Impostor syndrome has a way of showing up right when things are going well. You land a new role, take on more responsibility, or step into a bigger room, and suddenly a quiet voice starts whispering that you don’t belong there. That at any moment, someone will realise you are not as capable as they think.
The irony? Impostor syndrome most often affects high performers. People who care deeply about their work, hold themselves to high standards, and are constantly growing are also the ones most likely to doubt themselves.
The good news is that impostor syndrome isn’t a permanent state, it’s a pattern of thinking and like any pattern, it can be interrupted. Below are five practical ways to reduce its power and build more grounded confidence over time.
Name It
Impostor syndrome thrives in silence. When those thoughts stay unnamed, they feel factual rather than emotional, like objective truth instead of internal noise. Simply recognising “this is impostor syndrome” creates distance between you and the thought. It reminds you that these feelings are common, especially among the capable, driven people. You’re not uniquely under qualified, broken or deceptive, you are human.
Track Your Wins
When impostor syndrome speaks, it speaks emotionally, but the best way to challenge it is with evidence. Keeping a running list of your wins gives you something solid and factual to come back to when self-doubt starts to creep in. This can include completed projects, positive feedback, milestones, promotions or moments where you solved a difficult problem.
The goal isn’t ego building – it’s accuracy. Our brains are wired to remember perceived failures more vividly than successes. A “wins list” corrects that imbalance and helps you look at the full picture. When the narrative becomes “I don’t know enough” or “I just got lucky that time”, facts can gently but firmly push back. You know more than you think and you have already proven it, you just need to remind yourself.
Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
One of the fastest ways to fuel impostor syndrome is comparison. We tend to make a habit of comparing ourselves behind-the-scenes. We compare our doubts, learning curves, and unfinished thoughts to someone else’s highlight reel. What we don’t see is their mistakes, insecurities or the years it took them to get where they are today.
Everyone has gaps. Everyone is figuring out their own somethings. The difference is visibility not competence.
Instead of measuring yourself against someone else’s timeline, focus on your own personal growth. Ask “Am I learning? Am I improving? Am I moving forward compared to where I was before?” They key word here is “I”. Progress is personal. Comparison only distracts you from it.
Ask for Feedback
Impostor syndrome can distort your self perception. Which is why the outside perspective can be so powerful. Honest feedback from managers, peers or mentors helps re-calibrate how you see yourself. Often, others notice strengths you underestimate or dismiss entirely. They see consistency where you see luck, and capability where you see gaps.
Asking for feedback is not a weakness, it’s a useful tool. It grounds your confidence in reality rather than assumption. And when feedback highlights areas for growth, that’s not confirmation that you are an impostor, it’s confirmation that you are learning, just like everyone else.
Re-frame Fear
Fear is often misinterpreted as a sign that something is wrong. In reality, it’s frequently a sign that something is new. Growth rarely feels confident at first. Stretching beyond your comfort zones is uncomfortable by definition. If you waited until you felt fully ready, you’d never move forward.
Instead of treating fear as a red flag, try seeing it as evidence of progression. Turn your anxieties into excitement for what is to come. It means you are expanding your knowledge, not failing. Confidence is built after action, not before it.
Final Thoughts
Impostor syndrome doesn’t mean you don’t belong. It often means you care and you are growing. By naming it, tracking your wins, avoiding unhealthy comparison, seeking feedback and re-framing your fears, you take away its power piece by piece. Over time, those small shifts add up to a more grounded, realistic sense of confidence.
Take a step back and look at everything you have already accomplished. You are doing so much better than you think.
