Are you critical of yourself? Do you seek reassurance and advice from others often? Do you avoid challenges for the fear of failing? Do you find it difficult to follow through with personal goals? Is it difficult to make decisions?
These are signs of a lack of self-trust.
What is Self-Trust?
Trust is a key component to relationships. The one relationship people tend to forget or not think of at all is the one with themselves. As people, we tend to put ourselves last on our to-do lists and often ignore our own wants and needs. Over time, the act of not showing up for ourselves, not holding space for how we feel or think, procrastinating making our own decisions for ourselves, and seeking reassurance from others to find external validation can take a toll on our self-esteem and self-worth.
According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, self-trust is having great faith in oneself or one’s abilities, as well as, trusting in one’s own qualities, judgment, and intuition. Having a strong sense of self-trust does not mean people won’t make mistakes. The difference unfolds in the person shifting their view of mistakes and failures to a growth mindset, learning to manage their inner critic, and learning to sit with the uncertainty in life and lean into our own values and worth. There is an old saying that I personally enjoy and find fitting, a bird does not put its faith on the branch on which it sits. Instead, it trusts its wings to carry it should the branch break.
Walking through life with a lack of self-trust can have a negative impact on your overall quality of life and create mental and physical health concerns: experiencing elevated levels of anxiety or depression, sleep disturbances, and stress-related conditions. Furthermore, not trusting yourself may leave you in a place where you feel empty, small, and possibly miss out on opportunities within your career and relationships. I encourage you to start listening to your own inner voice and follow your own lead to build your self-confidence and begin trusting in yourself.
5 Ways Building Self-Trust Can Help You:
- Embrace change
- Becoming more open-minded
- Boost confidence
- Bounce back from set-backs quicker and more easily
- Develop a stronger sense of internal peace
If you are interested in cultivating a more loving relationship with yourself and begin building self-trust but unsure of where to begin, you may consider talking with a therapist to come alongside you on your journey towards self-love and self-trust. You can reach out to our administrative team to find a good therapist fit for you by clicking here. Taking one small step at a time to learn to foster a nurturing relationship within yourself through therapy work, may include but not limited to: tuning in to your own feelings, needs, and instincts, set small achievable goals, set intentions, prioritize time with yourself, work on forgiveness towards yourself, practice self-compassion, and shifting negative self-talk to more life serving, empowering thought processes. All of which are important aspects of developing self-trust.
“Self-trust isn’t about knowing the future; it’s about believing in your power to handle whatever comes your way.” -Unknown
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