We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Christa Hardin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Christa , thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.
When I was first starting in grad school to do my studies in clinical psychology, I hit a pretty big case of imposter syndrome. Even though I had double majored in college and graduated cum laude from Eastern Michigan University, as well as gotten a research project with a professor and presented it with a ton of grad students and professors, I felt SO inadequate when I got to Wheaton College. This was because it was known as the “Harvard” of Christian schools, and perhaps because my greatest advocate and supporter who dreamed of me going to Wheaton, my mom, had a debilitating stroke. I felt shame rise up without her as a backbone, and all of the fears I had worked through in my communications classes came right back. I was quiet and felt out of place. It was a good thing we were studying counseling together as a cohort at Wheaton. I made great friends there, and we took group therapy classes and grief classes together, where we worked on one another. I let the tears flow, I let then truth be shared, and I was accepted as I was. It was wonderful to learn that good social support can help build us back up again, especially after we’ve lost someone who helped to provide that.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
In my day to day work, I write articles on relationships, have a weekly podcast where I offer my relationship expertise of twenty years as well as interview others about their relationship “best”, as well as run my clinical practice in my local town of Bradenton/Sarasota, as well as globally. I also write books and was recently published by Baker Books with my newest book on personality type and marriage, by the title, The Enneagram in Marriage.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Social support, self care, and the time with my husband and family in our small group together, whether it be he and I on a date night, or all five of us together, always grounds me. Through all of the business highs and lows, successes and failures, it helps so much to know that I am loved. It gives me courage, and even on the days my family has little to give, I have learned to reach out for healthy support elsewhere as well as get physical, emotional, and spiritual self care with God as well!
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
When I’m overwhelmed, I take time getting self care. Lately, I’ve been in my Pure Barre era, and I took 189 classes last year, which tells you how much I needed that time for grounding self care. I also leave my stress at church and in time with God during my journaling time. Lastly, I love a weekly date night with my husband Wes, and I also love my one to one time with my kids, especially if we’re listening to music, sipping a Starbucks, or learning together. I also love getting lost in a book or my current show I’m binging on harder nights, “This is Us,” which is good for a second walk through, even though I’ve already seen many of them. It is wonderful to decompress with a brief nap also.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.enneagramandmarriage.com
- Instagram: @enneagramandmarriage
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_qzTW15g3EoWt8cHi5gklA
- Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/enneagram-and-marriage/id1493137938
Image Credits
@britneymacphotos @shylasrosephotos
