How to overcome Imposter Syndrome
What is Imposter Syndrome and what are the symptoms?
Imposter Syndrome (IS) is a term used for feeling inadequate at work. This might occur when you are new in a job, when you have been promoted or sometimes at a particular life stage such as the menopause in women. It is incredibly common, with studies showing that up to 70% of people have experienced impostorism at work.
Thoughts and feelings manifest themselves differently in individuals, but here are some of the comments I hear from coaching clients that may be suffering with IS (imposter syndrome):
I feel like a fraud and a phoney, as though I’m going to be found out at any moment
I’m not as good at my job as others think I am
I don’t know how I got to where I am now - I think it was luck mostly
I don’t deserve to be here - others are so much better at the job than me
I’ll never achieve what they want me to – it all feels impossible
At its mildest, IS can feel like an irritable gremlin on your shoulder that can sometimes spur you on to want to achieve your best. But at the more severe end of the spectrum, it can feel debilitating – with anxieties and crippling self-doubt at every turn. More recently a link has been made between imposter syndrome and burnout, a serious medical condition that can take months or even years to recover from.
Some strategies to help overcome Imposter Syndrome
Recognising any negative self-talk as early as possible is best before it takes root and grows. People with a tendency towards IS are often poor at recognising their own strengths and their impact in the workplace, therefore the following strategies may help:
Talk to others about how you are feeling, rather than keeping things hidden – this tends to give irrational fears less weight
Regularly record your achievements at work, such as by adding key achievements to your CV or keeping notes on any positive outcomes
Write a ‘praise journal’, where you note down something that you have done at work that you’re pleased with every day
Find ways to develop greater work:life balance so that you foster clearer boundaries and separation between work and home
Break up stressful periods at work by taking time off or varying the pace of your work, so that you have time to reset and recover between the most stressful periods
Seek feedback from your manager and potentially from clients and colleagues – this could be in the form of a regular catch-up over a coffee or a more formal review at regular intervals.
Prioritise your wellbeing outside of work, doing things that you enjoy and that make you feel reenergised
Working with a mentor can really help to provide the space to discuss your concerns and to gain perspective from someone at work. Talk to your HR department about whether your company has a scheme in place already and, if not, why not suggest starting one?
Additionally, if you’d like support from someone impartial and outside of your organisation, consider career coaching as an effective method to identify and find strategies to help you to combat imposter syndrome.