6 Ways to Overcome Imposter Syndrome
When integrating yourself in a space that you are unfamiliar with, have you felt the sense of not fitting in? Not feeling good enough? Unable to relate to your peers? Doubted your abilities? Felt fraudulent?
If you’ve experienced any of these feeling, this means you have experienced what we call “imposter syndrome.” Imposter Syndrome can be described as a collection of feelings of inadequacy. These feelings are usually coupled with anxiety, self-doubt, and depression. It is important to remember that these feelings are not valid and in order to be successful you have to kick these feelings to the curve.
In this blog, we will discuss a few ways to overcome these feelings in professional environments. Please review this list below, and practice these tips to manage your imposter syndrome:
seek help from peers.
When we are new in a space, our peers/employers are usually aware that there is a learning curve that we will have to meet. The learning curve will often times take weeks or several months to reach. This means, you have to ask for help when there are rules or procedures you are unfamiliar with, you have to remind yourself that it is okay to need help in places that you are just becoming familiar with.
Give yourself grace.
Be kind to yourself. You will not know everything right away and it is okay. You are not an idiot, you are simply just learning something new and you will not know everything. It is okay.
make friends.
Although virtual work makes things a bit more difficult, you should make friends with co-workers that have been in your shoes before. Often times, it is easier to deal with your feelings by having someone you can relate with. When you make friends with a co-worker/peers that have been in your same position, you will realize they too have felt what you feel and with time and practice, those feelings eventually dissolved.
Look in the Mirror and Give yourself words of affirmation.
Wake up every morning, go to the mirror and tell yourself: “I belong here,” “I am good enough,” “ I worked hard to get here,” “ I am smart,” & “it is okay to not know everything.” Often times we want this praise from other people but sometimes you have to give this praise to yourself. If you tell yourself these things every day, you’ll start to believe it, try it.
Accept your feelings.
Often times when we experience feelings of imposter syndrome, we feel bad for our feelings but that is the wrong approach. You should talk about your feelings, accept your feelings, and realize it is okay to have those feelings. However, you cannot dwell in those feelings. If you dwell in these feelings, it could be detrimental to your mental health.
try therapy .
Usually, we have health insurance or some type of job sponsored program where we can sign up to see a therapist. If you are the type of person that is uncomfortable sharing your feelings, accepting your feelings, or unsure of how to deal with your feelings, you can speak with a professional therapist to sort out those feelings.