The pandemic and the resulting lockdowns have caused all sorts of issues and obstacles for us all over the past months but one you might not have realised is that home-working has seen an increase in Imposter Syndrome. Imposter Syndrome, if you don’t know, is the persistent belief that you’re a fraud despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
Cases of Imposter Syndrome caused by working from home are increasing for 3 main reasons. It can be hard to gauge nuance when feedback is given via email instead of in person. Body language and facial expressions are harder to read via online meetings. Spending so much time alone makes it easier to get stuck in your own head. And, if you find yourself going down the “I’m not good enough” rabbit hole, it can be hard to get out.
With many business leaders planning to keep at least some element of remote-working in place after restrictions are lifted, it’s important to consider the impact it’s having mentally on us and what we can do to combat these negative effects.
We have 3 suggestions to improve your remote working. Internalise your accomplishments – give yourself credit for your work achievements. Have conversations about what is expected of you – try to avoid doing this via email, instead do this in person or via a video conference. Our third suggestion would be to give yourself the tools to work remotely successfully. A truly brilliant communication system really makes the difference as it helps to keep the lines open between colleagues meaning less time spent alone in your own head, fewer emails with difficult to gauge nuance and clearer video conferencing which will give you a much better chance of reading body language and facial expressions during virtual meetings.
We wish you the best with your work, whether it’s in the workplace or remote. If you’d be interested in finding out more about communication/telephone systems, give us a call on 0330 205 0250
