How to Regain Confidence When You Lose It

Sometimes, a single bad experience can shake your confidence. You might feel like you’re not as good as you thought, and that doubt can creep into other areas of your life. It’s frustrating because deep down, you know you’re capable, but at that moment, it doesn’t feel like it.

The best way to rebuild confidence is to go back to what you’re already good at. Instead of dwelling on failure, double down on your strengths. Doing something you excel at reminds you that you’re not hopeless—you’re just facing a challenge. And once your confidence is back, you’ll feel ready to improve the areas where you struggled.

I experienced this firsthand in MMA practice. I’m good at striking, but one day, I faced an opponent who was a strong wrestler. During our sparring session, I held my own in stand-up fighting, but then he faked a punch, took me down, and I was helpless. He did it again. And again. And again. By the end of practice, my confidence was shattered. The whole day, I felt like I wasn’t good enough. But instead of staying in that mindset, I spent the rest of the week sharpening my striking, focusing on what I knew I could do well. As my confidence returned, I felt motivated to tackle my weakness head-on—so I started training my wrestling with renewed energy.

If you’ve lost confidence, don’t try to fix everything at once. Start with what you already know you’re good at. Once you remind yourself of your abilities, you’ll naturally want to take on the next challenge. Instead of feeling stuck, you’ll feel empowered, ready to improve, and excited to keep going.