Imposter Syndrome: How to Overcome It and Boost Your Career

We’ve all experienced times when we lose self-confidence, doubt our abilities and even feel like we shouldn’t be there. For some people, these feelings are not long-term and a good old chinwag with a friend or colleague soon eases those fears. But for others, it can go on for a long time and have devastating consequences. It can often hold them back from achieving success, too.

We’re talking about imposter syndrome and it can seriously affect a person’s mental health. In turn, this can lead to a lack of confidence and self-belief, a sense of isolation, undervaluing any achievements, setting goals that are unrealistic, feeling anxious and worried, as well as having depressive thoughts. So, how can you overcome imposter syndrome and boost your career?

What is imposter syndrome?

The term was first used by psychologists in 1978 and according to Verwell Mind , imposter syndrome is “the internal psychological experience of feeling like a phoney in some area of your life, despite any success you have achieved in that area.” Sound familiar? Well, that’s not surprising because a 2022 YouGov poll showed that 66% of people in the UK have difficulty in accepting compliments and praise. 58% of us have high expectations of ourselves and 57% say they criticise themselves more than other people criticise them.

Whilst imposter syndrome isn’t a diagnosable mental health illness, it can trigger conditions like panic attacks, anxiety and depression. The signs to look out for are:

-? ? ? ? Undermining and undervaluing achievements

-? ? ? ? Putting success down to luck or another factor

-? ? ? ? Constantly doubting their knowledge, skills and ability

-? ? ? ? Lack of confidence and self-belief

-? ? ? ? Panic attacks, anxiety, extreme stress and sometimes depression episodes

-? ? ? ? Setting unrealistic expectations of themselves

-? ? ? ? Sense of isolation

-? ? ? ? Unwilling to ask for or accept help

The causes of imposter syndrome, usually in the workplace although it can happen in social circles as well, are:

-? ? ? ? A competitive environment

-? ? ? ? Starting a new role or job

-? ? ? ? Going back into the workplace

-? ? ? ? Cultural biases

It really can affect anyone and everyone.?

Understanding imposter syndrome

Dr Valerie Young , who is an expert on imposter syndrome, explains that there are five principal types:?

-? ? ? ? The Perfectionist – have very high standards of themselves and set unrealistic goals.

-? ? ? ? The Superhuman – push themselves to, and often beyond, the absolute limit constantly to validate their competence.

-? ? ? ? The Natural Genius – their academic school years was effortless for them but they struggle to imitate that in their work and when facing new challenges.

-? ? ? ? The Expert – the relentless pursuit to become an ‘expert’ in all things.

-? ? ? ? The Soloist – they resist any form of help nor do they ask for help or it might expose inadequacy or inability.

Do you relate to any of these imposter syndrome types?

Steps to overcoming imposter syndrome

Imposter syndrome can affect anyone, no matter age, job level or experience, level of ability, skills or knowledge, or social class. It can impact the CEO as much as the delivery person; imposter syndrome doesn’t discriminate. The good news is that with the following steps, you really can overcome imposter syndrome and stop it harming your future career.

Step 1 – Recognise and accept your thoughts and feelings

Possibly the hardest step is the first one, and that’s recognising as well as accepting your imposter syndrome thoughts and feelings. There is no wrong or right; everyone is an individual and will react differently.

Being self-aware and recognising the signs is the beginning of breaking the negative cycle. So, when you next catch yourself saying (out loud or internally) you’re not good enough or playing down an achievement, or you are doubting whether you can do a job, stop for a moment. Ask yourself if that is really true. Nine times out of ten, it isn’t.

Step 2 – Devise a plan of action

Overcoming imposter syndrome isn’t going to happen overnight, it takes time, commitment and help. So, when you feel any negative thoughts, write them down and read them back to yourself. Find a quiet place where you can replay the scenario in your head and consider it logically. Talk to a friend or colleague who will give you an honest, unbiased appraisal on the situation. Nobody is perfect,? nor will they be.

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Be realistic in setting your goals by making sure they are challenging but also attainable. Creating a timeline that shows the steps you need to take to achieve that goal is great; just don’t over-stretch yourself.

Step 3 – Adopt the habit of taking regular ‘pauses’???????

Take regular pauses throughout the day to just breathe, relax and reset your mind. Think about using breathing techniques, mantras or other methods to help you, like counting backwards from ten slowly, mediation or even aromatherapy blends.

Step 4 – Focus on your successes

Focus on what you did well rather than what you didn’t. Focus on your successes and strengths rather than your weaknesses. Reflect on what you have achieved and the positive contributions you have made. If you’re struggling to do this in your mind, get a pen and write it down. Just the act of putting pen to paper and seeing it in black and white can really help to clarify how successful you are.

When you receive a compliment, accept it at face value. Stop yourself questioning why you got the compliment or that you don’t deserve it – you do!

Step 5 – Recognise and challenge negative thoughts

We all have negative thoughts at times, that’s perfectly normal but people suffering from imposter syndrome allow those to take over. Don’t… challenge the negative thoughts and banish them from your mind. Yes, it will take time to get used to doing this but it will be worth it long-term.

Step 6 – Be kind to you

Most of all, be kind to you. Self-awareness is akin to self-care. Understand and accept we are all human; we all make mistakes; it’s perfectly ok and completely normal. Put them to good use by learning from your mistakes. Don’t dwell on them but move on to new projects, new challenges and new opportunities.

Overcoming imposter syndrome takes time and patience. Don’t be afraid to talk to someone, be it a friend, family member, trusted colleague or mentor, or a professional through counselling or coaching.

The best assurance we can give is that you are not alone. We know that imposter syndrome really does affect many people far and wide, no matter what their job or seniority is. To you, they may be the most successful, inspirational, knowledgeable people you know. To them, they are an imposter that just got lucky.

At Auxato , our team is always on hand to help and support you whether it’s moving from one job to another, or you are planning to get back into the workplace. We value and nurture our relationships with our clients and candidates, taking the time to understand their goals and ambitions, and to realise a positive outcome for everyone.

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