We’ve all been there. You’ve achieved your goal!

You got the job you wanted. You got a promotion with a hefty raise. Or you’ve been sticking to your new healthy lifestyle. Whatever it is — you did it.

Despite achieving what you set out to do, you can’t help but feel like a fraud, and you’re anxiously waiting for the rug to be pulled out from under you.

From CEOs to creative freelancers, a lot of people experience imposter syndrome. Although it might not feel like it, there are ways to work through imposter syndrome.

Here are tips that I find useful when faced with imposter syndrome:

• Reframe your thoughts
• Positive self-talk
• Have a plan
• Reach out for help

Reframe Your Thoughts

I started to question some of the recurring thoughts and worries that I had. For example, a thought that comes up often when I encounter imposter syndrome is, “You’re going to fail.”

I used to think that my thoughts and opinions about myself were accurate. I mean, who knows me better than I know myself, right? Over time, I learned that thoughts and worries are not always true.

With that, I realized that some of the opinions and labels that I used to believe about myself were either inaccurate or no longer relevant. It was freeing to come to these conclusions.

I stopped asking myself, “What if I fail?”

Instead, I started asking myself, “What if I succeed?”

Allow yourself to dream your biggest dream. Allow yourself to hope. Allow yourself to believe in you. For every negative thought you have, try your best to reframe it or come up with an opposing approach or outcome.

Positive Self-Talk

Talking to myself with positivity and kindness did not always come natural to me. I would constantly criticize myself over the smallest things. A big part of it was my desire to be perfect. It took a lot of work for me to unlearn perfectionism and to learn how to be kind to myself.

One of the ways that I cope with imposter syndrome is through positive self-talk.

It might seem cheesy, unnatural, or strange to compliment yourself or to be nice to yourself. However, I encourage you to start small and be consistent.

I started by writing down positive affirmations and things that I liked and believed about myself. After coming up with a list of about 10 things, I read them aloud to myself. I would read them out loud to myself every day. I also recorded a voice memo on my phone saying the affirmations. On days where I did not have the energy or was crunched for time, I would listen to myself say them instead.

If you can’t come up with any positive affirmations on your own, a quick google search can help you generate ideas. You can always add more as you go. 🙂

The more you practice positive self-talk, then the more natural it will become. You’ll start to uplift yourself outside of your daily affirmations. You’ll start to question some of the self-deprecating thoughts you had.

Have a Plan

Write down methods that can help you cope when you run into imposter syndrome. Having something written down to reflect on can be really helpful. With practice, the methods you have in place will come naturally to you.

Sometimes a quick walk outside can be the trick to dealing with imposter syndrome. While other times, you might need to take a day off.

Reach Out for Help

Lean on your support system. Get feedback on your projects when you feel unsure or overwhelmed. Reach out to friends when you need someone to hype you up. Work with a therapist or a life coach to come up with and incorporate coping methods.

Find what works for you, and keep leaning into it.

Personally, when I receive kudos at work or a friend compliments me, I screenshot and save it to my phone. I read them to boost my mood or for reassurance.

However you deal with imposter syndrome, just remember to take it one step at a time and to be kind to yourself.