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You Belong Here! Getting Rid of Imposter Syndrome (in the workplace)
Do you feel like a fraud in your role? You’re not alone. Imposter syndrome is common, particularly for individuals moving into new roles or taking advantage of promotion opportunities. In fact, around one-third of young employees suffer from imposter syndrome, and around 70% of all professionals encounter the experience at some point in their careers.
This phenomenon doesn’t discriminate. You can experience imposter syndrome regardless of whether you’re new to the industry or you’ve been achieving great results for years. In some cases, imposter syndrome even intensifies with success. As achievements mount and responsibilities grow, we often place more pressure on ourselves to excel.
Unfortunately, while imposter syndrome is common, it’s also extremely detrimental. It can harm your mental and physical health, decrease job satisfaction, and even lead to burnout.
Here, we’ll show you how to recognise and overcome imposter syndrome once and for all. You’ve earned your place—it’s time to stop questioning it.
Understanding Imposter Syndrome
Imposter syndrome manifests in various ways. While everyone suffering from this condition generally feels like a “fraud,” people respond to this feeling in different ways. For instance, “the perfectionist” feels imposter syndrome because they hold themselves to unrealistic standards.
The “Expert” believes they’re an imposter because they don’t know everything about their role straight away. Some people experience imposter syndrome because they don’t believe they’re naturally competent, the hardest worker among their team members, or capable of doing everything alone. In all situations, you’re probably experiencing imposter syndrome if you’re constantly doubting yourself or attributing your success to external factors, like “luck”.
Many situations can also trigger or exacerbate imposter syndrome. Starting a new job, receiving a promotion, or even gaining access to new opportunities can heighten self-doubt. Simple praise and recognition can make some people feel like frauds.
The trouble is that we often make the situation worse by ignoring our competencies and wins, attributing them to external factors or telling ourselves we’re not “good enough.” Over time, this increases stress and anxiety and can even cause us to miss out on opportunities because we’re afraid we’ll be “exposed” as fraud.
Recognising Imposter Syndrome
The first step in overcoming imposter syndrome is recognising/recognizing the signs. If you’ve ever thought you weren’t “good enough” for a role or questioned a promotion, you’re probably experiencing imposter syndrome. Key red flags to look out for include:
Behavioural Patterns
If you’re experiencing imposter syndrome in your role, your behaviour might change. You might avoid taking advantage of opportunities because you fear you’ll be exposed, or you might spend too much time on preparation to “compensate” for your inadequacies. Unfortunately, this can lead to burnout and reduced productivity.
Negative Thought Patterns
How often do you tell yourself “I deserve this”, and how often do you think, “I shouldn’t be here”? Persistent self-doubt and negative self-talk are common signs of imposter syndrome. You might even ignore your own accomplishments and try to attribute them elsewhere, telling yourself you were just in the “right place at the right time”.
Emotional Responses
Feelings of anxiety, depression, and guilt frequently accompany imposter syndrome. The constant fear of being exposed as a fraud can lead to heightened stress levels and emotional exhaustion. You might even struggle to sleep or relax after work. Even your physical health can suffer, as increased stress leads to aches, pains, high blood pressure, and fatigue.
Performance Issues
The constant pressure to avoid “failure” can lead to poor performance for professionals. You might avoid taking risks (limiting innovation and creativity) or say “no” to valuable opportunities. This could mean you don’t reach your professional goals as quickly as possible. You may even miss out on promotions and higher wages.
How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome
Imposter syndrome isn’t just bad for your well-being; it stops you from reaching your full potential in your role. Fortunately, there are ways you can challenge and overcome imposter syndrome. Here’s how to get yourself back on track.
Prove Your Value: Collect Evidence of Success
One of the best ways to combat imposter syndrome is to start gathering evidence that you deserve the opportunities offered to you. Maintaining a record of your successes, such as positive feedback from colleagues or the results of [sector] projects, reminds you of your abilities.
