Affirmations and Impostor Syndrome

Something I hear about a lot from participants in our peer programs and from colleagues in the field is impostor syndrome. For those who don’t know impostor syndrome, it is when you feel like the accomplishments you’ve achieved were mistakes, or that you don’t deserve them.

In a competitive field like law, it is all too common a complaint. And how that impacts affirmations and compliments can be complex.

As a starting point, affirmations may be hard for those living with impostor syndrome to accept. Too often it is believed that those affirmations, those compliments, like the other compliments and affirmations the individual has received, are mistakes. The negative self talk created by impostor syndrome and other mental health conditions like anxiety and depression can shut down affirmations before they have a chance to land.

Yet pushing back against that negative self-talk with facts can help overcome it. When that happens, those positive affirmations, whether self-affirming or from someone else, can be a powerful tool in combating impostor syndrome. It can replace the negative feelings of impostor syndrome with positive ones that can and do lead to healing and growth.

Everyone deserves love and kindness, especially from themselves. Positive affirmations can help with that and they can help defeat the impostor syndrome that so many of us in the legal profession deal with. If you need help or support with your own affirmations, or if you are struggling with impostor syndrome as well, reach out to us at info@thelegalmindsociety.org or schedule a peer support session with us.