“Your past may shape you, but it doesn’t define you.”

- Ozan Varol

Have you ever suffered from bouts of self-doubt in Morgan Hill CA? Do you undervalue your contributions or attribute success to external factors? Have you ever sabotaged your own success or set up unrealistic expectations? These are common characteristics of imposter syndrome.

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Imposter syndrome in Morgan Hill CA

Imposter syndrome is the condition of feeling anxious and not experiencing internal success, despite being a high performing individual in external or objective ways. It may result in people feeling like a phony and doubting their abilities.

At its core, it is cognitive distortion. It causes people to doubt their skills and accomplishments. They may doubt others’ high regard for them and doubt their own history and track record.

For example, a new doctor may not feel qualified to give advice because he can't possibly know enough. Or the highly accomplished dressage trainer doesn't feel worthy or ready to be on an international team. Or perhaps the nationally known expert in her field is feeling insecure because she's looking for a new job.

I think this also relates to weight loss and body image. A man might sabotage his efforts to lose weight because he identifies as obese. He is attached to the image he has of himself and feels like an imposter in a leaner body. He might not feel deserving of his newfound energy or vitality.

Can you relate to any of these people?

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Why does it matter and what can I do?

Cognitive distortions block our ability to see the truth and to embrace the change that we seek. It is also a STRESS on your system, affecting your immune response and your level of inflammation. I see this in my office. I have seen this in myself!

Everything we do to reduce the stress on our system improves the overall health of our body.

• Our energy improves.
• Our creativity improves.
• We are able to fight illness.
• We become more resilient.

So what does one do when those feelings take hold?

• Understand the voice in your head. Ask yourself where it came from and if it's speaking the truth.
• Assess the evidence. Making a list with one column as “Evidence that I am inadequate” and the other column is “Evidence that I am competent” to bring perspective.
• Refocus on values. This helps quiet the extraneous factors and helps you see what actually matters to you.
• Reframe around growth. Use “I am…” phrases around where you want to be instead of where you are now.
• Get out of your head!
• Practice self-compassion.
• Keep failure in perspective.
• Seek trusted feedback from your network. We all need perspective and coaching when we are making a change or striving for excellence!

Yours in health,
Dr. Nicole