IMPOSTER SYNDROME: WHAT IS IT AND HOW CAN WE BEAT IT?

It is a common feeling to feel full of self-doubt, even when you are working as hard as you possibly can. The uncomfortable nagging feeling that you’re not doing enough as others believe you are and that you don’t fit in, is known as Imposter Syndrome. With strong links to perfectionism, if you have ever felt as though you can never do enough, then you may be experiencing imposter syndrome.

If this sounds like you, the main thing to remember is that you are not alone! Imposter syndrome can affect anyone, regardless of your success or work ethic. Even multi-award winning celebrities can be bogged down by imposter syndrome, including Meryl Streep and Lady Gaga.

If you are experiencing imposter syndrome, here are 5 tips on how to turn this around and so you can stop being so hard on yourself.

Acceptance

The first step to many challenges in life is acceptance. Accepting that you are experiencing Imposter Syndrome will help you to feel less alone. You can understand that so many people are feeling exactly the way you are – and they’re overcoming it, so you can too! It is important to understand your feelings and know that what you are feeling is not “abnormal”.

Recognise when it is okay to feel this way

It is only natural in some cases to feel as though you do not fit in. For example if you have just started a new job and your colleagues are all friendly with each other, you are going to feel a little out of the loop for a while. The self-doubt might start here and you may think that you are not good enough to be amongst this group of colleagues. Instead of letting this self-doubt bog you down, recognize that it is only natural to feel this way.

Learn from your mistakes

Perfectionists set excessively high goals and strive to reach the top. If they do not, then they deem themselves as a failure. Making mistakes is a natural part of life. You cannot grow if you never make mistakes. If you do not achieve your goals when you set yourself to, pick yourself up, dust yourself down and tell yourself that you will get there next time. It’s not about when you achieve your goals, it’s the journey you take to reach the top, and how you deal with setbacks that matters the most.

Re-evaluate your internal voice

Often when faced with a challenge, our internal voices tell us that we should know how to deal with them and that we should not need to ask for help. Although sometimes our internal voices can be right, it’s important to know this is not always the case! If you can hear yourself starting to be too hard on yourself and not allowing you to struggle or ask for help, tell yourself “no”. Changing your mindset on how you view a challenge will help to relieve the pressure you are putting on yourself and you will be able to work without the constant pressure for perfection.

Manifest where you want to be

Manifestation is a powerful thing and can help you strive to achieve your goals. If you visualise where you’d like to be and tell yourself you will succeed, you are much more likely to do so. Manifesting will help you to remain focused on your goals, without the constant self-doubt and pressure.

Keep on going and remember – even those who you compare yourself to aren’t perfect. Most people don’t always know exactly what they’re doing – and that is okay!