Have you ever felt like a fraud? Like an imposter? Thought that at any moment you would be unmasked for your lack of skills and talent? It may have even felt like you were under threat. And you most likely were: from negative stereotype threat (NST). It is a type of threat that occurs when a negative social stereotype is activated and it results in reduced performance.

An NST can be based on race, socioeconomic status, age, gender, or any combination of these. When anyone is faced with a challenging task, and they identify with a social group that does poorly on that task, they perform poorly. This makes sense because when we feel like we are under threat, we all have problems concentrating.

The tasks that activate gender NSTs are those generally thought to reflect true gender differences in performance, such as poorer performance by men on verbal and social sensitivity tasks, and poorer performance by women on math and mental rotational ability. However current research using meta-data analysis, where the results of many small studies are combined and analyzed, is not finding evidence of cognitive sex differences. Thus, scientists are beginning to conclude that what you think your performance will be (based on gender stereotypes) is the source of cognitive sex differences rather than actual differences.

So how does an NST play out in the day-to-day work environment? If you notice you are the only woman in a boardroom you may start to have thoughts about your worthiness, skills, and abilities, even without consciously knowing you are having them. And subtle priming of gender differences before the task, such as a form asking for gender information, has been found to be as effective in activating an NST as overt triggers, such as being told which gender generally performs better on the task.

A new NST that I am seeing in young women is a negative stereotype associated with age. Young millennial women are worried that when they question their career choice or their organizational fit, they are seen as a “typical complaining and lazy millennial.” This threat can prevent them from moving on or analysing their situation.  Negative stereotypes are never helpful, so early recognition is key to stopping the impact of the threat.

So how can you reduce or defeat an NST? One way is to anticipate where it can arise and note when your performance level dips. Do you have a pattern of lowered performance that is inexplicable? Get curious and figure out why.

If you sometimes feel like an imposter, become aware of when you feel this way. Women tell me this feeling arises when they are the only woman in a meeting. They feel they will be exposed as a fraud. Notice when you feel this way: What is happening? What has happened?

Once activated, trying to suppress or dismiss negative thoughts just distracts you from the task at hand. Suppression makes it worse. When you are in that skittish, anxious space, try to take a break – go to the washroom or get a coffee. As you do this, clear your mind and focus on your breath. As you relax, your concentration and focus will improve. Knowing that this is gender blind spot will help you to reduce its effect.

The best way is to prevent activation of an NST is to preempt it. This can be done by doing the opposite of identifying with a negative social stereotype. Identify with a higher status group: focus on your credentials, position, degrees, and awards. If you are the only woman in the room, think about your skills and abilities that got you there. Be clear in your own mind about the hard evidence of your success and recognize your value. Know that an NST is a true mind bug and is not based in reality. You don’t have to “fake it” to overcome an NST. Know that you are where you are due to your solid credentials and skills.