Get Inspired, Be Empowered Forums Employment Opportunities How can professional women overcome imposter syndrome?

9 replies, 9 voices Last updated by shaifalikapoor03 2 years, 10 months ago
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    Yash Tiwari
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    The imposter syndrome is that sense that you’re not good enough and that at any moment you’ll be “found out.” It’s what makes you worry a rejection letter will come in the mail even after you got into college, or wonder whether you should even bother applying for an award when there are so many other worthy candidates. You can’t eliminate impostor syndrome. You can’t work hard to silence the impostor’s voice because it’s a symptom of hard work, success, and achievement. You can’t stay quiet about your successes for fear you’ll be discovered as a fraud. You can’t quite believe you deserve any of this good fortune anyway, so you don’t tell anyone what you do, or what they would find if they looked and found real you. It’s hard to escape the feeling that you’re just faking it, even when everyone around you thinks you’re great.

    The impostor syndrome is tricky because it’s easy to dismiss the feelings of others. Even when that other person’s work is right in front of you, or when they’re standing right next to you we can easily see past the impact others have had on their own lives. For most people, imposter syndrome is a mental state that surfaces from time to time, often amid a sense of uncertainty. But for some women particularly those in male-dominated fields it can be an overarching concern that permeates their professional lives.

    On some level, you suspect that they don’t know how much work it takes to be good at your job, or how much of it could disappear if they found out who you are. Impostor syndrome is isolating for a lot of people; it makes you feel like a phony and a fraud. This insidious mental block is one reason female academics and professionals remain a minority in almost every field. It prevents many women from reaching their potential. Once women do breakthrough, they are likely to realize that the people around them were feeling the same all along.

    However, there are some ways to overcome Imposter Syndrome:
    • The very least a successful professional woman can do is to refuse to tolerate imposter syndrome. If you don’t feel you belong, stand up and say “I’m here–and I am staying.
    • Perform a skills inventory to list your areas of expertise. Have someone else critique the list and suggest areas you might have overlooked or downplayed.
    • Visualizing success is a powerful tool for overcoming fear and doubt. Replace self-doubt with a self-image of success. Imagine yourself performing well and handling the situation as it unfolds, then you will be more likely to do so.
    Performing such activities daily can help in overcoming every negative thought and improve your livelihood.

    PALAK KASHIV
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    A professional woman can overcome the imposter syndrome, so basically it is the idea that a person is succeeded in his /her life because of luck or family support not because of his /her talents and education qualification. Professional women let this thought never come in their mind because it can take a toll on their mental health women, this thing in women’s mind arises when society people are constantly targeting women by saying that you are here because of your luck and you don’t have the knowledge, you got a supportive family and you have applied illegal ways to come these far in your life, this how people express their jealousy and hatred to competent professional women, every woman can deal with this syndrome by sharing how you are feeling to people who are close to you, learning through the constructive criticism, making sure to improve it. Most women experience doubts but it important is that not let your doubt control you and your actions for the better, a professional woman should never stop believing in herself she is capable of everything, make sure she surrounds herself with people who support her. There are different types of imposter syndrome perfectionism is one of the types women always try hard to make things perfect in the first go and try to do it all by themselves but if something does not go as they wanted imposter syndrome arises, also it is important to be independent but not to the extent where they don’t want any other people to help, and opinion, ideas this sounds the traits of arrogant and self-obsessed person even if they are not like this. Professional women can overcome this by doing the right things According to the study suggests 70% of people experience it for a period of time in their professional career.

    anshika agarwal
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    @anshika-2
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    Imposter syndrome refers to psychologically believing that you aren’t capable or competent as others perceive you to be.
    To overcome imposter syndrome working professionals should become a speaker, mentor or thought decider. It’s the best way to overcome imposter syndrome to teach and mentor. They can write their whole career. By writing and sharing they can forget it. They should keep a book of compliment in which they write each and every good thing happened to them or someone compliments them. So, whenever they feel like having imposter syndrome they can read it again and feel good. Don’t feel bad if you don’t know anything in you office or know less than others because it’s human mind it can’t remember everything all the time. They should focus on their supporters and not on their haters because supporters are those who are our well wisher. Listen to your inner voice. Listen to only positive people. Let your haters talk at your back. Whenever you feel less of others read about your business, your mistakes in a different way and this will help you in overcoming the imposter syndrome. Don’t have a self doubt on yourself. Working professionals should treat themselves that they are capable of doing all stuffs nicely. They should pursue and continue their career even if they are not perfect. Whether you are failing or succeeding try to be positive and focus on how you can succeed more and learn from the mistakes made in past.
    The next time working professionals feels self-conscious about their success they should remember that they deserve to be where they are at today just like others.

