Josi Dumont, Leadership Coach, Mindset Coach, Life Coach London, Life Coach UK, Confidence, Coaching for women, Imposter Syndrome

Imposter Syndrome can be described as the fear of being called out as a fraud, as those who have it struggle to own their successes and believe they are actually good at what they do. It’s a form of self-doubt that can even cause anxiety, and depression and lead to burnout. Imposter Syndrome is a collection of different behaviour patterns that include perfectionism (setting unattainable standards and never feeling capable enough), heroism (need to be the best) and fear of failure (feeling shame and guilt if they cannot meet expectations).

As with the change of any behaviour pattern, this as well cannot just be fixed overnight. It always comes back to the continuous practice of shifting your belief and behaviour system over time. Experiencing setbacks along the way is totally normal and to be expected. The key is to rinse and repeat a process similar to the one described below (I say similar, as you may want to exchange some of these actions with something else that might work better for you).

Step 1:
Become extra aware of when you are experiencing fear of being called out, or feeling not good enough or valuable enough. The more awareness you have the more opportunities you will find to practise a new experience. You may want to do this pre-emptively before a specific event when you know the Imposter Saboteur might pop up, during the event if you catch yourself, or after reflection. If you catch yourself in the moment, don’t forget to first disrupt your current thought pattern with a breathing technique, so you can mentally take a step back and observe the situation with more clarity.

Step 2:
Name all the emotions (use the emotions wheel if you need help) and write out the exact thoughts you are having, for example: ”I shouldn’t be this successful, I don’t know sh!t!”. Then ask yourself if all of these thoughts are really true. They’re probably not.

Step 3:
Release these thoughts and beliefs, you might even burn the piece of paper or rip it into pieces to really emphasise that they hold no more power over you. Then take a new piece of paper and write new beliefs to replace them: ”I know I am capable and smart, I deserve to be here and do what I do and I trust myself”. Then take it a step further and list a minimum of 5 things you are grateful for achieving to refuel your confidence and self-belief.

Step 4:
Set your intention of how you want to live and be with this new thought and behaviour pattern. Create an accomplishment list and on a daily basis collect proof that you are incredibly smart and capable of doing what you do. Celebrate your wins, learn from setbacks, share your experience, and be kind to yourself.

Step 5:
Repeat these steps whenever you notice the old thoughts popping up. It can also be in your imagination. It’s a continuous cycle of recognising, releasing, reframing, and recreating. It might not ever fully disappear but know that that’s normal. As you grow and evolve so will your circumstances and challenges, but you have all the tools to overcome them all.

As a rule of thumb, you can also apply this simple trick: Whatever thought of self-doubt comes up, debunk it by re-affirming the opposite and remind yourself with proof why the doubtful thought isn’t true.

It’s time to claim your power back from your impostor and be your own hero.