How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome and Start Believing in Yourself

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What Is Imposter Syndrome and Where Does It Come From?

If you have ever found yourself thinking, “I am not good enough for this,” or “I do not belong here,” even when all the evidence suggests otherwise, you are definitely not alone. That uncomfortable, nagging feeling of being a fraud despite having the skills, knowledge, or experience is known as imposter syndrome. And although it can feel incredibly isolating, it is actually far more common than you might think.

Imposter syndrome is not a mental health diagnosis. It is a psychological pattern where someone struggles to internalise their accomplishments. No matter how successful or capable they are, they live with an underlying fear that eventually someone will figure out they are not really as competent as they seem. It is that constant background voice that whispers, “You are faking it,” even when you are doing a perfectly good job, and the feeling that you are going to 'slip up' at some point and/or fail.

The term was first introduced by psychologists Dr. Pauline Clance and Dr. Suzanne Imes back in 1978. Originally, their research focused on high-achieving women who, despite impressive credentials and accomplishments, still felt like frauds. Over time, it became clear that imposter syndrome does not discriminate. It affects people across genders, backgrounds and industries. In fact, it is particularly common among perfectionists, high achievers, creatives and anyone who finds themselves navigating environments where expectations feel impossibly high.

So where does this come from? Like most deeply rooted patterns, it is usually not something we are born with. It tends to grow out of a mix of early experiences, family dynamics, cultural messaging and internal beliefs that get shaped over time. For many people, the seeds are planted in childhood. Maybe you grew up with caregivers who were overly critical, or perhaps they praised you only when you achieved something exceptional. Some people internalise the belief that being loved is tied to being perfect, helpful, impressive or never making mistakes. For others, it is not about direct criticism but more about the roles they were unconsciously assigned within their family. Maybe you were the “smart one,” which came with the pressure to never fail. Or maybe you were seen as the one who would not amount to much, and now every success feels like you are somehow cheating the system. Both of these can lead to the same place: a chronic fear that you do not actually deserve your success.

Then there are the wider social and cultural pressures. If you belong to a group that is underrepresented in a particular field, whether that is based on gender, race, background or any other factor, imposter syndrome can be amplified. When you rarely see people like yourself in certain spaces, it is easy to internalise the message that you are the exception, not the norm. That creates a constant pressure to prove yourself whilst secretly fearing that you are not really supposed to be there. Even in adulthood, things like comparison culture and the constant highlight reels of social media fuel this sense that everyone else has it figured out except you. Perfectionism feeds it too. If you believe that being competent means getting things right every single time, then any tiny mistake feels like confirmation that you are not good enough.

And here is the really tricky part. Because imposter syndrome is rooted in distorted thinking rather than reality, external success does not actually solve it. You can get the promotion, land the client, publish the work or receive the praise and still feel like you have somehow fooled everyone. In fact, for some people, the more successful they become, the louder the voice of doubt gets. It is a cycle that can be exhausting. Always striving, always over-preparing, always waiting for the moment when someone pulls back the curtain and sees that you do not belong. But the truth is, that moment never comes, because the belief lives inside you, not outside.

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Signs You Might Be Experiencing Imposter Syndrome

The tricky thing about imposter syndrome is how sneaky it can be. It rarely shouts. It often shows up as subtle self-doubt, quiet inner criticism, or the constant nagging feeling that you are falling short, even when there is no real evidence to support that thought. For many people, it becomes so normal that they do not even realise it is imposter syndrome. It simply feels like the truth about who they are.

One of the most common signs is persistent self-doubt. No matter how well you are doing or how much praise you receive, there is this voice in the background whispering that you are not really that capable. It might show up when you start a new job, launch a project, or even when someone compliments your work. Instead of feeling proud, you feel uncomfortable, secretly wondering how long it will be until someone realises you are not as competent as they think.

Another is attributing your success to luck, timing, or other external factors. You might hear yourself saying things like, I was just in the right place at the right time, or I got lucky with that client, or They were being nice when they said that. It is as if your brain cannot compute the idea that your skills, your effort, or your intelligence were the reason you succeeded. The mind finds ways to explain it away so that it does not have to sit with the discomfort of fully owning your achievements. Many people with imposter syndrome experience a constant fear of being exposed. It is that sense of waiting for the moment someone realises you are not actually qualified or that you do not know what you are doing. This fear can linger even in the absence of any actual criticism. It is almost like living with a low-level anxiety that bubbles under the surface, even when everything on the outside looks perfectly fine.

Overworking can also be a massive indicator. If you find yourself constantly pushing, over-preparing, or going far above and beyond what is necessary just to feel safe, it may be driven by the belief that you are not naturally good enough. The pressure to be perfect or flawless becomes exhausting, but stepping back feels risky because it feeds the fear that if you stop overachieving, everyone will finally see the truth.

You might struggle with accepting praise or positive feedback. Compliments can feel deeply uncomfortable. Instead of allowing yourself to take them in, you might brush them off, deflect, or immediately downplay them. Something as simple as a colleague saying, You did a great job, can trigger that uneasy feeling, followed by a reflexive response like, Oh, it was nothing, or I just got lucky this time. There is also the feeling of never being ready. You might procrastinate on applying for a job, starting a new project, or putting yourself forward because you believe you need to learn more, do more, or be more before you are truly qualified. It is that constant sense of needing one more course, one more qualification, or one more piece of validation before you will finally be good enough.

