Impostor Syndrome in the Workplace: Tips to Overcome the Hidden Barrier

Regardless of the type of job you do for a living, sometimes it can be a bit difficult to make work friends, especially today when we all spend most of our free time browsing and swiping left and right on our phones. That is why impostor syndrome is something many people experience, but luckily, there are many things one can do to overcome this issue, which is something we will further discuss.

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Show initiative

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One of the things that can be of much help in adapting to the new workplace is showing initiative and taking responsibility. Namely, the more involved you are, the more ideas you have, and the more likely that coworkers will notice and accept you, as otherwise, much time will have to pass until they realize what you can do. On the other hand, this is also a bit tricky thing to do, as showing too much initiative can also be counterproductive, as coworkers might start thinking that your goal is to impress the employer at all costs, which is not something anyone wants.

So, to avoid this, make sure to present some idea only if it is good enough and if it involves other workers. The second thing is probably even more important in order to avoid feeling like an impostor, which is why even suggesting some teambuilding activity can be of much help. Of course, if one chooses to suggest such an idea, it’s best to think through which activity that would be because, once again, other people working there might not feel or be glad to go hiking or camping for an entire weekend, for example. So, the best thing to do is to show that you have good ideas and that you care about other people working there, and once you do so, everything else will get much easier.

Think only about good things

Our focus is important, as many things depend on how we look at them and accept them. The biggest problem is when we think that everything we do at work, we do badly, as it is impossible to do everything wrong and still have that job, right? It is all about our focus, and because of that, we need to focus on things we do good, as there is always something to focus on, even when we are not aware of that. Because of that, the best thing is to pay attention to little things and focus on everything we can do perfectly, no matter how small it seems at first glance.

Celebrating that with other team members can be a great way to realize how important you are and make better connections with people in the company, as finding even the smallest trifles to celebrate can make relationships much stronger. The most important thing is that you will realize you are important and that people around you value your contribution at work. It can help you feel better, as the colleagues’ approval and support can help you deal with the imposter’s syndrome, as even the small things can change our perception if they are good and we accept them.

Sharing is caring

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The more open some person is about how they feel and what their thoughts are, the more likely it is that they will find someone who understands them completely. That is why therapies are of such vast importance and highly helpful for various potential problems people have on a daily basis. Now, it’s not like one should just start talking about how they will with just anyone, as even should be calculated. Imagine that you share your thought and things that happen in the workspace with some random person or someone who you don’t know that is good enough.

It would be disastrous, not to mention that it could also have a damaging effect on your job situation. That is why finding someone you can trust and who will listen and understand you is the best thing ever, as they will set some time aside to listen to all your problems. Of course, depending on the problem and situation, they can even have some idea on how to deal with such feelings while at work, but in general, just talking with others about how you feel will be of much help.

Talk to other people

Having bad feelings can change the way we think and make us believe that life is not as great as it is, and imposter syndrome, unfortunately, always brings us a lot of bad feelings. Although it might seem extremely challenging and almost impossible, speaking about bad feelings is one of the best ways to accept and overcome them. Realizing that there is a problem and accepting it is the first step, which is also the most important one, as people who are not able to acknowledge the problem’s existence cannot speak about their feelings and overcome them.

Sometimes it is the easiest to tell about your feelings to a stranger, but sometimes it is something that you can tell only to a friend or a family member, but no matter who is the person you can talk to, the most important is to tell someone. The best idea is to talk to someone who is familiar with those feelings and knows how to deal with them, as they can teach you how to overcome the imposter syndrome and accept reality. Keep in mind that it is a process, and there is no magical solution, but speaking with people around you can be the best way to succeed in it.

Final thoughts

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The imposter syndrome can cause various problems in everyday functioning because people who face it must deal with different negative thoughts and feelings, which is never easy. Unfortunately, the person who deals with it might start feeling extremely useless, which can lead to even more severe problems. Acknowledging negative thoughts and feelings is the most important thing and the first step one should take because only talking about it can make it easier to defeat and end up like a winner.