According to a study conducted by KPMG in the year 2020, imposter syndrome affects as many as 75% of the female employees. On the other hand, the male employees tend to be not affected by imposter syndrome as much. According to a Workplace Insights article of the year 2023, males suffering from imposter syndrome is just about 12% and some other survey says that among men the imposter syndrome is just about 20%. The interesting fact is that one of the reasons why this is less in men is because men prefer not to talk much about his. Ironically, this fact itself proves that Imposter syndrome is very much there in males. Taking the help of a mindset coach, can prove to be highly beneficial.
Table Of Content:
- Understanding The Feelings of Imposter Syndrome
- Mindset Coach Will Help You Handle Imposter Syndrome
- Am I Suffering from Imposter Syndrome?
- Impact of Imposter Syndrome
- Tips to Deal With Imposter Syndrome
- Conclusion
Understanding The Feelings of Imposter Syndrome
It is believed that imposter syndrome is experienced as a kind of sensation in the body. You do not feel enough satisfied with your job. You stay worried that you might be kicked out of your job and that would be extremely humiliating. These sensations of the body are the end results of the thoughts that we generate when we encounter the imposter syndrome.
For example, you are sitting in a Boardroom with your ELT colleague, waiting for your CEO to arrive and start the meeting. You observe what the colleague is doing. While observing, your brain starts interpreting the signals from the senses and starts assessing what it things is happening. Part of these assessments includes drawing from those that happened earlier and are not part of the present situation but yet they are thought to be important as if they are a part of the present situation. Just based on the assessment of the present scene and the memories, your brain might just assume that you are not good enough to be in the room as everyone else in the room sounds to be more qualified than you.
Mindset Coach Will Help You Handle Imposter Syndrome
The first and the best way to handle this is to understand what exactly it is. Imposter Syndrome is a tendency and it does not denote a person. This means that the world does not consist of imposters or non-imposters. Rather, it means that given a particular situation individuals might act in a way that might be harmful to themselves.
Imposter syndrome induces the feelings of depression and worse mental health. This can be a road block in career advancement. This is a result of diminished job satisfaction as you start feeling that you are stuck to your job role as you have no other option. It is however important for us to know here, that we should not let our mindset get us down. It is essential for us to take charge of our mind.
Imposter Syndrome is based on the theory about whether you will be able to change yourself as and when required. If you believe that your abilities are malleable, the chances are that you will start to develop them as you believe that you have the potential to do so.
On the other hand, if you believe that your abilities are fixed, you will not strive to get better yourself. This way, you will fall victim to the idea, that since you have some shortcomings, you are unable to advance in your career. It is therefore very important that you have a growth mindset. The work place culture plays a critical role in bringing about a growth mindset.
Am I Suffering from Imposter Syndrome?
You should understand that you are suffering from imposter syndrome if:
- You feel that you got lucky despite working hard and preparing well.
- You are not able to accept the fact that you are appreciated by others.
- You apologize, knowing that it’s not your fault.
- You have incredibly high standards.
- The fear of failure paralyzes you.
- You do not express confidence in front of others as you think that people might consider it to be obnoxious.
- People around you say that you are no longer as confident as you used to be.
- You do not accept opportunities that will give you growth and visibility in your workplace.
Impact of Imposter Syndrome
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Lowered Job Satisfaction
- Impaired Performance in the Job
- Burnout
Tips to Deal With Imposter Syndrome
If you feel that you are suffering from imposter syndrome or any of your friends or family is having this tendency, you can do the following:
1. Understand That You Are Not Alone
When you have imposter syndrome, the best way to deal with this is realizing how so many people dealing with this were able to overcome this and move ahead in their life. If you are a businessman and facing problems with your business, you can consult a business coach.
2. Differentiate between Humility and Fear
It is about being humble about your hard work and accomplishment and then start experiencing fear because of them. At times, if you are just good at something, you might just discount its value. It is important for you to understand that humility and worthiness are not meant to defend our territory.
3. Need Not be Perfect
You will come across a lot of high achievers suffering from imposter syndrome. These people tend to set very high standards and are very focused about doing their best and being the best. It is important to understand here that perfectionism only feeds into your imposter syndrome. When you feel like a fraud, it’s just because you are comparing yourself to a perfect outcome that is either unrealistic or impossible.
It is therefore important that you understand, that it is not possible for anyone to do everything perfectly. Rather holding yourself to that standard might be counterproductive. At some point of time, you have to take a step backwards and ask yourself, how much good enough is good enough. Taking the help of a life coach can prove to be highly beneficial.
4. Should Be Kind
You should not put too much pressure on yourself. It is not possible for you to become an expert in a day. Negative talk is a bad habit that might influence our stress and anxiety. You should be kind to yourself. Change the way you talk to yourself. Practice positive self-talk. This can not only help you become less stressed and anxious, but can also help you build courage to do things that will bring you bigger rewards.
5. Track and Measure Your Success
When you have an imposter syndrome tendency, one of the most difficult things for you to grasp is what role you play in your own success. You might feel that you are successful because you are lucky and not because of your hard work. So, to track your success, you should write down your successes in a private document.
6. Talk about This to Your Mentor or Manager
If you have imposter syndrome, make sure you do not suffer in silence. You should share your thoughts and experiences with someone else. This will help you deal with your imposter syndrome much better.
7. Say Yes to New Opportunities
When you are feeling stressed, it is not possible for you to say “Yes”. You will turn down career opportunities because you might feel that you will not do a good job. When you take up a challenging opportunity that often opens doors for you. Therefore, you should keep Richard Branson’s saying that if someone offers you a great opportunity and you are not sure if you can do it, you should first say yes and then try to figure out how to do it.
Conclusion
When we suffer from imposter syndrome, we need to remind ourselves that we know about it and we also know for sure, that many people suffer from it. Therefore, now we also know the best way to handle it. We should know exactly why it is here and deal with it.
