IMPOSTOR SYNDROME MEDITATION: PRACTICE TRUSTING YOURSELF

IMPOSTOR SYNDROME MEDITATION: PRACTICE TRUSTING YOURSELF

The thoughts and emotions that tell us we’re not enough, incapable or unworthy are referred to collectively as imposter syndrome. Although not an official medical diagnosis, this fear of being exposed as a fraud is a form of anxiety. It can become a true disorder if and when it interferes with our lives, preventing us from applying for jobs, speaking up, or taking action. Imposter syndrome is a combination of thoughts, feelings, beliefs and emotions, all of which are merely movements of the mind, and hence subject to change with our perspective. Because of this, meditation can help us overcome imposter syndrome. Meditation can also help us deal with anxious thoughts, which could be present for some sufferers of impostor syndrome, and help to counter the “stress response” that can be triggered by anxiety; instead promoting a “relaxation response” that can be seen in MRI imaging. Imposter syndrome is loosely defined as doubting your abilities and feeling like a fraud. It disproportionately affects high-achieving people, who find it difficult to accept their accomplishments. Many question whether they’re deserving of accolades. Psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes developed the concept, originally termed “imposter phenomenon,” in their 1978 founding study, which focused on high-achieving women. They posited that “despite outstanding academic and professional accomplishments, women who experience the imposter phenomenon persist in believing that they are really not bright and have fooled anyone who thinks otherwise.

Feeling Unsure Shouldn’t Make You an Imposter

Imposter syndrome took a fairly universal feeling of discomfort, second-guessing, and mild anxiety in the workplace and pathologized it, especially for women.

Early research exploring this phenomenon primarily focused on accomplished, successful women. It later became clear, though, that imposter syndrome can affect anyone in any profession, from graduate students to top executives.

Imposter syndrome, also called perceived fraudulence, involves feelings of self-doubt and personal incompetence that persist despite your education, experience, and accomplishments.

To counter these feelings, you might end up working harder and holding yourself to ever higher standards. This pressure can eventually take a toll on your emotional well-being and your performance.

What it feels like

Imposter feelings represent a conflict between your own self-perception and the way others perceive you. Even as others praise your talents, you write off your successes to timing and good luck. You don’t believe you earned them on your own merits, and you fear others will eventually realize the same thing.

Consequently, you pressure yourself to work harder in order to:

• keep others from recognizing your shortcomings or failures

• become worthy of roles you believe you don’t deserve

• make up for what you consider your lack of intelligence

• ease feelings of guilt over “tricking” people

The work you put in can keep the cycle going. Your further accomplishments don’t reassure you — you consider them nothing more than the product of your efforts to maintain the “illusion” of your success. Any recognition you earn? You call it sympathy or pity. And despite linking your accomplishments to chance, you take on all the blame for any mistakes you make. Even minor errors reinforce your belief in your lack of intelligence and ability. Over time, this can fuel a cycle of anxiety, depression, and guilt. Living in constant fear of discovery, you strive for perfection in everything you do. You might feel guilty or worthless when you can’t achieve it, not to mention burned out and overwhelmed by your continued efforts.

Causes of Imposter Syndrome

In the earliest studies, researchers found that imposter syndrome was connected to factors including early family dynamics and gender stereotypes. Subsequent research has shown, however, that the phenomenon occurs in people of all backgrounds, ages, and genders.

Family Upbringing

Research suggests that upbringing and family dynamics can play an important role in imposter syndrome. Specifically, parenting styles characterized by being controlling or overprotective may contribute to the development of imposter syndrome in children.

For example, you might have come from a family that highly valued achievement. Or you may have had parents who flipped back and forth between offering praise and being critical.

Studies also suggest that people who come from families that experienced high levels of conflict with low amounts of support may be more likely to experience imposter syndrome.

New Work or School Opportunities

We also know that entering a new role can trigger impostor syndrome. For example, starting college might leave you feeling as though you don't belong and are not capable. You may also experience the same feelings when starting a new position at work.

Imposter syndrome appears to be more common when people are going through transitions and trying new things. The pressure to achieve and succeed, combined with a lack of experience, can trigger feelings of inadequacy in these new roles and settings.

