Feeling like you're not good enough at your job, that you don't deserve your title, or that people will find out you can't do your job is a debilitating weight to carry around.
We now understand this as Imposter Syndrome: the persistent inability to believe that one’s success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one’s own efforts or skills.
As a mindset coach, this is something I am frequently asked about and often support my clients in overcoming.
Despite its debilitating and painful nature, Imposter Syndrome is entirely possible to overcome.
Consider someone struggling with Imposter Syndrome. Anxious thoughts are likely present daily; they will avoid tasks they believe they are not good at and often feel overwhelmed. This anxiety and sense of being out of control then reinforce the belief that they are not good enough, keeping them stuck in a vicious cycle.
As humans, we naturally avoid anything uncomfortable, whether that’s an anxious thought or a challenging task.
Anxiety is in fact our brain’s way of alerting us to something that needs our attention. Let me give you an example.
Typically, when faced with an anxious thought, we believe it. We accept it as truth so I we feel we aren’t good enough we take it as fact and look for any scarp of evidence to prove we are right.
An anxious thought is just a thought; it is rarely factually correct. However, it should absolutely signal that something needs your attention and not be burried.
For instance, let’s say you’re anxious about attending a meeting because you’re afraid someone will ask you a question you can’t answer. The common response is to enter the meeting with this anxiety, stay quiet, hope nobody notices you, and leave as quickly as possible.
Instead, if you view the anxious thought as an indication that something needs your attention, you can ask yourself why you feel anxious about meetings and what your ideal outcome would be. This allows you to work towards a practical solution, reducing your anxiety and in turn working on your development.
If your ideal outcome is to be more confident in meetings, consider what actions you need to take. Do you need to prepare more thoroughly with the information you bring to the meeting? Do you need to have a response ready for questions you can’t immediately answer, such as, “I don’t have that information right now, but I will get it to you after the meeting”?
There is always a solution when we focus on growth rather than fearing failure.
So, if your anxiety tells you that you aren’t good enough, ask yourself where you want to grow and what actions you need to take.
Think of it as having a mini appraisal with yourself: identify your strengths and development areas, and actively work on those areas. This shifts the focus from dealing with emotions to dealing with facts, thereby alleviating anxious thoughts.
Try it out.
For 1-1 Coaching visit
Jude Daunt Coaching
www.judedauntcoaching.co.uk
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