Why Do I Still Doubt Myself at Work Even Though I’m Capable?
- Susy Rudkin
- May 23
- 4 min read
Updated: 12 hours ago
You can be experienced, capable and trusted at work — and still quietly struggle with self-doubt.
On the outside, you may be doing your job, delivering results and handling responsibility. But on the inside, it can feel very different.
You replay conversations. Question decisions you've already made. Worry that you've said the wrong thing. Wonder whether you handled something well enough. Perhaps you hesitate to speak up or find yourself looking to other people for reassurance before trusting your own judgement.
And that's what can make self-doubt so frustrating.
Logically, you know you're capable.
You may have years of experience, qualifications, positive feedback and plenty of evidence that you're good at what you do.
So why doesn't knowing that make the self-doubt disappear?
Self-doubt isn't necessarily about your capability
It's easy to assume that feeling more confident requires becoming more competent.
Sometimes it does. If you're genuinely inexperienced in something, developing knowledge and skills can naturally increase confidence.
But what if you already have the evidence?
What if you've successfully handled difficult situations before, other people trust you and there's little objective reason to question whether you're capable?
Then it can be useful to become curious about something else:
What am I thinking or believing in the moments when I doubt myself?
You might discover thoughts such as:
What if I get this wrong?
What if they realise I don't know enough?
I should know the answer.
I can't make a mistake.
What if they disagree with me?
What if I make the wrong decision?
The situation may be happening at work, but the self-doubt can be driven by something deeper than your actual ability to do your job.
Why pressure can bring self-doubt to the surface
You may notice that you're perfectly capable in some situations but begin questioning yourself when the stakes feel higher.
Perhaps it's when you're being observed or evaluated.
When someone challenges you.
When you have to make an important decision.
When you're speaking to someone more senior.
When there's conflict.
Or simply when you don't know exactly how something will turn out.
These situations can activate thoughts and beliefs that aren't particularly noticeable when everything feels comfortable.
That's why telling yourself “Just be more confident” isn't always very helpful.
Instead, it can be far more useful to notice what changes internally when the pressure increases.
Start noticing the thought behind the feeling
When you notice that familiar self-doubt, try asking yourself:
What must I be thinking or believing to feel this way?
Don't worry about finding the “right” answer.
You're simply becoming curious.
Perhaps you notice:
I need them to approve of me.
If I get this wrong, they'll think I'm incompetent.
Other people know better than I do.
I need to be certain before I decide.
Then ask:
Is this thought helpful?
Not “Is it true?”
You don't have to argue with yourself or replace every uncomfortable thought with a positive one.
Instead, notice what happens when you believe it.
Does “I can't get this wrong” help you think clearly — or make you more anxious?
Does “They know better than me” help you contribute your expertise — or cause you to hold back?
Does “I need to be certain” improve your decision-making — or keep you stuck in analysis?
That awareness creates an opportunity to respond differently.
Self-trust grows through experience
Self-trust isn't something you have to wait to feel before you act.
Sometimes it develops because you act despite the uncertainty.
You voice your opinion even though someone may disagree.
You make the decision without asking everyone else what they think first.
You stop rewriting the email.
You acknowledge that you don't know something without deciding that makes you inadequate.
You allow yourself to make the best decision you can with the information available — without demanding a guarantee that it's the right one.
And then you notice what happens.
Perhaps the outcome is fine. Perhaps you make a mistake and discover you can deal with it. Perhaps someone disagrees with you and you survive the discomfort.
Each experience gives you new information about yourself.
Over time, self-trust becomes something you've experienced rather than something you're trying to convince yourself to feel.
You don't need to eliminate self-doubt
The goal isn't necessarily to reach a point where you never question yourself again.
Some self-questioning is useful. It helps us reflect, learn and consider perspectives other than our own.
The problem is when self-doubt routinely overrides your judgement, keeps you silent, drives endless overthinking or prevents you from making decisions you are perfectly capable of making.
Greater self-awareness allows you to begin recognising that pattern as it's happening — and gives you more choice about whether you follow it.
Curious about how you respond under pressure?
The Energy Leadership Index® (ELI) is one of the tools I use in my coaching to help identify patterns in how you perceive and respond to life, particularly during periods of stress, pressure and challenge.
Rather than measuring how capable you are, it can provide a useful starting point for understanding what happens to the way you think, feel and respond when you're under pressure.
Or, if self-doubt is affecting your work or other areas of your life and you'd rather talk about what's happening:
Comments