What is Self-doubt and how can we transcend it?
Self-doubt is something almost everyone has experienced at some point. You make a decision, and then—if you have this tendency—suddenly, doubt creeps in, making you question it all over again.
So what exactly is happening?
It’s important to recognize that doubt is just a thought. It arises involuntarily in the mind, and if we’re not aware enough, it takes hold of us before we even realize it. It multiplies, and soon, our entire awareness collapses into that single thought. At this point, our energetic body is affected too—manifesting as heaviness, mental fog, anxiety, or a sudden drop in energy.
When this happens, we become completely identified with the doubt and lose our ability to see things clearly or from a broader perspective. And ironically, in our attempt to escape the confusion, we often try to think our way out—believing that if we just analyze it enough, we’ll find a solution. But this only traps us further in the cycle of doubt.
So how to best work with doubt?
In my experience, the most effective way to work with doubt is through an integrated approach—one that addresses the mind, the energetic body, and the conscious choice to cultivate new, supportive thoughts. This method is powerful because it works on every layer of our being.
1. Expanding Awareness Beyond Thought
We need a practice that helps us transcend thought—one that allows us to see thoughts as they arise and gives us enough awareness to decide whether we want to engage with them. Ask yourself:
Is this thought helpful in any way?
Is it relevant to me right now?
Without a practice of expanding awareness, such as meditation, we often fail to even notice the doubtful thought until it has already taken hold of us, draining our energy. That’s why cultivating this awareness is essential.
I also want to highlight the importance of asking whether the thought is relevant in this moment. Sometimes, doubt carries a kernel of truth, making it even harder to let go. In these cases, pausing and asking, Even if this thought is true, is it relevant for me right now? can be incredibly helpful.
2. Working with the Energetic Body (Pranamayakosha)
When doubt arises, our energy becomes unstable. There may be an underlying sense of anxiety, and simply telling yourself to “stop worrying” doesn’t work—because the energetic body (pranic body) is subtler than thought. Once doubt has affected this layer, it operates at a deeper level.
This is why energetic practices such as kriya and pranayama are so important. They help us develop a strong energetic field and the ability to shift our energy—a kind of energetic intelligence. If we neglect the role of prana, it becomes incredibly difficult to break free from the spiral of doubt. You may know that you should trust yourself more, but if your energy doesn’t support that, shifting your state becomes a struggle.
Other ways to shift energy include movement—such as going for a run in nature or playing music. However, having a conscious practice for working with the energetic body is invaluable.
3. Cultivating New Thought
Finally, we must actively generate thoughts that support our growth. Throughout the day, we learn to favor these thoughts over all others—nurturing them until they become powerful enough to influence not just our mindset but even our physiology.
A highly effective tool for this is Japa Mala practice, which trains the mind to stay focused on a mantra rather than being pulled into involuntary thought. Over time, the new thought pattern becomes stronger and more dominant and you will be able to back it with your energy.
Conclusion
If we truly want to free ourselves from doubt, an integrated approach is essential. This means:
Addressing the mind through meditation, learning to transcend thought.
Consciously generating new, supportive thoughts rather than being consumed by doubt.
Learning to shift and stabilize our energetic state, so we’re not pulled down by mental patterns.
With this practice, when a doubtful thought arises, you’ll know how to disengage from it and shift your energy. And once you can shift your energy, you can also learn to back yourself. Over time, the habitual energy of self-doubt begins to dissolve.
As my teacher Anand Ji uses to say: “All doubt is ultimately self doubt. And self doubt is existential anxiety. And there is no antidote to it!!! In the sense of there is no external solution to that problem. That ultimately you can get to a decision that will make you feel less anxious!!”
So if we have that pattern within us - it doesn’t matter which decision we make, doubt will creap in anyway. Because there is this tendency within us of not fully trusting ourselves and our capacity.
Another very powerful reminder from my teacher here was that ultimately it is never about the decisions we make, but about the decision maker. And in a state of confusion we give away our power to the decision, thinking that it is the choice we make that will shape us. We don’t want to take the responsibility for the consequences that come with the choice. But yoga teaches us that the experiencer is the experience. So take your power back. Shift your inner state first. Meet yourself at a deeper level—beyond thought—and expand your awareness. True clarity doesn’t come from obsessing over choices but from deepening your connection to your own intelligence through this integrated approach.
I so hope that this post was helpful, you can always message me if you have any questions and can start with your personal sādhana to cultivate more inner trust now by following this link.
I will end with a very potent quote: “Realise everything in your life is the way it is because you gave it permission to be so.” - Anand Mehrotra
Lots of love,
Janina 🧡