Temi Adeniyi
Identify and Overcome Imposter Syndrome
Temi Adeniyi is a seasoned design leader with over 12 years of industry experience. In this Guide, she shares advice on dealing with imposter syndrome. You'll learn how to differentiate between self-doubt and gaslighting, gain tools to navigate through self-doubt, and create change that stops the cycle.
One of the times where self-doubt rears its head, is when we are asked to describe ourselves. In this moment we think about who we were, who we are becoming and who we are in the present. All of these give some insight into who you are but not the whole picture.
We all remember the first time we attempted a new skill. We know that we weren’t good, but when we see how much we’ve improved it becomes possible to look back on our novice days fondly. As we get older and more rigid in our identity, the feeling of being a beginner becomes foreign. A part of overcoming self-doubt, is reacquainting ourselves with the feeling of being a beginner and reminding ourselves that we were first “imposters” of everything we now know to be true about ourselves.
For most of this guide, the topic has been on the internal causes of self doubt, but what happens when you feeling of insecurity and self-doubt aren’t coming inside but rather from your environment?
Whether it’s gaslighting or something else, when our environment is the cause of self-doubt, we have to find ways to navigate it. One way, is leading from the outside.
When feelings of self-doubt are brought on by the environment, there are ways to work through it and get to a position to create change that stops the cycle. One of the antidotes to feelings of self-doubt, is psychological safety.
This guide has focused on a few of the many causes of imposter syndrome. Which one of these apply to your circumstances (if any) is something to be determined upon reflection on your own experience. One thing is for sure, self-doubt is telling you something, you just have to listen.
