The Shrinking Room: Why Avoiding Imposter Syndrome Only Makes It Stronger
Imagine your life as a room.
At first, it feels open. Spacious. Full of possibility.
But then the doubts start creeping in…
“I’m not qualified – they’re going to find me out.”
“That last success was luck – I won’t be able to do it again.”
“If I make one mistake, they’ll know I don’t belong here.”
Each one of these thoughts adds another piece of furniture to the room. A filing cabinet of self-doubt. A desk of perfectionism. A lamp that throws harsh light on every tiny error.
The room starts to feel crowded. Uncomfortable.
So you begin to play it safe. You move towards the corner, stick to what you know, avoid the places that might expose you. At first, this brings some relief — fewer risks, fewer chances of being “found out.”
But over time, the room keeps shrinking.
The more you avoid, the more the doubts grow. You stay away from opportunities, hold back in meetings, overprepare for the smallest tasks, or delay starting them altogether. You start to feel stuck. Trapped. Like you're tiptoeing around your own life.
The ACT Perspective: Stop Fighting, Start Reclaiming
From an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) perspective, this makes perfect sense.
Your mind sees these thoughts and feelings as threats — things to fix, avoid, or control. But ironically, it’s the very struggle with these thoughts that shrinks your life down. ACT offers another way forward.
Here’s what that looks like:
🪟 Acknowledge the room
Notice the presence of these thoughts without treating them like enemies. Imposter thoughts are normal — especially when you’re stepping outside your comfort zone or doing things that matter.
🔦 Shift your focus
You can’t always control what thoughts or feelings show up — but you can choose how you respond. Instead of rearranging your life around the fear, start paying attention to what matters most.
🧘♂️ Make room for discomfort
Rather than fighting the doubts or trying to prove them wrong, learn to sit with them. Name them. Observe how they show up in your body — the tension, the tightness, the pull to overthink or hide. Creating space like this weakens their grip.
🧭 Reconnect with your values
Ask yourself: What kind of person do I want to be in this moment? What do I want to stand for — even with these doubts present?
Let your values, not your fears, shape your choices.
🧱 Take action anyway
This isn’t about waiting until you feel confident. It’s about showing up to what matters — even with fear, even with self-doubt whispering in your ear. That’s what builds real confidence over time.
You Don’t Need to Get Rid of Imposter Syndrome
ACT doesn’t promise to get rid of imposter syndrome. It teaches you how to stop letting it run the show. It helps you step back from the internal critic, so you can hear what really matters.
It’s not about denying the doubts — it’s about deciding who’s in charge.
Reclaim the Room
You don’t need to live in the corner of your own life.
If you’re tired of holding yourself back, if you’re ready to do things differently — therapy can help. Together, we can explore what’s been keeping you stuck, shift how you relate to these thoughts and feelings, and build the tools to start reclaiming the space you’ve lost.
Not by getting rid of doubt — but by learning how to live fully, even with it in the room.