    VIPASHA .
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    @vipasha
    #31616
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    IS ( imposter syndrome ) is the state were a woman start believing that She is not as competent as others perceive she to be . While impostor syndrome is not a recognized disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), it is not uncommon. It is estimated that 70% of people will experience at least one episode of this phenomenon in their lives . There’s nothing to be depressed or afraid . It can be overcome .
    When a professional women other fellow mates working more efficiently than her giving their 100% she feels like she is not able to perform the job as they are doing and self loud doubt state is there . A woman always says this situation in offices but she doesn’t need to be depressed by that overcome it .
    Few way to overcome IS for professional woman:-
    1- Women can prepare journal where she can write all the reward she has again.
    2- Despite of saying her unsuccessful work she should focus on the successful work she is doing .
    3- She should think that if she had not been working properly, the company would have fired her yet, but they did not do it. This means that her work is not wrong here, it is not right but it is also not so wrong. Is she is doing good .
    4- She should keep herself busy throughout the day and while reading the book while sleeping at night, she will not pay attention to all these things and will get free by itself.
    The biggest reason for this is that she always compare herself with others, while comparison with others, she forget that this will not effect that person but will have a very wrong effect on our thinking and will address this imposter syndrome.
    A professional women should always focus on her work and should always try to concentrate her on her work , without comparing her with other’s. she should always remember one thing she is here because she has ability, If she did not have the ability, today hshe would not have been at this place.

    Mayuravarshini Mohana
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    When an individual believes that she is not as qualified and skilled as others believe her to be, her confidence is hard hit. She becomes more doubtful of herself and her abilities. The imposter syndrome, as it is widely called, gives her a sense that she is faking it. Studies show that women, especially those from minority communities, are more prone to brand themselves as imposters. It is important to remember that,as perplexing as this feeling can be, it is not impossible to overcome.

    Some effective methods to overcome imposter syndrome:

    Focus on accomplishments and not on feelings: Individuals prone to imposter syndrome tend to dismiss their accomplishments as mere outcomes of luck. What often goes unnoticed is that these accomplishments in question establish a pattern of success which cannot be brushed off as happenstance. These are proof enough that you are qualified for a certain field, as always with a scope for growth.

    Reward yourself when you have achieved a goal.

    Perfectionism does not help. It only makes you exhaust yourself over a particular work. The irony is that most often perfectionists never acquire the satisfaction of a job well done.

    Speak with peers and trusted colleagues. Chances are, most of them experience this, and you realise that the feeling of ineptness is quite normal and is safe when dealt with positively.

    Manpreet Singh
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    Today, women have reached new highest and are breaking new barriers, which were considered to be impossible in the last century. Now many women are working mid-to high-level professions. But it is stunning to know that even at the degree to which they are highly accomplished, women are still struggling with feelings like inadequacy, self-doubt, or low self-confidence. They are still confused about how they have managed to reach such high levels that they have achieved. In fact, research has shown that a almost 98% of professional women have experienced power gaps that prevent them from reaching their highest potential. That 75% face many gaps at the same time. The power gap is one of the most challenging things for them.
    Imposter syndrome is basically defined as the inability to believe one’s success that is obtained as a result of one’s hard work and the fact that one possesses distinct skills, capabilities. The impostor syndrome is, in fact, a great part that is shaped by patriarchal mindset and cultural influences including rigid gender stereotypes. These basically dictate what “feminine” should look and act like. Women experience imposter syndrome much more than men due to many factors. These include how different boys and girls are raised in their childhood. Boys are generally encouraged to lead and to show self-confidence and also to exhibit less emotion than girls. Family expectations and gender roles cause self-doubt.
    Now the key to overcome this problem is in the hands of the leaders. They can play a huge role here. According to a survey, more than 47% of women, who have high executive roles, believe that having a supportive management system is the number one factor in combating imposter syndrome. A simple gesture of such a kind can be extremely powerful and lasting. Promoting teamwork and a culture that includes everyone can be very encouraging. Special needs of the individual must also be taken care of. Strong relationships with leaders, which is built honest communication, can promote respect and value. It can greatly help women overcome self-doubt and promote their own self-worth.
    Also, we need to dismantle this patriarchal setup that dictates gender roles and gender stereotypes. This is damaging to the talent which is present in the women of this country.

