Low Confidence and Anxiety: Why They’re Often Linked

Low confidence and anxiety often go hand in hand. Many people I work with in Ely, Newmarket and the surrounding Cambridgeshire area notice that when anxiety becomes more persistent, their confidence gradually fades – even in situations that once felt manageable.

In the same way, if you struggle with low confidence, then it leads to worry, self-doubt, anxiety and dread. You worry about messing up, being found out, what others think and about whether you have the ability to do things. You may constantly criticise yourself and be harsh about what you do or what you feel you can’t do. This leads to feeling low and anxiety and so you avoid things and stay firmly within your comfort zone. You may find you take things personally and struggle when challenges arise or things go wrong.

Back when I used to struggle with anxiety and low confidence, there were some situations where I felt totally fine, comfortable and self-assured. Yet, there were other times where I was caught in a spiral of fear, doubt and worry. I would avoid things, escape from things and work hard to disguise how I really felt. I would try to orchestrate things to make them feel more manageable for me and would worry about expressing my opinion in case there was any backlash that could make me crumble.

Sometimes you may be able to hide how you feel from others. Yet the same cycle of negative thought and feelings repeat internally over and over. You get that feeling in the pit of your stomach, your mind races as you think the worst, and the anxiety and doubt increase.

People I work with in Ely often describe feeling less sure of themselves, more self-critical, or worried about how they come across to others. Over time, this can affect work, relationships and everyday decisions.

How anxiety impacts confidence

Anxiety keeps the nervous system on high alert. When your body feels tense or unsafe, your mind naturally becomes more cautious.

This can show up as:

• second-guessing yourself
• worrying about making mistakes
• avoiding situations where you might feel judged
• replaying conversations afterwards

From the outside, this can look like ‘low confidence’. In reality, it’s often a nervous system trying to protect you from perceived threat.

You may also find my Anxiety Support Hub helpful for exploring how anxiety affects thoughts, emotions and physical sensations.

Why confidence doesn’t improve through willpower alone

Many people try to rebuild confidence by pushing themselves harder or telling themselves to ‘be more confident’. While this can help temporarily, it often doesn’t last.

I can remember at school thinking I would feel more confident if I put my hand up to answer questions in class at least three times a day. I pushed myself to try and do more. This led me to try and do even more things to get beyond my comfort zone. I always felt if I just did this enough then my confidence levels would catch up and rise. Although these things led to short term gains, the underlying habitual pattern of low confidence and anxiety would always creep back in.

That’s because confidence isn’t just a mindset – it’s closely linked to how safe and settled the nervous system feels. When anxiety is present, the body remains tense, and self-belief struggles to take hold.

Understanding this can be reassuring. It explains why confidence can feel difficult even when you know logically that you’re capable.

Your mind works on habit and pattern. In the same kind of situations you get the same types of thoughts and feelings repeating.

FAQ – Why does anxiety affect confidence?
Anxiety influences how your brain predicts threat and safety. When your nervous system stays alert even in safe situations, it can make self-belief less accessible and magnify worry about performance or judgement – which consequently reduces confidence.

Rebuilding confidence gently

As anxiety begins to ease, confidence often returns naturally. When the body feels calmer, the mind becomes less self-critical and more flexible.

Rather than forcing confidence, it can help to focus on:

• reducing baseline anxiety
• calming the nervous system
• interrupting negative thought patterns
• breaking cycles of self-doubt

And if low confidence difficulties feel closely linked to ongoing anxiety for you, one-to-one support may help to calm your thoughts and increase your sense of self assuredness.:
👉 Anxiety therapy and hypnotherapy in Ely

With the right support, approach and strategies, you can calm anxiety and start feeling more confident and in control, making this your new habitual pattern of thinking and feeling from here onwards.

To your health and happiness,

Dan Regan

Anxiety Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

Could you use some help with low confidence and anxiety in Ely, Newmarket or Online? Struggling with anxiety, stress, worry and fear and need some help? Contact me to book your Free Anxiety Consultation: Contact Dan

Find out what hundreds of other people have said after their low confidence and anxiety hypnotherapy sessions in Ely with Dan: Hypnotherapy Testimonials

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