Do you ever feel like you are not enough, that everyone else is more knowledgeable, experienced, confident, and legitimate than you? Do you sometimes feel that only after you read another book, take another course, learn a little more, will you be able to move forward with your project? Is it hard for you to stop procrastination and move to action, to stick to your calendar and get things done?
If this resonates with you, you might suffer from imposter syndrome.
Imposter syndrome is characterized by self-doubt, a fear of being uncovered and a fraud, and it is very common. Although imposter syndrome is not a formal clinical diagnosis, it can trigger anxiety and toxic stress. A lot of people suffer from it, even though you could never tell!
How to overcome it and be more realist about yourself:
- 1. The first step is become more aware of your though and emotions and accept that it is normal to feel this way. Acknowledge that your thoughts are just that, thoughts: they do not necessarily reflect the objective truth about your value.
- 2. Recognise and become aware of your inner critic. This little voice inside your head is expert in making you doubt yourself, but don’t allow it to treat you badly. Talk to yourself as if you were talking to your best friend.
- 3. List your successes: make a list of your achievement, things you are proud of, challenges you overcame. Don’t limit yourself to the professional sphere, try to be as thorough as possible.
- 4. Accept being a beginner: it’s ok not to be always perfect, and it’s ok to not always know what you are doing.
- 5. Get perspective from others. Ask for feedback and listen to your what people say with an open mind and an open heart. Share what you are feeling: most people feel the same, and many are just waiting for an opening to talk about it.
It’s completely normal to experience self-doubt, but you can make it so that your fear is not making choices for you.
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