If you find it hard to accept compliments, you’re definitely not alone. Whether it’s a casual “good work” or praise handed out in front of our colleagues, many of us struggle to find a way to respond to people praising us – and will often grimace under the pressure of how to react.

Research has shown that this is a phenomenon that women struggle with in particular, especially when it comes to responding to people’s praise. There’s essentially two options: deny the compliment and underplay all of your hard work, or say “I know” and be seen as over-the-top and too confident (words that can be seen as praise for men, but as insults for women).

And this fear of seeming too “full of ourselves” or “arrogant” has now influenced the way we talk about our own achievements in the workplace, including our potential employers, according to a new study by a group of researchers from Harvard Business School and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Women are much more likely to downplay their achievements in the workplace, according to science