Overcoming Imposter Syndrome Tips That Work

 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome Tips That Work

People that suffer from imposter syndrome often feel that they are trapped and that there is no way out. They believe that they will always experience thoughts of being an imposter for the rest of their life. If you know what to do then this will not be the case. In this article, we will show you tips that work to overcome imposter syndrome.

Talk about the Imposter Syndrome with a Person You can Trust

This is not an easy thing to do if you are suffering from imposter syndrome but it can really help you a lot. One of the biggest fears that people have that believe they are an imposter is being found out. They are therefore reluctant to talk to anyone about it.

What you need to do is to find someone that you can really trust. This will be a person that will not only listen to you and try and help you, but will also be discreet and keep everything confidential. The ideal person would be someone that has experienced imposter syndrome and managed to overcome it.

The reason that talking to someone will help you is that sharing the problem will provide you with a lot of relief. There is an old adage that says “a problem shared is a problem halved” and this is very true.

If you genuinely cannot find a person that you trust enough then you can always turn to the professionals for help. Yes, there will be a cost involved, but this is a small price to pay if it helps you to overcome imposter syndrome.

Identify the Imposter and give it a Name

This may seem a bit crazy at first but it can really work well. It is a great way to provide some distance between you and imposter syndrome. When you next experience a thought about being an imposter, identify which type of imposter that it is and then follow this up with a neutralizing thought.

For example, if you experience a thought that tells you that you are a fraud because you are not doing everything perfectly, you can tell yourself that this is the perfectionist imposter just trying to ruin your day.

Take this a step further by naming the imposter. Say something like “Peter Perfectionist is bothering me again and trying to make me feel like an imposter”. This should make you laugh or at least smile and it will certainly weaken the negative thought considerably.

Learn how to Deal with Criticism

One of the worst things to cope with for a person that is experiencing imposter syndrome is criticism. But criticism is a part of life and it will be difficult to avoid this all of your life. The thing is that there is negative criticism and positive criticism and the latter is a good thing.

If someone uses negative criticism, they are doing this with no foundation. It can hurt you and strengthen your feelings of being an imposter even though it is not true. The best way to deal with this is to treat is as an opinion that is not right.

Positive or constructive criticism is a well-formed opinion that could be worth considering. Usually those that give constructive criticism are trying to help you. Be prepared to take this advice on board if it is valid.