Low self-esteem and imposter syndrome

Low self-esteem and imposter syndrome often go hand in hand. When your self-worth feels shaky, it’s easy to question your achievements, downplay your strengths, and assume you’re one step away from being “found out.” Even when you’ve earned your place, imposter syndrome tells you that it’s all luck, or worse, a mistake.

When you struggle with self-esteem, it doesn’t matter how much you accomplish, your inner critic is louder than your evidence. You might brush off compliments, attribute success to external factors or constantly compare yourself to others and come up short. Nothing ever feels “enough” so you keep striving, proving, perfecting, just to feel safe in the room.

Imposter syndrome isn’t proof that you’re a fraud; it’s proof that your self-worth is still trying to catch up with your reality. No amount of overachieving will fill a self-esteem gap — that work has to come from within.

Building self-esteem means gently untangling your identity from your doubt. It means learning to hold space for your accomplishments without discrediting them, to believe that you’re allowed to be learning and to recognise that confidence doesn’t mean never doubting yourself, it means not letting that doubt hold you back.

 

Signs to look out for:

  • Struggling to accept praise or compliments

  • Believing your success is down to luck or timing

  • Comparing yourself to others and feeling like a fraud

  • Downplaying your skills or achievements

  • Fear of being “found out” or exposed as incompetent

  • Setting unreasonably high standards for yourself

  • Overworking to prove your worth

  • Difficulty celebrating your wins — always onto the next thing

  • Feeling like you don’t belong, even when you do

Let’s re-frame:

I don’t belong here

→ I’m here because I’ve earned it and learning is part of the process.

 

They’ll realise I’m not as capable as they think

→ It’s okay not to know everything.

 

I just got lucky

→ I worked hard and showed up. That’s not luck, that’s effort.

 

Anyone could’ve done what I did

→ But I’m the one who actually did it. That matters.

 

If I ask for help, they’ll know I don’t belong

→ Asking for help is smart, not shameful. No one succeeds alone.

 

I have to keep proving I’m good enough

→ My worth isn’t something I have to earn on repeat.

 

If I get too confident, I’ll come off as arrogant

→ There’s nothing arrogant about owning my value with humility.

 

I can’t celebrate, it’s not a big deal

→ Celebrating my growth reinforces that I’m allowed to be proud.