Dealing with Imposter Syndrome

We’re two months into the new year. Chances are you’ve got some major life changes happening – maybe as a new parent, a new degree, or maybe a new job. Everything is going well so far…so why do you feel like a fraud?

Imposter syndrome is a psychological phenomenon where you might find yourself self-doubting your accomplishments and feeling like a fake, even in domains where you have previously had success or typically excel in. It may manifest as a feeling of unease, the fear that you might be “exposed” eventually, attributing any success to external forces, and may also include negative self-talk.

Some people might view imposter syndrome as a positive – it can provide the motivation to keep doing better so no one finds you out. However, this typically comes with ever-present anxiety, and accompanying behaviours such as over-preparation, resulting in a recipe for burnout.

Even worse, it could set up a vicious cycle where you might believe that the only reason no one caught you for the fraud that you are is because you went above and beyond. This means that even though you had the experience of doing well and achieving success, it does nothing to change your beliefs about yourself.

So what can we do about it?

We all tend to fall into negative thinking traps – 15 of them to be exact. The particular set of traps related to imposter syndrome are

·      Discounting the positive (“I got a really good grade but it was probably just luck or a fluke”)

·      Minimisation (“I got a promotion at work, but it’s probably not that much of a title bump or a pay raise. It’s not a very important role at the company”)

·      Emotional reasoning (“I feel like a fraud, therefore I don’t belong here. Others might not know it yet, but as soon as I stuff up they’ll kick me out of here”)

Now that we know that there are thinking biases that we make, we can scrutinise those thoughts a little more when they come up. Ask yourself:

·      Are there any other alternative explanations?

·      Is there any evidence for this thought? Is there any evidence against this thought?

·      Might other people have different interpretations of the same situation? What might they be?

·      Is my thought a likely scenario or is it the worst case scenario?

·      What are the advantages and disadvantages of thinking this way?

Now this likely won’t get rid of the imposter syndrome feeling all at once, but it is a good start to examining your negative beliefs about yourself and your skills. Instead of taking our thoughts at face value, reflecting the truth, we can recognise that our thoughts can sometimes be distorted.

If imposter syndrome is still taking a toll on you, speak to a professional such as a psychologist for more help!