    Anika
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    According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, Imposter Syndrome is defined as a psychological condition that is characterized by persistent doubt concerning one’s abilities or accomplishments accompanied by the fear of being exposed as a fraud despite evidence of one’s ongoing success. Some of the effects include self doubt and fear. If it is not treated properly, it might lead to worse effects on a working woman’s life.
    Although it’s not easy, there are ways in which one can overcome imposter syndrome. Some of them are:
    1) Tell yourself that it’s okay and that you did not cheat your way to the top. You got to this position with your hard work. It wasn’t sheer luck, it was your hard work which got you to this position.
    2) Tell your struggles to your friends and colleagues. You never know, they might be facing the same problem. Be there for them. Get constructive criticism from them and improve your skills and knowledge. Bottling it up will make it worse.
    3) Prove to yourself that you can do it by practicing and improving your skills. Keep trying until you think you’re perfect at it.
    4) Many people might have different opinions about you and the success you reached, but that is just their opinion. It need not be reality. Prove to them that you’re good at this and prove them wrong. It will help you.
    These are just a few steps to help you overcome or cope with imposter syndrome. If this still doesn’t work, they should seek further help so that they can cope and be better.

    DISHA SAPKALE
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    @42disha
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    Imposter syndrome is like feeling fraud or if we are having leadership position it is because luck not for my hardwork. To overcome imposter syndrome we need to understand that their is no need to be perfectionist many people give-up to start any small business or start-up anything because they think they are not perfect. We all should keep one thing in our mind in this world no one is perfect. To become something we need to work hard sharping our skills and learn more knowledge. Their is no need of being perfect if you want to start to learn something you can start by being not perfect by working hard on that thing will make you perfect. The main think that women need to understand to tackle with imposter syndrome they need to stop think of following things: feeling like a fraud, they need to be perfect, they get leadership position by luck, it is possible because of family support. If husband and wife are working together in same office and women will get higher position than men and she will think it is all because of her husband support but they will never think that it is because of her talent and hardworking towards that project. You should think positive towards your work because of being negative it will affect on your work and it will be get spoiled due to thinking negative towards your work. So thinking positively towards your work can make your work perfect. Professional womem should believe in hardwork and confident enough to tackle situations with smile. They should not think like they are here because of someone instead of that they should think they are here because of their talent and hard work. Imposter syndrome will only overcome when you think positive and make your skills sharp with your hardwork. It doesn’t matter how perfect you are by being imperfection makes you to be perfect person.

    shaifalikapoor03
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    Imposter syndrome refers to the one where a person starts to believe that he/she is incapable or incompetent among the others. Its the one where a person psychologically doubts their skills and abilities and consider themselves as less able than others.
    Women in front of men have mostly been made feel that they’re less than a man, they are not as strong as the men, less intelligent than the men etc etc.
    A woman is forced to believe her as less than a man, due to the beliefs that’ve been fitted into a woman’s mind, shw tends to get the imposter syndrome. It all sometimes effects a woman’s mental health to such an extent that it results in actually making her feel week. Despite external evidence of their competence, those experiencing this phenomenon remain convinced that they are frauds and do not deserve all they have achieved. Women who’ve been successful and independent can also be a conviction to this syndrome.
    To overcome imposter syndrome women can;
    1. Seprate feelings from facts: psychology says that when you tend to feel the imposter syndrome hitting you, try to feel those feelings instead of avoiding them, observe them, be mindful of them and be ready with the response.
    2. Take note of your accomplishments: constantly remind yourself about even the slightest of your accomplishments and remind yourself that you are capable of doing what you think you can.
    3. Stop comparing: stop comparing yourself with others and remind yourself that everyone is different and everyone isn’t perfect.

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