Did you know that up to 70% of us will experience ‘imposter syndrome’ at some point in our working lives? In this blog, we discuss what it means to suffer from imposter syndrome and how to overcome the issue as a social worker.
What is imposter syndrome?
Imposter syndrome can be defined as feeling inadequate in your professional life to the point where you feel like a fraud, despite being completely qualified and capable. Research has shown that imposter syndrome is more likely to impact women - especially those with low self-esteem (63%). Being a ‘perfectionist’ was also labelled as a key culprit for imposter syndrome (10%).
How can I overcome imposter syndrome?
Be realistic
We all strive to be the best when it comes to our professional lives, but knowing where to draw the line so that you’re not burning out every single week is so important. Be realistic with your expectations so that you can achieve your goals without putting your mental health at risk. We recommend making manageable to-do lists, ordered by priority, so you know which tasks have to be done vs which tasks can wait if something crops up last minute (which is often the case in the world of social work).
Be kind
Having unreasonable expectations of yourself will only ever lead to disappointment and feelings of inadequacy. Be kind to yourself and celebrate the small wins - remember that you’re helping improve lives every day and that’s not something a lot of people can say about their career.
You are not your thoughts
The human mind is a wonderful thing, but it can also create narratives about us that simply aren’t true. Learn to recognise when you are spiralling into negative thoughts and overthinking so you can stop your brain in its tracks and go for a walk, make a coffee, call a friend - anything to distract yourself and come back down to reality.
Remember that social work is a learning curve
Whether you’re a newly qualified social worker, or have a wealth of experience in the field, we all make mistakes. Social work can be challenging and no matter how much you think you know - there is always more to learn. Grow from your mistakes and use them to grow and develop into an even better practitioner.
Share your feelings
Talking to others about how you’re feeling can help mitigate feelings of imposter syndrome. Try sharing with people outside of your profession, otherwise, you could end up comparing yourselves to one another, which will only escalate the problem. By opening up to family and friends you can let go of your negative thoughts and most likely, they will remind you of all your great qualities and successes.
We hope you found this blog useful - please reach out to our lovely team if you need career advice! Here at Imperium Solutions, we specialise in the field of health and social care and want to make sure you get the best out of your professional journey. Get in touch on 0208 929 4000 now to find out more about our project-based social work opportunities.
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