Self-trust does not mean certainty.

One of the less obvious effects of worry is how it can gradually reduce trust in our own judgement.

A decision is made, then reviewed. A message is sent, then reread. Someone offers reassurance, but it does not quite hold. AI can become another source of comfort, providing certainty for a moment.

We think through a possible problem, but our brain insists there must be something we have not considered, some angle still to explore.

This does not mean we are incapable of making good decisions. It can mean that we have learned to treat the feeling of uncertainty as a threat signal. Each additional check can quietly reinforce another belief: “I can’t trust my judgement.”

In CBT, developing self-belief is not simply about thinking more positively. It can mean practising a different response: making a reasonable decision without repeatedly reopening it, noticing the urge to check without automatically checking, and allowing some doubt to remain without treating it as a problem that must be resolved.

Self-trust is not certainty that we made the right decision. It is confidence in our ability to respond to whatever follows.