3 minute read
Stats
Three quarters of UK working population experience Imposter Syndrome
You may read the phrase “Imposter Syndrome’ and be surprised that there’s a term for something you feel without realising it’s a common thing. Have you ever felt like you’re not good enough for the career you have? Do you doubt yourself and feel like an imposter in the workplace? Do you have a nagging feeling that you’re winging it? You’re not alone. Signs of imposter syndrome include:
• Doubting yourself
• Being unable to accurately assess your competence and skills
• Attributing your success to external factors
• Criticising your job performance
• Being afraid of disappointing syndrome in 2020 compared to the year before, when we were in the physical office. This may not be the case for everyone, however, and some workers may have experienced intensified feelings of self-doubt combined with feeling deflated and isolated when working from home. Working remotely for significant periods of time can impact company culture, social integration, and being in the general swing of it all.
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
If your feelings of imposter syndrome have subsided, you might be worried about them flaring up again upon return to the office.
Has the pandemic made imposter syndrome worse?
Interestingly, research has found that working from home can mitigate these feelings. According to the University of Nottingham, there was a 75 per cent decrease in feelings of imposter Facts over feelings
We can be prone to letting emotions override logic. Focusing on facts over feelings can apply well to many different areas of our lives, but particularly imposter syndrome. When you perform well, are given praise, or are generally getting things done, congratulate yourself for your achievements that you’ve worked hard for. We’ve all got to start somewhere
If you’re doing something new at work or are given a new responsibility, don’t put pressure on yourself to master it first time. Everyone has to start somewhere and learn. Whenever we start a new job or try something new, we want to master it on the first try. Requiring additional guidance can make us feel like we’re weak, especially if there was an audience. Instead of feeling as though we need to prove our worth, we need to remember that we all have to start somewhere. We all try and fail before we succeed.
Talk to your colleagues
If you have friends you feel comfortable opening up to at work, confide in a colleague. If not, speak to your friends outside of work. Chances are, saying your thoughts out loud may help you realise how wrong you are when there’s no evidence of you underperforming at work. Plus, others may be going through the same thing – being honest and open about your feelings to those close to you can have tremendous benefits on your wellbeing and theirs. Take a break from social media
Returning to the office? Cue an influx of LinkedIn posts as workers race to post optimistic and motivational posts about getting an ounce of normality back. Like all social media, LinkedIn can be tough on us if we’re feeling down. People only post their best and highest achievements rather than the times they’ve failed on a huge project or are struggling to keep up with their workload. Look at what you’ve accomplished so far in your career and be grateful for all you’ve achieved. Overcome feelings of fear and anxiety and recognise your successes.
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