Imposter syndrome can creep into the way you interpret mistakes. Instead of seeing errors as a normal part of learning and growth, they become proof of your supposed inadequacy. A tiny slip-up can feel catastrophic, not because it actually is, but because it feeds into the underlying narrative that you were never truly qualified to begin with. For some people, the feelings of being an imposter show up in comparison. You might look around and feel convinced that everyone else is more talented, more confident, or more deserving than you. You start to believe that you are the only one who feels this way, which can be incredibly isolating. But the truth is, imposter syndrome thrives in secrecy. The more we believe we are the only ones struggling with it, the stronger it feels. You may also notice how quickly these feelings drain your energy. Living in a constant state of needing to prove yourself, fearing exposure, or doubting your achievements is exhausting. It leaves very little room for joy, ease, or the ability to actually enjoy your successes. It can even lead to burnout, anxiety, and sometimes a kind of low-level sadness that lingers in the background.

What makes all of this even harder is how convincing these thoughts feel. They do not show up as obvious lies. They sound like reasonable self-assessments. They feel like being realistic. But they are not true. They are distortions that have been learned, often from years of internalised messages, expectations, or experiences where your worth was tied to being perfect, useful, or extraordinary. The good news is that these patterns are not fixed. They are not facts about you. They are simply habits of thought that can be gently challenged and changed over time.

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How to Manage and Heal from Imposter Syndrome

When you start to recognise that imposter syndrome has been quietly living in the background of your mind, the next question is often, how do I stop feeling this way? The truth is, healing from imposter syndrome is not about making the fear or self-doubt disappear forever. It is about learning how to respond to it differently, so it no longer controls how you see yourself or limits what you believe is possible for you.

One of the most helpful things to remember is that imposter syndrome is not a reflection of reality. It is a reflection of how your mind has been conditioned to think. Somewhere along the way, your brain started believing that being competent means never struggling, never failing, and always knowing exactly what you are doing. But that is not how growth works. It is not how real success happens. Every single person you admire, no matter how confident they seem, has had moments of doubt. The difference is whether or not they believe those thoughts are true.

A powerful first step is learning how to name what is happening when it shows up. That moment you think, I am not good enough for this or I should not be here, you can gently pause and recognise, oh, this is imposter syndrome talking. Naming it creates distance. It reminds you that this thought is not the truth. It is just a mental habit, something that has been rehearsed over years but is not an accurate measure of your worth or abilities. This is where the idea of cognitive reframing comes in. It is a concept often used in cognitive behavioural therapy, which involves noticing distorted thoughts and challenging them with something more realistic and supportive. For example, when your mind says, I only got lucky, you can counter it with, Actually, I prepared for this, worked hard for it, and I deserve this success. The point is not to trick yourself with empty affirmations but to bring in a more balanced, truthful perspective that your brain has been ignoring.

Self-compassion is another key part of healing. The research of Dr. Kristin Neff shows that people who practise self-compassion are better able to cope with failure, self-doubt, and criticism. Instead of beating yourself up for feeling like a fraud, you learn to speak to yourself with the same kindness you would offer a close friend. It might sound like, Of course I feel this way. This is hard and unfamiliar. But it does not mean I am not capable. This simple shift softens the edges of self-doubt and makes it easier to move forward without being paralysed by fear. It can also be helpful to keep an evidence log of your accomplishments. This is not about feeding your ego. It is about reminding your brain that the story it is telling you is incomplete. When you look back and see the projects you have completed, the challenges you have overcome, the kind words clients or colleagues have shared with you, it becomes harder for the imposter narrative to hold so much weight.

Talking about it is one of the most effective ways to dissolve the shame that fuels imposter syndrome. The moment you say out loud to a trusted friend, colleague or therapist, I sometimes feel like I have no idea what I am doing, you almost always hear, Me too. The realisation that you are not alone is incredibly powerful. It breaks the illusion that everyone else has it all figured out whilst you are secretly the only one struggling. And learning to observe your thoughts without immediately reacting to them can help you notice when the imposter voice starts to speak. Instead of getting swept up in the story, you can watch it like passing clouds, recognising that thoughts are not facts. They are just thoughts. Some are helpful. Some are not. You do not have to believe all of them.

It is also important to remember that growth often feels like fraud. When you are doing something new, stretching beyond your comfort zone, your nervous system interprets it as risk. It makes perfect sense that your brain might try to pull you back with stories of not being ready or not being good enough. But feeling like an imposter is often a sign that you are exactly where you need to be. It means you are growing. Over time, the more you practise responding to these thoughts with curiosity and kindness instead of fear and shame, the quieter they become. They might still show up from time to time, especially in new situations, but they lose their grip. They no longer get to decide what you are capable of or what you are allowed to pursue.

Healing from imposter syndrome is really about coming home to yourself. It is remembering that you were never meant to be perfect. You were only ever meant to be fully, imperfectly human. Learning, growing, evolving.

Success does not mean never doubting yourself. It means showing up anyway. Trusting that you are allowed to take up space, make mistakes, succeed, rest, and be fully seen without needing to prove anything.

You are not a fraud. You never were. You are someone who is learning how to believe in yourself again. And that is the real work. The work that changes everything.

If something here resonated with you, I’d love to hear it.

Whether it brought clarity, stirred a feeling, or simply gave you a moment of pause, you're not alone. These conversations matter, and your voice is welcome.

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Kindest Always.

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Joanna Baars is a psychotherapist and writer based in London. Her work explores how we can learn to understand ourselves, in a complex world. Find out more...