Personality

Certain personality traits have also been linked to a higher risk of experiencing imposter syndrome. Some traits or characteristics that might play a role include:

Low self-efficacy: Self-efficacy refers to your belief in your ability to succeed in any given situation.

Perfectionism: Perfectionism plays a significant role in impostor syndrome. You might think that there is some perfect "script" for conversations and that you cannot say the wrong thing. You may also have trouble asking for help from others and procrastinate due to your own high standards.

Neuroticism: Neuroticism is one of the big five personality dimensions that is linked to higher levels of anxiety, insecurity, tension, and guilt.

10-Step Meditation for Impostor Syndrome

At its core, impostor syndrome—the feeling that we’re unworthy of our successes—is just that: a feeling.

Mindfulness meditation gives us the power to become aware of thoughts and feelings as they appear in our consciousness and the strength to let them go. (That includes the thoughts and feelings that constitute impostor syndrome.) By doing this repeatedly, we can loosen the grip that a negative pattern of thought, like impostor syndrome, has on our lives.

Here’s a 10-step mindfulness meditation you can practice right now that is tailored to help you overcome impostor syndrome. It will help you become aware of when the impostor in you is rearing its head and effectively counter it with presence of mind, openness, and self-compassion. Try it out for a few weeks and see how it works for you!

1. Sit comfortably, spine erect, on a chair or cushion.

2. Before you begin, take a moment to ask yourself a few questions and search your mind for the answers. (You can spend as much or as little time on this as you want.)

• What’s my motivation for sitting down to meditate each day? (For example, “I want to overcome impostor syndrome and enjoy my successes without feeling like a fraud or a failure because I failed to live up to the unreasonably high bar I set for myself.“)

• What’s my goal for this particular meditation? Try to keep it simple and attainable. (For example, “I want to avoid getting frustrated when I lose focus. Or, I want to be especially aware of thoughts that sound like impostor syndrome.“)

• What distractions are capturing my attention most strongly right now? Create a mental list of them, and resolve to stay aware of them and let them go when they do arise. For this particular meditation, add impostor syndrome to your list even if it isn’t distracting you right this moment.

3. Set a timer of 10-15 minutes (you can increase this as your practice becomes routine and habitual). Close your eyes.

4. Begin by expanding your awareness to include everything occurring in the present moment. Sensations, sounds, scents, tastes, and sights (including the light show taking place behind your eyelids) are all fair game. So are thoughts, emotions, and moods. Simply become and remain aware of everything you’re experiencing internally and externally.

5. After spending some time becoming aware of your sensory experience, shift your attention to your breath, wherever you feel it most. That could mean the sensation of your breathing on the bridge of your nose, or the rising and falling of your abdomen as you inhale and exhale.

6. Keep your attention fixed on this point, but remain aware of the other elements of your experience in the present—sights, sounds, thoughts, emotions, etc. We are perfectly capable of focusing on our breath while remaining aware of thoughts and sensations that arise on the periphery of our attention.

7. The moment you’ve noticed that you’ve become distracted by a thought, take a moment to observe the thought itself objectively, without judgment, and return your attention to the breath. Repeat this step until the session is finished.

8. If you realize you’ve been distracted by thoughts by several minutes, don’t be discouraged. This is perfectly normal for first-time meditators. Just accept that it happened, observe the thought itself without judgment, and return to the present. Getting frustrated with our inability to pay attention is counterproductive, as it can cause us to fixate even harder on the distraction in question. Just observe the thought that distracted you and observe any frustration that may have arisen. Frustration, after all, is just another thought. Let it all go without judgment, and return your attention to the breath.

9. If you notice you’ve become distracted by thoughts of impostor syndrome, observe the thoughts, let them go, and respond to them with affirmations—“I am successful,” “I don’t have to be perfect,” “I’m a genuinely talented and hardworking person”—before returning your attention back to your breath.

10. Perform this meditation daily or as close to daily as possible over the course of several weeks, and see how it works for you!

The Fab Chieftess believes that women can have it all without sacrificing the other areas in life. By developing a strategy, accountability, and mindset work you can discover a better way to enrich and live the life you want to lead. Book a consultation today!