Self-belief

A core foundation of self-belief is key to retaining a feeling of calm in the face of setbacks and challenges. When things don’t work out, it’s natural to question yourself and the part you played in mistakes – but if you only feel like yourself when things are going well or feel that you have impressed others, it may be that your self-belief is fragile or dependent on being seen as a success. The way we see ourselves can be shaped by others’ expectations of us, including the labels they give us or the conditions they place on us to be fully deserving of their love, attention or approval. However, sometimes those expectations come from ourselves and are a subtle form of self-criticism that stops us reaching our potential and having a strong sense of who we are. It’s hard to flourish when you view life through a mental filter of failures, mistakes and disappointments. It’s good to ask how you could have done things differently, but setting unrealistic expectations of yourself sends a message that you are not good enough. Try to nurture yourself with more self-compassion.