I’ve been wanted to do a post on this topic for a while, as I believe this is a really important area to discuss and be open and honest about.
So many people, including myself, experience imposter syndrome from time o time, it’s so important to stay aware of it because this can have a negative effect on your health and the way you look at yourself.
What is Impostor Syndrome ?
It is a concept which describes the individual who feels the inability to internalize their accomplishments & fear of being exposed as a " fraud".
Here are few things which you can do to overcome this,
1. Break the silence
Shame keeps a lot of people from “fessing up” about their fraudulent feelings. Knowing there’s a name for these feelings and that you are not alone can be tremendously freeing.
2. Separate feelings from fact
There are times you’ll feel stupid. It happens to everyone from time to time. Realize that just because you may feel stupid, doesn’t mean you are.
3. Recognize when you should feel fraudulent
A sense of belonging fosters confidence. If you’re the only or one of a few people in a meeting, classroom, field, or workplace who look or sound like you or are much older or younger, then it’s only natural you’d sometimes feel like you don’t totally fit in. Plus if you’re the first woman, people of color, or person with a disability to achieve something in your world, e.g. first VP, astronaut, judge, supervisor, firefighter, honoree, etc. there’s that added pressure to represent your entire group. Instead of taking your self-doubt as a sign of your ineptness, recognize that it might be a normal response to being on the receiving end of social stereotypes about competence and intelligence.
4. Visualize success
Do what professional athletes do. Spend time beforehand picturing yourself making a successful presentation or calmly posing your question in class. It sure beats picturing impending disaster and will help with performance-related stress.
5. Reward Yourself
Break the cycle of continually seeking and then dismissing validation outside of yourself by learning to pat yourself on the back.
6. Stop comparing yourself to others
Other people's successes aren't your failures. Instead of wasting time and energy comparing yourself to others, focus on your strengths and capitalize on them.
Even experts & celebrity face the same issue
But remember that everyone, including the experts, is still learning. Just because people do not reveal their struggles doesn’t mean they aren’t facing them.
English singer Amy Winehouse, and winner of 5 Grammys, died of alcohol poisoning at the young age of 28; prior to her death, she admitted in several interviews that she suffered from manic depression, had an eating disorder, and engaged in self-injury.
Lamar Odom, former NBA player and NBA Sixth Man of the Year, was found in a coma at a brothel in 2015, after an alleged drug binge. He is awake and now on the long road to recovery.
Heath Ledger who played the Joker in The Dark Knight and won a posthumous Oscar for Best Supporting Actor was found dead in his home at the age of 28 from the abuse of prescription medicine. He was said to be battling drug addiction and depression leading up to his death.
Summary:
Minus accolades and flashy possessions, we are not that different from each other. All of us have struggles beneath our successes. If we can recognize that everyone is here as a human on their life journey, we can stop projecting a front and start living. We can stop judging others and start embracing who and what we are. We can stop trying to be someone we are not or stop trying to appear perfect, but work on being ourselves, being our best self.
How about you? Which tips can you apply? Time to stop feeling like an impostor — because you aren’t. You are you. :) And you deserve the best.
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