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The common saying urges us to pretend until you succeed. Yet what happens once you’ve “made it” but continue to feel like a complete fake? A condition initially coined in 1978 by psychologists became recognized as the imposter phenomenon. Surveys show that up to 82% of individuals report experiencing this nagging doubt that they’ve fooled others into believing they are capable.

“Imposter syndrome is very frequent in my practice,” states a expert. “It appears to be worse among high-achieving individuals who are seemingly achievers.” Indeed, several well-known personalities have shared about feeling that they hadn’t earned their accomplishments.

Experts note that these feelings extend beyond the job. Raising children, relationships, and online platforms can similarly induce self-doubt and a strong anxiety of revealing incompetence. Imposter feelings can result in anxiety and depression, disrupt risk-taking, and impede achieving goals.

What then can you try if you can’t shake the notion that you’re only a mistake away from failure? What are ways to combat the anxiety that one bad day means your world will crumble? Listed are professional advice for conquering imposter syndrome for good.

Record Your Worries

“Individuals suffering from imposter syndrome typically imagine the disastrous result transpiring, and will turn down chances as they fear things might fail and then they’ll be discovered,” says an expert. “I recently had this happen, when I almost declined a speaking event because I was worried it would be a failure.”

To combat this, individuals are advised to journal their fearful thoughts and then monitor what actually happens. “As you practice this exercise you see that the worst rarely occurs, in fact things normally go positively,” she says. “You grow in trust as you realize it’s merely your self-doubt speaking, it’s not realistic. In the future you’re invited to speak publicly and you feel anxious, I can look back and remember that I’ve felt like this before, but also I’ll be able to track how satisfied you felt later.”

Embrace Uncertainty

“Many people who experience self-doubt often have a idea that we must constantly be the specialist or be completely prepared,” notes a professional. “When in fact, coming from a position of curiosity is a advantage, instead of a shortcoming.”

It is possible, to train the brain to be at ease with ambiguity and to welcome exploring new territories. “You don’t have to arrive fully prepared,” she says. “Recall that it’s perfectly OK to say ‘I don’t know’; it’s good to ask questions; it can feel liberating to seek assistance. Indeed, you may discover that others react more favorably to the inquisitive student, instead of the know-it-all expert.”

A Nobel prize-winning physicist practiced this approach, deconstructing difficult ideas in what he called his Journal of Unknowns. Acknowledge that you’ll always have more to learn, and that it’s fine. Perhaps start your own notebook.

Celebrate Your Wins

“People who have feelings of fraudulence frequently are extremely critical on themselves when things don’t go well and downplay any success they have,” explains an psychologist. “When things go right, they’ll claim ‘It happened by chance’ or ‘Others helped me’, this is why they continually feel inadequate and feel separated from their successes.”

To combat this, people are instructed to write down three things they’ve succeeded at daily. “I ask them to verbalize them during meetings and they have difficulty at first,” it’s noted. “They’ll say, ‘Oh I forgot,’ or show discomfort when reciting their achievements. People are considerably more accustomed focusing on the negative experiences. However, with practice, recognizing achievements through this exercise becomes easier, and you can offset the doubts with encouraging thoughts.”

Build a Confidence-Boosting Resume

“People are advised to compile an extensive record of their achievements or develop a detailed resume of their entire journey and keep adding to it ongoing,” explains a expert. “The advice is to imagine they’re creating this for an outsider. A lot of the notable achievements they’ve done they’ve never written down or shared openly.”

The next step is to take a step back and consider learning about this individual as if it was someone else. “They are prompted, ‘What impression would you have if you heard about someone who’d achieved so much?’ and ‘What would your 16-year-old self feel about the you who’d accomplished these things?’ Frequently just seeing your successes in writing is adequate to make you stop feeling like a fake and start feeling like a badass.”

Receive Positive Feedback

“Those struggling with imposter syndrome find it particularly hard to take and remember praise, and they minimize achievements,” notes an expert. “It’s important to learn to accept recognition appropriately. This might be awkward at first – begin with simply saying ‘I appreciate that’ upon receiving praise.”

Subsequently is to start paying yourself compliments. “Try to acknowledge when you believe you have succeeded,” suggests the expert. “Then you can {begin to tell|start