You won’t be surprised to learn that 70% of people experience imposter syndrome at least once in their lives. This psychological condition makes even the most qualified people feel like they have somehow scammed their way to the top.
Overcoming imposter syndrome is possible. With the right mindset changes and internal reflection, you will get back to feeling like the most confident version of yourself.
Find out how to get over imposter syndrome below.
Understand What You’re Experiencing
To get over imposter syndrome, you need to understand what it is. If you doubt yourself or feel like you don’t deserve anything you’ve achieved, you are experiencing imposter syndrome.
You’ll feel like a fraud and as though you’ve tricked all your colleagues into believing certain things about you. You may also experience burnout, self-criticism, and an intense expectation to be perfect.
However, it’s important to remember that you can’t control what others think of you. So, if your colleagues believe you are great at your job, then they must have a reason for doing so!
Separate Your Thoughts From Reality
One important thing to note about imposter syndrome is that it’s all in your head. You have convinced yourself that your reality is a certain way, even when it isn’t.
This is a great place to start when it comes to getting over imposter syndrome. Know that what you’re experiencing is a result of your thoughts and not your reality. You’ve done the work to nail your accomplishments, and you deserve any praise you receive.
If you struggle to believe this, try to objectively observe your life. Ask yourself if you were simply handed that last big promotion, or if you put in countless hours of overtime to achieve it. Your thoughts don’t always reflect your reality, and trying to separate the two is the key to overcoming imposter syndrome.
Know That Perfectionism Isn’t Your Friend
Perfectionism is often a thief of joy. Performing well in your line of work won’t always mean you’ve done everything perfectly. Expecting yourself to achieve perfection at every turn is an impossible feat.
Imposter syndrome creeps in when you’ve done a job well, but not perfectly. You’ll feel like you’ve cheated because you think you could have done more or put more effort in.
However, it’s worth remembering that nothing in life is perfect, but that doesn’t mean great things don’t happen! Of course, it’s important to try your best, but sometimes your best simply isn’t perfect. And that is often good enough.
Don’t Hide Your Feelings
When you suffer from imposter syndrome, you feel like sharing your feelings will make other people realize you are an imposter. However, nothing could be further from the truth.
By opening up and telling people how you feel, two things will happen. Firstly, you’ll realize that no one else believes you’re an imposter. Secondly, you’ll find that many other people around you are struggling with imposter syndrome too.
You might find yourself comforting your imposter-syndrome-suffering colleagues. Well, extend some of that compassion to yourself! If you don’t feel those around you are imposters, then you likely aren’t one either.
Take on New Challenges
One of the best ways to beat imposter syndrome is to reassure yourself of your skills. To do this, take on some new challenges in your life, especially in areas where you feel most like a fraud.
Sign up for a new project at work, or even pursue a new hobby. Thrusting yourself into something different and exciting will remind you that you are capable of taking on anything.
Imposter syndrome makes you believe that you don’t deserve the success you’ve gained. By trying something new, you’ll reaffirm that you are confident and dedicated, and that imposter syndrome has no place in your life.
Relax
Imposter syndrome is making you stressed! You feel like you’re constantly sneaking around trying to conceal what you are. Of course, this is all in your head.
Meditating will help to ground you in reality. By realizing your thoughts are just thoughts, you can reflect on all the incorrect and detrimental information you’ve been telling yourself.
If meditation isn’t for you, exercising more can also help to relax you. By taking your focus off your mind and putting it into your body, you’ll gain more insight and perspective into who you are.
Pat Yourself On the Back
People who experience imposter syndrome rarely celebrate any success they have. However, it’s so important to pat yourself on the back when you achieve something you’ve been working towards.
This will remind you of all the work and dedication you put into reaching your goals. You can look back on all this work and see just how committed you were. This helps to remind you that you deserve praise and recognition for your efforts.
Accept How You Feel
Even if you follow all the steps above, your imposter syndrome won’t disappear overnight. This is especially true if it’s been ingrained in you for a long time.
So, simply accept that it’s there. Accepting that you feel like an imposter right now is not the same as accepting that you will feel like one forever. It will simply allow you to live in the moment.
As time passes and you work on your imposter syndrome, you’ll find the feeling fades. Eventually, you’ll realize how much you deserve all of your successes.
Your Imposter Syndrome Is the Only Real Imposter!
Imposter syndrome feels debilitating. Whether it rears its ugly head in work, relationships, or other areas of your life, it is a hard condition to cope with.
Thankfully, you can overcome it. By separating your thoughts from reality and acknowledging that you worked hard to achieve your goals, your imposter syndrome will eventually fade away.
To learn more about imposter syndrome and other areas of confidence in the workplace, click here. You’ll find everything you need to know about building and growing a business through technology and about achieving the success you want in your career.
