Step 2: Understanding your Imposter Syndrome
Part of the Awareness to Action Framework: Four Steps to Working with Imposter Feelings
If you’ve followed this series so far, you’ll know that Step 1 (Awareness) is about recognising the patterns that keep imposter feelings alive, learning to notice the triggers, thoughts, and behaviours that pull you into the same loops again and again.
But awareness is only the start.
Once we can see what’s happening, the next question is why.
Why does my mind do this?
Why does self-doubt keep returning, even when I’ve achieved so much?
That’s where Step 2: Understanding comes in.
Q: Why do imposter thoughts keep showing up, even when we know they’re irrational?
Because your mind isn’t broken, it’s just doing its job.
Our brains evolved to keep us safe, not to make us happy. They scan for danger, anticipate rejection, and prepare for what might go wrong. In the modern world, that ancient threat system reacts not to predators, but to things like:
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A presentation at work.
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Feedback from a manager.
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A promotion that raises expectations.
Your mind interprets these as potential risks to belonging or competence, and starts working overtime to protect you.
It says things like:
“You’re not ready.”
“You should know more.”
“If you make a mistake, it’ll all fall apart.”
From its perspective, this is helpful. It’s trying to keep you safe from embarrassment, failure, or being “found out.”
The problem?
That same protective instinct becomes the trap.
When the Problem-Solving Mind Backfires
Your mind is a problem-solving machine, it's brilliant at fixing external issues (“What’s the fastest route?” “How do I meet this deadline?”).
But it struggles when it turns inward and tries to fix your inner world.
It treats emotions like tasks:
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Feeling anxious? Eliminate it.
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Doubting yourself? Find certainty.
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Feeling not good enough? Work harder.
These moves make perfect sense, until you notice they rarely work for long.
That’s because trying to control or eliminate feelings usually amplifies them.
It’s like struggling in quicksand: the harder you fight, the deeper you sink.
Q: Why can’t I just “think” my way out of imposter syndrome?
Because thinking is the trap.
Every time you try to reason with your self-doubt (“I shouldn’t feel this way”), your mind offers another “what if.”
It’s doing what it’s designed to do, generate possibilities, anticipate risks, and keep you prepared.
You end up in a tug-of-war with your own thoughts.
Imagine holding a rope with “Anxiety” on the other end, pulling hard. You think, If I just pull harder, I’ll win.
But the more you fight, the tighter the tension becomes.
The paradox?
You can step back, and you can drop the rope, freeing yourself from the struggle.
Or, as the famous Chinese finger trap metaphor shows, the way out isn’t pulling harder, it’s doing the opposite.
The more you pull, the tighter it grips.
Only when you lean in slightly, accepting discomfort instead of resisting it, does the trap begin to loosen.
Understanding this is the heart of Step 2.
Q: So what does “understanding” change?
It replaces blame with compassion. It turns “What’s wrong with me?” into “Ah, this is what my mind does when it’s trying to keep me safe.”
Understanding lets you:
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See anxiety and self-doubt as protective signals, not personal failures.
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Recognise that control strategies (perfectionism, overthinking, avoidance) are short-term safety behaviours.
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Stop fighting your thoughts and start guiding your attention.
It doesn’t make the feelings disappear, but it softens your relationship with them.
You begin to respond rather than react.
The Science Behind It
Research in CBT, ACT, and CFT all points to the same conclusion:
we suffer less when we understand how our minds operate.
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ACT shows that trying to suppress or control inner experiences increases distress.
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CFT highlights that our “threat system” evolved for survival, not modern performance culture.
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CBT helps us test the accuracy of our thoughts rather than accept them as truth.
When you see that your brain is wired to protect, not punish, you can start working with it.
Q: What does this look like in therapy?
In sessions, clients often begin to spot these “safety moves" or "strategies” for what they are.
They’ll say things like:
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“I over-prepare because it makes me feel in control.”
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“I avoid asking questions because I don’t want to look stupid.”
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“I replay conversations so I can make sure I didn’t say something wrong.”
Once we make sense of these habits, they become less personal and more understandable.
That’s when new options open up.
From Understanding → Skills
Understanding is the bridge between awareness and action.
It helps you stop battling your mind and start learning how to navigate it.
In Step 3, we’ll explore the skills that make this possible, learning to steady yourself when doubt hits, using mindfulness, compassion, and grounding techniques to move forward with more flexibility and ease.
Key takeaway
Your mind isn’t the enemy, it’s a protective system that sometimes misfires.
When you understand that, you stop fighting yourself and start finding freedom.