Learning to Trust Yourself

Trust is a tricky game. The reality is that everything in life can change at any moment. Not only that, but everyone has the potential to break your trust.

Disappointment presents itself in many ways and makes building trusted relationships hard at times. One person you can always count on? You. (When you’re taking care of yourself emotionally and physically, of course.)

So, how do you learn to trust yourself? Let’s learn some tips on trusting yourself and the power of that self-trust.

The Power of Self Trust

Self-trust means letting go, and letting be. This means that in any situation, you feel capable of being able to check in with your gut, and truly listen to what it’s saying. Of course, self-trust is much easier said than done. If there is one person you can always count on, it is yourself. As an individual you can be consistent when supporting yourself and always rely on your own well-being.

While learning to trust yourself, there are a few components that make this tricky process a bit easier. By being self-aware of your thoughts and allowing yourself to express these thoughts in a mindful and truthful way, you allow
yourself on the individual level to align with your morals and gain self-confidence. Once you begin to consistently support your needs and listen to your guiding thoughts, you will learn the power of self-trust and the role it plays on your mental health.

The Science in Learning to Trust Yourself

Learning to trust yourself goes deeper than expressing your emotions. The science behind self-trust plays a large part in some bigger mental health issues. For example, feelings of depression are rooted in feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. These feelings are strongly correlated with lack of self-trust when an individual feels as if they can’t help themselves out of a situation.

Trusting others also has roots in our neural pathways when our hippocampus relays to us who and what it doesn’t feel safe with. Trust is built on relationships and the memories associated with those relationships. When our brain interprets vulnerability, we often shy away for the fear of rejection or pain. This is the same case for self-trust. If you are not self-aware, do not allow yourself to be vulnerable, and rely on judgment you are tricking your brain into thinking that you cannot trust yourself. By practicing self-awareness, focusing on mindfulness, and being intentional you can begin to learn self-acceptance and self-trust.

Tips for Learning to Trust Yourself

1. Stay away from people who don’t believe in self trust

You have control over your surroundings and the individuals that play a role in your life. In order to move towards self-trust and confidence you need to be surrounded by like-minded individuals that support your growth and want you to succeed.

2. Keep yourself accountable

To learn to trust yourself, you need to make a commitment to yourself. This could be as small as a daily goal or as large as a lifelong promise. No matter what the scope of your commitment looks like, by holding yourself accountable you learn to trust yourself and realize just exactly what you are capable of.

3. Be kind

It is equally as important to be kind to others as it is to be kind to yourself. To achieve self-trust, you need to speak to yourself as if you are your own best friend. By speaking kindly to yourself and congratulating yourself for hard work and success you begin to adopt a positive mindset and work towards feelings of success and confidence. In order to trust yourself, you need to be confident in your abilities which means establishing a kind relationship with yourself.

This will also help you develop trust and understanding for others. Nobody is perfect, and gentleness and self-compassion take work. Instead of labeling yourself as untrustworthy, take a step back and allow yourself to be vulnerable.

Once you realize you can rely on yourself, you have become autonomous and accountable, and you practice self-kindness you can begin to bridge the gap between lack of trust and work towards trusting and ultimately loving yourself.