Are you this person? Feeling constantly anxious , fearful of failure or rejection, dreaming big but procrastinating, struggling to say no, and often overextending yourself as a people-pleaser? Or do you feel undervalued and taken for granted? Do you sabotage opportunities, doubt your readiness, neglect your needs, and shy away from situations like public speaking? Always experiencing frustration, unworthiness, or leaning towards perfectionism, always feeling you are right? Wonder why these feelings persist? Because your brain is a big autopilot mode machine.
These feelings, especially self-doubt, self-sabotage, trying to be perfect all the time, and feeling constant anxiety, contribute to a condition called imposter syndrome.
At least once in a lifetime, everyone experiences these feelings, but some people become constant companions of these feelings: feeling anxious, persistent overthinking, always worrying about the future and dwelling on the past, and fear of rejection and failure.
Let me tell you, the root cause of these problems is not your fault, but fixing these issues is your responsibility.
If this becomes a constant problem, this imposter syndrome can result in:
Chronic stress and depression
Career stagnation
Negative self-image and low self-esteem
Relationship strain
Mental exhaustion and burnout
Isolation and avoidance
limited personal growth and fulfilment.
The first step in addressing this condition is to become aware of how you reached this point. Then, you can take the necessary steps to find a solution that addresses the root cause.
This is a very vast topic, but I am trying to make it as short as possible in a simple way.
As per neuroscience, you have 2 different, unequal brains. Of course, not in the physical sense.
It has been shown that 1 part of the brain is your logical, rational, or conscious mind.
Another part is much deeper emotional and habitual that is largely controlled by your limbic, reptilian brain, or subconscious mind, which is the autopilot mode brain that helps to keep our heartbeat, breathe, and many more!
The interesting fact is that we all think we are in charge of our conscious mind, but it is only just 10% and the rest 90 % of activities are controlled by the subconscious mind.
Your conscious-subconscious ratio is like an iceberg where conscious brain activity is the tiny part above the surface and the subconscious is submerged in the deep.
That is why, even when you consciously strive to change or improve, if your subconscious habits and conditioning are working against you, you may find yourself repeatedly encountering the same triggers and obstacles.
So to fix the suffering in your adulthood, especially with imposter syndrome, you should put effort into reconditioning or reprogramming your subconscious mind.
So to recondition your subconscious mind, you should know how this got conditioned, which will be the root cause of imposter syndrome as well.
Root Causes of Imposter Syndrome
There are many root causes of Imposter Syndrome that you may encounter, but this is one of the crucial root causes that should be addressed at the earliest opportunity.
Childhood and Traumatic Experiences:
From birth, our brains are like sponges, absorbing information from our surroundings. Up to around age 7, children are particularly receptive, soaking up experiences without much critical filtering.
As children grow older, typically into their teenage years, they absorb information and develop cognitive skills. By around age 13, significant progress has been made in cognitive development.
These early years are crucial for forming the foundation of their beliefs and behaviors.
By this time, your subconscious brain will have created numerous brain patterns based on your experiences, both positive and negative.
Experiences, whether positive or negative, shape patterns in the brain that influence adult behavior.
As individuals grow older, these patterns become deeply ingrained and can significantly impact how they navigate relationships, handle challenges, and make decisions in adulthood.
A few examples of how childhood patterns translate into adult behavior are below:
On average, around 33 primary patterns emerge, each giving rise to further secondary patterns that shape your concrete behaviors by the age of 13.
Based on this concrete behavior, the subconscious mind automatically responds based on its instincts, values, and belief system in adulthood.
Defeat imposter syndrome with these 6 game-changing methods.
When we are aware of the root causes, it is easy to fix any problem in our lives. Defeat imposter syndrome with these 6 game-changing methods.
Quiet inner Critic
In any situation that pushes you beyond your comfort zone, two minds emerge: one that motivates you and another that criticizes you. Let’s call these minds the motivator and the critic. Usually, the Critic fills your mind with questions and fears, making you anxious, procrastinate and stressed.
When your Critic blocks you from achieving something due to fear, challenge those limiting beliefs. Talk back to your Critic with the opposite of what it’s saying.
