4 Easy Steps to Deal with Imposter Syndrome

It doesn’t matter if it’s at work or in relationships, the feeling of not being good enough is something that many people experience at some point.

Michelle Chalfant is a licensed therapist and holistic life coach, author, speaker and creator of The Adult Chair podcast. She says that feeling inadequate stems from not feeling good enough. This can be due to many factors, including being raised by adults who don’t accept you as you are or compare you to others.

Amina AlTai is a leader and mindset coach. “Our beliefs are formed in our formative year by our family systems and culture. They influence how we perceive, understand, and feel about the world and ourselves. These beliefs are often adopted by us, regardless of whether they support or not. This means that, regardless of your conscious awareness, these learned ways can guide your life and steer you away from what you really want.”

AlTai states that the good news is that our brains are flexible. This means one can change beliefs and increase self-worth. What’s the best part about it? Chalfant believes that building a sense of yourself can have ripple effects on all aspects of your life, including your career and personal relationships. It will ultimately make your life better.

Ahead, AlTai and Chalfant share four tips for overcoming the imposter-syndrome-like feeling once and for all.

Try to Know Your Inner Critic

Everyone has an inner critic. It is important to not ignore or block it. Instead, it is essential to get to know your inner critic. Chalfant suggests having a conversation with the part of you that is struggling. She suggests that you close your eyes and visualize what the other part of you looks like. Ask it to show you an image. It should be thanked for the messages it sent and told that it doesn’t need to be as loud or that it has it. When you are able to get to know your inner critic, it will stop being a constant and allow you to feel better about yourself.

Find your Limiting Beliefs and Rewrite the Script

Feeling inadequate is a limitation, not a fact. If you are willing to work on your inner self, belief can be changed. AlTai suggests asking yourself questions about your beliefs regarding success, relationships, work, and any other area where you are experiencing not-good enough feelings. Are you able to have the life you desire? Why is this?

AlTai suggests that you can disprove the belief by finding concrete examples of the contrary. Let’s take, for example, the belief that “people like me don’t get jobs like this.” Next, you will list examples of people who have the same things as you. AlTai explained that reframing helps your mind see and believe it is possible.

Reduce Social Media Exposure

Social media allows people to share their highlights and create comparisons. This can lead to feelings of “I’m not enough” for some people. Chalfant states that if you notice negative thoughts and feelings rising up while scrolling, it is a sign that you need to log off.

Chalfant suggests that you take a moment to acknowledge the fact that comparison can have a negative effect on your life. She suggests that you place your hand on your heart and slowly say this to restore balance to your brain. It’s a simple, powerful phrase that can have a huge impact on self-worth.

Celebrate

AlTai explained that the negativity bias in human brains means that one’s brain tends to favor negative experiences over positive ones. She says that we have a tendency toward focusing too much on negative experiences. This can cause us to feel, well, negative. “For every negative experience, we need three to five positive experiences to feel even.”

AlTai recommends that you have a daily celebration routine. “Each morning, spend some time focusing on the achievements and writing down three to five things about yourself. This can change the way you view the world and your moods,” she suggests. Chalfant says that even seemingly small victories, such as getting up in the morning and getting the kids to school on time, are worth celebrating.