Here are some more strategies to deal with imposter feelings:
3. Celebrate Your Successes. People with imposter syndrome tend to brush off their successes, which only exacerbates the experience. If someone congratulates you, don’t move on too fast. Aim to speak more positively about yourself. Take time to applaud yourself which helps internalize your success. Concrete reminders of your success are important also. For example save any positive emails maybe printing them so that you can easily look at them and remember how others see you. It can be little things that taken together show you to be a competent person.
4. Let Go of Perfectionism. You don’t have to lower the bar, but adjusting your standards of success can make it easier to see and internalize your accomplishments. Focus on your progress rather than aiming for perfection. You have to be Ok with being good enough. And when you don’t meet your standards, resist the urge to see your failure as an exposure to your faults. Reframe failures as opportunities to learn and grow which will ultimately move you forward toward success. Learn to break free from rigid roles so you can grow and be someone who does not know it all.
5. Cultivate Self Compassion. Learn to shift from outward indications of self worth to an internal locus of self worth. Try to observe when your imposter feelings surface and how you respond to them. Being mindful of your feelings can help you move in a different direction. It’s about learning to recognize those feelings of fear and learning to be Ok with who you are without your accomplishments. Your accomplishments are not tied to your value.
In the next blog post I will talk about two more strategies to deal with imposter syndrome.
If you think I can help with your imposter feelings or other coaching or hypnosis issues, please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or 361.442.9590.