101 Emotions
Like the phoenix, this is about the power of rising — no matter how many times your spirit is crushed.
· Self-trust is the feeling thatI can rely on myself.
· Its not loud. Its not bravado.Its a quiet inner Ive got me.
· For me, self-trust means I takemy own reality seriously especiallyafter years of being dismissed, doubted, or trained to second-guess.
· Self-trust protects me frombeing talked out of my truth.
· It helps me make decisionswithout collapsing into fear, guilt, or over-explaining.
· It rebuilds safety insideme so Im not dependent on other peoplesapproval to function.
· In my body:
o A steadier chest and breath
o Less bracing before I speak
o A grounded feeling in mystomach/legs
· In my mind:
o I know what I know.
o Less rumination after decisions
o Clearer boundaries between myresponsibility and other peoples reactions
· In my behaviour:
o I make a decision and followthrough
o I stop asking for permission tohave needs
o I dont keep explaining myselfto people who are committed to misunderstanding me
o I choose safer people and saferenvironments earlier
· Being gaslit, minimised, orrepeatedly not believed
· Coercive control (where my nowasnt allowed)
· Systems that treat me like aproblem instead of a person
· Trauma patterns: fawn/freeze,over-apologising, over-responsibility
· Burnout and sensory overload(when my capacity is low, my doubt gets louder)
· Keeping small promises tomyself
· Writing things down so myreality cant be rewritten later
· Choosing boundaries early(before Im desperate)
· Safe witnesses: people wholisten and dont rush me
· Evidence over time: I handledthat. I survived that. I learned from that.
· Self-trust is: I can rely on myself. My judgement matters. I will protect me.
· Self-esteem is: I have worth. Im allowed to exist.
· For me, self-trust is often thefirst brick. Self-esteem can grow after, because I start treating myself like Imatter.
· Certainty: self-trust doesnt mean Im always right it means I can learn withoutself-destruction.
· Confidence performance: looking confident isnt the same as trusting myself.
· Independence: self-trust can include asking for help its not isolation.
· What I need:
o Time to think without pressure
o Space to feel without beingcorrected
o Permission to change my mind asI learn
o Support that doesnt override me
· What has to stop / what Iwont do:
o I wont keep outsourcing myreality to people who benefit from my doubt
o I wont treat discomfort asproof Im wrong
o I wont make decisions frompanic and call it intuition
· What helps me in the moment(05 minutes):
1. Ask: What do I know for sure?(facts only)
2. Ask: What does my body say?(tight, heavy, open, braced)
3. Write one sentence: My nextright step is ___.
4. Use a boundary line: Im goingto think about that and get back to you.
· What helps me the same day(560 minutes):
1. Make one small decision andfollow through (proof-building).
2. Reduce noise: fewer opinions,fewer tabs, fewer people.
3. Reality-check: If my bestfriend told me this, would I believe them?
4. Journal: Where did I abandonmyself today, and what would it look like not to?
· What helps me longer term:
o Keep a proof log (wins,boundaries kept, hard things survived)
o Build routines that protect mycapacity (because doubt spikes when Im depleted)
o Learn my red flags formanipulation/minimising
o Practice saying no inlow-stakes places so its available in high-stakes ones
· If I cant trust myself rightnow, I treat that as a capacity issue not a character flaw.
· Sometimes the first step is nottrust. Its I will not abandon myself today.
· Vignette ideas:
o The first time I believed myown no.
o A moment I stopped explainingand chose myself anyway.
· Self-trust often sits near: Courage, Hope, Calm
· Self-trust can be attackedby: Guilt, Shame, Fear, Anxiety
· Tools that support me here: Boundary scripts, Values list, Grounding, Proof log template
· Im not a therapist. Im sharingmy lived experience and what Ive learned along the way because the more we talk about theseexperiences and emotions honestly, the more chance we have of protecting futuregenerations.
· Read more about this projecthere: About 101 Emotions (link)