Get some mental distance

By viewing your negative thoughts differently, you can quickly feel more secure: “Imagine a train, and on each box car is one of your ‘imposter’ thoughts, like I’m not good enough and They’re going to find me out,” says Belmont. Then picture yourself standing on a bridge or the station platform watching the train carrying these anxious ideas off into the distance. “With this exercise, you’re observing these thoughts rather than buying into them,” she explains. Why it works: It puts space between you and the stressful voice in your head, freeing up your thinking so you can refocus on more productive self-beliefs, like I’ve got this.