Welcome to week 2 of #wellbeingwednesday ! This post I'm going to be discussing something known as Imposter Syndrome and also touching on the topic of self-doubt.
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| April 2020 |
Although Imposter Syndrome can't necessarily be officially diagnosed, it is a common phenomenon and experience that a lot of people struggle with. Individuals have persistent self-doubt about their abilities and feel as if they are a fraud, despite having many successes. They have a hard time linking their successes to their ability and instead say it was down to luck or external factors. This idea was first identified by psychologists Pauline Rose Clance & Suzanne Imes in 1978, and comes about because people can't internalise and own their successes (which basically means they have a hard time accepting their achievements).
Some of the common signs:
- self-doubt
- fear you won't live up to expectations (family, society etc)
- sabogating your sucess
- attributing success to external factors
I think I can say for many us we have all experienced doubt. Doubt about not being good enough for a job, doubt about starting a new business, doubt about anything that requires a decision. It's okay to have doubt. It's normal. But it's important you don't let your doubt control your actions. The negative thinking, self-doubt and self-sabotage can also impact other areas of your life so it's always a good idea to talk to people about how you feel.
There are different forms of Imposter Syndrome and one of them includes being a perfectionist. Perfectionists are never satisfied with their work, and constantly look at their weaknesses and never strengths. Additionally, perfectionists may procrastinate due to their own high standards.
How can you overcome Imposter Syndrome?
Acknowledge your thoughts. Be aware of the thoughts that come into your mind and question them. Assess if your thoughts are rational. This may be difficult but it will get easier with time. Recognising the signs is the first step to improving the symptoms of imposter syndrome.
Be kind to yourself. It's okay to have doubts. Start practising positive self-talk. When a negative thought enters your mind, stop and challenge it. I'll give an example... if you think "I just got lucky", then stop and question the thought ... "What work did I put in to achieve this?". You can also use affirmations to counteract the negative thoughts ... "I've worked hard" "I deserved this". Research has found that repeating affirmations can improve stress and anxiety levels.
Track your successes. One symptom of imposter syndrome is attributing your success to external factors and not yourself. So a way to get around this could be keeping track of your successes. You could keep a 'Happy' folder on your computer with a document of all your wins, successes and achievements. You could write in a journal. Make a photo journal of your successes. Anything to keep you reminded of your achievements so when a thought pops in your head about you being a "fraud" or "imposter" you can see the evidence that says otherwise.
I know this year has been tough and Thanksgiving and Christmas may not be celebrated in the same way as previous years but be creative, find different ways you can celebrate with your family (virtually!).
Thanks for reading!
Amrita
xx
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