A very common problem that many of us will encounter at various times throughout our lives is imposter syndrome, which can be defined (rather loosely) as doubting your own skills and abilities while feeling like a fraud - even when you’re doing something that you’re well practised in the art of and are even potentially an expert in.

Imposter syndrome was first identified in the 1970s by psychologists Suzanne Imes and Pauline Rose Clance, who observed that it often occurred among high achievers who couldn’t internalise and accept their own successes.

Instead, they were found to attribute their accomplishments to luck instead of ability and hard work, while fearing that others would eventually see them for the frauds they were.

If this sounds familiar and if you’ve caught yourself often questioning what you’re doing or feeling as though you don’t deserve to be in the position you’re in at work, it may well be that you are indeed suffering from imposter syndrome.

The good news is that there are lots of ways in which you can overcome imposter syndrome and start believing in yourself again. Here are some top tips from the team here at Build My Confidence.

1. Make a list

A good way to focus on your strengths and accomplishments is to make a list of exactly what it is that makes you uniquely capable of doing your job and what sets you apart from others. This can really help keep negative thoughts at bay.

2. Be kind to yourself

It’s very easy to fall into a pattern of negative self-talk and this can quickly lead to stress and anxiety. Start practising more positive self-talk and see what kind of impact this can have on getting rid of imposter syndrome.

3. Talk about it

Bottling your feelings up is never healthy and negativity can quickly spiral out of control if you’re not careful. Talking it through with a close network of peers or friends, or even seeing a therapist can make a big difference to how you feel and think about yourself.

Keen to build self-confidence in the workplace? Get in touch with us today to see how we can help.