Tips to Help Combat Imposter Syndrome
Do you tend to doubt your skills and abilities or believe you are not deserving of your own
success? Do you hold any feelings of incompetence, feel as though you are not good enough, or
feel like a fraud in your current job, academics, home life, sports, relationships, etc.? If these
feelings sound familiar to you, you may be experiencing a common phenomenon known as
imposter syndrome.
Imposter syndrome (or imposter phenomenon) is described as the inability to internalize one’s
successes, competencies, and talents (Clark et al., 2022). It is characterized by feelings of self-
doubt, inadequacy, and fears of being unmasked or discovered as a fraud (Clark et al., 2022).
Individuals experiencing imposter syndrome may attribute their success and achievements to
luck instead of their own skills and abilities and partake in negative self-talk (Gadsby, 2022;
Mainali, 2020). They tend to lack inner confidence, view small mistakes as failures, believe they
are not deserving of the success they achieve, and place a greater emphasis on negative feedback
than positive feedback despite being exposed to significant amounts of positive evaluations,
praise, and admiration (Clark et al., 2022; Gadsby, 2022).
It is important to recognize symptoms of imposter syndrome as it can negatively impact mental
well-being and personal growth. For instance, individuals facing imposter syndrome may avoid
new challenges or avoid applying for new roles or promotions in the workforce (Clark et al.,
2022; Rivera et al., 2021). In addition, imposter syndrome has been associated with burnout,
emotional instability, mental and physical exhaustion, decreased resiliency, and even anxiety and
depression (Rivera et al., 2021). However, although imposter syndrome can have negative side
effects, there are many coping skills to help overcome it. Below are three tips to help you combat
imposter syndrome.
1. Seek support from others. Sharing your feelings and emotions with peers or others you trust
can help you validate your successes and counter your negative self-evaluations. Talking to
others about these feelings of imposter syndrome can also bring a sense of relief and comfort,
normalizing these feelings, helping you recognize that you are not alone (Mainali, 2020).
2. Practice positive self-talk. Replacing negative self-talk with positive self-talk can help us
reframe or restructure the irrational and negative thoughts and beliefs we hold about ourselves,
challenging our inner critic. Practicing positive self-talk can help increase confidence and self-
esteem, reducing imposter syndrome symptoms (Mainali, 2020). Joel and Cara might be good fit if you are looking for a therapist to support with improving self-esteem.
3. Celebrate and track your accomplishments and successes. Taking time to reflect on your
accomplishments can help you internalize your successes. Whether the accomplishment is big or
small, try saving your accomplishments or positive feedback by writing them down or printing
them out so they can be used to constantly remind you about your successes, intelligence, and
competence. Try not to minimize your success and instead take some time to applaud and
congratulate yourself and your efforts (Palmer, 2021).
Remember, you are not alone. Imposter syndrome is a very common phenomenon that many individuals deal with in their workplace, academics, home life, sports, relationships, etc. If you are experiencing persistent concerns with your mental health and would like to talk with a therapist, please contact us at (647) 267-9853 so we can help you along your healing journey.
References
Clark, P., Holden, C., Russell, M., & Downs, H. (2022). The impostor phenomenon in mental
health professionals: Relationships among compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion
satisfaction. Contemporary Family Therapy, 44(2), 185-197.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-021-09580-y
Gadsby, S. (2022). Imposter syndrome and self-deception. Australasian Journal of
Philosophy, 100(2), 247-261. https://doi.org/10.1080/00048402.2021.1874445
Rivera, N., Feldman, E. A., Augustin, D. A., Caceres, W., Gans, H. A., & Blankenburg, R.
(2021). Do I belong here? Confronting imposter syndrome at an individual, peer, and
institutional level in health professionals. MedEdPORTAL, 17, 11166.
https://doi.org/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.11166
Mainali, S. (2020). Being an imposter: Growing out of impostership. JNMA: Journal of the
Nepal Medical Association, 58(232), 1097-1099. https://doi.org/10.31729/jnma.5505
Palmer, C. (2021, June 1). How to overcome imposter phenomenon. American Psychological
Association. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2021/06/cover-impostor-phenomenon