I wrote a blog post about The Imposter Syndrome recently and had a number of people contact me privately to confess that they knew exactly what I meant though they never knew that the way they had been feeling had a name, let alone that it might be so prevalent. Until then it had been their own private hell, their own little secret.
Now I don’t want to over-exaggerate. These people were perfectly normal, socially aware, engaging, great company to be with. Yet, each in their own way, had times when they felt acutely aware that, by some self-imposed standard of perfection, they weren’t good enough. There is often a deep-seated fear that they are a fraud and will soon be found out. I’m not sure whether it comes as a relief or a disappointment to know that, if you feel this way, you are certainly not alone.
To clarify the message I created a very short video that explains: Imposter Syndrome: Symptoms and Solutions.
Do have a look and let me know what you think. If you do know anyone who might be interested or affected, please feel free to share the link.
I’m not sure if there really is a cure for the Imposter Syndrome – I’m not a therapist, but as a woman and as a Coach I do know some very effective ways of dealing with the symptoms and building a much better life beyond the Imposter Syndrome.
There is no “one size fits all” solution. The reasons we experience this syndrome in the first place are many and varied, so the solutions need to be just as flexible. Sometimes it can help to think back to where our early messages came from, it gives us a context to understand our feelings and to put them into perspective. In the present we can begin to evaluate this as a survival or protection strategy – if we carry on using it it, it must be doing us some good! – though perhaps the price we are paying is too high to justify playing the same game for the rest of our lives.
So then we can create some new strategies, make some new decisions as we prepare to learn new ways of thinking and being that embrace and then move beyond the Imposter who has tried to protect us for so long. And there’s a whole new life ahead of you to be enjoyed…
If you’d like to start your journey, please do get in touch!
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