Am I good enough? Ways to identify imposter syndrome and strategies to overcome it

So you made the big move to a new country. You have started at the new job or the new school and you are well on your way to settling in. It may be a few weeks into the new role, or perhaps it has been a couple of years. However, time and time again, there might be this nudging question that pops up at the back of your mind: do I deserve to be here?  

If you have experienced such moments of self-doubt, you are not alone. In fact, research has found that more than 70% of the population experiences these repeated feelings of self-doubt and irrational beliefs that they’re not deserving of their jobs or even the positive feedback they receive in the workplace. This phenomenon is known as imposter syndrome. Usually, it leads to either a need to overcompensate by overworking to prove oneself or a crippling fear of taking up challenging projects to avoid failure and consequently be exposed as a fraud.  

Because of how common it is, there has been a lot of research dedicated to finding out what factors contribute to such feelings. At the top of that list is parenting style and race and socioeconomic status. Researchers found that children who are brought up in families where control, obedience, family obligation, respect to authority, and achievement are overly emphasized usually end up with higher rates of imposter syndrome. Cultural norms have also been found to contribute in a notable way, for example, most non-western cultures discourage listing of accomplishments because it is viewed as bragging.  

Whichever way it manifests in your life, it is important to be able to tell when you are struggling with imposter syndrome and learn ways of managing it. 

So, what are some of the tells of imposter syndrome? 

• Doubting your abilities You could find yourself questioning why you got assigned an important role at work when there are others that you feel are more capable of taking it up. This then leads to either a paralysis of starting the project and procrastination or overworking so as to prove yourself. In such cases, individuals experiencing this shy away from taking up new projects as they fear being in the limelight and failing, and consequently being perceived as frauds. 

• Obsessive perfectionism  Most people suffering from imposter syndrome find themselves possessing perfectionist tendencies which leads to them setting impossibly high self-expectations of success. This is dangerous because when their work doesn’t match these lofty expectations (and it mostly will not since the expectations are hardly achievable), it feeds into the earlier point of doubting their abilities and an overly critical view of themselves and their work. 

• Downplaying achievements or attributing them to external factors  You could find yourself having difficulty accepting and internalizing praise, and instead attributing it to luck or timing or a myriad of external factors. At times, this is also accompanied by feelings of not deserving it. 

• Tremendous personal stress  This is due to feeling the need to work extra hard (and take on added stress) because of your fear of failure 

The overall effect of all these expressions of imposter syndrome is an unhealthy work style where you are either burnt out due to overworking or stressed out due to procrastinating on your work or both.  

How then can you manage imposter syndrome? 

• Know that the feelings are not real and you are not alone: It is most important to realize that the feelings of inadequacy are not accurate reflections of your intellect or your ability to do your job. So many successful people doubt themselves, but they still go on to make significant contributions to their respective fields. Therefore, whenever such doubts crop up, understand that it is a normal phenomenon experienced by most people and try to not let the thoughts define how you view yourself and your strengths and abilities. 

• Keep track of accomplishments: It is a good habit to write down your achievements when you experience them or when they are pointed out to you. This will come in handy later when you are plagued with the feelings of self-doubt since in those moments, it may be hard to focus on the positives.
  

• Challenge negative self-talk: Whenever feelings of self-doubt creep up in your mind, challenge these by listing your accomplishments and positive feedback from others. This helps you focus less on where you fall short and can significantly increase your self-esteem and self-confidence to take on new challenges.
  

• Practice self-compassion and embrace mistakes as part of learning: To err is human. This means that humans are not perfect and mistakes we make should be used as a crutch towards self and process improvement. Don’t beat yourself down when you slip occasionally; just dust yourself off and try again. 

• Build a support network and seek mentors who can give honest assessment of your work: This is crucial as people struggling with imposter syndrome get overly critical of themselves and find it very hard to acknowledge their achievements. Therefore having people whose opinions you trust in your corner edging you on, and providing honest and critical feedback could help you celebrate yourself when you do well. Another way to achieve this is by asking for clearly defined expectations from your manager or team leader to get a realistic overview of your work requirements. And later during your performance review, you can get assessed based on these defined rubrics. 

• Invest in your growth and development: If you feel that your imposter syndrome is due to not being as knowledgeable on what you are working on, carve out some time to take online courses or read course books related to the task so you can boost your self-confidence.  

• Avoid comparing yourself to others and focus on your own progress: Comparing yourself to others is unfair to yourself since it assumes that the factors that have enabled them to get to where they are, are similar to yours. Or that they aren’t struggling as much as you are. This is hardly the case as everyone has their own internal struggles that you are not privy to. So, it is much more realistic to work on your own growth and focus on your own progress instead of getting yourself down by making comparisons. 

• Seek mental health assistance: When you find that you are really struggling and cannot shake off these thoughts, you should consider seeking therapy or professional help since the professional may be equipped with even more personalized tips for handling imposter syndrome. Don’t suffer alone and in silence. 
  

• Embrace your culture instead of shying away from it: Lastly, specifically for immigrants, sometimes it may feel like some aspects of your culture tend to alienate you as your peers or coworkers may not do things the same way. Instead of shying away and trying to hide those parts of your culture, lean into them and let others learn from and about you. For instance, if you’re struggling with bringing up your accomplishments, let your manager know so they can help you speak up for yourself. This will make them more understanding and patient with you as you navigate new work environments, and eventually feel less like an outsider. 

Imposter syndrome affects almost everyone, even the most successful people you know. They just have figured out ways of managing it, or they use it to push themselves beyond what they have achieved yet. You can also do the same for yourself. So the next time the question pops up in your mind, affirm yourself and say, “Yes, I am good enough”, and “Yes, I deserve to be here”.