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How to Stop Your Imposter

  • Writer: Jaz Rivera
    Jaz Rivera
  • Apr 1
  • 2 min read

Have you ever felt like your success is not your own, but rather attributed to a “lucky streak”? Have you felt like at any given moment, someone might see through you and discover that you’re a “fraud”? Have you ever told yourself you’re not worthy of a specific job, position, or opportunity you were chosen for? 


If you have–you’re not alone. That’s imposter syndrome. It’s a pervasive psychological experience which often manifests as intense, persistent self-doubt and the inability to internalize success. Even accomplished trailblazers in their fields, (like Lupita Nyong'o, or Maya Angelou) have described their experiences with imposter syndrome.


If you ever feel your imposter’s presence, here’s how you can “fight back” against all the negative thoughts it wants you to believe:


  1. Document your accomplishments:

Remind yourself of all the ways you have worked hard for your success. Document positive feedback that you have received, milestones you have achieved, and the big and small victories that impacted your life. Whenever you feel your imposter creeping in to tell you all the ways you don’t match up–review the evidence to prove them wrong.


  1. Separate the facts from the feelings, and put your imposter on “trial”:

In therapy, we call this cognitive restructuring. It is when we ask ourselves, what evidence does our imposter have to prove that this thought is true? What evidence do we have against it? How can we consider the likelihood of what our imposter wants us to believe as realistic?


  1. Name your imposter thoughts, and talk about them:

Imposter syndrome works at its best when you are in silence. Rather than approaching your success with a critical thought like, “I am a fraud”, consider how it might simply be your imposter speaking, who is separate from yourself. Saying the imposter’s thoughts out loud in a safe space, like a therapy session, can shrink its power and point out the inconsistencies in its assertions. The therapy session, whether it be virtual or in-person, will also give you the space to build a more grounded and secure relationship with yourself. 


If you find yourself struggling to battle that imposter alone, we’re here to help you.


Your confidence is not missing, it’s simply buried under an imposter who exists to tell you that you don’t deserve to have it. The sooner you begin to address your imposter, the sooner it loses its authority.


Written by: Jaz Rivera, Mental Health Counseling Intern

 
 
 

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