We were delighted to welcome Andy Selway-Woolley to Oxford last week, to talk to our 9-2-3 community about the highs and lows of Imposter Syndrome. Andy has a wealth of experience in dealing with imposter syndrome. For a start, he's a psychotherapist and hypnotherapist, and in his professional life, he regularly helps people to address feelings of anxiety about work. But there's another reason why Andy is so well-placed to offer us advice on this topic - he's also a former HR director. He's probably seen more senior professionals with imposter syndrome than I've had hot dinners...
And so when Andy opened up at our event last Tuesday, almost everyone in our audience started furiously taking notes. Andy talked us through the neuroscience of Imposter Syndrome - why our brains have developed to respond as they do, how this helped us in the days when we had to escape from lions, and why it's a largely redundant response in the modern world. He explained that an estimated 70% of people suffer from Imposter Syndrome and that the chances are your colleagues feel the same way that you do. He talked us through some practical steps we can all take to counteract its effects and to overcome negative thought patterns - starting with lowering our general alert levels. He outlined the benefits of building yourself a framework which enables you to keep stress levels at a manageable level, through beneficial experiences and interactions. Finally, he explained the power of positive visualisation - imagining a difficult situation going well repeatedly in your own mind, so that your brain associates that scenario with success, rather than failure. Andy also directed us to a free bedtime relaxation audio track which some people have found useful to wind down those anxious thoughts at night: https://www.headfirsthypnotherapy.co.uk/free-bedtime-relaxation-audio-track.
All of us listening took away something new. But it was also a great opportunity to meet other professionals in the same boat, and to talk about our shared experiences. Of challenges we'd faced, and how we rose to them, no matter how much our hearts might have been quaking. In many cases, these women give off such an air of confidence in everyday life that I would never have guessed they were experiencing feelings of self-doubt. It's always good to be reminded that there are many ways in which we can come together to form a community. It turns out that no matter what career path we've followed, no matter where we live or what life choices we've made, we always have more in common than we think.
We had a fantastic morning speaking to all of our attendees, and hearing all about your impressive professional journeys. A huge thank you also goes to our lovely hosts at Crêpeaffaire in Summertown, Oxford.
We'd love to run more events of this kind, so please do watch this space. If there are any topics you'd particularly like us to cover, please do get in touch - we'd love to discuss them further!