Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
Are you familiar with Imposter Syndrome? We, here at Soul Full of Wellness, are developing some new strategies for managing Imposter Experience, a less stigmatized name for Imposter Syndrome.
At one time or another, you’ve probably had the experience of feeling like an imposter. You may have felt not fully competent, not experienced enough, lacking sufficient qualifications, or simply not-yet-ready for a position or role in which you found yourself, be it on the job or in a personal relationship.
This is a normal human condition as you push to the edges of your comfort zone and transition into new phases of life. The feelings of discomfort are natural and to be expected as you grow, mature, and develop throughout your lifetime.
Imposter Experience becomes problematic when your imposter feelings become increasingly pervasive to the point they hinder performance. When feelings of inadequacy take over, they can eclipse success and trigger anxiety. Self-doubt, insecurity, and perpetual trepidation about inadequacies can become stifling.
What can you do if you feel Imposter Experience kicking in? Here are some strategies:
~ Know that what you’re feeling is completely normal. You’re in good company. Almost everyone feels like a bit of a fraud from time to time. No one knows everything. Some people are just more adept at dealing with new situations.
~ Challenge your negative self-talk. Are you seizing upon one small moment and projecting it into something much larger than it really is? Work to create dissonance between actual events and your grandiose self-statements.
~ Affirm and encourage yourself. You DO belong and you ARE, in fact, competent. Find someone you trust to help affirm and encourage you too, if that helps.
~ Review your progress and the milestone achievements that got you to where you are now. Celebrate yourself! You deserve it.
~ Find someone you admire who can share his or her own imposter story with you. It can be incredibly uplifting to discover that your mentor, a role model, or your partner also wrestles the gremlin of imposter anxiety.
~ Accept credit when you deserve it. If you have a tendency to attribute your success to luck or to the contributions of others while downplaying your own talent and achievement, express gratitude and then remind yourself how and why YOU deserve the credit for your accomplishments.
Learn strategies to stop feeling like an imposter in your own life and take back control! Listen now to episode 24: Get Out of Your Own Way and episode 5: Hello Inner Gremlin, We See You!