What is impostor syndrome
Impostor syndrome is a phenomenon more than a clinical diagnosis, and it often affects people who are driven and successful.
The main symptom is an unrealistic sense of dread or anxiety that you’ll be found out as a fraud who doesn’t deserve your success. It involves having thoughts such as:
- I’m winning contracts but soon I’m going to be found out.
- I don’t belong here, my work’s not good enough.
- I don’t have the skills to do this, I’m going to fail.
How to deal with imposter syndrome
Here are some tips to deal with imposter syndrome:
Talk about it
If you experience self-doubt, talk about how you’re feeling. Keeping things in your mind often makes them feel bigger than they are.
If your biggest fear is being found out as a fraud, talking about it is likely to feel intimidating – so talk with someone you feel safe opening up to.
Write down what you’ve done well
Make a conscious effort to note things you’ve done well, instead of remembering everything you think you could’ve done better.
Writing down three things each day that you’ve done well can help retrain your inner voice and build up self-esteem and self-confidence.
Keep track of positive feedback
Keep a log of positive feedback about your work, your business, or why people like working with you. Look back at it when you feel anxious.
Experiment with new behaviours
Impostor syndrome and perfectionism often go together: you might work extra hard to fight your imposter syndrome.
Adjust your thinking and your workload with small behavioural experiments – for example, reducing the time it takes you to write a proposal from 10 minutes to seven.
Learn more about