
Amanda worked tirelessly preparing her classroom and lesson plans the summer before her first year of teaching. She was excited to embark upon her calling of a career. However, when classes started, Amanda worried about her ability to maintain authority, lead interesting classes, and help kids learn. She doubled down on her evening and weekend prep work but was concerned that the increased efforts weren’t helping. Amanda was exhausted, stressed, and tearful about her perceived failures as a teacher. Put bluntly, Amanda didn’t think she was cut out for it.
Amanda had impostor syndrome.
Impostor syndrome refers to persistent thoughts of not belonging or not being good enough despite evidence to the contrary. It is commonly experienced. People with impostor syndrome tend to have impossibly high standards, disregard compliments, attribute their success to over-working, dread being uncovered as a fraud, and alienate themselves from others.
Without intervention, those with impostor syndrome frequently experience job dissatisfaction and burnout, as well as anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. This can hamper their personal and professional lives.
Here are tools for overcoming impostor syndrome.
Check the Facts: Ask yourself: what evidence supports my ability in this role? Consider your education, experience, characteristics, skills, and talents. Avoid discounting your positive traits.
Celebrate Your Wins: When congratulated, accept it instead of brushing it off. Speak to yourself with kindness and a growth mindset. Internally applauding wins helps you authentically feel competent.
Scrap Perfectionism: Impostor syndrome is fear of failure in disguise. Focus on process instead of outcomes when setting goals and measuring success. Remember that your accomplishments are things you have done, not who you are.
Talk About It: Confide in a trusted person about your impostor syndrome. Share the facts surrounding your successes, opportunities for growth, and (inevitably) failures, remembering that everyone sometimes wins and sometimes loses.