How to Overcome ‘Imposter Syndrome’

Posted by Jason Spendelow on January 6th, 2021

The vast majority of us have encountered a sense of uncertainty or doubt about our abilities. If you tend to believe that your achievements are undeserved, you may be affected by the imposter syndrome or imposterism. This psychological phenomenon often occurs in the workplace, and can hold people back from fulfilling their potential. Alternatively, the imposter syndrome can result in high levels of anxiety and other forms of distress. People with impostor syndrome doubt their achievements and ability, but it also involves the fear of being discovered as a ‘fraud’. In this state, it is easy to think that any achievements are down to factors other than your own talent; such as luck. The imposter syndrome is common and can affect anyone regardless of their social status, work background, skill level, or degree of expertise. 

The issue with impostor disorder is that the experience of excelling at something never really change and underlying sense of deficiency or defectiveness. The sense of unreservedness persists despite performing well by any objective measure. The more you achieve, the more you simply feel like an imposter It's like you can't seem to fight back against a nagging and even pervasive sense of fraudulence. 

The fear of not being good enough can lead to mental health complications, in some cases. The person may experience anxiety, stress, depression, frustration, a lack of self-confidence, and shame. So, how to overcome the imposter syndrome? There is currently no specific treatment for impostor syndrome, but people can seek help from a mental health professional if they have concerns about its impact on their life. Here are some tips for overcoming impostor syndrome:

• Consider objective evidence of your workplace performance. Seek formal and informal feedback from key colleagues to determine where you really are in your professional role performance.
• Connect with people: this is the basic thing which tells us that we are connected to other people that were connected to the place that we live in or work in. It helps us to understand that we belong somewhere and not alone.
• Talk about your feelings: There may be others who feel like imposters too – it’s better to have an open discourse rather than harbor negative thoughts alone.
• Be kind to yourself: Remember that you are entitled to make small mistakes occasionally and forgive yourself. Don’t forget to reward yourself for getting the big things right.
• Seek support: Everyone needs help: recognize that you can seek assistance and that you don’t have to do everything alone. This will give you a good reality check and help you talk things through.

If you are facing such problems in your life seek support. Schedule an Appointment now at https://www.jasonspendelow.com/. We help people address psychological difficulties & improve wellbeing through a practical, down-to-earth approach based on the latest findings in psychology and neuroscience. So, select the appointment type that best suits your circumstances.