What Is Imposter Syndrome And How To Overcome It
Do you ever feel anxious at work because you believe you are a fraud—that any day now, your boss and coworkers will figure out that you don’t belong and you really don’t know what you’re talking about? If this situation sounds familiar, you may be experiencing the symptoms of impostor syndrome (IS). While impostor syndrome can be frustrating and exhausting, there are steps you can take to overcome and change these negative beliefs about yourself so you can move through the world more confidently.
What is impostor syndrome?
Impostor syndrome describes difficulty recognizing one’s own skills, knowledge, expertise, and achievements. The International Journal of Behavioral Science notes that the impostor phenomenon was first identified by Suzanne Imes and Pauline Clance in 1978. Clance and Imes noticed the impostor cycle first in women who were high achievers and in women of color.
Impostor syndrome often results in an individual doubting themselves and their abilities and engaging in negative self-talk, such as telling themselves they don’t deserve success. Perfectionism and striving towards unattainable standards are also common in people with IS. Although impostor syndrome is commonly discussed in relation to an academic or professional environment, people can experience impostor syndrome in virtually any setting, from situations requiring artistic skills to those involving parenting abilities.
Impostor syndrome is not a clinical, diagnosable disorder, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V). But, although there is no official diagnosis for IS, it is estimated to affect up to 82% of people at some point in their lives, negatively impacting self-confidence and self-esteem.
Impostor syndrome may lead to emotional distress, anxiety, burnout, and avoiding opportunities for future personal growth. According to a study titled “Prevalence, Predictors, and Treatment of Impostor Syndrome: A Systematic Review,” impostor syndrome, along with comorbidities such as anxiety and depression, could impact work performance as well.
Here are some common signs of impostor syndrome:
You think your accomplishments or academic achievements are caused by luck or external sources, not your own strengths or hard work
You believe anyone could do what you do
You think you’ve succeeded only because you had help
You discredit or minimize your own achievements and believe you are a phony
You think people are just being nice when complimenting you, and that they don’t really mean it
You have perfectionistic tendencies
You believe failure is not okay or not an option
You use minimizing language like “kind of” or “pretty sure,” so you don’t have to commit to statements and risk being incorrect
Overall, if you frequently worry that you don’t really know what you’re doing and are afraid others will eventually find out, you may be experiencing impostor syndrome.
Who can experience impostor syndrome?
Research indicates that impostor syndrome can impact anyone, with some studies showing that it affects women more than men and other studies demonstrating that it affects men and women equally. In her book The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women, author Valerie Young identifies five common types of people who may be prone to experiencing impostor syndrome:
“Perfectionists'' may feel like they’re failing if they don’t succeed at everything they set out to do. If they aren’t getting everything right, they tend to question their abilities overall.
A “natural genius” may have to work harder in some areas when they’re used to things coming naturally, which can cause them to feel like a fraud.
Someone who is an “expert” in their field may feel they have to know everything there is to know about a subject—or else they’re a fake.
A “superhero” type may feel they need to be the hardest worker and succeed in every area of life, and that they’re a failure overall if they fail at any one thing.
“Soloists” tend to not ask for help from others because they think that if they can’t do everything on their own, they’re an impostor.
Ways to overcome impostor syndrome
Impostor syndrome may hold you back from going after what you want, and it can cause anxiety or other mental health concerns. If you’re trying to leave impostor syndrome behind and build more confidence in your own abilities, some of the following tips may help.
Avoid comparing yourself to others
Sometimes, it may seem like others are succeeding with little effort while you work hard just to keep up. Social media may help to perpetuate this illusion. But the truth is, you don’t know what others are thinking, feeling, or experiencing. They might actually be putting in just as much effort as you—or more. Or, they might grapple with impostor feelings too. Plus, it can be helpful to remind yourself that everyone has different strengths and weaknesses.
