New research shows why people with anxiety struggle to recognize their capabilities even after performing well and how external feedback can break the cycle.

Picture this: You finish a presentation at work that went smoothly—you answered every question, made your points clearly, and even received compliments afterward. Yet that evening, you can’t stop replaying the tiny hesitation before one of your answers or worrying about a slide transition that was slightly off. Despite the objective success, you feel like a fraud.

If this sounds familiar, you’re experiencing what researchers now understand as a metacognitive distortion—a phenomenon where anxiety prevents your brain from accurately assessing your performance.

Recent findings from the University of Copenhagen have shed light on why many people with anxiety remain trapped in cycles of self-doubt despite repeated successes. This research offers valuable insights into why the anxious brain selectively filters experiences in ways that maintain negative self-perception, with profound implications for both psychological well-being and sleep health.

The Hidden Mechanism: How We Judge Ourselves

At the foundation of this phenomenon lies metacognition—our ability to reflect on our thinking and assess our capabilities. For most people, this self-reflection system works reasonably well. After completing tasks, they form judgments about their performance that align with reality.

“Metacognition serves as our internal measuring stick,” explains Dr. Jeffery Wilson, Clinical Director at Sleep Recovery. “When functioning properly, it helps us build an accurate picture of our strengths and weaknesses, allowing us to approach future challenges appropriately.”

However, for those with anxiety or depression, this system goes awry. Rather than forming a balanced assessment based on all available information, the anxious mind will fixate on moments of uncertainty while discarding evidence of competence. This selective attention creates a persistent sense of inadequacy that defies objective reality.

Inside the Study: Digital Fruit and Distorted Judgment

The Copenhagen study used an innovative approach to capture this distortion in action. Researchers recruited participants with varying levels of anxiety and depression symptoms to play a computer game, helping the residents of a fictional town, “Fruitville,” harvest fruit. This task required visual skills and memory.

After each portion of the game, participants rated their confidence in their answers. Ultimately, they evaluated their overall performance. This design allowed researchers to track how individual moments of confidence or doubt contributed to participants’ overall self-assessment.

The results were striking. While participants with anxiety often performed the tasks successfully, they predominantly focused on the moments when they felt uncertain. Even when instances of high confidence outnumbered these moments, the low-confidence experiences dominated their overall self-perception.

“What makes this finding so important is that it explains why many people remain stuck in cycles of self-doubt despite building impressive track records of success,” notes David Mayen, Founder and Program Director at Sleep Recovery. “Their brains simply aren’t registering the positive data.”

Beyond the Laboratory: Real-World Consequences

“I kept waiting for them to realize I didn’t know what I was doing,” he recalls. “For every code review, I’d focus on a few suggestions for improvement and completely discount the praise for the innovative solutions I’d created.”

This persistent underconfidence ultimately led Michael to decline a promotion, as he believed he “wasn’t ready.” He began questioning his self-assessment only after his manager explicitly highlighted his consistent achievements.

The real damage occurs when people start making life choices based on these distorted self-perceptions. They might:

• Avoid pursuing promotions or new opportunities
• Withdraw from social situations where they fear judgment
• Experience heightened stress from constantly feeling inadequate
• Develop performance anxiety that impairs functioning
• Struggle with sleep as their minds replay perceived failures

The Sleep Connection: When Negative Self-Talk Keeps You Awake

The link between metacognitive distortions and sleep disturbances is profound. For many people with anxiety, nighttime becomes a theater for replaying perceived inadequacies, creating a feedback loop that further entrenches negative self-perception.

“We frequently see clients whose sleep begins deteriorating after they start new jobs or take on challenging projects,” explains Mayen. “Their brains selectively catalog every moment of uncertainty throughout the day, then replay these moments during the quiet hours when they should be sleeping.”

This nocturnal rumination disrupts sleep and strengthens neural pathways associated with negative self-assessment. By morning, my distorted perception feels even more certain, creating a cycle that is difficult to break without the help of a skilled clinician.

Lisa, a marketing executive who sought help for chronic insomnia, discovered this connection firsthand. “I would lie awake mentally drafting emails I’d already sent, convinced I’d made terrible mistakes. Even though my campaigns were successful by every measure, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was failing.”

Breaking Through: The Power of External Validation

The most hopeful finding from the Copenhagen study was that external feedback could effectively counter these distortions. When participants received explicit positive feedback about their performance—rather than having to rely on their internal assessment—even those with significant anxiety symptoms could update their self-perception more accurately.

This self-view aligns with what clinicians have long observed: validation from trusted sources can temporarily override the brain’s negative filtering system.

“External feedback provides counterevidence that’s harder for the anxious brain to dismiss,” explains Dr. Wilson. “When someone else directly acknowledges your capabilities, it creates a moment of cognitive dissonance that can begin shifting entrenched beliefs.”

However, the effect is often short-lived unless the underlying neural patterns are addressed. Many individuals report a brief boost in confidence following praise, only to have doubts creep back as their brain returns to its habitual filtering patterns.

Rewiring the Anxious Brain: A Neurological Approach

Understanding metacognitive distortion as a brain-based phenomenon opens the door to neurologically-focused interventions. When the brain consistently filters information in ways that maintain anxiety, techniques that directly address these neural patterns may offer more lasting results than approaches focused solely on conscious thinking.

