Imposter syndrome can be felt by anyone at any time. It is a feeling of self-doubt that can cause people to question their skills and accomplishments. It can affect anyone, regardless of their ability, experience or intellect and it’s something that you never see coming, although there are symptoms you can look out for. Some of these include not feeling talented, procrastination and believing you could have done better even if something goes well.
Your professional growth can be hindered when you suffer from imposter syndrome and it’s far more common than you might think with up to 70% of professionals experiencing it at some point in their careers. The fact you’re not alone in this could help you with overcoming imposter syndrome. There are also other ways to help overcome it and build confidence and self-worth instead.
This article will delve deeper into imposter syndrome and why it affects so many people. We will then help you by providing some ways to boost your chances of overcoming it and succeeding more in your career.
How Does Imposter Syndrome Affect You?
Trying to progress with your career can always be a challenge, as you attempt to rise through the ranks of the professional ladder. This can be even more difficult if you suffer from imposter syndrome regularly. It can undermine you without knowing about it, diminishing your self-esteem and preventing you from seizing opportunities. This can hold you back from reaching your true potential.
Finding the tools to unlock and overcome imposter syndrome can be the key to making you better at work and finding your professional identity. Let’s take a look at some of the strategies that can help you.
Celebrate Your Victories
No matter how big or small an accomplishment is, learning to celebrate them can make a huge difference in getting out of the imposter syndrome slump and building your self worth. Developing the good habit of crediting yourself and noticing the good things you have done can help generate a positive mental attitude (PMA). You can implement self care in the following ways:
- Gratitude Journals: Writing down all of your accomplishments, both minor and major, will help you to look back at all the stuff you have done which can make you feel more positive about yourself.
- Embrace Your Unique Value: Realising that you have something unique to everyone else can help you feel more special at work, which can increase your productivity and get you out of the slump caused by imposter syndrome.
Refocus Negative Thoughts
Imposter syndrome is fueled by negative thoughts and emotions. Regaining control over these and refocusing yourself to get them away from you will help at overcoming the syndrome. You can identify negative thoughts by:
- Noticing when negative thoughts come to mind
- Recognising automatic negative thought patterns
- Identifying unhelpful thoughts that come in the form of complaints or criticisations.
Refocusing negative thoughts and replacing it with a self-belief mindset can help you change your mental process and steer away from imposter syndrome.
Build Self-Confidence
Improving your self-confidence is a fail-proof way of overcoming imposter syndrome, as being confident in your abilities will eliminate the mindset associated with it. self-confidence can come in a variety of ways. Some people will gain more confidence based on their appearance, which is why we see so many people getting plastic surgery. This increased by 102% in 2022 compared to 2021 and is still rising today. Other people will gain more self-confidence just based on their mindset alone.
Putting yourself into situations that get you out of your comfort zone is a good way of building self-confidence, as your mind will eventually be able to adapt to these scenarios. Public speaking is the perfect example of something that can boost self-confidence over time.
Seek Support
Putting yourself around like-minded professionals can be very beneficial to your career and can help you negate any negative emotions when it comes to self-doubt. While you can’t always pick and choose who you work with, you can still position yourself in a way that gets you around the right kind of people.
You can also join groups outside of work to help you with building self-confidence and worth. For example, if you enjoy doing a specific activity then you could try doing it with a group of people. These interactions can be very beneficial for generating a PMA.
Conclusion
Imposter syndrome may be a persistent challenge, but it doesn’t have to define you. You can develop resilience and cultivate a growth mindset to help you learn how to navigate these feelings and continue to thrive in your career. Embrace the learning process, seek support from your network and remember that everyone experiences self-doubt at times.
