Uncertainty: The Hidden Trigger Behind Imposter Syndrome

Practical steps to reframe uncertainty, reduce imposter syndrome, and build lasting confidence.

I lurk on Reddit from time to time, usually in the SoftwareTesting and ExperiencedDevs subreddits. Recently, I came across a thread on imposter syndrome that really stood out.

The original poster shared how they constantly felt the need to outperform others on their team. They felt compelled to prove themselves whenever they were assigned tasks they hadn’t done before, and this was starting to wear them down.

Scrolling through the thread, others echoed similar experiences. For instance, someone shared how they worried about being “found out” and kicked off the team whenever a new hire seemed more capable than them. Another described how, after 15+ years as a developer, they joined a FAANG company (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google) and suddenly started questioning their own abilities for the first time.

The Common Theme: Uncertainty

The recurring thread in all these stories? Uncertainty. These individuals didn’t know what would happen, how they’d respond, or if their response would be “right.”

Our brains react to uncertainty in different ways. For those experiencing imposter syndrome, it often triggers feelings of inferiority or fear of being “found out.”

However, people who don’t experience imposter syndrome tend to approach these situations differently. Their mindset is more accepting: “If I don’t know how to do something, I’ll learn and ask for help.”

When our brains detect uncertainty, they activate a high-alert status through the sympathetic nervous system. Adrenaline and cortisol flood the body, causing physical changes: your heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing increase, and your senses sharpen. These responses evolved to protect us from threats, whether a tiger stalking us or an ambiguous email from our boss. The problem? Our brains don’t differentiate between these threats — they respond to all uncertainty the same way.

It’s All About How We Interpret Uncertainty

How we interpret these physiological signals shapes our emotional response. There are two main pathways: fear or excitement.

• If we interpret the signals as fear, it can fuel feelings of imposter syndrome.

• If we interpret the signals as excitement, we can channel that energy into action and growth.

So, what determines whether we react with fear or excitement? The story we tell ourselves about uncertainty.

Story 1: “I’m Not Good Enough”

If your default narrative is “I’m not good enough; I’ll be found out,” you’re more likely to slip into fear mode. This can lead to maladaptive behaviours like overworking in an attempt to be the best, which often results in burnout. Or, it can bring out darker tendencies, like highlighting others’ mistakes to distract from your own insecurities.

Story 2: “I Can Get Better”

If your story is “I’m good enough; I can learn and grow from this,” you’re more likely to embrace uncertainty and use it as a growth opportunity. You might get curious about what you don’t know, explore ways to learn more, or seek out someone who can help you upskill.

What Can We Do?

Changing our default response to uncertainty isn’t a quick fix. It’s more like improving physical fitness: consistency is key. You won’t see lasting results from a few gym visits, but regular workouts, healthy meals, and good sleep over time will improve your overall fitness. The same applies to tackling imposter syndrome and working with uncertainty instead of against it.

Tackling Uncertainty at a Personal Level

Here are four steps to help you better navigate uncertainty and reduce feelings of imposter syndrome.

1. Spot the Thinking Patterns

The first step is recognising what situations trigger imposter syndrome for you. Is it when you’re asked to work on something unfamiliar? When something you did doesn’t turn out as expected? When a new colleague seems more capable than you?

Once you identify your triggers, examine the thinking patterns that follow. Are they realistic? How often do the outcomes you fear (being discovered as a fraud, getting kicked off the team, people judging you) actually happen? How is your current mindset helping you? Is it making imposter syndrome better or worse?

If the answer is “worse,” don’t give those thoughts more time than they deserve. Move on to something else. At first, it will be hard, but with practice, you’ll get better at catching yourself and redirecting your thoughts. Consistency is key.

2. Shift to a Positive Mindset

Humans have a natural tendency to focus on negatives. While this can be helpful for spotting issues, it can also make things seem worse than they are, increasing anxiety and defensiveness.

Instead, try to focus on the positives. Research shows that gratitude can cultivate a more positive outlook. It might feel odd at first, but over time, you’ll start to notice more good things in your environment.

Celebrating your wins — no matter how small — can boost self-esteem and confidence. You don’t have to make a big deal out of it; even just reflecting on your achievements or sharing them with someone close can be enough.

3. Get Curious

One of the best ways to tackle uncertainty is to engage your curiosity. Curiosity makes new things less surprising when they occur. For example, if you’ve been following the development of large language models (LLMs), you wouldn’t be shocked when your organisation rolls out these tools. You’d also understand that LLMs aren’t replacing you but supporting your work.

I find it helpful to follow topics I’m interested in on social media, read blogs, or subscribe to newsletters that offer new perspectives. Some of my favourites include Benedict’s Newsletter, Emily Webber’s Awesome Folks Newsletter, and Software Testing Weekly.

4. Push Out of Your Comfort Zone

I recommend starting with the other three steps before tackling this, but pushing myself out of my comfort zone has helped me the most.

Recognise when you’re comfortable, and find small ways to push just beyond that. It might feel daunting, but knowing you can step back anytime provides a safety net. Over time, you teach your brain that new experiences aren’t so bad. As your comfort zone expands, you’ll be able to push further and further.

For example, my public speaking journey started small and over 10 years. I began with demos within my team, then moved to local meetups of 5-10 people. Eventually, I gave joint talks to audiences of 50, and over time, I worked my way up to larger stages across Europe and the US. The largest audience I’ve spoken to was last year to over 1,000 people.

If I had waited until I felt “ready,” I never would have done it. But as I slowly worked up to bigger and bigger audiences, each step pushed me further and further out of my comfort zone. Each step was hard, but my self-esteem, confidence, and belief in myself grew after each talk. Now, the adrenaline rush before a talk fuels me. I’ve reframed that feeling as excitement rather than fear.

Imposter Syndrome Solved?

Will these steps by themselves cure imposter syndrome? Probably not. Like improving your fitness, doing these steps once or twice will help in the moment. But new challenges will arise, and insecurities may resurface.

The key is consistency. The more you spot and stop negative thinking patterns, reframe situations positively, adopt a learning mindset, and push out of your comfort zone, the better equipped you’ll be for future uncertainties.

Over time, imposter syndrome will fade into the background as you become more capable and open to uncertainty. Rather than avoiding or blaming others, you’ll learn to embrace it as an opportunity for growth.