This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Gahnique Bell. Find her on Instagram at @s14rbur81_g4l4xy. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
We’ve all been there.
Ever had those moments when your thoughts get a little too loud? When your anxiety about the future gets the better of you? You constantly battle with perfectionism and procrastination taking over and paralyzes and stops you from doing some work that you know you should be doing. The fear of failing in life and letting everyone down haunts you. It’s easy to put a name what you’ve been feeling. I didn’t know imposter syndrome was a thing until a few years ago what exactly I was going through. I thought something was just wrong with me.
That name, my friends is called Imposter Syndrome.
It’s something that haunts everybody at some point. Even the most famous people have imposter syndrome sometimes. Some may have it worse than others and that’s okay. The bottom line is you’re not alone. But how exactly do you “beat” imposter syndrome? Here are 5 ways you can overcome imposter syndrome at work.
1. Celebrate Your Wins!
With imposter syndrome, it can be easy to push aside your achievements and move on to the next thing. It’s so easy to fall into the mindset of thinking that what you’re doing, even if it’s a big win, is not enough. To some people celebrating your wins can feel like a waste of time, especially when you feel like you didn’t do your best. The constant need of approval to ourselves and to other people can cloud the moments we should be cherishing and using as a way to motivate ourselves.
Your achievements matter! It’s important to recognize the work that you put in that helped you achieve your goals. Give yourself grace and embrace the success that you earn. Spread the word! Post on social media, tell your family, go out to eat with your friends. help you with this, post on social media about your achievement. Every bit of success deserves to be celebrated.
2. Plan It Out
I’m gonna be honest. I’m not the best at being organized. My room is always a chaotic mess in some way and it made it hard for me to sit down and work on any assignments I had due. There were times when I took on too many things and I ended up procrastinating or worse burning out. What I needed was structure. I needed a plan.
Having some sort of structure whether it’s a To-Do list or a list of goals, can help clear and organize your thoughts. Instead of tackling a month head-on by crowding your list of things to complete, start small. Sometimes, the people pleaser in us doesn’t know when to say “no” and we end up taking on more tasks than we can carry. This often leads to serious burnout, lack of motivation, and procrastination. By starting small, it will help you from feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Make a small list of things you want to accomplish for the week or the day or maybe you can download productivity apps that will help you stay on task. Keeping your space clean and organized can also help clear your mind and boost your productivity. Just remember to breathe and take things one day at a time.
3. Be Kind To Yourself
Self-care is one of the hardest things to maintain and the easiest to let go of when you have imposter syndrome. In this day of age, we witness many times of people suffering from a lack of self-love. I struggle with this a lot as someone who is the oldest out of six siblings and a people pleaser as I often put other people before myself and while it may seem like a nice thing to do, it was hard for me to be selfish and choose to put myself first. My head was always filled with ideas about myself that weren’t true. My health was not the greatest.
The best thing you can do for yourself while having imposter syndrome is remember to take care of yourself. There are times when things will get hard, and you feel like you want to quit but you have to believe that things will get better. Having confidence in yourself, eating healthy, exercising, and speaking kindly to yourself are all ways to help your imposter syndrome shrink.
4. Have A Support Group
One of the best things that I have done to help me with imposter syndrome is to have a group of people that I trust and love and that I know I can go to when the imposter syndrome is getting the best of me. Having a group of people who will be there for you whenever you need it the most can be beneficial. can help you feel supported when you need it the most. These are the people who are willing to listen, give advice, and cheer you on. Without having someone in your corner, it can be hard to stay positive and deal with problems. A support group is also more than just people who you lean on for emotional support, they can also be people who you hang out with and form genuine friendships with.
5. Learn To Accept It
The final thing you can do to overcome imposter syndrome is to accept it. Now I know what you’re thinking: “Acceptance? I thought this was supposed to be about helping me get rid of imposter syndrome not make peace with it!” The truth is imposter syndrome is a feeling that may never truly go away. It will disappear, but there’s a possibility that it can come back. There’s no true way to get it for good. And that can be scary. It is a battle that many people if not everybody fight at some point, especially if you’re a creative like I am. Accepting it doesn’t mean you let it take over you. It means accepting that it’s normal and it doesn’t last forever. It is not a sign that something is wrong with you. Imposter Syndrome doesn’t last forever.
It just means you’re human.
Have you ever experienced Imposter Syndrome at work in your life? What are some ways that help you overcome it? Let us know in the comments below!
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