Episode 17: Who am I to do that? Let's talk about Imposter Syndrome

The Huddle podcast - Small talk for big business | Online Marketing | Business Strategy

The term impostor syndrome, coined in 1978, is described as a feeling of “phoniness in people who believe that they are not intelligent, capable or creative despite evidence of high achievement.” Basically, when you feel inadequate despite evident success. The negativity bias is the phenomena by which humans give more psychological weight to bad experiences than a good ones. In fact, some researchers assert that negative emotions have an impact close to 3x stronger than positive emotions. Start by acknowledging it. Recognise and call out these disruptive thoughts and feelings when they emerge. Change your mental programming Reframe your thoughts and realise that what you’re feeling isn’t founded on anything real. Feelings of inadequacy and fear are all in your head, so imagine how you’d feel if you could turn these thoughts into something positive. Note of your achievements You have many skills. Make a list of your strengths, and take note of everything you’re good at. Then, make a list of your weaknesses or areas you’d like to improve on, and focus on developing those areas. Realise you aren’t perfect. Perfectionism and impostor syndrome tend to go hand-in-hand, so give yourself a break. Nor are you aren’t alone With effort and mental reprogramming, you can learn to overcome your doubt and celebrate your accomplishments. It’s not easy , but imagine how liberated you’ll feel once your feelings of anxiety and fears of “getting found out” subside.