[vc_row][vc_column][stm_spacer height=”150″ height_mobile=”-100″][vc_custom_heading source=”post_title” font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:center|color:%233f3f3f” google_fonts=”font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”14201″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” css_animation=”none”][stm_separator color=”custom” style=”style_3″ custom_color=”#0d97ff” sep_width=”200px” sep_height=”10px” sep_css=”.vc_custom_1571309810608{margin-top: 20px !important;}”][vc_raw_html]JTVCRElTUExBWV9VTFRJTUFURV9TT0NJQUxfSUNPTlMlNUQ=[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]Was there a time when you questioned an achievement of yours? Have you ever felt like you don’t belong at work? Do you find yourself doubting your skills and abilities?
If you said yes to any of the aforementioned questions, then you’ve experienced impostor syndrome. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. According to a review article published in the International Journal of Behavioral Science, an estimated 70% of the population has experienced impostor syndrome at some point in their lives.
But what is impostor syndrome?
First identified in 1978 by psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes, impostor syndrome is the idea that you’ve only succeeded due to luck or chance, not because of your skills, talents or qualifications. In addition, psychologist Audrey Ervin associated impostor syndrome with anyone who isn’t able to internalize and own their successes.
Now that we’ve identified what impostor syndrome is, the next question would be: How do we deal with it?
In her book The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer From the Impostor Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It, Dr. Valerie Young categorized five subgroups that we might identify with to explain why we experience impostor syndrome. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]1. Perfectionists – Since perfectionists set really high expectations, the slightest error will make them question their competence.
2. Experts – Experts feel the need to know every piece of information about a certain subject, which is why they hesitate to take on something if they don’t meet every single criterion.
3. Natural genius – A natural genius is used to getting things done without a lot of effort. If they have to put more effort than usual into something, they feel like they’re not good enough.
4. Soloists – Soloists feel like they have to accomplish tasks on their own, so asking for help makes them feel like fraud.
5. Supermen and superwomen – This subgroup involves people who push themselves to work harder than the people around them just to prove they are not impostors. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]While there is no one answer as to why people experience impostor syndrome, identifying with a certain subgroup helps in understanding why we have such feelings towards our capabilities.
After understanding, the best thing to do is confront and face what we feel. So, how do we deal with impostor syndrome?
The American Psychological Association suggests five different ways to overcome impostor syndrome: [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]1. Talk to your mentors. Go to someone you look up to for a pep talk that will get you out of your head and remind you that what you’re feeling is both normal and irrational.
2. Recognize your expertise. Take ownership of your expertise by sharing what you know with someone younger than you. Doing so will make you see how much you’ve grown and how far you’ve come.
3. Remember what you do well. List down the things you are good at and keep that list. Whenever you feel like you’re not worthy, take out that list and remind yourself that you are good and enough.
4. Realize no one is perfect. Acknowledge the fact that no one is perfect, which will help minimize the pressure of perfectionism you put on yourself.
5. Reshape your thinking. Changing your perspective will allow you to see that mistakes and shortcomings are normal and that they exist for a reason – to learn from them so you can be better. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]When dealing with our inner voices, we should learn to take it one day at a time. If you feel you can’t do it, then just remember that these people experience impostor syndrome just like us – Michelle Obama, Emma Watson, Albert Einstein, Meryl Streep and so much more. [/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]JTVCRElTUExBWV9VTFRJTUFURV9TT0NJQUxfSUNPTlMlNUQ=[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row disable_element=”yes” shadow_x_offset=”0″ shadow_y_offset=”0″ shadow_blur=”0″ shadow_spread=”0″][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
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