Trust takes time to build with both other people and yourself. As much as you want to have a strong sense of self, it’s not always easy to push past your own self-doubts and believe in yourself. But it’s possible to build self-trust so that you can work toward a fulfilling future. 

Self-trust refers to believing in your own judgment and capabilities. If you’re able to trust yourself, you can build your confidence, power through challenges and take steps to achieve your goals. It can lead to long-term positive outcomes for your physical, mental and emotional well-being.

Building self-trust takes time and effort. If you’re trying to feel more confident in who you are and what you believe, here are five practices that can lead to long-term growth:

• Challenge negative thoughts.

We can’t always control our thoughts, but we can control how we react to them. When you’re struggling with your self-esteem, it’s likely that your automatic thoughts about yourself aren’t the most positive. Once you gain awareness of these thoughts, you can consciously try to challenge them to change your perspective. 

Challenging your negative thoughts helps to build self-trust by giving yourself grace and reinforcing your own beliefs in yourself, despite the critic in your head. For example, if you think, “I’m not going to apply for that promotion because I probably won’t get it,” you can challenge that thought by changing it to “If I get that promotion, that means my hard work paid off.” 

• Use positive self-talk.

Challenging your negative thoughts is helpful, and so is only focusing on the positive. This is where affirmations come into play. The more you hear yourself say something positive about who you are, the more you’ll trust in it being true. For example, the more you tell yourself, “I’m strong enough to overcome challenges,” the more you’ll truly believe it and find the confidence you need to take on those challenges.

When you start to experience self-doubt or question your judgment, you can fight against the negativity by practicing self-compassion through positive affirmations. For example:

• “I’m not defined by my mistakes.”
• “I’m growing as a person.”
• “I’m proud of who I am.”

• Hold yourself accountable.

Nobody is perfect and we all make mistakes. While it can be hard to look past our self-perceived flaws, you can build your self-trust by acknowledging your errors and learning from them instead of letting them harm your self-image.

Holding yourself accountable for your mistakes can help you strengthen your own beliefs and values that you want to hold yourself to in the future. You’ll also gain a better understanding of your moral compass and what it takes to be proud of your choices.

• Do what supports your well-being. 

Self-trust can be rooted in finding contentment with who you are and what makes you happy. That’s why self-care is essential for long-term growth. Allowing yourself to focus on what brings you joy and prioritizing it on a regular basis can help you discover who you truly are and what’s most important to you.

For example, if you figure out that spending a weekend night reading or watching Hallmark movies brings you joy, then you can trust your gut that you’re making the right decision of turning down a hectic night out with friends.

• Stand up for yourself and your beliefs.

Self-trust means finding your voice and then using that voice to hold your own. It’s possible that your self-doubt is stemming from, or being contributed to by, the opinions of others. Sometimes, it’s easier to just nod along with what people say, or not speak up when they’re being rude to you. However, by trusting yourself and what beliefs you stand firm on, you can stand up for yourself.

We all struggle with our self-esteem sometimes, but if you’re constantly doubting yourself or being ashamed of who you are, you might be experiencing deeper mental health challenges that could benefit from support. 

Having low self-esteem is a common feature of depression and certain anxiety disorders, particularly social anxiety disorder, though multiple symptoms are required for a diagnosis. If your lack of self-trust is interfering with your productivity, relationships and goal setting, talking to a licensed therapist may be beneficial.

At Lightfully, we’re here for you. If you need more intensive support beyond outpatient therapy, our four levels of care may help:

• Residential Treatment
• Partial Hospitalization Program 
• Intensive Outpatient Program
• Virtual Services (vPHP/vIOP)

Change is possible. When you’re ready to take the first step, reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of you.