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Can positive affirmations for self-doubt remove your insecurities and lead to a better life? Absolutely!
The more you work on your positive self-image, the better you get at evaluating the emotional blockers that stop you from doing what you really want. When you face your fears instead of hiding behind numerous excuses, you get the freedom to make more realistic decisions which in turn will bring you closer to the life you dream of.
Self-doubt is a prominent sign of low self-esteem and can be solved by working on your beliefs. Repeating the right affirmations with emotion and intention is a great way to change your self-perception and keep all your irrational fears under control.
So you doubt your ability to become successful?
Maybe you think you don’t have anything beautiful in you?
Or maybe you think you aren’t good enough to be in a loving relationship? To get a better position or a raise? To start your dream business?
If you said yes to any of it, it’s okay. We all doubt ourselves at some point in our lives. The trick is to recognize when it hurts your life and to prevent it from doing more damage to your dreams by reaffirming your beliefs.
What is self-doubt?
Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines self-doubt as “a feeling of having no confidence in your abilities and decisions”.
This may manifest in each and every area of your life, or just in some of them.
For example, a strong confident businesswoman, who is great at closing deals and public speaking, may feel extremely insecure when it comes to dating and personal connections.
Another example is a bright student with straight A’s who constantly feels not good enough no matter how much is already achieved. Or a brilliant professional with plenty of experience who faces Imposter syndrome and terribly undervalues himself.
Self-doubt is a powerful negative feeling of being insignificant that might sabotage your whole life. It affects your self-perception, behavior, and important decisions that you make or avoid.
Let’s take a look at some most common examples of self-doubt as it’s critical to clearly recognize these areas before you start applying positive affirmations.
Typical examples of self-doubt
Here are two very common ways self-doubt expresses itself in adults:
1. You think you aren’t worthy of a good healthy relationship.
Just because you couldn’t make it work in the past, doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with you. By thinking like that, you keep reinforcing that negative thought, which leads to self-sabotaging in various ways and choosing the wrong partners over and over again.
But have you ever stopped to think that maybe you just haven’t met the right person yet?
Or maybe you don’t even approach the person you like because what can they possibly see in you, right? Wrong! You’ll be surprised to know how much good other people can see in you that you don’t see yourself.
Most of the time we take our best qualities for granted and only focus on the things we don’t have. At the same time, someone out there might be looking for a soulmate whose portrait you fit perfectly. Actually, nobody really needs a perfect fit. You just need someone who has the same values and cares about you, and the rest can be figured out together over time.
With that said, you gotta recognize all the good you have and let other people see it. Because if you hide your good side, how will anyone see you and love you for who you are?
Positive affirmations for self-doubt will help you reframe that negative image you have created for yourself in your own mind and embrace all sides of yourself as a whole. You’ll start to believe that you are worthy of love and stop doubting whether you are good enough to be loved. With these new positive thoughts, you’ll vibrate with beautiful energy that will naturally attract a caring partner your way!
2. You think you aren’t smart enough to start your dream project.
This may be different for everyone depending on the context and ambitions but the underlying feeling is the same.
All your achievements seem insignificant to you, even though others give you positive feedback all the time.
You have this great thing you’ve always wanted to do but you are hesitant about your ability to pull it off.
Even though you are relatively good at what you do, it’s likely not enough.
So you postpone it until you get better. Maybe you’ll learn more and be more prepared in the future. Or get more experience. Or earn more money just to be safe if it doesn’t work out.
Years go by and you keep dreaming about this amazing thing you will do one day.
But you never dare to actually go for it.
If only you were smarter…
Tell me in the comments below if any of this sounds familiar to you!
And then make a small step today that will get you closer to that dream of yours.
Otherwise, you might one day find yourself on your deathbed, wishing that you have actually tried that thing you’ve always dreamed of.
Use the affirmations from this page to clear self-doubt and finally go for it!
If you feel motivated right this moment, you can skip the next section where I tell you what causes this feeling of self-doubt, and go right to the affirmations that come after it.
Because your dream deserves to be followed!
What causes self-doubt?
Self-doubt often comes from your childhood and previous experience. Being compared to others, failing at something, and the pressure of high expectations all contribute to your low self-esteem.
Clearly, nobody is being born with insecurities. Toddlers have no idea that they may be not good enough for something. They just reach for things they are interested in, explore the opportunities, and try a new approach whenever something doesn’t work.
It’s only later in life that we start questioning our abilities, and it’s always influenced by other people. Whether it comes directly from our parents and our teachers, or based on our own social experiences, we usually get our low self-esteem as a result of our upbringing.
Studies show that both praising and criticizing a child may have a negative effect in their adult life. Whenever you get compared to your brother or a classmate, it builds a new connection in your brain that lays the foundation for your self-esteem.
If you constantly hear that you aren’t as good, smart, or diligent as another person, you’ll continue to feel like that twenty years later. You’ll constantly compare yourself to others, whether your friends or coworkers, and focus on their best features that you don’t possess.
Another side of this coin is high expectations. If you are always pushed as a child to be the best and only praised for your achievements (and not efforts), you might continue to feel that way in adulthood. Nothing you do seems enough, and there is always another thing you should do before you can feel worthy and accomplished.
Does any of this sound familiar? I bet it does.
Is self-doubt bad?
Self-doubt is only bad when you let it sabotage your success or stop your progress completely. Otherwise, it’s a helpful indicator for evaluating potential risks and possibilities.