“The anxious brain develops specific firing patterns that become self-reinforcing,” explains Mayen. “Through neurofeedback and brainwave training, we can help the brain recognize these patterns and develop healthier alternatives.”

This approach targets the root of metacognitive distortion at the neurological level. Rather than simply contradicting negative thoughts, it helps the brain develop new ways of processing information about personal performance.

James, a college professor who struggled with impostor syndrome despite holding tenure and receiving teaching awards, found this approach transformative. “Cognitive techniques would help briefly, but my brain would always find new evidence that I was inadequate. The neurofeedback helped something click deeper—I could feel my reaction to criticism changing.”

Beyond the Research: Practical Applications

1. External Reality Checks

Create systems that provide objective feedback about your performance. This might include:

• Regular check-ins with supervisors or mentors
• Tracking concrete metrics related to your goals
• Saving positive feedback to review when doubts arise
• Asking trusted friends to highlight strengths you might overlook

2. Pattern Interruption

When caught in cycles of negative self-assessment, consciously shift your focus:

• Document three specific things you did well each day
• Ask, “Would I judge someone else this harshly for the same action?”
• Look for evidence that contradicts your negative assessment
• Notice when you’re dismissing positive feedback and pause

3. Neurological Retraining

Address the brain patterns underlying metacognitive distortion:

• Neurofeedback sessions that target anxiety-related brain activity
• Breathwork practices that activate the parasympathetic nervous system
• Consistent sleep patterns that support cognitive balance
• Mindfulness practices that build awareness of thought patterns

4. Environmental Modifications

Create surroundings that support accurate self-perception:

• Limit exposure to critical or judgmental individuals
• Structure work environments to provide regular positive feedback
• Establish boundaries with people who reinforce negative self-assessment
• Build relationships with those who see and acknowledge your strengths

Case Study: Rewiring Self-Perception

Rachel, a 32-year-old attorney, sought help for insomnia that had developed after making a partner at her firm. Despite achieving this significant career milestone, she was lying awake nightly, replaying client interactions and doubting her capabilities.

“I kept thinking they’d made a mistake promoting me,” she recalls. “Every night, I’d go over all the ways I thought I’d fallen short that day, even though objectively, I was managing my caseload successfully.”

After completing a sleep assessment, it became clear that Rachel’s insomnia was secondary to anxiety maintained by metacognitive distortion. Her brain was filtering out evidence of competence while amplifying moments of uncertainty—exactly the pattern identified in the Copenhagen research.

Rachel’s treatment involved a dual approach: addressing the neurological patterns through brainwave training while also implementing practical strategies to counter her brain’s negative filtering tendencies.

“We had Rachel create what we call a ‘reality portfolio’—a collection of concrete evidence of her capabilities that was too substantial to dismiss,” explains Mayen. “This included performance reviews, successful case outcomes, and client testimonials.”

Simultaneously, biofeedback sessions helped reset the brain patterns underlying her anxiety and sleep disruption. Within three weeks, Rachel reported falling asleep more easily and experiencing fewer intrusive thoughts about her performance. By six weeks, her confidence assessments more accurately reflected her actual capabilities.

“The most surprising change was how I started experiencing criticism,” Rachel notes. “Instead of seeing it as confirmation of inadequacy, I could take it as useful information without triggering a spiral of self-doubt.”

The Path Forward: Changing the Inner Conversation

The Copenhagen findings highlight a crucial truth: for many people with anxiety, the path to accurate self-perception does not lie in accumulating more achievements, but in changing how the brain processes evidence of capability.

This understanding shifts the focus from external accomplishments to internal processing. When someone says, “I just need to succeed more to feel confident,” the research suggests otherwise. Even one’s remarkable achievements will be filtered through the same distorted lens without addressing the metacognitive distortion.

Instead, lasting change comes from helping the brain develop new ways of assessing performance, ones that incorporate the full spectrum of experiences rather than selectively focusing on moments of doubt.

Recognition is the first step for those struggling with this pattern. Noticing when your assessment of your capabilities doesn’t align with objective feedback provides the opening for change. From there, approaches that combine neurological retraining with concrete reality testing often yield the most sustainable results.

Conclusion: Beyond the Distortion

The Copenhagen data provides substantiation for individuals who are trapped in self-doubt despite achieving objective success. By understanding that these feelings stem from specific brain mechanisms rather than actual inadequacy, we can approach them with targeted strategies rather than endless self-improvement efforts.

For many, the most powerful insight is simply recognizing that their brain is lying to them—that the persistent sense of inadequacy stems from a filtering problem rather than actual incompetence. This recognition creates space to question the inner narrative rather than accept it as truth.

If you find yourself dismissing successes while fixating on moments of doubt, consider whether metacognitive distortion might be at play. This pattern can significantly impact how you feel about yourself and affect your sleep, stress levels, and overall quality of life.

For more information on addressing anxiety-related sleep issues and metacognitive distortion, contact Sleep Recovery at 1-800-927-2339 or visit their website at https://sleeprecovery.net