What are Self Limiting Beliefs?
Self- limiting beliefs are deeply rooted thoughts and assumptions we carry that tell us for example, ‘ I’m not good enough’, ‘not capable’, or simply ‘not worthy of success’. These beliefs often form early in life and manifest subtly – through procrastination, fear of failure, or always waiting for the “right time.”
By resisting the present and placing our hope in an uncertain future, we fall into a cycle of wishful thinking and inaction. We complain, blame others, and wait for something, or someone to save us. In doing so, we miss opportunities and surrender our power.
Are you Holding Yourself Back?
Have you ever felt like something in life is missing. Like you’re waiting for the perfect moment to start living the life you truly want? Maybe you believe that one day things will magically improve. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many people unknowingly hold themselves back through self-limiting beliefs that quietly sabotage their potential.
Life Doesn't Happen to You, it Happens for You
When we believe that life is just happening to us, we fall into a passive mindset. This belief system makes it easy to excuse inaction:
- “I’ll go on that dream holiday one day”
- Career stagnation – “I’m not getting that promotion because of office politics”
- “I’ll find the perfect partner when the time is right.” This can be born from fear of intimacy or self-sabotage in relationships or have trust issues in relationships unable to set boundaries or overcome jealousy
But what if the only thing holding you back…. is YOU?
The Vicious Cycle of Giving Up
When your heart desires something deeply but your mind insists it’s impossible, internal conflict arises. Your mind finds logical reasons to give up:
- I don’t have enough money
- I’m not qualified
- I’m not lovable
Over time these negative thoughts erode your confidence and become self-fulfilling prophecies, making it hard to escape from self limiting beliefs. You start believing you’re not capable, and each time you give up, it reinforces the self belief.
Common Ways We Hold Ourselves Back
You don’t stand up for yourself – Do you speak your truth, especially when it’s uncomfortable? Respect begins with self respect. If you tolerate poor treatment or silence your voice, you teach others to do the same. Owning your worth is essential to breaking free from self-limiting patterns.
You withdraw from relationships – Avoiding vulnerability keeps you disconnected. Holding back your feelings in fear of being misunderstood or hurt prevents authentic connection. Clear communication and emotional presence are key to building meaningful relationships.
You let others talk you out of your dreams or things you want to do – When you allow others to project their fears onto you, you risk abandoning your goals. Whether it’s friends, family, or colleagues, remember: no-one else is living your life. Be the gatekeeper of your dreams.
You ignore your finances – Financial avoidance is a common form of self-sabotage. If you don’t track your spending, delay paying bills, or feel anxious about money, you’re blocking abundance. Awareness and action are the first steps toward financial empowerment.
How to Escape from Self Limiting Beliefs
- Identify and challenge your inner critic: Learn how to identify self-limiting beliefs – Name the thought that’s holding you back, in other words start becoming aware of your inner dialogue. Write down recurring negative thoughts and ask yourself “Is this really true?” Replace the belief with a more rational empowering statement. If you need help to examine their origins and begin subconscious reprogramming to change that belief explore how Anxiety Hypnotherapy can help.
- Use Mental Rehearsal to Reframe Limiting Beliefs: Close your eyes and visualise yourself succeeding at what you want to do better, perhaps acting confidently or handling a challenging situation well. Start the process of retraining the brain to form new neural pathways and accept these mental images as reality. Notice what it feels like, looks like even sounds like. Spend 5-10 minutes each morning visualising your success rich in detail and emotion, replace fear with capability.
- Rewire your Subconscious with Hypnotherapy for Self-Limiting Beliefs: Hypnotherapy a combination of Hypnosis and NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) enables you in a deeply relaxed state to access the subconscious where limiting beliefs reside. This allows for deeper rewiring and emotional release with subconscious reprogramming for positive change.
- Take small, consistent action to Disprove the belief: When you take small manageable action steps to overcome limiting beliefs that directly contradict your limiting belief, these actions create new evidence and gradually build confidence. Confidence builds through doing. For instance, if you have a belief “I’m not good at public speaking” you can change your language to “I can see myself speaking clearly in a calm and confident way”. You could visualise this then firstly try it out when you’re ordering a coffee. Now there’s a thought are you doing this competently already without a second thought? Well how about volunteering to speak briefly in a team meeting. Small wins create big mindset shifts.
Have Gratitude for What We Take for Granted
It is easy to forget the positive things in life when we become negative. Even the smallest mundane things we forget how positive they are. Try this:
Start to notice these when you wake up in the morning.
- Even before you get out of bed think of the positive things in life – that’s one for a start
- You’re in a bed and no doubt with cosy blankets for cold nights, a roof over your head to keep the wind and rain off. There will be clear running water in the taps and then there will be food in the cupboard for breakfast…… that’s five, just in one small sentence!
How you start the day often sets the tone for the day. You know what I mean, ‘you got out on the wrong side’ and it can stay with you all day. Being negative makes it hard to turn around. On the other hand, starting in a positive frame of mind makes it easier to keep the momentum throughout the day.
In conclusion
You were not born to play small, that is to say, the life you want is not out of reach. It’s on the other side of the beliefs you’ve accepted as truth.
Above all, don’t wait for the stars to align. Start now with where you are, with what you have and Escape from Self-Limiting Beliefs.
Break the cycle. Release the doubt. And step into your potential.
