4 ways to conquer impostor syndrome

If you credited the luck instead of skills for your professional achievements, and if you find it difficult to accept praise, you may meet a impostor syndrome. If so, you are not alone. According to an article from the Harvard Business Review.

According to a opposite, Journal of General Internal Medicine article.

To help engineers learn to manage feelings of insufficiency, women from IEEE in engineering recently held Conquér impostor syndrome to advance your career webinar. Kim Meninger, coach in the direction, consultant and motivating speaker, gave advice on confidence and overcome anxiety.

Here are his recommendations.

Manage disruptive thoughts

Impostor syndrome is not a clinical diagnosis but a form of anxiety, said Meninger.

“There is no speech with the fact that being worried about someone at work will discover that you are not able to do your job is based on fear,” she said. The brain interprets fear as a sign of danger, she added, and it triggers a physiological reaction of combat or flight.

Faced with social threats such as failure, rejection and humiliation, she said, the response of combat or flight can make a person lose the ability to reason, solve problems and think clearly.

If this happens, she said, analyze what you fear and what could happen if things are turning. Create an action plan if this happens. When you have a plan, she said, you feel more in control.

However, when people are anxious, it is often difficult for them to strategies. The suggestions of Meninger on the way of staying calm include:

Breathe deeply. It sends a signal to your brain that there is no physical threat. If you enter a meeting that you know will trigger your anxiety, start to breathe exercises a few minutes before it starts.

Bring water with you. Taking a sip of your drink during your presentation is an excellent break button, having time to think about what you mean afterwards, said Meninger, and drinking something will not draw attention. You earn a moment to recover.

Talk slowly. Anxious people often start talking quickly, she said. Words and thoughts can diverge, and you can lose the ability to communicate clearly. If you speak intentionally more slowly, it forces you to concentrate, diverting your attention from any panic that you feel. It also makes you appear more in control of your message.

Adopt a “state of mind of growth”

The state of mind of growth, said Meninger, is the conviction that a person’s capacities and intelligence can be developed by dedication to learning and hard work, rather than being fixed features.

Many people develop a fixed state of mind in adulthood, believing that their capacities and intelligence are immutable. If you have a state of growth, you think you can control your destiny and choose if you want to invest to get better in something.

People with a fixed state of mind who are not good at mathematics, for example, could attribute it to a lack of understanding of the subject. Those who have a state of growth can study or find a tutor to help them, knowing that they can improve with concentration and time.

Having a state of growth can help you become more confident and less likely to feel impostor syndrome, Meninger said.

“It is important to know when you start to blame genetics or natural capacities for what you consider gaps,” she said. “We do not always notice the way we adopt fixed mentalities.”

“Your strengths are the raw materials that allow you to have an impact on your team, your organization, your family and your community.”

This is where Meninger calls the still comes into play. When you tell yourself that you are not good at something, add a Again at the end of the sentence. For example, say “I am not yet good in the presentation”, rather than simply “I am not good in the presentation”.

The addition of a single word opens the possibility of improving rather than making the lack of competence a final declaration which cannot be modified, she said.

Another suggested way to practice a state of growth is to “become an intentionally beginner,” said Meninger. “Perfectionists only take risks when they are practically guaranteed to succeed.

One way to get out of this cycle, she said, is to learn a new skill outside of work, such as knitting, art, reading a musical instrument or the word of another language.

Celebrate your successes

Many people do not take the time to celebrate their successes. Instead, they focus on their mistakes and failures, whether real or perceived. One of the reasons, Meninger said is that culture and family expectations influence the way people see errors and successes. Several cultures teach humility and that should not talk about their success, because it can be boastful.

“We must shamelessly accept that we have strength,” said Meninger. “There is nothing ashamed about it. Your strengths are the raw materials that allow you to have an impact on your team, your organization, your family and your community. ”

If you don’t know what you are doing well, you can’t channel it in a positive direction, she said. Knowing your forces is not to caress your ego, but to understand how you can be useful to others.

Your brain does not naturally focus on your successes, so it is important to practice, said Meninger. One way to do so is to hold a production journal. Note three things every day that went well or problems that you have solved, at work or in your personal life.

Your newspaper can also be used as a source when you need to fulfill a performance assessment for your employer or to plead for a promotion, she said. This helps strengthen your confidence because you can see your success listed.

Take advantage of your resources

You don’t need to be an expert on each subject, said Meninger; You just need to recognize what you don’t know. To acquire expertise, create relationships with people who are missing, it has recommended: instead of putting you pressure on to be omniscient, think of who in your business can complete your skills and how you can work with them.

In addition, if you fear that everyone in a meeting has more experience than you and that you doubt your contributions, ask why you were invited. Ask the Reunion organizer what they would like to contribute or what information they want you to prepare.

“Do not go in a mystery meeting that will cause you more anxiety,” warned Meninger.

When you ask such questions, you will probably learn that the organizer has invited you because of a force you have.

The IEEE Women in Engineering regularly hosts career -related webinars, which are available on demand on its website. Webinars cover subjects such as best practices for scientific communication, leadership skills and research transformation into startup.