How To Believe In Yourself: 10 Ways To Build Self-Trust

Constantly looking to others for feedback or approval or doubting your ability to succeed? It’s easy to get stuck in this cycle of self-doubt, where your dreams feel just out of reach because you don’t believe you have what it takes to achieve them.

Learning how to believe in yourself is an essential part of breaking free from this cycle. 

The truth is, believing in yourself is not just key to success, it’s an essential part of loving yourself more and supporting your overall mental health and wellbeing.

In this post, we’re diving into how you can strengthen your self-belief with practical, actionable steps. From boosting your confidence to shifting your mindset, we’ll explore 10 powerful ways to help you trust yourself more deeply. 

These strategies will not only help you silence the inner critic but will also encourage you to take on challenges with a renewed sense of confidence.

10 Powerful Ways To Believe in Yourself & Build Self-Trust

Learning to believe in yourself takes practice and patience. The following strategies can help you develop trust in yourself and your abilities, even when facing challenges.

1. It Starts with Confidence

Confidence isn’t about having all the answers or never feeling unsure—it’s about trusting yourself to figure things out as you go. And the good news? It’s something you can build over time.

One of the simplest ways to boost your confidence is to focus on yourself and not others. It’s easy to get caught up in comparing your journey to someone else’s, but doing so only chips away at your self-belief. 

Instead, shift your focus inward. Celebrate your progress, no matter how small. 

Did you accomplish something you’ve been working on? 

Did you handle a situation in a way you’re proud of? 

These moments matter.

👉 Related: 37 Signs of a Strong, Confident Woman

2. Work on your Self-Worth

Self-worth means knowing you have value just for being you – not for what you do or have. This is different from confidence, which is about your abilities.

When it comes to improving your self-worth, the main focus is to be kinder to yourself. Would you speak to a friend the way you speak to yourself? If not, it’s time to change your internal scripts.

You can also work on setting boundaries with others to look after your own needs first. These are tiny steps to help you see your worth and practice it.

👉 Access more self-worth exercises to keep building on this.

We all have something unique and valuable to offer. Sometimes, it’s easy to forget this in a world that constantly tells us to compare, compete, or prove ourselves. 

Your worth isn’t tied to your achievements or the approval of others, it’s inherent in who you are.

Knowing your value means recognizing that you don’t need to be anyone else to be worthy. 

Your experiences, perspective, and personality make you a one-of-a-kind individual. Embracing this truth can help you feel confident in your own skin, regardless of what others around you are doing or achieving.

Here are some journal prompts you can use to help you see your value:

• What are the things that make you proud of yourself?
• What do others come to you for?
• What do I offer to the world just by being me?

4. Look for Evidence

Let’s do a little exercise. I want you to write down everything you’ve ever succeeded at. The goal of this list is to capture all things – big and small.

Once you write this list, you will have very specific evidence of all the things you’ve achieved.

This is why you should believe in yourself. You may have second-guessed yourself in the past, but you still did all of these amazing things. Your own abilities are something worth focusing on and celebrating.

Here is a list of examples to help get you started…

• Graduating from school or completing a course
• Learning a new skill
• Overcoming a difficult situation or challenge
• Helping a friend or family member through a tough time
• Sticking to a habit or routine for a set period 
• Getting a promotion or a new job
• Finishing a project you were proud of
• Speaking up for yourself or setting a boundary
• Trying something new outside of your comfort zone
• Cleaning your space when you didn’t feel like it
• Making a difficult phone call
• Completing a to-do list (even if it was just one or two things)
• Having a tough conversation instead of avoiding it
• Practicing self-care even on a stressful day

5. Focus on Your Strengths

There’s a book I love called StrengthFinders. It’s also a test that many companies put their employees through to discuss your top 5 to 10 strengths. 

The strategy with StrengthFinders is to focus on your top strengths and basically ignore the bottom weaknesses.

We can’t be good at everything – it’s simply not possible, So instead of trying to get better at something that will never come naturally to us, the goal is to get even better at the things we’re already great at.

You can take the assessment in the book to learn your top strengths. It’s truly quite eye-opening and fun to learn more about yourself..

My top 5 strengths, according to the assessment:

1. Connectedness – Believes there are few coincidences and that almost every event has a reason.
2. Developer – Recognizes and cultivates the potential in others. They spot the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from this
3. Ideation – Fascinated by ideas. Able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.
4. Responsibility – Take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.
5. Achiever – Have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive. 

6. Learn a New Skill

Learning something new is one of the best ways to remind yourself that you’re capable of growth. It’s proof that you can adapt, figure things out, and handle challenges that come your way.

Here’s how to make the process fun and rewarding:

• Pick something that excites you – Choose a skill that interests you but also feels just outside your comfort zone. That sweet spot keeps things challenging without being overwhelming.
• Break it down into small steps – Big goals can feel intimidating, but taking it one step at a time builds momentum and confidence.
• Embrace mistakes – Messing up is part of learning! Instead of seeing mistakes as failures, think of them as feedback that helps you adjust and improve.
• Track your progress – Compare where you are now to where you started—not to experts who’ve been doing this for years. Seeing your own growth keeps you motivated.
• Find a community – Learning with others makes the process more fun and keeps you going when things get tough. Whether it’s an online group, a local class, or just a friend learning with you, support makes a big difference.

7. Focus on Positive Self Talk

The way you talk to yourself shapes what you believe is possible. Positive self-talk isn’t about ignoring reality, it’s about shifting your perspective to something more constructive and empowering.

For example:

Imagine you make a mistake at work. Negative self-talk might sound like this… “I’m so bad at this. I’ll never get it right.”

