Do you ever feel like a fraud? Do you ever think that good things only happen to you because of luck rather than as a result of your skills and hard work?

If this is the case, you may be experiencing something called imposter syndrome.

Typically, if someone is experiencing imposter syndrome, they feel an overwhelming sense of feeling unworthy or inadequate and feel like a fraud when they are given opportunities despite being more than capable. This is a common experience as some research suggests that around 82% of people have suffered from imposter syndrome at one point in their life. Yet despite being common, the effects of imposter syndrome can be detrimental to you, your confidence and achieving your goals.

Imposter syndrome is a cognitive distortion causing people to doubt their skills and accomplishments. One reason why imposter syndrome can be incredibly damaging is that it is often closely tied to our identities and self-worth, which can fuel feelings of self-doubt and anxiety and could ultimately lead to us sabotaging our success and happiness.

We can overcome imposter syndrome with different tools and plenty of practice, so here are a few things you can try to get started.

Acknowledge how you are feeling

The first step to combating imposter syndrome is to acknowledge what you are feeling and why you might feel this way. It could be helpful to write your thoughts down when you notice you are doubting yourself and being overly self-critical. Seeing them written down might help you challenge them and see how unhelpful this thought pattern is.

Remember that these thoughts don’t normally reflect reality but acknowledging them is an important step to challenging them and overcoming imposter syndrome.

Positive mindset

Keeping a positive mindset is a lot easier said than done, but with practice, it does get easier and can be a helpful tool when you are doubting yourself, as constantly ruminating on negative thoughts is not helpful. When you start to hear the negative inner voice, acknowledge it, take a deep breath, and change the narrative by practising positive self-talk. Repeating positive affirmations to yourself can help change the way we view ourselves and help us overcome imposter syndrome 

If you find this difficult to do in the moment, take some time to write down some qualities you like about yourself and what you have achieved and refer to them when needed.

Celebrate

It’s important to celebrate every win, no matter how big or small they are. We often get so focused on completing our work or goals that we forget to celebrate or even sometimes acknowledge it when we reach them. So, it can be helpful to actively celebrate our achievements whether that involves taking yourself out for a meal, celebrating with friends and family or buying yourself something you have had your eye on. This can help us stop downplaying our achievements and motivate us for future goals.

Reach out 

If you are struggling with imposter syndrome it can be helpful to talk to people you trust. This could be friends, family, a mentor, someone who inspires you or even a therapist if you are really struggling with an imposter mindset. They can offer you support and may relate to what you are going through and provide some guidance on the situation. No one should suffer in silence.

Response plan

In stressful moments, it can be helpful to prepare a plan or create a toolbox of effective techniques you can use when you are feeling anxious and doubting yourself. This could be tools like mindfulness, going for a short walk or deep breathing exercises. Do whatever works for you and is appropriate for the situation.

If you feel overwhelmed by your workload or goals, be strategic and break them up into smaller, more manageable components. Being organised can help if you start panicking and experiencing feelings of self-doubt.

If you are struggling with self-doubt, remember that we are only human, and no one can do everything perfectly so if you are holding yourself to a high, unrealistic standard it will be doing more damage than good. Mistakes are inevitable but learning from them can be valuable to our growth and building resilience for the future.

Overcoming imposter syndrome cannot be done overnight but part of the journey is learning what techniques work for you and consistently practising them. Not every tool will work for everyone but just knowing what works best for you can have a big impact on overcoming imposter syndrome.