How To Overcome Impostor Syndrome and the Fear of Self-Promotion

Positive affirmations are a great tool for reprogramming your unconscious mind from negative thinking to positive. The idea is to take positive statements of what you would like to see manifested and repeat them enough so that they’re part of your way of thinking and seeing the world.

Affirmations?are simple but powerful statements that can help change your thinking. Here are a few examples that might help you overcome impostor syndrome and the fear of self-promotion:

I have something unique to offer.

I am talented, intelligent and capable.

I am no better or worse than the person I need to impress. We are both human beings.

You can also write your own affirmations. If your fear hinges on a particular self-doubt or a particular situation, write an affirmation that addresses your situation.

Read or recite your affirmations at least once a day, preferably more. Looking at yourself in the mirror can help the affirmation sink in. The goal is to replace your?negative self-talk?with positive messages and repeat those messages until you genuinely believe them.

Writing Personalized Positive Affirmations

You can use the following guidelines to create your own collection of positive self-talk statements to help reduce stress, change your thinking, and stay motivated.

Look at Your Intentions.?Think about what you are trying to create in your life. This means, look at the end product and the behaviors, attitudes, and traits you would like to see yourself develop to get there. Would you like to feel more peace? Would you like to practice?healthy lifestyle habits? Would you like to be a more supportive friend? You might want to?write in a journal?and brainstorm to figure out what’s important to you and get to the heart of what you want to create in your life.?

Create Statements.?Once you get an idea of what you’re aiming for, try to put that idea into a few simple statements that reflect the reality of what you want to create. Phrase the statements as if they?are already true, not that you would?like them to be?true. For example, the affirmation, “I am feeling more peaceful each day,” would be better than, “I want to feel more peaceful.” This is because you are programming your subconscious mind to believe the statements, and that helps manifest them into reality. You’re not trying to?want?something, you’re trying to make it so.

Be Sure They’re Positive.?When making positive affirmations, be sure they’re positive.?This means saying what you?want?to see and experience, not what you?don’t want?to see and experience. For example, instead of saying, “I don’t want to feel stress,” or even, “I’ve stopped feeling stress,” use, “I’m feeling peace.” Sometimes your mind doesn’t register the negative, and it just hears the concept, “stress,” which is what you’re trying to avoid.

Make Them Realistic.?Your subconscious mind can benefit from positive affirmations that stretch and expand your perspective, but if you push things too far, your "inner judge" steps in and negates the affirmations. Be sure that you're making your affirmations realistic, but hopeful as well, and positive affirmations.