The Online Entrepreneurs Guide to Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

Let's dive into something that plagues too many amazing women who are online business owners – Imposter Syndrome. It's that sneaky little voice in your head whispering, "You don't belong here." Or, "You're not good or capable enough."

Understanding and overcoming Imposter Syndrome is essential for the kind of success we're after. Our kind of success is a delicious blend of material abundance, accomplishment, strong self-esteem and self-love, and a high quality of life.

Everyone experiences imposter syndrome at work. However, understanding and overcoming it is extremely important for online entrepreneurs because it affects women leaders (yeah, you!) much more than others. In 2022, a widely cited study found that 75% of women executives reported feeling inadequate and deficient in their work. 

In this imposter syndrome guide, we'll cover:

• What it is and how it relates to burnout
• How symptoms of imposter syndrome and burnout can contribute to or intensify one another
• Stress management techniques to help relieve and process fear

I hope you're as ready for this as I am!

Imposter Syndrome and Burnout: What They Are and Why They Matter

Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome is a debilitating, persistent fear that you're not as capable or deserving of your achievements as others may think. 

It's the secret fear of being a fraud, that you don't "belong" with your peers, or that you somehow aren't worthy of your work or aspirations. Imposter syndrome balloons when you negatively compare yourself to those you perceive as "better." 

If you've hung around this blog long or taken any of my programs, you'll know I often talk about burnout. I know how prevalent and unhealthy burnout is. We shouldn't normalize it anymore, and I want to help women learn about it and find proactive ways to recognize and heal it.

Burnout

Burnout is a pervasive state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by chronic stress. This stress stems from overwork or relentless pressure. 

A common belief is that burnout and chronic stress are mental - just a state of mind with a side helping of unpleasant physical experiences like headaches, bellyaches, or exhaustion. 

While burnout certainly has a mental and emotional aspect, it's actually much more physiological than most people think. Its presence indicates that chronic stress has trapped your body in its stress response cycle. 

When this state of affairs endures, it damages your quality of life and business. It can also cause or contribute to illness and disease.

5 Imposter Syndrome Symptoms and How They Affect You

The symptoms of Imposter Syndrome will wreak havoc on your journey as an online entrepreneur. Check out this list to evaluate and detect the presence of Imposter Syndrome at work. 

1. Persistent Self-Doubt: At the heart of Imposter Syndrome lies an unshakable self-doubt. You constantly question your abilities and feel like you're just one step away from being "exposed" as a fraud.
2. Relentless Comparison: You can't help but negatively compare yourself to others, especially peers and competitors. You feel like everyone else has it all figured out while you're just faking it.
3. Perfectionism on Steroids: You set impossibly high standards for yourself and strive for perfection in all things. Even minor mistakes can feel like colossal failures, leading to chronic stress and anxiety.
4. Underestimating Achievements: No matter how significant your accomplishments are, you tend to downplay them. You attribute your successes to luck or external factors rather than acknowledging your own competence.
5. Fear of Failure: A pervasive - even paralyzing - fear of failure often looms over you. It prevents you from taking risks and pursuing new opportunities. It traps you in your comfort zone.

When pervasive, these symptoms impact mental and emotional well-being and your ability to cultivate relationships, network, and undertake basic activities for online business owners, such as social media marketing.

The good news is that awareness of these symptoms is the first step toward overcoming Imposter Syndrome.

Using Symptoms as Clues to Identify Stress Triggers

If you go through the symptoms and believe you have Imposter Syndrome, it's time to consider what causes the symptoms: stress triggers. 

Symptoms result from stress triggers. In other words, we're being triggered by a situation or context. However, knowing this is not enough. It's still too vague and abstract to be a solvable problem.

To identify the problem, you can trace any symptom to two specific types of stress triggers: affective triggers and cognitive triggers. 

Let's look at what these are and use some examples:

• Affective triggers derive from any situation that causes you to feel anxious, fearful, or sad. Affective triggers operate on the level of emotions.
  • Examples of situations that trigger these feelings could include meeting with a potential client, bringing on support staff, speaking at an event, writing a book, launching a program or course, or even doing your monthly finances. 

• Cognitive triggers are situations that trigger you to question your abilities and self-worth. Cognitive triggers operate at the level of thoughts.
  • Examples could be feeling judged and, as a result, thinking you deserve that judgment due to inferiority. Or getting bad reviews or news about your work that triggers you to think you'll be exposed as a "fake."

Finally, cognitive and affective triggers can lead to and reinforce each other. An example of this is when a triggering situation happens that causes a particular thought. This thought leads to a negative feeling like fear and shame. 

When this process repeats, the thoughts can become what mental health professionals call "intrusive thoughts." Cognitive behavioral therapy addresses this critical relationship between thought, feeling, and behavior.   

When You're Triggered: 5 Stress-Relief Strategies

Let's move on to solutions for Imposter Syndrome at work, shall we?

Here are five effective stress relief strategies tailored for online entrepreneurs experiencing Imposter Syndrome:

Practice Self-Compassion and Self-Love

When overcoming imposter syndrome, show yourself the same kindness and understanding you'd offer your most beloved friend. When you make a mistake or feel like an impostor, remind yourself that it's okay to be imperfect. Actually, it's good because you're growing. Being on a growth journey is okay, and sometimes, it's normal to feel scared. Self-compassion in action alleviates harsh self-criticism.

Seek Support and Mentorship

When you're experiencing Imposter Syndrome, one of the worst things you can do is isolate yourself. Instead, build a support network of fellow online entrepreneurs or mentors who can provide encouragement and a listening ear. Connecting with others who face similar challenges can help you feel less alone and more empowered.

Set Realistic Goals

Reevaluate goals and expectations. Aim for realistic and achievable milestones rather than perfection or the ideal. Setting attainable objectives reduces the pressure you put on yourself and minimizes stress. Working on habits and building stress management systems also go a long way in softening fear. 

Cultivate Mindfulness and Practice Techniques for Stress Management

Incorporate mindfulness practices like meditation, deep breathing exercises, or positive movement into your daily routine. Techniques like these will help you stay grounded, reduce stress, and manage fear and negative thoughts. Mindfulness can also improve your resilience in the face of Imposter Syndrome.

Track Your Achievements

Keep a daily record of your accomplishments, big and small. Document your successes, positive feedback, and milestones in a journal or digital file. Reviewing your achievements can serve as a tangible reminder of your competence and help counteract feelings of inadequacy. 

Small successes could be connecting with a supportive person or group daily, doing a mindfulness practice, or using an affirmation when you feel like an imposter.

Implementing stress relief strategies can help prevent or heal Imposter Syndrome. For online business owners, they also support resilience and thriving.

Resources for Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

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