Do you need to overcome imposter syndrome?

Wait. Let’s take a step back.

Have you ever felt out of place somewhere? It could have been at work, among a group of friends, or even among family.

It could be imposter syndrome.

Let’s Do a Test

The best way to know if you have imposter syndrome is to do a quick test.

Answer these questions:

• Do you think your success is just good luck?
• Do you struggle to accept small mistakes you make?
• Do you consider your expertise and experience as inferior—even when it’s equivalent (or superior) to that of other people?
• Do you take criticism from others extremely badly?
• Do you constantly worry that someone will consider you a fraud?

If you answered “Yes” to these questions, then you could have imposter syndrome.

Although these few questions can be an indicator, they are by no means a comprehensive test for self-diagnosis. It’s just to give you an idea of what you could be experiencing should you have imposter syndrome.

Try out an online test or talk to your therapist if you feel you need a better diagnosis.

The Ins and Outs of Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome is a belief that your success isn’t due to your abilities, skills, and expertise; instead, you believe it came about from external factors or luck.

Basically, you don’t give yourself credit where it is due or for your accomplishments.

Common Symptoms

Imposter syndrome manifests in several ways. You could have some or all of the common symptoms. Knowing about these symptoms can help you identify troublesome behavior that you can correct.

Some signs that you have imposter syndrome include:

• Poor self-esteem due to a lack in self-belief
• You stay away from challenges due to a fear of failure
• Not believing that personal success is due to your own abilities and hard work
• Creating unrealistic goals that set you up for failure
• Inability to be proud of yourself
• Feeling like you don’t know enough, aren’t clever, or anything else you could think of
• Considering your achievements as inferior
• Only feeling valuable if you are considered the best

Types of Imposter Syndrome

Like many other conditions, imposter syndrome isn’t the same for everyone. Some medical professionals classify it into five categories depending on what a person experiences.

• The expert doesn’t do anything if they don’t feel they have sufficient knowledge or experience.
• The natural genius easily learns new things but feels like a fraud if they struggle with something.
• The perfectionist has ridiculously high personal expectations but crumbles when they make a tiny mistake.
• The soloist is independent and doesn’t ask for help, as it’s a sign of failure.
• The superhero wants to succeed in all areas of life; otherwise, they feel bad.

Address Your Limiting Beliefs

Many times, imposter syndrome is brought about by limiting beliefs. You can change your ideas about yourself just like you constructed them.

The Brain-A-Thon provides the perfect opportunity to bring your imperfect self and learn about self-love. We will share all the tricks to change your thinking so that you chase every event confidently.

Why Do I Have Imposter Syndrome?

As with anything, you may wonder why you have imposter syndrome. It can come from one source or from many different places. Identifying what role each of these play can help you to address the real problem.

Family and Culture

Your childhood and how you were raised could result in imposter syndrome.

This happens when you feel that you never did well enough, that your parents constantly expected more, or that you could never do as well as other family members.

Your culture could play a similar role. If there’s an expectation that you have to behave or perform in certain ways and you don’t, then you could be chastised.

Popular culture and the latest trends on social media add to these feelings. You constantly want to stay on trend, but that creates undue pressure.

Educational and Career Experiences

During school and in the workplace, you could feel pressure that makes you develop imposter syndrome.

It could be that you are considered the “smart one,” so people expect more from you, but you can’t always give more. It could even lead to not asking for help, as you don’t want to come across as weak or uncertain.

In contrast, you could have been called “dumb” at school, and no one ever expected you to do well in anything. When you do succeed, you question your achievements, as you haven’t been programmed to do well.

Personality

Some aspects of your personality can make it easier to develop imposter syndrome.

If you struggle to communicate, lack social skills, or easily experience anxiety, then it’s likely you could be predisposed to feel like an imposter.

Mental health conditions also affect your emotional and mental well-being. If you have depression, a personality disorder, or experienced trauma, then you are at a disadvantage.

It Affects Everything

Imposter syndrome affects every part of your life. It can harm your career, relationships, and how you feel about yourself.

Affect on Daily Life

When you have imposter syndrome, you engage in self-sabotaging behavior. You work hard but never feel it’s good enough which leads to burnout and poor self-image.

You stop trusting yourself but look to others for recognition. If you don’t get the approval of others, it makes you question your abilities. It results in stress, neediness, and unnecessary strain on relationships.

Affect on Goal Achievement

Imposter syndrome also affects how you achieve goals.

When you have this condition, you may feel unhappy with your work performance. To improve your happiness, you set new goals, but they are unrealistic, so the chance you will achieve them is minimal.

Failure is likely, and when you do fail or slip up, you beat yourself up about it. Your ambition decreases, and you struggle to motivate yourself.

All of these things create a vicious circle of trying, struggling, and failing. It worsens your imposter syndrome, so until you address it, you won’t feel better, and your self-esteem will suffer.

Build Your Self-Confidence

Self-confidence is essential in daily interactions, but imposter syndrome can break it down. You are the only person who can change the narrative of your life.

Learn how to do that at the Brain-A-Thon. It’s an event that will teach you to control your life.

Overcome Imposter Syndrome

The only way to put imposter syndrome back in its box is by taking full control of your mind. It may seem like a strange concept, but it’s entirely possible.

Here are a couple of tips to get started.

Face Your Feelings

Be honest with yourself about your emotions. Accept that things don’t always go according to plan, and it’s okay to feel sad, disappointed, or overwhelmed.

Whenever you feel you don’t belong, take a few moments to think about what is happening and name your feelings.

Identify Problematic Thoughts

As you reflect on the situation, it’s likely that some troublesome thoughts will pop up: things like, “I’m not good enough,” or “I always fail.”

These are thoughts—they don’t define who you are or your abilities.

Allow these thoughts to drift across your consciousness, and then, dismiss them because they aren’t the truth unless you decide to let them be.

This is where you have to be careful because your natural inclination is to give in to the thoughts. Don’t let that be your reality.

You can change your thinking and challenge problematic thoughts. (Check the last point to find out how.)

Breathe

Before you go any further, take a deep breath. Inhale through your nose for several counts, and then, exhale slowly through your mouth—almost like blowing through a straw. Do it at least six times.

Controlling your breathing allows you to calm down. It stops your emotions from taking over and activates the parts of your brain responsible for rational thinking.

Reframe Your Thoughts

Now that you are slightly calmer, find a different way of looking at your thoughts. Change the story until you can turn it into something positive.

For example, if you feel you are always failing, then it also means you are always trying, which is a good thing.

Boost Your Self-Esteem

When imposter syndrome does take over, take a step back from the situation. Place yourself into a memory of a time when you were successful.

It could be when you got a promotion, finished a big project, or celebrated a milestone. Remember how you felt at that time. Use those positive emotions to motivate you in your current situation.

Here’s a video to help you out:

Create a Support System

Many people suffer from imposter syndrome, so you aren’t alone in this struggle. It helps to know that other people go through the same emotions.

Choose two or three people in your social circle to trust with your situation. Confide in them about your personal struggle with imposter syndrome.

Ask these individuals to support and motivate you. Tell them when you are having problematic thoughts and heed their advice.

Retrain Your Brain

Finally, you have to change how you think about yourself. It starts in the brain.

The good news is that it’s possible to retrain your brain. The great news is that we are going to teach you how to do it.

Book your space at the Brain-A-Thon today, say goodbye to imposter syndrome, and say hello to a bright future.