How to battle imposter syndrome

Have you ever felt like you're not good enough? Well, that's essentially what imposter syndrome is but I'm here to give you some tips on how to overcome it.

The other day, I was reading Set On You by Amy Lea. It's a romance book about a curvy woman who is a fitness influencer, inspiring others to embrace their bodies. And at the beginning of one particular chapter, there is a bit about downplaying your success and it got me thinking.

The National Institute of Health's definition of Imposter Syndrome is:

'Imposter Syndrome (IS) is a behavioural health phenomenon described as self-doubt of intellect, skills or accomplishments among high-achieving individuals.'

To simplify this, imposter syndrome is those feelings of anxiety and those thoughts of negativity when it comes to your success. If you've ever had thoughts along the lines of 'I'm not good enough', 'I got lucky' or 'I don't deserve this', then the likelihood is, you've experienced imposter syndrome at some part in your life.

Now some people may be embarrassed to admit that they've felt like an imposter, but I can guarantee you, that nearly everyone has experienced it at some point. Everyone has moments of self-doubt, including me.

If you spoke to my parents, they would tell you I often say things like, 'I'm not good enough' or 'What if I fail?'. In high school and sixth form, I almost always doubted my abilities to the point where during a biology exam, I had a panic attack and then cried after it thinking I'd failed. Even now as a journalist, I doubt myself sometimes because I'm not as experienced as others and I don't have the NCTJ qualification, so I do feel that sense of inadequacy sometimes, despite the fact I know I'm a good writer.

And it's easy for me to sit here and write this blog post and tell you to just have faith in yourself, grow some more confidence etc. But that's easier said than done, especially in a world where our every action and every word can be scrutinised on social media.

So, I'm going to give you some actual proactive tips that can help you battle the imposter syndrome, overcome that self-doubt and increase your self-confidence.

Take breaks and relax

Now I know I just said I'd give you some proactive tips and having a break and relaxing may seem like the opposite of proactive, but it's not.

Imposter syndrome can be a really difficult and challenging feeling to deal with and constantly battling with it can cause you to burn out. And burnout isn't good for anybody.

So when you're feeling that self-doubt, when you're feeling inadequate, take a break. Step back from work or your studies - whatever is causing you to have that anxiety - and relax.

Do something you enjoy and find calming to reset your mind, calm yourself down and get a fresh perspective for when you're ready to go back to work.

Review your success

Imposter syndrome stems from not feeling your success internally or feeling as though you're not deserving of your success.

But if you review the work you've completed and what you've achieved, it can help you overcome those anxieties because you'll see how much effort you put in and what tasks you actually had to do to get to the end result.

You could keep a list of every project you complete, of every bit of revision you do for an exam, of every bit of praise from co-workers/teachers/bosses.

Having something tangible that shows you your journey from start to end can help you realise what you've actually achieved.

Express your thoughts

This tip can be used not only for imposter syndrome but for any situation where you feel nervous, anxious or not confident.

Expressing your thoughts can help you relieve tension and lift a weight off your shoulders. You can talk to someone else about how you're feeling and what you're thinking - it doesn't have to be a professional, it can be a good colleague or a family member, just someone you trust.

Or if you'd prefer to express your thoughts but keep them private, getting a good journal or notebook where you can brain-dump everything onto the page is equally as helpful.

Change your mindset

These three words, Change Your Mindset, can seem daunting and scary at first because they hold so much weight behind them.

But in reality, it's a small change that will lead to a happier and more positive mindset, battling that imposter syndrome.

You need to re-evaluate and assess what your goals are in life and what your ambitions are. You also need to change your outlook because life and your career aren't quick trips - they are a journey.

Getting to where you want to be, and having that success, shouldn't be a sprint.

It's a marathon.

Things take time but if you have a growth mindset, take setbacks as lessons to learn from, and try to not let the negative thoughts take over, you can overcome imposter syndrome.

Can you do it?

The answer to this question is YES!

You may feel overwhelmed and think that whilst I've given you these tips, you can't actually do them, but you can.

Everything in life can be made easier and simpler if you take it a bit at a time. This is the same for tackling imposter syndrome. These tips are there to help you and inspire you to think of more - you don't have to follow all of them. They may not be for you.

But if you've suffered from imposter syndrome, then they may help. And if they help, you may be starting your journey to become the most confident, self-believing, ambitious version of yourself.

Imposter syndrome isn't great but we've all been there. So if you find yourself feeling anxiety, and having those thoughts of self-doubt, then see if these tips can help you.

Until next time...