5 Ways Of Dealing With Imposter Syndrome

Dealing with imposter syndrome is exhausting and challenging. It feels as though your own mind has turned against you.

Instead of believing in your own abilities, you feel like a fraud and become filled with anxiety.

Imposter syndrome is a subconscious process that can be triggered whenever you leave your comfort zone.

Starting a new job, facing a challenge, being surrounded by people who are different from you are all situations that can bring about imposter feelings.

Overcoming the imposter mindset takes a lot of work because you’re likely changing beliefs you’ve nurtured your entire life. But it’s not impossible!

How do I get rid of imposter syndrome?

The only way to overcome feeling like an imposter is to start believing in yourself.

Think about it this way: imposter syndrome means you doubt yourself. You don’t think you have what it takes. You place everyone else on a pedestal and dismiss your own success as if it was accidental.

Once you understand that your feelings of inadequacy are caused by self-doubt, you can start working on counteracting doubt with confidence.

Here are a few other strategies for dealing with imposter syndrome:

1. Understand the difference between high standards and perfectionism

Hard workers and high achievers set big goals, which leads to career growth and success.

But it’s also easy for people in this group to become perfectionists who always think poorly of their job performance, even when they are doing their best work.

One way of dealing with imposter feelings is to let go of your inner perfectionist.

Call yourself out when you notice you’re becoming too self-critical.

Take note of your accomplishments and remember that mistakes are not proof you’re a failure. It just means you’re learning something new.

2. True imposters don’t feel like imposters

Did you know that Michelle Obama dealt with feeling like an imposter when she was young?

And yet she graduated from Princeton University, Harvard Law School, and went on to become one of the most respected First Ladies of the US.

(You can add Maya Angelou and Tina Fey to the list – it seems like anyone suffering from imposter syndrome is in very good company.)

Whether you went to Harvard or not, it helps to remember that actual imposters rarely feel this way.

In fact, being overly confident in your abilities can hurt you, as you’ll be less likely to ask for help, learn from others, and accept feedback.

3. Look back on your childhood

Negative or even traumatic childhood experiences can have a myriad of negative consequences on our adult lives. And a lack of confidence can usually be traced back to childhood.

Did your parents celebrate your success or did they barely pay any attention to what you were up to unless you were in trouble?

If you’re in the second group, then you probably grew up thinking that your good grades or other talents were nothing special.

These beliefs become subconscious, so even when you’re incredibly good at something, you still feel like a fraud.

The worst part is that most people don’t realize the root cause of these feelings, so they become frustrated with their own inability to let go of self-doubt. But when we uncover why these beliefs formed, they lose their power.

4. Separate feelings from facts

The next time you’re overcome with self-doubt, try to stop your train of thought and pay attention to outside factors that could be triggering you.

Perhaps you’ve been overworking yourself and aren’t getting enough sleep. And as a result, you succumb to negative emotions as soon as a small inconvenience happens. But these negative emotions are not facts.

You might feel that your career success so far has been an accident, but what are the facts? Your skills, experience, and past education probably speak a different story. So why believe temporary emotions over facts?

5. Understand your triggers

We all have periods of time when our inner critic isn’t quite as loud.

And then bam, it’s back with a vengeance.

But it didn’t appear out of thin air – there was a trigger that kicked imposter syndrome into motion.

There was a period of time when my biggest trigger was being in a group of people where everyone went to better schools than I.

You could be triggered by wealth or learning new things – any scenario where you’re outside of your comfort zone.

When you understand what triggers you, it’s easier to avoid falling into the trap of negative self-talk that imposter syndrome brings.

Overcoming the imposter phenomenon is a lifelong process for many people. I’ve found that there are ebbs and flows in this process, and I give myself space to overcome these difficult emotions when they arise.

The truth is that there might never be a point in your life when you completely get rid of your inner critic. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But you can absolutely make it more manageable!

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