A practical guide to overcoming impostor syndrome and self-criticism
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If you find yourself regularly doubting your own skills, talents, and successes, fearing people will “find out” that you’re not worthy or capable, you’ve likely experienced impostor syndrome.
And you’re not alone. Impostor syndrome is quite common, with some studies suggesting that over 70% will experience it. It often manifests as a persistent fear of being exposed as a fraud, despite all the evidence of your competence. Even high performers aren’t immune: People excelling in their fields can get caught up in microscopic details and endless self-evaluation, which prevents them from recognizing their own success.
That pervasive sense of self-doubt can impact your career, relationships, and confidence. The good news is you can break free from that cycle of fear and doubt with Metacognitive Therapy’s direct and efficient approach.
The impact of impostor syndrome
The inner dialogue of impostor syndrome can sound like: What if I didn’t prepare well enough? What if I don’t do a good enough job? What if they made a mistake hiring me? What if they find out I’m a fraud?
Unchecked, impostor syndrome can cause stress, fatigue, depression, and burnout, as people often overcompensate for their feelings of not being good enough by working excessively, triple-checking their work, avoiding promotions, or settling for less than they deserve. This fear of not being good enough can lead to hypervigilance: constantly scanning for signs of inadequacy, replaying conversations, and scrutinizing past performance.
It’s like running a heavy program in the background of your brain all day—it drains your mental resources.
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Common strategies can keep you stuck
A lot of the effort we put into combatting these feelings of self-doubt — over-preparing, avoiding risks, examining every performance, and seeking reassurance — can exacerbate the problem. Meticulously planning for all possible scenarios, scrutinize past interactions, and ruminating on perceived mistakes can reinforce the beliefs of failure and inadequacy. Many people believe they need to worry and agonize over work to show that they care and are invested, or to protect themselves from failure. But that worry often becomes the problem itself.
Similarly, reframing every negative thought and constantly looking for evidence that you are good enough can also keep your attention focused on your fears and doubts.
Your brain is like an algorithm — the more you engage with certain thoughts, the more your brain prioritizes them. If you stop feeding the algorithm, those thoughts lose their prominence.
The Metacognitive Therapy approach to impostor syndrome
Metacognitive Therapy (MCT) instead addresses these issues by targeting the thinking styles and behaviors that sustain impostor syndrome. Unlike traditional therapies that delve into the root causes of self-doubt, MCT will challenge your beliefs that these doubtful thoughts are important or require action.
How much time are you spending on worry and self-criticism right now, worrying all night about work the next day, or ruminating on past performance? Instead of doing more to compensate, what if you focus on reducing the time and energy you spend engaging with negative thoughts?
The worries and doubts that pop up aren’t problems to be solved — they’re fleeting thoughts that don’t require attention. For many people, understanding that their efforts to ‘solve’ impostor syndrome are actually sustaining it, feels like a weight is lifting. They’re finally free to stop over-performing, overthinking, and overcompensating.
Exercises that can shift your beliefs about impostor syndrome
So, how do you leave those thoughts alone when they feel important or stressful? The following MCT exercises can be used in therapy sessions to help you understand that worry is neither helpful nor uncontrollable.
- Worry postponement: Instead of engaging with every thought, try delaying your worrying until after the meeting or presentation, for example. Instead of ruminating on a task for days in advance, you can always set a time to revisit this later. Often, people find they don’t need to worry as much once they arrive at their “worry time”. It also shows them that worrying is not outside of their control.
- Redirect your attention: In anxiety-inducing situations like a high stakes meeting or interview, rather than hyper-focusing on how others perceive you, shift your attention outward and focus on what’s happening in the meeting. This helps you discover that you can still concentrate, even if you're feeling anxious about mistakes or judgement.
- Detached mindfulness: Detached mindfulness, a key principle in MCT, involves being aware of your thoughts and inner experiences, and choosing not to respond to them. Instead of engaging with every self-critical thought, practice observing these thoughts without reacting.
We recommend working with an MCT-certified therapist who can guide you through the steps for overcoming impostor syndrome, and help you avoid the common pitfalls of these techniques.
The takeaway
Impostor syndrome is maintained by beliefs, behaviors, and thought patterns that can be modified — by reducing the time you spend engaging with these thoughts, you can shift out of constant self-evaluation so feelings of self-doubt can take up less space in your life.
If you’re struggling with impostor syndrome, Metacognitive Therapy can offer a practical way to break free from the cycle of self-criticism, so doubt can stop running your life. To get started with tips to reduce worry and anxiety, download our guide to less worry and anxiety today.
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