Actively celebrating your wins can also help you counteract negative self-talk, giving you a different perspective to work with. Collecting evidence of your wins means you’ll be able to fight your corner when opportunities for promotions and new responsibilities arise.
Reframe Your Thought Processes
We all have negative thoughts about ourselves at times. You can’t always stop yourself from thinking “I’m not good enough”, – but you can question that thought process. Ask yourself why you feel that way, and look for evidence to the contrary. When you’re successful in your role, focus on attributing that success to yourself.
For instance, maybe you did get a lot of support from your team members on a project, but what did you do that helped drive the right outcomes? What skills and abilities did you use – even if it was just that you collaborated effectively with the right people?
Build a Support Network
Establishing a robust support network can be an excellent way to counteract imposter syndrome. Speaking to your colleagues or a mentor about your failures and successes can help you to think about them in a new way. Even just talking through your doubts with someone you trust can provide reassurance and alternative perspectives.
If you feel that imposter syndrome is holding you back, you can even build on your everyday support network (colleagues, friends, and family members) with therapist guidance.
Adopt a Growth Mindset
Everyone makes mistakes and fails to achieve their goals from time to time. That doesn’t mean that you don’t deserve the opportunities you’re given. Instead of viewing every failure as evidence that you shouldn’t be in your role, look at them as learning opportunities.
Ask yourself what you can do to be more effective in your role. This could mean investing in better time management practices or taking courses to develop new skills. A growth mindset will help you constantly improve and counteract your weaknesses rather than be overwhelmed by them.
Develop Your Confidence and Self-Esteem
Finally, few people are naturally born with high levels of confidence. We need to cultivate our self-esteem over time. Setting realistic goals, acknowledging our progress, and reminding ourselves of our successes can help foster a sense of competency.
Practising self-compassion, such as treating yourself with the same kindness you would offer a friend, can mitigate harsh self-criticism, too. Recognise/recognize your feelings of imposter syndrome, but also remind yourself of your value and worth regularly.
Dealing with Imposter Syndrome: Your Daily Plan
Imposter syndrome can be difficult to overcome. You can’t just reframe your thoughts once and expect never to feel self-doubt again. Every day, you need to work on becoming more confident and positive. Set aside time in your schedule for:
- Morning Affirmations: Begin your day with positive affirmations to set a confident tone. Statements like “I am capable and deserving of my success” can help reframe negative thought patterns.
- Success Journaling: Dedicate time each day to document your achievements, no matter how small. Recording these successes provides tangible evidence of your capabilities and gives you a resource to revisit during moments of self-doubt.
- Feedback Integration: Don’t fear feedback – it helps you grow in your role. Actively seek and reflect on feedback (both positive and negative) from colleagues and mentors. Use their insights to guide your growth.
- Celebrate Wins: Acknowledge and celebrate your accomplishments, big or small. Treat yourself, share results with a friend or colleague, or just give yourself a mental pat on the back. Don’t overlook your accomplishments.
- Keep Growing: Maintain that growth mindset by constantly looking for opportunities to improve. Embrace setbacks as part of the growth process and focus on the effort rather than the outcome
Remember to measure your progress, too. Pay attention to how reframing your thought processes and leveraging your support network improve your confidence and self-assurance. Track how your achievements evolve and how often you take advantage of new opportunities.
Monitor your willingness to take on new challenges and your frequency of contributions to different projects. Over time, your efforts will positively impact your career.
You Belong Here: Own Your Success
Imposter syndrome may be persistent, but it doesn’t have to be permanent. The first step to overcoming it is believing in your own worth and recognising/recognizing that you deserve your achievements. Investing in personal growth through reframing thoughts, tracking successes, and building a support network.
Prioritise daily practices like affirmations, success journaling, and feedback integration to reinforce self-belief. With consistent effort, you’ll see long-term gains: greater career satisfaction, expanded opportunities, and a healthier mindset. You are not a fraud—you are capable, talented, and exactly where you belong.
