06 Sep Ever feel like an imposter? Here’s the answer…
Imposter syndrome is the phrase given to that feeling we’ve all had; where you believe you don’t really belong and that you’re not really as capable as others think.
Not surprisingly, if this is how you’re feeling you’re less likely to enjoy happiness!
But there is an answer that will bring more happiness and more confidence. Learning to accept yourself more is possible, and it will make you happier.
If that sounds of interest to you then keep reading …
via Inc.com by Leah Weiss
I can remember the first day I taught at Stanford. I looked out into a sea of eager future MBA faces and thought, “how will I ever connect with these students?” It was a mixed bag of insecurity and feeling like an imposter– was I really standing at the front of one of the best business schools in the world talking to students that would eventually be responsible for shaping future workplace environments?
This feeling is known as imposter syndrome and recent research published in the Journal of Personality and Individual Differences notes that 70 percent of Americans have felt this way and this is an essential bit of information. Recognizing that there are others around you going through the same thing is the crux of self-compassion and one of the best ways to combat imposter syndrome.
Self-compassion involves recalibrating your internal voice from one that might be nagging or critical to one that is forgiving and understanding. It is also a great reminder that everyone messes up at some point, and failure isn’t the worst thing that can happen. Strengthening self-compassion can reduce the fear of failure and derail self-doubt.
A recent study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology found that students with high rates of imposter syndrome had equally low rates of self-compassion. Vice versa, students with high levels of self-compassion had lower incidences of imposter syndrome. The study concluded that developing self-compassion is a useful and effective tool in building resilience to feeling like an imposter.
Psychologists speculate that the feeling of inadequacy stems from extreme pressures by the world around you or by yourself. If you happen to have a loud and judgemental internal voice, you may experience this feeling more than those around you. Or, if you are expected to perform at a very high level, you may begin to feel like you’re not good enough or you don’t deserve to be where you are.
This feeling can multiply and become more intense when you are promoted or given larger responsibilities. Using self-compassion techniques, the following steps can help to eliminate that feeling of self-doubt…
…keep reading the full & original article HERE