As it turns out, there’s actually no such thing as an overnight success. From an outside perspective, it may look like a business or person succeeded quickly and with little effort—but in most cases, they didn’t. Accepting the fact that there will always be things you don’t know about others’ successes may help you put less pressure on yourself.
Adjust your view of failure
Many people who experience impostor syndrome fear failure above all. This view can lead a person to avoid taking risks or trying anything new, and it can make them question everything whenever they do fail at something. To shift this outlook, it can be beneficial to adopt the growth mindset, which means believing that you can improve almost any ability with practice and patience—and accepting that failure is an essential part of getting better at something.
Document your successes
Learning how to recognize and acknowledge the successes that you experience in life can make a big difference in helping you overcome impostor syndrome. This approach can take a few different forms and may be a completely one-on-one practice. For example, it can be beneficial to practice acceptance when someone acknowledges your success or accomplishments, rather than deflecting or minimizing what you’ve achieved. You might also find it useful to keep a written record of positive feedback you’ve received in the past, from kudos from a customer to praise from your boss. Looking back at the concrete proof that you’ve done well can help you in times when you are experiencing self-doubt.
Practice positive self-talk
Experts have found that using a healthy dose of positive self-talk—especially when you refer to yourself by your own first name rather than using “I”—can improve confidence and emotional control abilities. In contrast, speaking harshly to yourself will generally only make you feel worse. Focusing on shifting your internal monologue to one of self-compassion can help you feel more authentically confident in your own skills and knowledge and improve your self-worth.
Speak with a therapist
There are times when it can be difficult to overcome a challenge like impostor syndrome on your own, and constantly feeling like a fraud can have a negative impact on your mental health and wellness. In this situation, speaking with a therapist can be helpful. A therapist can assist you in addressing the root cause of why you may feel the way you do and help you identify strategies you can use to overcome these beliefs over time.
Research suggests that therapy conducted online can be as effective as therapy conducted in person. If you’re having trouble finding a provider in your area, have a busy schedule, or would simply prefer to speak with a mental health professional from the comfort of your own home, online therapy is an option to consider. With a platform like BetterHelp, you can be matched with a licensed therapist who you can speak with via phone, video call, and/or online chat to address the challenges you may be facing.
Takeaway
The constant, nagging feeling that you’re a fraud or that your success is based on external factors can take a toll on your mental health. The tips outlined here can help you start to overcome feelings of impostor syndrome, as can meeting with a licensed mental health professional.
What are the 5 types of imposter syndrome?
Research conducted by imposter syndrome expert, Dr. Valerie Young, identified five basic types of imposter syndrome:
- The perfectionist: This type of imposter syndrome is characterized by an extremely high or impossible standard used as a mechanism to avoid feeling like a “fraud.” Perfectionism can hinder productivity and increase the likelihood of anxiety, black-or-white thinking, and negative self-talk.
- The expert: There’s always more to learn. If you experience imposter symptom because you don’t have complete mastery over a subject matter, you might fall into this category.
- The natural genius: If things have come easily to you in the past and you believe that success is derived from natural ability, you may set extremely high standards and experience blows to your self-esteem when you don’t achieve the standards you set.
- The superhuman: With this type of imposter syndrome, people believe that they must be extremely hardworking and reach the highest levels of achievement, or else they believe they’re a fraud or failure.
- The soloist: This form of imposter syndrome is characterized by thinking you’ll be a failure if you cannot do everything on your own. It’s common for soloists to experience self-doubt, isolation, lack of healthy boundaries, and overwhelming responsibilities.
When you recognize your tendencies, you can create a path forward to challenge and overcome imposter syndrome and the negative emotions it can cause.
Will imposter syndrome go away?
Imposter syndrome is the enduring belief that you do not deserve success, or that your accomplishments have not been earned by your efforts. For many people, this syndrome doesn’t just go away on its own, but there are strategies that can help you successfully overcome imposter syndrome. Here are some of them:
- Reduce time on spent on social media, especially if it leads to social comparison
- Develop a growth mindset—it’s about the process, not the outcome—and recognize that failures are a learning opportunity
- Share your failures and imperfections and you’ll likely find that other people open up about similar experiences
- Challenge distorted thoughts
- Treat yourself with the same compassion you’d extend to your best friend
- Work with a therapist
- Take time to celebrate your efforts and accomplishments
- Share your feelings with people you love
What are the 4 Ps of imposter syndrome?
