Beating imposter syndrome

Summary

Laura Anne discusses her experience with imposter syndrome: persistent doubt about her abilities despite evidence that she is doing well. She says it has affected her work and creative projects, especially YouTube. Comparing her videos and ideas with those of other creators can make her question whether she is capable or good enough.

She emphasizes that someone else being more skilled does not make your own work worthless.

Strategies She Uses

• Notice and reduce unhelpful comparisons. Pay attention to whether watching other creators inspires you or leads you to judge yourself. If you notice yourself spiraling into comparisons, take a break from the platform.
• Limit exposure to comparison triggers. Laura has cut back on extended time spent watching YouTube and social media, particularly content that prompts her to compare her work or progress with others.
• Make space to identify what you want. Spend time away from external opinions and ask yourself what you want to create, achieve, or do—and how you want to approach it.
• Write down negative thoughts. When she felt overwhelmed, Laura put her thoughts on paper to get them out of her head.
• Try positive affirmations. She wrote down things she values about herself, such as being creative, funny, intelligent, friendly, loved, and making good videos. She acknowledges that affirmations felt awkward but found them helpful in countering negative self-talk.
• Allow emotional release. Laura says crying helped her process and release emotions.
• Remember that your path is your own. Other people’s progress and methods are not a measure of your worth or a requirement for how you should do things.

Laura presents these ideas as personal reflections, not professional mental health advice.

Presenter/source: Laura Anne. No external expert or source is cited; she mentions doing some informal online research.