How to overcome imposter syndrome

Imposter syndrome has become an oft-used phrase, in HR parlance of late with many citing, particularly when they start a new job, that they feel like they don’t necessarily deserve to be holding the position they have.

But overcoming imposter syndrome is essential in order to function well and produce work of high quality. This article will explore what imposter syndrome is and how it can be turned on its head to help high-achieving individuals to continue contributing to their full capacity.

What is imposter syndrome?

Imposter syndrome, according to the National Institute of Health in the US, is ‘self-doubt of intellect, skills or accomplishments among high-achieving individuals’. This feeling of self-doubt can sometimes lead to other so-called ‘co-morbidities’, such as anxiety, depression and burnout, causing significant harm to a person’s wellbeing, impacting their overall performance at work, and carrying over to their home life.

It was first identified in 1978 by Dr Suzanne Imes and Dr Pauline Rose Clance among successful women and other marginalised groups. There are no formal criteria for defining imposter syndrome as a medical phenomenon, but Clance has since expanded on six ways to identify it: the imposter cycle (in which self-doubt restarts with every new project), perfectionism, super-heroism, atychiphobia (fear of failure), denial of competence, and achievemephobia. These are easier to write than say!

The level of psychological harm of imposter syndrome as it was first studied exceeds what we commonly think of as imposter syndrome now, with informal media labelling a feeling of inadequacy or feeling out of place as a sign of imposter ‘syndrome’, now quite often called imposter ‘phenomenon’. However, this offers a useful framework for people feeling the pressure of their roles who do not believe they deserve to be where they are.

Overcome imposter syndrome

Finding a way to manage or even overcome imposter syndrome will help people feel like they belong in their workplace and accomplish more in their role. Below are listed three methods people can use to help them overcome the feeling of being an imposter.

Analyse your emotions

Emotions are extremely powerful and can often alter our perception of an incident or our history. What you think about yourself and how you treat yourself is often related to how problems like imposter syndrome arise in the first place.

Therefore, it is important to cultivate a positive self-assessment and speak to yourself kindly. This may take some practice, and people often find journaling helpful to understand how they think and analyse where certain patterns of thought may exist.

This will help build compassion, highlight where issues like perfectionism may be hurting your performance and will make you analyse your own history, underlining the true accomplishments and effort it has taken to reach where you are.

Again, changing how you see yourself takes practice, but by analysing your emotions and seeing how they impact your life, it will be easier to recognise patterns and change your thought processes.

Speak up

In the same way that journaling may be useful, speaking to someone will also help you to see the value that you bring and help you find ways to overcome unhelpful emotions, and this person will be able to offer more support when needed. This person is often your recruitment or executive search consultant – someone who has prior experience of supporting people just like you to successfully navigate the feelings they are having and turning it into their advantage during the job search.

Other people will also help you learn how to celebrate your achievements. It is common for people with imposter syndrome to feel a sense of relief that a project is over, rather than feeling proud of the work they have done. Having someone to celebrate with is a reminder of the good work and effort that has gone into the project and may help you feel the sense of achievement you should.

And, as always when dealing with psychological issues, therapy and counselling may help. Seeking expert advice on overcoming emotional and psychological issues will show that there’s someone on your team and they may be able to offer methods and practices that will support you in the long run.

Accept your emotions

We have spoken a lot about overcoming your emotions, however it is very common whenever approaching something new or when something doesn’t go your way that feelings of inadequacy or not belonging will rise. How we deal with these emotions is the key to overcoming imposter syndrome, celebrating our achievements, and continuing to perform well.

Learning to accept your emotions, no matter what they are, will help you throughout your life whenever trouble arises, meaning that you can contribute fully to the areas of life that matter to you.