With all the self-help resources floating around social media and weekly wellness programs that go on on college campuses, ways of dealing with imposter syndrome seem just as diverse as the people who actually experience it. By no means is there a quick fix or magical solution to feelings of inadequacy or comparison, but there are a few mental habits that we can all pick up that would be useful in combatting these emotions. Instead of looking for external activities, which can include exercise, meditation or staying hydrated, mental habits require us to identify key instances and newly implement thought patterns. Whether you are just in need of a little reminder or you are feeling like imposter syndrome is taking over all your thoughts, this article lists my top three mindset habits that have helped me get through these feelings!:
- Be Mindful of what you consume
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Especially as college students, there’s absolutely no denying that social media is a huge part of our lifeline to staying connected with others. Even though we all know that our 24 hours in a day are incomparable to someone’s one-second photo, the accomplishments and events that people show online can reveal huge gaps in our sense of security within ourselves. While it’s almost no longer an option to delete social media entirely, being mindful of what you consume doesn’t necessarily mean unfollowing people or taking a social media cleanse. Rather, the next time you are scrolling down social media and find something that raises alarm to your sense of confidence, try to use it as an opportunity to look inwards. Oftentimes, when we’re mindlessly scrolling it’s so easy to look externally to solve something that feels very internal. By addressing why we feel a sense of inadequacy when we see certain posts, we are mindful that our consumption of certain materials are more likely to lead us to internalized shame and we can address what our thought patterns were that lead to that emotion in the first place!
- Celebrate any victory no matter how small
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While this may feel counterintuitive, especially on college campuses that glorify hustle culture, celebrating wins no matter how small they may feel at the moment will all cumulate to a greater, more positive sense of self. If you made your bed this morning, that’s a small win! If you went out for a run this morning but had to walk half of it, that’s a huge win! The strength of our previous habits can sometimes keep us feeling as if we have no agency, and imposter syndrome has a way of decreasing the quality of our self-talk. With this in mind, actively rewarding ourselves for the smallest of tasks will all accumulate to an overall more positive conversation with ourselves. Since this is all considerably easier said than done, you can start implementing this mental habit by writing down three things that you did that day that you are proud of yourself for doing!
- Embrace Imperfection
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Perfectionism is the belief that if we live perfect, look perfect, and act perfect, we can minimize or avoid the pain of blame, judgement, and shame. It’s a shield. It’s a twenty-ton shield that we lug around thinking it will protect us when, in fact, it’s the thing that’s really preventing us from flight.”
The Art of Imperfection by Brene Brown
While perfectionism is oftentimes regarded as a positive and negative trait, the belief that being perfect will keep us from experiencing painful rejection or failure will only strengthen a false facade of ourselves. Especially when referring to imposter syndrome, the attachment that we all have to being perfect continues to deepen our lack of satisfaction with who we really are. As college students, we might end up in a never-ending pursuit of something better than ourselves, especially when it seems like everyone around us looks like they have gotten everything figured out. With all of this being said, college campuses are amazing environments to meet new, accomplished people but most of us are taking this shield of perfectionism with us. If you are facing feelings of inadequacy or a lack of accomplishment, our ability to look outside of ourselves and see perfectionist tendencies in other people can give us a sense of community and help us understand that most other people on campus are feeling imposter syndrome too.
Although these mindset habits have helped me so far in my undergraduate experience, imposter syndrome calls for a more introspective journey and is individualized by its nature. If you are experiencing worsening feelings of self-worth or general comparison, please rely on your friends and support systems. If you are able to and interested, also try seeking professional help, which is absolutely amazing and a great investment in yourself if you have the means to do so! I hope that the first couple of weeks of this quarter have been restful so far and that these tips are helpful to you in the future!