A healthy amount of self-doubt prevents us from getting injured or hurt – and that’s good in many cases. For example, if your gut tells you that the next roof is way too far, you better not jump.
But if you are constantly feeling insecure and paralyzed by the fear of failure, if you find yourself not moving toward your dreams because you think you aren’t good enough, this is when self-doubt is bad. And you gotta do something about it if you ever want to see a positive change!
If you recognize that self-doubt is negatively affecting your life, starting with positive self-talk in the form of affirmations is a great idea. But if at any point you find yourself overwhelmed with negative thoughts, you can always reach out to an online therapy service for quick support. You don’t have to deal with it alone if you don’t want to.
How affirmations can help overcome self-doubt
Whether or not you have people in your life who always believe in you, you don’t need to rely on external support when you have a healthy self-perception. You are always there for you, and depending on the affirmations you use, you can be your own loving best friend (i.e. positive self-talk) or your own hateful worst enemy (i.e. when you keep repeating negative affirmations, consciously or subconsciously).
Using positive affirmations is not about being delusional and lying to yourself. It’s not pretending to be someone you are not. But it is about recognizing your good qualities, acknowledging your inner power, and celebrating your wins, even the smallest ones.
Saying specific nice things to yourself over and over again will eventually conquer your usual doubtful thinking patterns and replace them with a healthy amount of self-encouragement that is necessary for achieving success in any area of your life.
Self-doubt typically prevents you from doing any steps toward your dreams. If you find yourself procrastinating a lot on something you actually wanna do, this might be the case of low self-esteem, which is one of the most common reasons for procrastination.
Affirmations from the list below will help you get rid of self-doubt, accept your current situation, and erase any nasty thoughts that might be blocking your progress. Repeat these statements every day and whenever you feel especially doubtful about your appearance or abilities. You can also combine them with my confidence affirmations for a massive self-encouragement!
In the meantime, you can be gently working on the areas that call for improvement. But this time not from a hateful and full of shame perspective – but from a loving and accepting one.
One of my favorite quotes related to self-improvement is the following:
If you don’t like how things are, change it! You’re not a tree.
Jim Rohn
Sitting in the same place and worrying that you aren’t good enough won’t take you anywhere. Releasing self-doubt and doing little steps every day will eventually bring you to wherever you desire to be.
Be the change. And let these affirmations for erasing insecurities make your way to success more enjoyable!
40 affirmations for self-doubt
To get rid of self-doubt for good, you need to shut up your loud inner critic and decide to switch to a positive mindset.
Here are powerful affirmations that will eliminate every bit of self-doubt and set you free:
- I’m letting go of self-doubt for good.
- I’m strong. I am powerful. I am worthy.
- I stop myself at the very first thought of self-doubt I catch.
- I always celebrate my small wins as well as big achievements.
- I know that I deserve the best. Nothing and nobody can convince me otherwise.
- I tell my inner critic to shut up. I stop criticizing and blaming myself.
- I eliminate every bit of negative thinking and switch to a positive mindset.
- I don’t care what others might think of me. Other people’s opinions don’t define me.
- I stop comparing myself to others. I am unique and nobody else is like me.
- I am completely free of self-doubt.
Affirmations for self-doubt at work
If your insecurities are work-related, you need to reinforce your belief in your abilities and evaluate your expertise realistically. These affirmations will help you overcome professional self-doubt:
11. I am great at this. I am perfect for this job.
12. I am capable of completing any task I am given.
13. I can easily finish everything I start.
14. I never doubt my professional abilities as I know I have the required skills.
15. I am managing my time in the most efficient way.
16. I am eager to learn everything necessary to be the best at this job.
17. I give myself credit for each successful project I finish at work.
18. My performance is impressive and always recognized.
19. I am confident in my skills and work experience.
20. I am growing professionally and improving my skills every day.
Affirmations for self-doubt in relationships
These affirmations will help lift your self-doubt and open yourself to a loving relationship:
21. I am good enough to be in a loving relationship.
22. I am a faithful and reliable partner.
23. I am responsible for making this relationship work.
24. I see all the nice things in myself, and accept that it’s enough to be loved.
25. I am worthy of a partner who cares about me.
26. I am pure love. I am a magnet for love.
27. I treat myself with kindness, and expect the same from others.
28. I take responsibility for being a good loving partner.
29. I am trustworthy. I trust myself completely and other people can too.
30. I am lovable. I am good enough to be loved. I feel safe and confident in my relationship.
Affirmations for self-doubt at night
If your self-doubt won’t let you sleep, repeat these affirmations before bed:
31. I am capable of achieving success and making all my dreams come true!
32. I let go of all my fears and concerns.
33. I stop overthinking the events of the past and worrying about the future.
34. I allow myself to calm down and fall asleep peacefully.
35. My future holds endless possibilities. I trust the process and let go of control.
36. I don’t need to prove myself to anyone. I am amazing as I am.
37. I recognize my self-doubt and I won’t allow it to affect my decisions anymore.
38. I love and accept myself completely.
39. I stop being so harsh on myself. I am beautiful and capable.
40. Everything will be great, as this is the only way I accept it.
Final thoughts on self-doubt affirmations
Here you have them: 40 positive affirmations for getting rid of self-doubt for good!
Repeat them every day enough times to let them stick and pay attention to your negative thoughts that may arise in between. Remember that you aren’t defined by your thoughts and your insecurities, and it’s in your hands to manage them and stop them from affecting your decisions!