6 Secrets To Overcome Imposter Syndrome

What is Imposter Syndrome? Have you ever told yourself:

• “I am a fraud”
• “I only look good, but I am not really good”
• “Will my coworkers like me?” 
• “Will I fit in?” 

There are times when we all doubt ourselves. We may feel that we are not knowledgeable enough, or lack the credentials and experience to carry out specific tasks. This can be true in some instances, that is, all experts, even the most knowledgeable ones, still started as beginners. It is okay to find areas in your life that you can improve on or grow in. However, this self-evaluation turns into a problem when you are already qualified or even overqualified, and yet still view yourself as not being good enough. This idea is called imposter syndrome. Researchers explain that people experiencing Imposter Syndrome feel as though their success is a facade, in other words, they worry that this front will fade and reveal them to be a “fraud”.

Symptoms of Imposter Syndrome

“Do I have Imposter syndrome or am I just bad?” When you experience imposter syndrome, it goes against the reality of your situation. Reality could be, you are a highly motivated and successful individual; You may have attended extensive schooling or training for your career; Also, you may be high-ranking in your field or even have accolades to quantify this success. Despite being more than capable, if you have imposter syndrome, you cannot see this in yourself. 

If you have imposter syndrome, you can experience significant doubt in yourself and feel like you do not deserve a seat at the table you are at. In addition, you may compare yourself to other people around you. Apparently you feel like they deserve the success they have while you do not. As a result, imposter syndrome can provoke fear that these peers will one day see you as the imposter that you think you are.  

Why do you have Imposter Syndrome?

Imposter syndrome can be challenging to handle. Of course you may wonder why this affects people, especially those who are accomplished. Research has shown that imposter syndrome can be a result of a few factors. Researchers state that imposter syndrome is linked to self-doubt and hindered self-esteem. If someone does not view themselves highly or can not appreciate their achievements, they will not see themselves as the successful person they are. 

Not surprisingly, imposter syndrome may accompany other problems. For example, people with imposter syndrome may also be facing depression and anxiety. Clearly these disorders can affect someone’s outlook on their abilities and make them experience low self-esteem and self-worth. It could easily result in procrastination, and of course find you underpaid at work because you do not feel you are worthy or deserve proper treatment.

How to overcome Imposter syndrome?

As we know, imposter syndrome can be linked to a lack of confidence. Therefore, one way to combat imposter syndrome might be to work on your self-esteem, perfectionism, and superman or superwoman tendency.

1. Positive self-talk to overcome Imposter syndrome:

Apparently the way you talk to yourself matters. That is, if you think very negative or self-deprecating thoughts, it is hard to view yourself as worthy. Instead, try to be kind to yourself in your thoughts and words. This way, you can promote appreciation of yourself and the hard work you do. Positive affirmations, for instance, can enhance your self-talk; repeating encouraging mantras can enable a better outlook of yourself. In short, you can recite phrases to yourself like 

• “I am successful,” 
• “I am worthy,” and 
• “I deserve all the things I’ve worked hard for.”

2. Use your “accomplishment toolbox” 

Another techniques is to list your credentials and accomplishments on a piece of paper or document in front of you. This may allow you to view the qualifications you have and really take them in. What to include? At least list all the schooling, training, promotions, job offerings, etc., that you have achieved. 

However big or small this list is, all your accomplishments matter and have shaped you into the successful person you are today.

Specifically, document all your progress at school, at work, and in the project. This will give you the structure you need to focus on your strengths and still work on improving yourself.

3. Manage your perfectionism. 

Apparently in a perfectionist’s eyes, no matter how stellar the performance is, one minor flaw ruins everything, that is, 99 out of 100 equals failure and shame. The way to change that may include:

A). Learning to accept yourself and develop a healthy response to failure and mistake. For instance, it could be to remind yourself, “There is no perfection in this world”, “I am just another human being”. 

B). Adjust your standards and be flexible. What does this mean? When you show your “much flawed” project to your supervisors or co-workers early on in the process, simply remind yourself, it is already good enough, that is, you do not need to spend extra 10 hours to polish it. 

C). Instead of beating yourself up for small mistakes, focus on the learning value and move on with an internal validation, “I’ll get them next time.”

D). Last but not least, get comfortable with imperfection. How about give yourself permission to mess up once in a while. Give yourself a quota to make mistakes since no one is perfect. If your quota is 3 mistakes or errors a day, making 2 of them would not upset you. In general, things may not be great or may not even work when you try it the first time, but it will get better.

4. Change your negative thoughts. 

When your Imposter feeling is triggered, often times, you have distorted thoughts in your head telling you everything negative. This type of distortion usually involves “black or white thinking”, “emotional reasoning”, “jumping to a conclusion”, “mind reading”, “fortune telling”, and many other irrational thinking. After all, you can learn to shift your mindset, or change these thoughts to more rational ones. The table below gives you examples how to reframe your negative thoughts. 

5. Practice mindfulness and visualize success. 

Without a doubt, mindfulness is very helpful to manage your automatic negative thoughts. When you are more aware of and label your Imposter syndrome, you are already able to step back and examine your thoughts. 

• Mindfulness of breathing can assist you to calm the mind and let go of detrimental thought patterns such as “I am fraud” or “people will figure out how stupid I am”. 
• Letting go is another process to bring peace to your inner world instead of being dragged into rumination of self-doubt. 
• Practicing gratitude is another mindfulness approach to show love, kindness, and a positive attitude towards yourself and others. 
• In addition, creating a state of mindfulness also helps you to be more conscious about your actions and their effect. Consequently, it creates a positive behavior shift of taking initiatives more confidently.

6. Treat depression and anxiety

When people who have imposter syndrome also experience depression and anxiety, it can be beneficial to see professional counseling to treat these issues. Working on your depression and anxiety symptoms may help alleviate the imposter syndrome. A therapist could help you to reframe the negative feelings and thoughts to be more positive, in other words, if you feel like you are not good enough, therapy could help you to view yourself more positively. Researchers suggest that attending group therapy might be beneficial to help people with imposter syndrome to feel less secluded and detached from others. 

In a word, know that if you have imposter syndrome, you are worthy of seeing the person you truly are, that is, a highly motivated and thriving person that deserves all they have achieved. Mind Connections provides many services that can help you improve your self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and more. 

Content Creator, Victoria Gallo; Reviewed by Dr. June Cao