’ll discover that you’re braver than you believe, stronger than you think.

13 - Always evolve

Developing new skills helps you feel more confident. You'll get closer to your financial, professional, and personal goals if you learn new things. Whatever it is, take on challenges with enthusiasm.

You can choose your thoughts and behaviour with every step you take. Learning a new skill shows you that you finish your tasks and are able to reach your dreams. 

Not sure what to learn? Pay special attention to your strengths and weaknesses. Build on your strengths to feel even more confident about yourself. 

Taking on your weaknesses can be a good idea too. If you get better at the things you're not so good at, you'll feel more confident in navigating your life.

14 - Practise self belief hypnosis 

Hypnosis helps you rewire your brain into more confidence, even one session can boost your confidence instantly. And if you keep flexing your confidence muscles after your session you'll get stronger and more resilient every day.

Click this link to find out how this could work for you. I currently run free initial consultations where we identify your next steps to getting you into a confident state of mind and into action.

 
So now you know that 14 keys to more confidence and self belief. Have a scan to see which one of these resonates the most? Go and action that one first! 

Have fun with this

xox Gwen