The Replay ⏪ My Imposter, Be Impostering Workshop + Additional Resources on Imposter Syndrome
In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month and Mental Health Action Day, GumGummers were led in a workshop on Imposter Syndrome by Naiylah Warren, LMFT from Heal Haus. Interested in learning more about Imposter Syndrome? Keep scrolling for a replay and recap of the session and some additional resources.
My Imposter be Impostering: The Recap
In our session together we learned quite a lot so let’s hold space for the takeaways!
We learned what Imposter Syndrome is:
Imposter Syndrome is the belief that you’ve only succeeded or continue to succeed due to luck. It is a belief that your skills, knowledge, or abilities are not the reason for your success or often manifests as this feeling that you belong in a certain space.
We learned the different types of imposters:
The Perfectionist is a person who feels pressure to execute every task perfectly [see perfectionism for more information]. They contribute to the workplace by making sure all tasks are completed with the highest quality.
The Expert is the person who feels the pressure to know how to fix, solve, and answer every question/problem. They contribute to the workplace by working to or trying to have all the answers.
The Soloist is the person who feels the pressure to be able to do all their tasks with no help. They contribute to the workplace by not “burdening or bothering” others for help and completing tasks without assistance.
The Natural Genius is a person who feels the pressure to be able to do things easily. They contribute to the workplace by working to make tasks easy for themselves and others.
The Superhuman is the person who feels the pressure to fill all the voids or roles. They contribute to the workplace by being what every team needs and taking on multiple roles.
What to do when your imposter shows up:
Self-affirmations -“It’s human to not be perfect.” | “I am bringing my best and that is enough.”
Reframing our Thoughts - When you start thinking, “I don’t know why they hired me” Try saying, “I add value and I’m still learning”
Talking about it in Safe Spaces - Therapy | Support/Affinity Groups | Friends/Family | Venting Buddy | Journal/voice recorder
Resources:
Book: Get Out of Your Own Way: Overcoming Self-Defeating Behavior Paperback by Mark Goulston
