Low Confidence and Anxiety: Why They’re Often Linked

My latest regular Ely Standard column is all about the link between confidence and anxiety. My article also appears in the Cambs Times, Hunts Post and Wisbech Standard.

Many people describe struggling with low confidence – hesitating to speak up, doubting themselves, struggling to make decisions or holding back through fear of getting things wrong.

What’s often less obvious is that anxiety frequently sits underneath low confidence, quietly shaping how safe or capable someone feels in everyday situations.

In my work as an anxiety specialist in Ely, I regularly meet people who feel frustrated with themselves for “not being more confident”, without realising how much anxiety and overthinking are influencing their confidence levels.

When anxiety affects confidence

Anxiety doesn’t always show up as panic. For many people, it appears as:

• constant self-doubt
• overthinking conversations or decisions
• avoidance and struggling to do new things
• fear of judgement or criticism
• tension or unease in social or work situations

When anxiety is present, the nervous system stays on alert. The brain prioritises safety over clarity, which makes everyday interactions feel more effortful and confidence naturally shrinks.

Over time, this can lead to avoidance – speaking less, taking fewer risks, or staying within a smaller comfort zone. From the outside, it looks like a confidence issue. Inside, it often feels like a constant mental battle.

Your anxiety leads to lower confidence levels and that, in turn, makes you more anxious in certain situations. It becomes a self re-enforcing cycle.

If you’re looking for a broader overview of how anxiety shows up in everyday life, you may also find my Anxiety Support Hub for Ely helpful.

Why “trying to be confident” doesn’t always work

Many people are told to “push through”, “fake it” or “just be more confident”. While well-intended, this advice can feel unhelpful when anxiety is driving the problem.

Sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone and getting used to new things does lead to increased confidence and self-belief. However, for many, it leads to more anxiety and frustration about the same old negative thoughts and feelings resurfacing time and time again.

Confidence tends to grow when the nervous system feels calmer and safer – not when pressure is added. When anxiety settles, thinking becomes clearer and confidence often begins to return naturally.

When confidence dips, it doesn’t mean you’re going backwards or failing – it often means anxiety and pressure have increased. With the right understanding, confidence can begin to rebuild and strengthen.

Understanding the link can be reassuring

Recognising that low confidence is often linked to anxiety – rather than personal weakness or flaw – can be an important turning point.

It explains why confidence can fluctuate, why setbacks happen during stressful periods, and why gentle, supportive approaches tend to work better than forcing change.

If anxiety and overthinking have been affecting how confident you feel, support is available. With the right understanding and guidance, both anxiety and confidence can improve together.

About this topic:
This article expands on a recent column published in the Ely Standard exploring current trends in low confidence, anxiety and overthinking:

Low Confidence and Anxiety – Ely Standard

The article also appeared in the Cambs Times, Hunts Post, Peterborough Matters and Wisbech Standard.

For more detail on how anxiety and low confidence interact on a practical level, see this related article: Low Confidence and Anxiety

If you’d like to talk things through, a free initial consultation is available.

👉 Book a free consultation

To your health and happiness,

Dan Regan

Anxiety Therapy and Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

Could you use some help with your anxiety? Struggling with anxiety, stress, worry and fear and need some help? Find out how I can help with a Complimentary Anxiety Hypnotherapy Strategy Session. Learn more here: Appointments

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And check out these popular and powerful hypnosis downloads that can start helping you right away with anxiety, confidence and more: Hypnosis Downloads