The four Ps of imposter syndrome are:
Perfectionism
Paralysis
People-pleasing
Procrastination
You can challenge these elements of imposter syndrome by building a growth mindset, developing a strong community, fostering self-awareness, setting reasonable goals, and viewing mistakes as an opportunity rather than a failure.
Who is most prone to imposter syndrome?
Imposter syndrome is more common amongst some demographics. For example, women—and particularly those working in male-dominated fields—are more likely to experience imposter syndrome than men.
People who experience internalizing tendencies, self-doubt, or disorders like anxiety may be at a higher risk of imposter syndrome.
How to fix imposter syndrome?
Many people grapple with self-doubt from time-to-time. But, when you’re feeling like a fraud all the time, it can take a significant toll on your mental health and resilience in the face of challenges. Here are some things you can do to work on your self-confidence:
- Celebrate your achievements
- View challenges as an opportunity to learn and grow
- Talk to yourself with compassion
- Break down goals into more manageable chunks
- Set healthy boundaries
If you’re finding it difficult to combat imposter syndrome on your own, it may be helpful to work with a therapist.
What are the 3 Cs of imposter syndrome?
Here are the three Cs that can help you overcome imposter syndrome:
- Clarify: Build greater self-awareness and understanding of how your imposter syndrome developed and which type you have.
- Choose: Make the choice to change by challenging distorted thoughts, speaking to yourself with compassion, and sharing your struggles with people you trust.
- Create: Create a supportive environment by setting healthy boundaries, connecting with people who lift you up, setting reasonable goals, turning failures into opportunities, and finding strategies to break unhealthy challenges.
Using the three Cs can provide you with a framework and structure to effectively challenge imposter syndrome.
What causes imposter syndrome?
Imposter syndrome can be provoked by many different things. For example, common causes include:
- Minority stress
- Family dynamics and expectations
- Pushing outside your comfort zone
- Perfectionism or internalizing tendencies
- Needing external validation
- Achieving success at a young age
- Hypercompetitive environments
- Broader cultural factors
How to manage someone with imposter syndrome?
Some strategies for helping employees with imposter syndrome include:
- Encourage employees to ask for help without fear of it “looking bad”
- Create an environment where failure is celebrated as a learning opportunity
- Give them credit for their accomplishments
- Delegate higher-level responsibilities to employees when it falls in their skillset
- Provide clear feedback to help your employees grow
- Make your praise specific
- Embrace honesty and share your own challenges with imposter syndrome
- Reward employees for their efforts, not just the outcomes
When you manage your team with this kind of empathy and transparency, it may lead to other benefits, such as greater productivity, creativity, and employee retention.
Is it OK to have imposter syndrome?
Imposter syndrome is very common, with an estimated 80% of people experiencing it at some point. Despite being common, imposter syndrome can be a serious phenomenon that harms mental health, self-esteem, career prospects, relationships, and life satisfaction.
However, there are some potential benefits to imposter syndrome, too. For example, a professor at MIT Sloan found that imposter syndrome can improve empathy in interpersonal relationships and, to some extent, improve work performance. According to this research, imposter syndrome (which is not technically a syndrome at all) can be okay to have from time to time or when it’s not too severe.
What do you tell someone who has imposter syndrome?
To help someone with imposter syndrome, it may be helpful to reassure them of their competence, emphasize their accomplishments, note that their value doesn’t come from how they compare themselves to others, and remind them that they deserve the success they’ve worked for.
In addition to providing this kind of support, it can be helpful to be vulnerable about your own self-doubt and discuss how common (nearly universal) imposter syndrome is amongst high achieving people.
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