Ten Ways to Overcome Imposter Syndrome

Have you ever struggled with the feeling that whatever you do isn’t good enough?

Well, if so, don’t worry because over 70% of the population has experienced imposter syndrome at one point or another in their life.

Not sure what imposter syndrome is? Imposter syndrome is when you doubt your abilities and feel like a fraud. It can make a high-achieving individuals feel inadequate or undeserving of their accomplishments.

So basically, anything you do either in your personal or professional life feels like it just doesn’t make the cut, despite having evidence that it does. Why do we as humans have an innate ability to discredit and devalue the hard work that we do? No one quite knows why we feel the need to act in this way, whether it is our upbringing, societal biases, or our deep rooted anxieties. While scouring the internet for some information, I came across an article on impostersyndrome.com and it described 10 ways to overcome imposter syndrome:

No. 1 – Break the silence

If you are experiencing any of these feelings, try talking to a close friend or family member. By taking initiative and control over how you feel by being open about it, you can begin to make small, incremental improvements in the way you see yourself. 

No. 2 – Separate feelings from fact 

You know when you do something dumb and you end up thinking about it for the entire day? Well, just because you do something that you fear may been seen as “dumb” or “stupid” it certainly doesn’t mean that you are. Try to separate those negative feelings away from the person that you really are. 

No. 3 – Recognize when you should feel fraudulent

There may be a time where you’ll be the oldest or youngest person in the room, the only Black person, or the only woman in a meeting. In this case, it is understandable to have feelings that you are out of place and don’t belong. Recognize that even if you may be the odd person out, it doesn’t mean that you don’t belong where you are.

No. 4 – Accentuate the positive

Always try to achieve the best you can, because you are capable of it. We often get caught up in our heads about what could go wrong, but forget that there are things that we can strive for excellence in because we are good at them. 

No. 5 – Develop a healthy response to failure and mistake making

We all make mistakes. Changing our mindset, however, from a negative response of “failure” to seeing it as  a lesson or  experience is a healthy response. Every time you make a mistake, try looking at it from an educational perspective instead. What did you learn? 

No. 6 – Right the rules

Veer away from the notion that you should know everything because frankly, we all need help once in a while. Try to remember that it is natural for us to ask for help when it’s needed, or to take a day off when it’s warranted. 

No. 7 – Develop a new script

This is a chance to turn that little negative voice in your head into your own personal development coach. When we start a new job, instead of thinking ‘Oh no, everyone here is better at their job than me,’ try thinking ‘Wow this is going to be a great learning opportunity for me.’ Simply shifting our negative inner dialogue to a more positive and uplifting one can do wonders. 

No. 8 – Visualize success

Many of us are perfectionists.  Take time before your big presentation, first day of work, or meeting up with your blind date, to visualize the situation going well, or as close to perfect it can be. By going into these situations with the mindset that it will go well, you will help reduce the stress you may feel about it beforehand. 

No. 9 – Reward yourself

Okay, you’ve done something great… so celebrate it! This is your chance to reinforce a job well done. Go for dinner, take a hot bath, crack open a bottle of wine. Do what makes you feel good because you deserve it. 

No. 10 – Fake it ‘til you make it!

Sometimes confidence in ourselves comes from taking a leap of faith. Don’t wait around for opportunities to improve your mindset, go out there and take a little risk. Overtime, you will find yourself more capable of acting quickly on your feet when confidence in your abilities is a must. 

#YesSheCan

Author: Carlynn Overbury, Marketing Coordinator