A more constructive and empowering perspective would be: “I made a mistake, but that’s how I learn. Next time, I’ll know what to do differently.”

Same situation, but a completely different impact on your confidence and motivation

Here are a few things to focus on:

• Pay attention to your inner voice – Is it kind or overly critical? Just noticing your thought patterns is the first step to changing them.
• Challenge negative thoughts – When you catch yourself thinking something unhelpful, ask: Is this really true? What’s the actual evidence for or against this belief?
• Reframe self-criticism – Instead of saying, “I’m terrible at this,” try, “I’m still learning and getting better.” Small shifts in language make a big difference.
• Use the power of “yet” – When you feel stuck, add yet to the end of the sentence. “I don’t know how to do this…yet.” It instantly opens the door to growth.
• Talk to yourself like a friend – If a friend was struggling, you’d encourage them, not tear them down. Give yourself that same kindness.

The way you speak to yourself matters. Make your inner voice a source of support rather than self-doubt.

8. Work on Your Mindset (from Fixed to Growth)

The way you think about challenges shapes how you handle them.

Psychologist Carol Dweck, in Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, explains that a growth mindset (believing abilities can improve with effort) makes you more resilient and open to learning. In contrast, a fixed mindset assumes talents are set in stone, limiting growth.

The challenge is our brains are wired for negative bias, a survival instinct that once helped us avoid danger. Today, it can hold us back by making us dwell on failures and fear mistakes. 

Recognizing this bias allows us to challenge it and shift toward more positive thoughts.

Here are some things you can practice to work on having a positive mindset:

• Celebrate effort, not just results – Success isn’t just about the outcome, it’s about the process of learning, improving, and showing up even when it’s tough.
• Challenge the idea that talent is fixed – Carol Dweck’s research shows that intelligence and abilities can grow with practice. The more you work at something, the better you get.
• Surround yourself with growth-minded people – The people around you shape your beliefs. Spend time with those who value learning, persistence, and self-improvement.
• Visualize success – Picture yourself handling challenges with confidence. This mental rehearsal helps you feel more capable when you face real-life obstacles.

Adopting a growth mindset isn’t about pretending everything is easy—it’s about believing in your ability to improve.

With time and effort, you can get better at anything you set your mind to

Trusting your intuition boosts self-belief because it helps you tap into your inner strength and wisdom.

When you listen to your gut and make decisions based on your instincts, you remind yourself that you’re capable of handling life’s ups and downs. Every time things go well, your confidence grows.

Over time, this builds a deeper trust in yourself, making it easier to face challenges.

To practice working on your intuition: Start with small decisions. Build trust in your intuition gradually by testing it in low-stakes situations.

10. Practice Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

One of the most powerful ways to build self-belief is by stepping outside your comfort zone. 

This can feel quite challenging – trust me – I know! It’s of course easy to stay in familiar, safe spaces, but growth happens when you challenge yourself. 

Each time you push past your fears and try something new, you’re reinforcing the idea that you can handle more than you think.

Start small—whether it’s speaking up in a meeting, trying a new hobby, or taking on a project you’ve been avoiding. 

The more you practice getting uncomfortable, the more confident you’ll be in your ability to take on bigger challenges down the road. Over time, you’ll realize that you’re capable of much more than you give yourself credit for.

The Problem with Not Believing In Yourself

We’ve all been there – wanting to do certain things in life but we hold ourselves back because we don’t think it’s possible for us to succeed.

There are so many problems with this – we’re not doing what we really want to do. We have dreams and goals yet getting out of our comfort zone feels too hard.

It’s easy to get stuck in this cycle of self-doubt, where we put off our dreams, waiting for the “right time” or for the confidence to magically appear. 

When we don’t believe in ourselves, we miss out on opportunities to grow, experience new things, and ultimately create the life we truly love.

When you lack of belief in yourself, you might:

• Avoid challenges or new experiences
• Give up quickly when facing obstacles
• Downplay your achievements
• Compare yourself to others
• Miss opportunities for growth and success

This can compound over time. Each time you avoid a challenge due to self-doubt, you reinforce the belief that you can’t handle difficult situations.

Remember that your thoughts create your reality. If you constantly tell yourself you can’t do something, you’re programming your mind to fail before you even try.

However, when you choose to believe in your ability to face challenges, you’ll begin to build a mindset that empowers you to succeed and grow stronger with each step.

Final Thoughts & Takeaways

Believing in yourself takes practice, but it’s well worth the effort. Start by recognizing your unique strengths and celebrating small wins along the way.

Remember that mistakes don’t define you—they help you grow. When you hear that negative inner voice, challenge it with evidence of your past successes.

Daily habits make a difference. Try these simple practices:

• Write down three things you did well each day
• Speak kindly to yourself in the mirror
• Surround yourself with supportive people

Your self-belief will naturally have ups and downs. That’s completely normal and part of being human.

When you face doubts, think about how far you’ve already come. Each challenge you’ve overcome has made you stronger and more capable.

Trust that you have what it takes to handle whatever comes next. You’ve been preparing for this moment through every experience in your life.

The most important relationship you’ll ever have is with yourself. Treat yourself with the same kindness and patience you would offer a good friend.

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I’ll leave you with this beautiful quote from Christian D. Larson…

“Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” 

More Helpful Resources To Believe in Yourself:

• 100 Inspiring Quotes About Believing In Yourself
• 47 Powerful Ways To Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
• 26 Self-Love Poems for Confidence & Self-Esteem
• 12 Meaningful Ways To Be True to Yourself

Books Referenced in this Post:

• Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (Carol Dweck)
• StrengthFinders 2.0 (Gallup)