Monday morning reset : 19th May 2025
The hypocrisy of Imposter Syndrome
“When you know you're ENOUGH!
When you stop focusing on all things that you're not.
When you stop fussing over perceived flaws.
When you remove all imposed and unbelievable expectations on yourself.
When you start celebrating yourself more.
When you focus on all that you are.
When you start believing that your perceived flaws are just that - perception...” ~ Malebo Sephodi
We all experience thoughts that cause us anxiety, from time to time, it’s part of being human. I think, part of the art of being human, is finding tools to manage the anxiety that these thoughts can produce. We may need different tools at different times. Each Monday, we will be tooling up!
Good morning everyone,
Did you notice what thoughts came to your mind when you read the above quote? Can you jot them down?
I have terrible imposter syndrome! I am happy to share that. It comes and goes. When it is present it feels like an exhausting and upsetting battle with myself.
I think if you were to ask a lot of people around me they would not believe it. I am VERY good at hiding it.
Feel familiar?
When I read the quote, some of my thoughts were:
“I will never feel enough, what is even enough. Do I actually need to do more?”
“I need to focus on my flaws, keeps me safe, keeps others from noticing them, but I can also see in doing that, in itself, makes me anxious, I am therapist, why can’t I get myself out of this loop?” As a sidenote, the things that really trigger me here as a writer are spelling and grammar as I am dyslexic and sometimes don’t see errors. I have been picked up on such mistakes here.
As a writer, what are your particular triggers?
“I am aware I set myself ridiculous standards. I can let myself off the hook at times, but have all the excuses for not relaxing on other things”.
What were your thoughts? I am cringing even at reading that back!
Why have I used the word hypocrisy in the title? Part of Imposter Syndrome is putting success down to luck, other people’s support or other external influences, a sheer fluke, being in the right place at the right time or others over-estimating what you have done.
We experience this as intense anxiety, fear (of being found out!), crippling doubt that can stop many people here writing anything at all. We feel under threat and seek safety. Safety might look like avoidance, procrastination and, for some, being overly pushy, criticising others. There are many more.
The hypocrisy is about how wrong these thoughts are. We believe we are rubbish, but actually, the great things that we achieve are down to hard work, facing the fear and doing it anyway, keeping going even when feeling like we are writing to a void, persistence and many many more. This actually proves we are brave, resilient, strong, persistent, good at what we do and many many more.
Whilst we know on an intellectual level the good things we are, and how talented we are, we do not BELIEVE it. And therein lies the problem.
I will write more about making steps towards believing in ourselves later in the week.
See you then. For now, what has this article make you think about? This is a topic much written about, is there any different angle here? Anything that has landed with you? I would invite you to write that under the thoughts you wrote down at the start of this article and bring it back later in the week for more on this topic that effect writers, teachers, everyone!
I do wish you all a great week.
With all kind wishes
Jane
Accredited Cognitive Psychotherapist
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Compassion Focussed Therapy (CFT), Mindfulness & Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
➡️If you would like to work with me on a 1:1 basis you can contact me at: mail@janewatkinscbt.co.uk
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