Imposter syndrome is a sneaky phenomenon that can hinder you from being fulfilled with work despite your best efforts. You most likely have imposter syndrome if you usually feel like a fraud whenever people praise you. It can also manifest when you get a high position or promotion. If not dealt with early, it can affect your mental and physical health and your performance at work. In this article, you will find five powerful strategies to help you break free and thrive at work.
Symptoms of Imposter Syndrome?
Imposter syndrome makes you doubt yourself and question whether you deserve excellent things. You are not alone. This phenomenon typically affects high achievers, making them feel unworthy of acclaim, praise, and promotion. Research has shown that 62% of knowledge workers globally experience imposter syndrome. However, anyone can experience it, from new hires to top managers and CEOs.
Symptoms include self-doubt, burnout, fear of success or failure, not forgiving mistakes, perfectionism, and low self-esteem. In the workplace, imposter syndrome can also cause anxiety and stress. Therefore, you must deal with imposter syndrome before it harms your mental and physical well-being, career growth, and fulfillment. Even though the results may not be immediate, you can break free. Here is how to overcome imposter syndrome.
Shift Your Focus
You must reframe your focus to overcome imposter syndrome. Dwell on the facts rather than your feelings. Your feelings can lie, but facts won’t lie. Since imposter syndrome makes you feel inadequate and like a fraud, you can make a change when you shift your focus. Your feelings are normal, and there is hardly anything you can do to stop them. However, you can always disprove them with the truth. Support the facts with evidence if there is a need to. Go over your accomplishments, and don’t minimize them either.
Acknowledge Your Feelings
The next step is acknowledging your feelings are valid. You are not abnormal, and you are not alone in feeling that way. However, the fact that your feelings are valid does not mean they are true. Therefore, you must let go of those negative feelings of self-doubt and failure. When you pay attention to your feelings, you can work through them and move on with your day.
Celebrate Your Accomplishments
Another way to overcome imposter syndrome is to celebrate your wins. Rejoice in your accomplishments, whether big or small. Imposter syndrome often makes you minimize your wins, so a good way to confront it is by doing the opposite. You also don’t need to achieve anything to celebrate yourself. Sometimes, all you need to do when you feel it is coming up is to remind yourself of your accomplishments, the compliments you have received, or how you helped someone.
Seek Professional Help
Sharing your concerns with another person can help break free from imposter syndrome. They may be able to share how they overcame it if they also struggled with it, which can help you feel heard. However, you may need professional help overcoming imposter syndrome in severe cases. Your therapist can use several medical-based interventions like psychotherapy to help you break free.
Ask for Help
Imposter syndrome manifests in some people as they wanting to do everything alone. Such people consider asking for help a sign of weakness. They may think people will think them mentally incapable of occupying the position they are in. If you are like that, asking for help may help you break free. Determine to learn from others, whether your junior staff, colleagues, boss, or mentor. It’s okay not to know everything, and it is OK to ask for help.
You must practice self-compassion to overcome imposter syndrome and thrive at work. Be patient with yourself as you navigate the process. It may take some time, but you will definitely see results if you are committed to it.
#Clique, have you ever struggled with imposter syndrome? How did you overcome that feeling? Let us know in the comments.
