How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome: Your Ultimate Guide

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Imposter syndrome is common for people across the world. It goes hand in hand with anxiety and perfectionism – and you can experience it in all areas of life.

But what does it mean to struggle with imposter syndrome? And how can you overcome imposter syndrome in your work and personal life?

I’ve put together a full guide to overcoming imposter syndrome – everything you need to know!

What is imposter syndrome?

Imposter syndrome is a psychological feeling that you’re not good enough. You might feel like a fake or you might question how you managed to get to where you are today.

You might attribute all your career success to luck or another person, or you might worry that you’re an imposter in your friendship group.

There are a few common characteristics of imposter syndrome, such as focusing on your mistakes (and beating yourself up for them), dealing with self-doubt and setting yourself unreasonable goals that lead to disappointment.

It’s likely that you’ll experience imposter syndrome at some point in your life – and it can come and go. Something might set it off or you might have a constant negative voice in your head telling you you’re not good enough.

It often affects people who are very successful but feel like they don’t deserve to be in their position – or worry that, at some point, the world will realise they don’t know what they’re doing.

It’s a toxic, horrible feeling – and it can affect people in all walks of life.

How to overcome imposter syndrome

There are a few ways to overcome imposter syndrome, including:

1. Talk about it
2. Avoid comparisons
3. Practice positive self-talk
4. Collect praise
5. Understand what success means to you

Let’s take a closer look…

1. Talk about it

As with any other mental health concern, you need to talk about your imposter syndrome to those you trust.

Talk to your friends and family about how you’re feeling or reach out to your colleagues for advice.

Talking to other people can help you get support – and it always helps to know other people are dealing with the same issues as you.

I love connecting with other freelancers, as it reminds me that I’m not the only freelancer struggling with imposter syndrome.

Make sure to reach out to a mental health professional if you’re finding it hard to overcome imposter syndrome, anxiety or negative thoughts about yourself.

2. Don’t compare yourself to other people

Comparing yourself to other people is one of the worst things you can do for your self-esteem. So stop it!

Yes, your best friend might have their dream job, and you might still be job hunting. Yes, your colleague might have been chosen for a promotion. Yes, you might see a million people on social media living their “best lives”.

However, that doesn’t mean you’re an imposter. Think logically about how you’ve got to where you are – and remember that what you see online about another person isn’t the whole story.

Avoid comparing yourself to other people and instead focus on your own journey to overcome imposter syndrome and self-doubt.

3. Practice positive self-talk

Practising positive self-talk can help you battle imposter syndrome and silence your inner critic.

This can come in many different forms. You could use positive affirmations to improve your image of yourself or find ways to build up your self-esteem, such as going to the gym or spending time with people you love.

Be kind to yourself. Not everything will go your way and you’ll make mistakes. But that doesn’t mean you don’t know what you’re doing. You’re not an imposter.

If you’re dealing with rejection, try using compassion and kindness towards yourself, instead of turning to negativity.

4. Collect praise

Collecting praise or reminding yourself of your past accomplishments is a great way to overcome imposter syndrome.

If you’re a freelancer, you don’t necessarily answer to a boss. You deal with everything yourself, and you can start to get in your head about your talents.

By writing down previous achievements, qualifications, experience and pieces of praise, you have a place to come when you’re feeling like an imposter.

This works for anyone – whether you’re a parent, a student, you work in a traditional job or you’re a freelancer. You can remind yourself that you DO know what you’re doing.

If your imposter syndrome is set off by a mistake or a comparison to someone else, you’ll have a record of all your previous achievements ready to hand!

5. What does success look like to you?

What does being “good enough” even look like? Sometimes, we build up an image in our heads of what we “should” be doing – and it’s easy to think you should be ahead of where you are.

However, try taking a step back to think about what success looks like for you.

• Are you happy with where you are right now?
• How big is the gap between the knowledge you have, and the knowledge you think you should have?
• Do you have the qualifications you need to do what you do?
• Have you done a good job in the past?

More often than not, you’ll get caught up in not being good enough at what you’re doing – but actually, that’s how you feel, not the logical truth.

It’s important to separate reality from what you tell yourself in your head – and consider what success actually means to you. Chances are, you’re a lot closer than you think.

Overcoming imposter syndrome

It can be hard to overcome imposter syndrome. For some, imposter syndrome might come up as and when you face a difficult situation. For others, it’s a constant voice telling us we’re not good enough.

Practising positive habits like showing yourself kindness and avoiding comparison to other people can help you manage your imposter syndrome when it pops up.

Whether you’re a translator or content writer, writing down past accomplishments and understanding what success actually means to you can help you come up with a long-term strategy for handling nasty bouts of imposter syndrome.

Remind yourself that you do know what you’re doing – and remember – you’re NOT an imposter.

Do you experience imposter syndrome? How do you overcome imposter syndrome? Do you have any tips for overcoming imposter syndrome?

Let me know all your thoughts in the comments 🙂

Happy reading x