Often times a person feels that they have been doing a great job at work. However, a part in their brains sometimes makes them suspicious whether that is true or not. The worst part about it is that nobody ever tells you if either of the cases is true, and in the rare cases if someone does tell you, you find it hard to believe. You may even get positive feedback from the people you work with, but still, you will have doubts regarding whether they really meant what they said. Your brain constantly tells you that you are just one mistake away from jeopardizing your whole career.
You brain keeps on telling you that you are just a fraud who is up to no good and that you do not deserve the position you are in right now. Have you ever had inner monologues like these? Well, you are not the only one. Imposter syndrome is more common than you imagine. Many people in the professional world fall victim to this syndrome at certain points in their lives.
However, instead of getting tangled up with your fears, you must do everything possible to overcome this self-defeating mentality. Let us discuss some strategies to battle imposter syndrome and rise above the waves of self-negativity.
Find Someone Reliable and Rational to Vent Your Frustrations
More often than not, if you go to someone to vent your frustrations, the will tell you that the problem you are suffering with is not really a problem but a fear that you created in your head. They will tell you to get over it. Words like these are quite discouraging and do nothing but infuriate the person who suffers from feelings of inadequacies.
That being said, if you take a look around, you will find someone who is emotionally mature enough to really listen to you and offer you something more than “get over it” or “it’s all in your head”. Choose these people carefully and vent your frustrations. Do not go to them just for the sake of whining but to let it all out and start with a clear state.
Review Your Accomplishments
One of the best ways to rise above your imposter syndrome is to think about all the things you just accomplished recently. It will offer you great perspective of where you currently stand. If the accomplishments are good, remind yourself of the hard work that you put in to achieve them and that you play a valuable role in your company.
Fake it Till You Make It
You may have heard this phrase quite a lot. Well, it is there for a good reason – there is nothing better than determination and hard work to prove to yourself and others that you indeed belong. You may be feeling inadequate, unconfident, and unwanted, well, do not let these feelings bring you down. As the phrase suggests, keep your head up even if it means that you have to imitate confidence to rise up the ranks.
