Three Key Ways to Defeat Impostor Syndrome

Posted on Thursday, July 27th, 2017

Impostor Syndrome is the feeling that you’re a fraud in constant danger of being found out. It’s the feeling that no matter what you’ve achieved, you’re not actually good at what you do. This feeling is a lie, but tons of people are subject to it: this constant sense that we are not good enough.

Impostor Syndrome can hold you back at school, in your co-op placements, or at work. If you listen to it, you hesitate to take promotions or leadership roles because you might feel like you aren’t qualified enough. And it’s simply not true.

So how do you beat this feeling? How do you stop these kinds of thoughts from holding you back?

Below the cut, we look at some real techniques to deal with Impostor Syndrome.

1. Don’t Compare Yourself to Others

When you’re trying to beat Impostor Syndrome, comparison is your enemy. Comparison can convince you that everyone knows better than you, everyone is more talented than you, everyone has it more together than you.

But here’s the thing: you don’t have the full story, so you’re in no place to compare yourself to others. You have no idea what’s going on in the minds of others, so whatever comparison you make will be skewed.

Social media exacerbates this problem. Remember that what you see on social media—people in amazing jobs, glamourous lifestyles—is highly curated. You’re only seeing the positives.

When looking at people further along on their career tracks, remember too that they also had to start out somewhere. At some point, they also felt completely unexperienced and as if there was too much to learn. So don’t judge yourself against them—you’re just not there yet. That doesn’t mean you’re not worthy of what you’ve earned, or not talented. You’re only just starting out.

2. Celebrate Your Successes

When you’re caught in the cycle of Impostor Syndrome, it can be easy to downplay your successes. You may find yourself searching for explanations of why you’re not responsible for your success, why your success doesn’t matter.

This is textbook Impostor Syndrome, and the best way to break it is to celebrate your success.

This doesn’t mean forcing yourself to become a bragging, egotistical monster. But it does mean taking credit for the good things you do.

Keep a Journal

One way to do this is to keep a journal. Whenever you succeed at something, write it down (you should be doing this anyway—it’s great information to have going into salary negotiations, promotions, job interviews, or when building your portfolio).

If you start to feel like a fraud, whip out your journal and review the good things you’ve accomplished. It’s simple, but it really helps.

Say Thank You

This may be something that takes a little more work, because it may involve training yourself out of habits you’ve held for a long time.

When someone compliments you, do not downplay their compliment. Do not negate it, don’t refuse it, don’t rebut it.

Say thank you, and keep it.

People give compliments when they really mean it. They’re being honest with you. It’s not polite to refuse their compliment, and it’s also not healthy for you. Accept it when people say nice things about you—they’re saying it because you deserve it.

3. Remember that Perfection Doesn’t Exist

Nothing confirms your suspicions of being a fraud like making a mistake. If you’re not constantly perfect, constantly performing at 100 per cent, then you must be an Impostor—right?

Wrong. It’s important to find a balance at work, especially when you’re in a placement or just starting out in your field.

Perfectionism is not a good thing, because perfection doesn’t exist. It’s not a real thing, and trying to attain the unattainable will cause you stress and burnout. You won’t be doing your best work if you’re constantly attempting to reach a perfect and impossible ideal.

You’re young, you’re still learning, and you will make mistakes. Everyone does. It does not make you a failure or an Impostor—mistakes do not erase your achievements. You’re going to be just fine.

Impostor Syndrome is something almost everyone faces. By recognizing it for what it is, and having some simple but effective techniques for addressing it, you’ll be a great position to succeed at your work and be healthy and happy.

 

Are you interested in taking a co-op course at Algonquin College? Are you an employer looking to hire an Algonquin co-op student? Get in touch with us! Visit our website at https://www.algonquincollege.com/coop/, connect with us at coop@algonquincollege.com or call us at 613-727-4723 Ext.7623. You can also follow us on Twitter at @AlgonquinCoop.


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