Identifying Imposter Syndrome and 3 Tips to Help You Stop Feeling Like a Fraud

The phenomenon of feeling less capable or talented than people think—despite ample evidence to the contrary—is known as imposter syndrome, and it impacts 70% of the population. You know that feeling you may get when someone raves about a project that you have completed or you get a promotion but constantly question how or why you deserve this, yes, that feeling is known as imposter syndrome.
Imposter syndrome can lead to high levels of stress, debilitating work performance anxiety and a lack of career progression. According to Dr. Valerie Young, a leading expert on imposter syndrome, this phenomenon manifests itself in 5 different ways:

If any of the above resonates with you, here are three tips help you stop feeling like a fraud and begin to embrace where you are.

1. Give it a Voice

Giving a voice to these feeling of inadequacy is important. Talking about your feelings is an essential first step. I recommend sharing them with both a mentor and your direct manager.

A mentor will be able to help you talk candidly about your struggles with impostor syndrome, while giving you a more objective point of view. Your manager will likely have relevant knowledge and the tools to help you overcome your impostor syndrome in the context of your current job.

2. Document your Accomplishments

When you feel like an impostor, it is hard to understand how much you have contributed to your own success. You might default them to luck or others' hard work, when in fact, your own work, knowledge, and preparation had a lot to do with it. Document your progress to keep track of your accomplishments, you can use my Accomplishments & Goal Tracker or you can keep a journal or email folder with Kudos* emails from colleagues. Make this something that is easily accessible, so that when that self doubt starts creeping in, you can quickly get to it and be reminded of why you are where you are.

*When someone you respect gives you a kudos or compliments your work, don't dismiss it. If you respect them, respect their opinion about you.

3. Avoid the Comparison Trap

Whenever we compare ourselves to others, we often find faults with ourselves that continue to fuel the "I am not good enough" or "I should not be here". If this happens during an actual conversation, try focusing on actively listening to what the other individual is saying be genuinely interested in learning more.

Social Media is another culprit that causes individuals to feel inferior. If you find yourself mindlessly scrolling through your social media feeds and comparing your journey to theirs or their achievements to yours, it may be time to log off as this will only cause you to fuel that imposter feeling.1

Having an understanding of the Impostor Syndrome Cycle, you are more empowered to change it. You can catch yourself earlier in the process, before distorted thoughts get out of hand and drive your actions in unhelpful ways.

1 Cuncic, Arlin What Is Imposter Syndrome? verywellmind.com