Dr. Shadé Zahrai

So the very, very first one, the first driver of your self-doubt, which shapes your self-image, is what we call acceptance, self-acceptance.

It relates to this personality trait of self-esteem.

So how you see yourself in terms of your value and your worth.

Now, if you don't accept yourself, it shows up in four painfully familiar habits.

The first one is what we call the pressure to prove.

You feel like you constantly have to prove yourself through your work, through your performance.

You have to prove that you are of value to other people.

So you seek their validation and their praise.

And when you don't get it, it becomes this automatic switch and you need to win it back.

That's the first.

The second one is what we call the shrinking syndrome.

So this is where someone might be afraid of success because they don't accept who they are and therefore they're afraid of what will happen if something amazing happens to them because deep down they don't feel like they deserve it.

So then they try and sabotage before they get there.

The third is what we call the schadenfreude cycle.

And the schadenfreude cycle, you may have heard of it.

It's a German term.

It's that moment when you see someone else fail and you suddenly feel really good about yourself.

You feel a little bit better about yourself.

You enjoy other people's failures.

This is a sign that you do not accept yourself.