How to Beat Imposter Syndrome

“That person is so much better than me."
“I’m not good enough to be apart of this group."
"I'm just a fraud, and I hate promoting myself in front of my peers.”

Does this sound like you?

Unfortunately, many of us have experienced feelings of self-doubt and unworthiness at some point. The self-doubt normally occurs when trying to measure up to the unrealistic expectations others have for us. However, we mostly feel unworthy when we are overwhelmed by an emotional feeling of not recognising our successes and highlighting our flaws instead.

But on the other hand, when you're pointing out your mistakes before taking ownership of your success, you're probably suffering from impostor syndrome.

Those who suffer from imposter syndrome often feel like frauds, despite being highly intelligent and deserving full reward for their amazing work.

Rather than being in a celebratory mood, often these people worry that somehow they’ve tricked their audience into thinking they're amazing at what they do, and as a result, they live in fear of being exposed.

5 ways to manage Imposter Syndrome:

1. Know and understand the signs

Knowing what the impostor syndrome signs are and why it happens, can help people spot the symptoms when they arise, and apply strategies to overcome their doubts. Ask a friend to be on the look out for you if you don’t trust yourself to self-diagnose.

2. Understand when you need help

Make sure you have a good circle of friends and colleagues to check in with you from time to time. You’ll need to receive some emotional support and encouragement, and share any issues and or success stories resulting from your efforts.

3. Perfection is not necessary

Striving to achieve constant perfection has been a belief for many of us, but it often leads to a feeling of unworthiness because it’s impossible to achieve. In most cases, striving for perfection can give you an unrealistic sense of failure in other people eyes which can bring on the feeling of unworthiness.

4. Try being kind to yourself

Self-kindness refers to acting in kind and understanding ways of being kind to ourselves. So instead of being critical towards ourselves, be kind and appreciate yourself for the achievements you’ve accomplished.

5. Don’t compare yourself to others

We all know we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others, yet, that’s exactly what we all do. Whether it’s about income, number of likes on social media, the model of car you drive, the list is infinite. Comparing ourselves to others is generally a downward spiral to unhappiness. It often keeps you focused on what you don’t like about yourself and your life, instead of focusing on your positives.

We’re all good at doing what we do, but when thoughts of imposter syndrome creep into your head, all that competence can easily disappear. It’s important to remind yourself, to take pride in your talents, strengths and acknowledge yourself for the hard work you’ve put in achieving the success you’ve created for yourself. This will go a long way towards helping you restore and rebuild your self-confidence. Good luck…