Banish your inner impostor!

An estimated 70 per cent of people experience impostor feelings at some point. Anna Lou Walker explains how to combat the syndrome in all areas of your life

- Anna Lou Walker

People who are highly capable generally consider other people to be just as proficient as them. This mindset can lead them to believe that they don't deserve to be awarded opportunities over others, because from their perspective - others are equally worthy of recognition. As Elizabeth Cox explains in her TED talk, What is impostor syndrome and how can you combat it?, 'There is often no threshold of accomplishment that puts these feelings to rest.'

That's why even people widely considered as geniuses, such as Albert Einstein or Maya Angelou, can (and did) experience impostor syndrome. Cox explains that 'pluralistic ignorance' - whereby individuals each privately doubt themselves yet believe they're alone in thinking in that way, because they don't hear others voice the same concerns - means it's difficult to dismiss these feelings.

The best solution? Talk about it! By opening up about our experiences with impostor syndrome, we come to realise that we're not alone - not only with our feelings of fraudulence, but with the slings and arrows that naturally come with adult life. We may think other people breeze through with comparatively few struggles but, really, everyone is on their own journey, and will encounter their own obstacles on the path to success.

Extracted from Ditch Your Inner Imposter by Anna Lou Walker (Vie Publishing, £10.99)

The impostor syndrome cycle

The biggest challenge for anybody seeking to overcome impostor syndrome is interrupting the cycle. But before you can do that, you need to recognise how the cycle works. Here's how it goes: 

● A new task arises, causing feelings of self-doubt or anxiety.

●Fear of being exposed as a fraud sets in.

● In response, you over-prepare, or you procrastinate.

● After the task is complete, you discount any positive feedback.