Feeling Like a Fraud? Here Are Tips for Overcoming the Imposter Syndrome!

The imposter syndrome – it’s the feeling that your success is somehow undeserved, that it is a fluke or simply a stroke of good luck. In other words, you feel like an imposter. If you are prone to these types of thoughts, here are some tips for getting them under control.

Look at the evidence

If you’re feeling like you don’t deserve to be where you’re at, take some time to think about your academic or career trajectory. Look at the evidence for your success. You are where you are because of your accomplishments. Think about all of your accomplishments. These are the facts that support the argument that you deserve to be where you’re at.

Talk about it

Talk with friends about how you’re feeling and get their take on the situation. They may be able to see things that you are unaware of and can provide additional support by telling you what they see in you.

Recognize your achievements

People who are afflicted with impostor syndrome tend to downplay their accomplishments, but this only makes things worse. When you accomplish something, you need to take the time to celebrate your achievement.

Don’t be a perfectionist

Don’t aim for perfectionism, instead, aim for excellence. Realize that perfectionism is a recipe for burnout. Perfectionism only increases feelings of inadequacy because it is impossible to achieve.

Focus on the progress you’re making instead. And if you happen to fall short of your lofty standards, look at it as a learning experience, rather than evidence of inadequacy.

Don’t be so hard on yourself

Don’t beat yourself up when you fall short. Realize that you’re not perfect, that no one is perfect. We all have ups and downs and experience failure from time to time. You need to learn from it, develop resilience and move on, rather than dwelling on it.

Talk about your failures

Often people who believe they are impostors feel like they are the only ones who experience failures. They see other people’s accomplishments and successes and it only increases their feelings of inadequacy. What they fail to realize, however, is that other people experience failures as well. So it may be helpful to get together with people you know and talk about your failures, so you get to see that other people fall short sometimes also.

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