Why You Don’t Believe in Yourself (And How to Fix It) | Dr. Shadé Zahrai
Why You Don’t Believe in Yourself (And How to Fix It) | Dr. Shadé Zahrai  
Podcast: The Dr. Gabrielle Lyon Show
Published On: Tue Feb 17 2026
Description: Want ad-free episodes? Subscribe to Forever Strong Insider: https://foreverstrong.supercast.comSelf-doubt holds more people back than lack of skill or intelligence.In this episode, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon sits down with Dr. Shadé Zahrai to explore the science of confidence, self-trust, and peak performance. They break down why confidence comes after action, how self-image shapes success, and the four psychological drivers that determine whether you thrive or stay stuck.You will learn how body language influences perception, why high performers plan for failure, how perfectionism leads to burnout, and the subtle communication habits that undermine credibility. Most importantly, you will discover how to build what Dr. Zahrai calls Big Trust so you can back yourself before you feel ready.If you struggle with overthinking, imposter thoughts, or feeling capable but not fully confident, this conversation will give you practical tools to change how you show up.CHAPTERS00:00 Confidence science: feeling vs appearing00:51 The opposite of self-doubt and why confidence comes after action01:53 Self-trust before confidence03:03 Nonverbal confidence cues: posture, eye contact, smile, pace07:30 Body language feedback loop: posture and recall09:26 Shadé’s PhD on self-doubt under pressure12:22 What makes people successful: self-image12:30 Self-image blueprint and why change does not stick14:29 The Four A’s: Acceptance, Agency, Autonomy, Adaptability20:26 The self-awareness gap and changing personality traits22:30 Expectation bias and the scar experiment25:54 Self-doubt types: signal vs verdict28:30 Visibility, influence, and the people around you31:16 Which traits are easiest to change35:56 Why capable people still stay stuck40:25 Michael Phelps and visualizing failure recovery42:30 Stop rumination: stimulus control for worry47:45 Self-improvement vs perfectionism vs burnout56:53 The 4 inner deceivers: Judge, Protector, Neglecter, Ringmaster1:11:22 Peak performance and Big Trust1:19:19 Communication habits that kill credibility1:24:18 Stop over-apologizing and reframe emotion1:29:47 Daily habits to build Big Trust and audit your circleThank you to our sponsors: Timeline - Get 35% off a Mitopure subscription at https://www.timeline.com/drlyonBodyHealth - Get 20% off your first order with code LYON20 https://www.bodyhealthaffiliates.com/73L4QL3/7XDN2/Four Sigmatic - Go to http://foursigmatic.com/gabrielle for a free bag of their dark roast ground coffee with a subscription (just pay for shipping & handling).Find Dr. Dr. Shadé Zahrai at: IG: https://www.instagram.com/shadezahrai/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/shadezahrai<li...