What is imposter syndrome?
Imposter syndrome is a type of self-doubt where you feel like a fraud or fake, even when you have a record of success. People with imposter syndrome continually doubt their own abilities. They may worry about being ‘found out’. They focus on mistakes or weaknesses over their strengths and achievements. Professionals at high levels often struggle with enduring self-doubt, but anyone can be affected by imposter syndrome.
Many people experience these doubts when stepping out of their comfort zones and this is normal. However, long-term insecurity and feelings of inadequacy will significantly impact your emotional well being, making it hard to celebrate and appreciate your successes.
You might over-prepare or procrastinate tasks, fearing exposure as a fraud, and this can lead to burnout. You may experience intrusive thoughts, which can be triggered by changes like a new role or added responsibilities. Your inability to acknowledge your successes perpetuates fear and anxiety.
Imposter syndrome can be amplified by a lack of representation. It is often seen in high achieving women. Being the sole woman or person of colour in a room can increase your likelihood of experiencing imposter syndrome.
Overcoming imposter syndrome is both possible and essential to unlock your true potential.
People with imposter syndrome tend to be intelligent, high achievers and perfectionists
Women are twice as likely as men to experience imposter syndrome
25-30% of high achievers may suffer from imposter syndrome.
94% of people suffering from imposter syndrome haven’t discussed it at work
What causes it?
Imposter syndrome often takes root in personality traits like perfectionism and neuroticism, with competitive environments intensifying its impact. Childhood experiences, such as high pressure for academic achievement, can set the stage for these feelings.
In a healthy workplace, feeling anxious about tackling new challenges is normal. What matters most is how you handle these anxieties so you are able to succeed.
Stepping out of your comfort zone – whether in a new role, promotion or due to increased responsibility – might trigger imposter syndrome for you. It can also be prompted by a lack of visible diversity in similar roles, like being the only woman or person of colour.
Social media can amplify imposter feelings. If you’ve been scrolling through LinkedIn on a regular basis, feelings of insecurity or inadequacy might be imposter syndrome. Surveys have found that LinkedIn users felt a lack of professional confidence when checking people’s posts or seeing others sharing personal achievements.
What are the symptoms & effects?
Imposter syndrome makes you feel that you’re never good enough and you can experience a lack of belonging. Grappling with self-doubt, you may feel uneasy when praised, downplay your strengths and struggle to take credit for your accomplishments.
This will impact your career, limiting your ability to embrace successes and collaborate effectively with colleagues. Focusing on your mistakes, weaknesses and limitations creates a negative loop. Your job satisfaction, performance and ambition may suffer, leading to stress, burnout, anxiety and depression.
How can it be overcome?
Make mental changes
Normalising the experience of imposter syndrome in the workplace is essential. Learn to recognise self-doubt, list your strengths and embrace imperfections – remember that no one is 100% perfect all the time. Understand that mistakes are part of learning, so try to have a more open and positive attitude to criticism. This will help you cultivate better self-respect and grow more confident in your abilities.
Support from colleagues
Failing to overcome imposter syndrome can affect your career satisfaction and mental health. To counter it, acknowledge these feelings and communicate with colleagues. A trusted mentor or manager will be well placed to offer you advice and support. If your organisation has a networking group for women, LGBTQ+ employees, or any other initiatives, these can be ideal ways to find support from colleagues with similar experiences.
Professional support
Psychotherapy and group sessions can effectively address imposter syndrome thought processes. These can be tailored to individual motivations and syndrome types. If overcoming imposter syndrome is a significant challenge or is impacting your mental health, you should seek other professional help, such as talking to your GP.
Online resources
Online resources can be a great supplement to face-to-face therapy in helping you overcome imposter syndrome.
How can hypnotherapy help?
Hypnotherapy for impostor syndrome uses guided relaxation and focused attention. It transforms undesirable thoughts, feelings and behaviours. It offers relief from obsessive thoughts, anxieties, depression, procrastination and perfectionism.
A hypnotherapist helps you address negative self-talk and self-perception, giving you inner belief and confidence. It provides ways for you to picture success and break your cycle of self-doubt. This resolves impostor syndrome symptoms and the underlying lack of self-esteem.
By tapping into your subconscious mind, hypnosis for imposter syndrome enables lasting change. It reframes thoughts and builds pathways to your desired goals.
Our Imposter Syndrome Specialists
Benn Baker-Pollard
Sittingbourne
Carmen Harrington
Market Harborough
Caroline Prout
Thrapston
Chris Johannes
Spalding
Claire Noyelle
Maidstone East
Dawn Ibbetson
Chelmsford
Gary Johannes
Peterborough
Jill Whitehouse
Newcastle upon Tyne
Keeley Smith
Southend-on-Sea
Kerry Seymour
Weston-super-Mare
Why Choose Inspired To Change
Our solution focused hypnotherapists empower you to better understand your brain, helping to guide you towards solutions and achieve the outcomes you want. We have a team of fully trained hypnotherapists, giving you the choice of who to work with and how you want to work with them. Solution focused hypnotherapy is just as effective in-person or online in the comfort of your own home, so you can find the ideal therapist to help you reach your goals.
Every one of our hypnotherapists is recognised by governing bodies like the National Council for Hypnotherapy, the UK’s leading not-for-profit hypnotherapy professional association. They have all trained with Clifton Practice Hypnotherapy Training, one of the leading hypnotherapy schools in the UK.
