Self-doubt and overthinking are a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation. Self-doubt fuels overthinking, and overthinking, in turn, amplifies self-doubt. Self-doubt is the feeling of not trusting yourself—your voice, your ideas, or your ability to figure things out. Overthinking involves pondering on the “what ifs” and focusing on the possibility of things going out of control or what is lacking. They tend to grow louder when: Here’s the tricky part: self-doubt and overthinking don’t always shout. They often conspire with each other and show up as your brain’s way of protecting you. They hide behind beliefs like: They manifest through: When layers of doubt stack up, overthinking sets in. When you immerse yourself in endless “second thoughts,” self-doubt swallows you. You told yourself you were “being careful” or “being strategic about risks,” but in reality, you were trying to avoid the pain of not feeling enough. Real Client Stories Greg, a former athlete working in finance, often compared himself to others and worried about how he was perceived by them. If he wasn’t outperforming his peers, he felt like he was falling behind. Without external validation, his self-doubt grew louder. He felt stuck, measuring his worth by his achievements and comparing himself to others. Patty, an operations manager, believed that anything less than perfect meant failure. She would triple-check every email, over-prepare for meetings, and shut down when things felt chaotic. She doubted her ability to handle tough situations. The constant overthinking left her mentally and physically drained. Different stories, same struggle: self-doubt and overthinking. They worry about not being enough. What Causes Self-Doubt and Overthinking at Work? To understand the root cause of self-doubt and overthinking, you must first recognize that they affect all of us to some degree. Within a trauma-informed context, the analogy of the survival brain vs. the thinking brain shows how the brain prioritizes safety and bypasses rational thought. In moments we perceive as dangerous—physically or emotionally—the survival brain triggers the fight-or-flight response. Connecting the dots, self-doubt and overthinking are a form of psychological flight response. Maybe we were told, directly or indirectly, that making mistakes wasn’t okay. That being wrong meant something was wrong with us. If we were slower at learning, we were seen as less capable than those who were faster and sharper. We may have also witnessed others being judged or shamed for not conforming to our cultural norms, and we play it safe to follow all the rules. We started measuring our value through overachievement or external praise. We learned not to rock the boat or upset anyone to maintain a sense of control and perfection. If we grew up in a family affected by generational trauma, past pain, fear, or silent suffering, it can get passed down. No one talks about it, and we normalize it, live through it, and potentially pass it down to our next generation. Self-doubt and overthinking become even more prevalent in toxic work cultures and competitive environments where psychological safety is lacking. It can feel like others are constantly judging you and every day is a high-stakes performance. Eventually, burnout happens. Mental and physical depletion become a theme. Constant anxiety begins to compromise our overall well-being. The Vicious Cycle: Negative Thoughts and the “What Ifs” When self-doubt and overthinking take root, it creates an endless feeling of “not ready yet” or “I’m not enough yet.” No matter how careful you are, you still worry about doing it wrong. No matter what you accomplish, you downplay it. No matter how far you’ve come, you focus on what’s still missing. Your brain is wired to run through a list of “what ifs,” looking for flaws and chasing a moving target of “enoughness.” It’s a vicious cycle that slowly erodes your confidence. Another Real Client Story Charlotte has a harsh inner critic that constantly reminds her of her flaws. With that critical voice playing in the background, she struggles to celebrate wins or receive compliments without deflecting or downplaying them. She couldn’t bring herself to send out her resume because she didn’t think it was “ready.” She assumed her past work experience wasn’t enough. She spent hours revising, hesitating, and over-preparing, rather than actually applying. Staying stuck in this loop of negative self-talk holds Charlotte back and stops her from even giving herself the chance to let new opportunities become possible. How Self-Doubt Impacts Your Confidence (and Career) Self-doubt and overthinking might feel personal, but they’re incredibly common, especially in the workplace. You might feel like a fraud or constantly seek others’ opinions because you trust them more than yourself. These are classic signs of low self-esteem that often go unnoticed in high-achievers. You might find it hard to celebrate wins and harder to receive a genuine compliment without deflecting or diminishing it because you don’t think you truly earned it. Your work takes longer to complete as you spend too much time predicting every possible outcome. You are on high alert and fear failure, so you don’t raise your hand as the stake is too high to put yourself out there. If this resonates with you, you are not alone. These behaviors exist even in people you you see as more “successful” than you. However, these tendencies hurt your growth and impact your productivity. The biggest loss? Missed opportunities. You second-guess yourself and avoid challenges that could help you grow. The more uncertain you feel, the less motivated you are to pursue new possibilities. That inaction turns into regret, which then reinforces more doubt and frustration. Practical Strategies to Stop the Spiral Self-doubt and overthinking can’t be entirely eliminated—they’re part of your inner safety system. But they don’t have to run the show. Think of them as signals and reminders to pause, reflect, and make more conscious choices. When you find yourself going down the spiral, break away from your thoughts by taking a few deep breaths and bringing your attention back to the present moment. You can try noticing the five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste,