I’m no stranger to imposter syndrome. Ever since I was in high school I’ve always had a nagging fear that I’ve convinced everyone that I’m better than I actually am. Although I’m unsure if I’ll ever fully get over imposter syndrome I’ve been working on ways to make sure that it doesn’t interfere with my everyday life. Here are a few different skills that I’ve used to help with my imposter syndrome.
- Rationalize with yourself.
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When I’m worried that I’m not as intelligent or as capable as other people think I try to rationalize with myself. Nobody would have the patience to invest a lot of time in someone that they aren’t genuinely interested in. For the most part, imposter syndrome doesn’t make sense so rationalizing your way out of your bad feelings will help ease your feelings a lot.
- Build connections with people who have similar backgrounds as you.
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Imposter syndrome affects marginalized people more often than not. If you feel like you don’t belong it might be because there isn’t a lot of representation in your community, in your field, or in general. Reach out to or look up people who have a similar background as you. Seeing someone with a similar identity as you in your field will help you feel more confident to succeed.
- Fake it until you make it.
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Don’t talk yourself down. Don’t allow yourself to truly believe that you aren’t able to succeed. Instead, whenever you feel insignificant pretend that you don’t and power on. Before you know it you’ll believe in your confidence too.
- Talk about your fears.
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Everyone deals with imposter syndrome. However, not everyone knows that everyone deals with imposter syndrome. Closing this gap allows people to realize that their worries are normal and valid.
- Invest in therapy.
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If you find that your imposter syndrome is affecting you to a point where your daily life is affected you may need to consult a therapist. Taking care of your mental health is so important. You deserve to have a peace of mind.