This fear often stems from deep-seated beliefs in your subconscious mind, so view it as an opportunity to counteract those beliefs.
For example, ” If your critic says you cannot achieve it, you will fail, Change the talk to I am good enough to achieve it.”
If your Critic remains unconvinced, provide evidence to prove it wrong. Maybe you’ve achieved similar goals before, or you can find examples of others who achieved success despite facing similar challenges.
By challenging your Critic and gathering evidence, you can overcome self-doubt and pursue your goals with confidence.
Move from Survivor to creator mode
When a dog is about to bite you, your immediate instinct is to run; nothing else matters at that moment. Even though fear is a negative emotion, in this situation, it’s necessary for survival.
Your sole focus is escaping from the dog; everything else becomes irrelevant.
However, if this fear starts controlling your entire belief system and keeping you in a perpetual survival mode, you’ll constantly feel as if you’re facing threats like the metaphorical dog in every aspect of life.
This can limit your ability to see possibilities and opportunities, leaving you stuck in a cycle of complaints that can break you mentally.
To break free from this cycle, activate your creator mode. Create a vision and mission for your life, and use your skills to help others. What comes easily to you may be challenging for others.
Having a purpose and vision beyond ourselves will shift you into creator mode, which will automatically reprogram many of your limiting beliefs.
Exercise Mentally
Just as physical exercise helps keep our bodies fit, mental exercise strengthens our minds and increases mental resilience.
The best two ways to increase your mental strength are: 1. Say Yes to Challenges 2. Say No to strong desires.
Say Yes to challenges:
In my own experience, tasks like washing dishes or cleaning bathrooms often seem overwhelming and challenging. When I see a sink full of dishes, my initial instinct is to postpone the task for later. However, I’ve learned to challenge myself by saying, “Let’s do it now and see what happens.”
Sometimes, I consciously choose to say yes to tasks that my mind wants to avoid, as a way to strengthen my willpower.
By practicing this approach with small tasks, rather than avoiding problems, we will start to face them head-on and find effective solutions.
Over time, these small practices will help us build the resilience to take on challenges without feeling overwhelmed and handle them in a more positive and efficient manner.
Say No to strong desires.
This exercise involves saying no to your favorite things, particularly those that may not be beneficial for your well-being.
I personally practice this with habits like indulging in junk food, making excuses, excessive mobile usage, mindlessly scrolling through social media, or skipping workouts.
Starting small, I challenge myself to resist these temptations and observe how long I can abstain from them.
Just as you start with lighter weights at the gym and gradually increase the load as you get stronger, you can begin by saying no to small triggers and gradually tackle bigger challenges.
Over time, this practice helps to develop healthier habits and break free from patterns of behavior that may not serve well.
Lessons and strategies
This is one of my favorite methods that I personally follow every night. Before going to bed, I prefer to write in my journal, which is an effective way to reprogram your subconscious mind.
For those who are too lazy to write, at least think through the following steps before going to bed:
- Reflect on the day from the moment you woke up this morning until now.
- Recall all the events and occurrences that happened today.
- If you performed well in any aspect or situation, note down the strategies you used that contributed to your success.
- If you didn’t perform well or made mistakes, note down the lessons you learned and think of better ways to handle similar situations in the future.
This practice helps with self-reflection, learning from experiences, and overwriting your many subconscious belief systems automatically.
10 minute me time:
This is a crucial time that you dedicate to yourself consciously. You can choose this time to meditate, speak to each part of your body to relax, or engage in journaling.
This interaction with your subconscious levels is valuable for self-awareness and growth.
Ensure that you dedicate at least 10 minutes each day to listening to what you truly desire. By focusing, you may hear a deep inner voice guiding you.
You can also use this time to read books, rewrite your old belief systems, or learn something you’re passionate about. Remember, the right knowledge leads to the right actions, and the right actions lead to the right results.
Seek support:
If you’re struggling severely with imposter syndrome and nothing seems to be working, don’t hesitate to seek professional help from therapists, healers, or life coaches.
They can create customized methods to help reprogram your subconscious mind step by step. Remember, seeking support is crucial because you may be unknowingly harming yourself due to imposter syndrome.
Simply reading articles may not be enough; only taking action can lead to meaningful change and healing.
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