The truth about Imposter Syndrome

“Any day now, they’re going to realise what a mistake they made in hiring me. I bet they’re         already wondering.”

How often do thoughts like this one cross your mind? For some people — many people —     they occur quite often. When they do, they bring a cascade of emotions, most of them not    helpful.

These thoughts of being a fraud or having our enormous deficiencies exposed and the anxieties, insecurity, and dread that follow are all part of a phenomenon known as "imposter syndrome". 

Unlike humility, imposter syndrome can do real damage: anxiety, an inability to savor success, and, in some cases, a belief that one can’t go on in their career. 

What is imposter syndrome?

Two clinical psychologists, Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes, first identified and named the phenomenon back in 1978. 

Imposter syndrome is the condition of feeling anxious and not experiencing success internally, despite being high-performing in external, objective ways. This condition often results in people feeling like "a fraud" or "a phony" and doubting their abilities.

With imposter syndrome, a person doesn’t feel confident or competent, regardless of what     they achieve. They don’t experience the joy of success because they are always waiting for     their inadequacy and fraudulence to come to light.

Although Clance and Imes originally defined imposter syndrome to describe a condition they observed in professional women, research shows that men and women can equally suffer from imposter syndrome.

But humility is good, right? It’s just realistic to acknowledge that no person know everything. The world does change quickly, and problems or situations people face might be more complex than they seem at first. Yet, imposter syndrome is different from a healthy dose of caution of open-mindedness.

Humility and caution stem from an accurate assessment of one’s own capabilities against a complex situation.

The imposter phenomenon, on the other hand, stems from a sense of inadequacy in the environment despite objectively being competent.  It is notable in that it isn't about assessing the situation but about assessing themselves. They feel more inadequate than others facing the same complex situation, such that they don’t belong there at all.

Imposter syndrome can cause people to feel a sense of time running out. It’s as if people have been putting on an act and they can’t keep the act up much longer. This is despite all evidence to the contrary. Remember, people often have these thoughts and feelings after achieving and overcoming obstacles throughout their lives. Why? Many high achievers reach a point in their career where they feel like they are unable to keep going.

Maybe they can’t keep going at the same rate as they have been, and that feels shameful. The shame makes people suffer alone and in silence. People don’t realise how many others suffer from imposter syndrome because no one wants to admit it out loud.

What causes imposter syndrome?

Imposter syndrome is a cognitive distortion. It causes people to doubt their skills and accomplishments. They doubt others’ high regard for them. They doubt their own history and track record.

 

But where do this doubt and distortion come from? Although it can drag at a person's mental health, imposter syndrome isn’t an official psychological condition and it has a variety of causes. Research has shown that imposter syndrome comes from a combination of factors: 

Family environment. Growing up, parents or other family members might have put outsized emphasis on achievement or been overly critical.

Social pressures. Being part of a social circle or group where approval or worth seems to be explicitly connected to achievement.

Sense of belonging. Part of imposter syndrome is the fear of being found out and cast out.

Any circumstance, even in the past, that made a person feel different or excluded from the group — language, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, religion, or physical or learning differences — can fuel the imposter phenomenon. The person can carry that persistent sense of not belonging long after the circumstance is resolved.

Personality. Some personality types are more linked to internalising feelings of pressure, doubt, and failure. Times of stress or transition, even unrelated to work, can make it worse.

 

The effects of imposter syndrome make it worth addressing. The feelings of anxiety and inadequacy can lead people to avoid challenges or opportunities that would let them grow and shine.

 

People may not seek out or fully explore useful relationships at work or school. Even if they do, the internal struggle necessitates a lot of energy. It can lead to frustration, shame, depression, and lack of self-confidence.

Left unchecked, imposter syndrome has a negative impact on people’s relationships, work, as well as job and life satisfaction. The effects can be worse for women and underrepresented groups.

 

Characteristics of imposter syndrome

We all doubt ourselves sometimes. So, you might be wondering what imposter syndrome feels like. Here are the most common characteristics of imposter syndrome:

1.           Self-doubt

A lack of self-worth and self-efficacy results in persistent feelings of anxiety regarding their ability to succeed. Success at work is viewed as an unattainable and risky goal, not a reality that can be achieved with focus and dedication.

2.          Undervaluing contributions

People experiencing imposter syndrome undermine the worth of their achievements, which results in a persistent sense of incompetency.

3.          Attributing success to external factors

Imposter syndrome causes people to credit their achievements to situational factors beyond their control.

When team members offer positive feedback in the form of praise, raises, or promotion, people will struggle to accept responsibility for their success. Instead, they may attribute the positive impact they created to chance, coincidence, good luck, or the contributions of their coworkers.

4.          Sabotaging self-success

Imposter syndrome reinforces feelings of inefficacy. It pushes people to go out of their way to make poor or risky decisions.

The imposter phenomenon causes people to experience a fear of success. They believe it is unattainable no matter how hard or often they try to attain it — success isn't meant for them.

Imposter syndrome also results in people psyching themselves out. They tell themselves their contributions will be sloppy, insufficient, or purposeless. This self-doubt can cause them to apply less effort, attention, creativity, and persistence until it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

5.          Setting unrealistic expectations

Imposter syndrome creates the sensation that our best isn’t enough. It pushes people to set unrealistically high standards to accommodate for feeling inadequate when accomplishing realistic, timely, complex, and challenging goals.

6.          Continuous fear of not living up to expectations

No matter what goals people set, imposter syndrome negates their ability to achieve them. It causes people to feel as if they are not able to fulfill expectations they set and others set for them, despite their best efforts. They perceive these expectations as a burden they cannot shake instead of a challenge they’re excited to overcome.

7.          Burnout

To overcome a sense of incompetence, people push themselves. They expend their energy quickly. Work starts to become more of a chore than a source of meaning and purpose, and they lose much of their passion for what they do.

 

How to deal with imposter syndrome

Trying is exhausting. It depletes rather than energises. Yet people can, and do, keep going.

How do you keep going when you hit that brick wall? And how do we regain some joy in the work and our accomplishments?

 

First, understand that imposter syndrome is a form of saboteur. You are not helpless against it.

Also, don’t try to ignore it. Instead, tame the emotion by acknowledging its presence. Be aware of its impact on your body.

The SBNRR technique (stop, breathe, notice, reflect, respond) technique can help you slow down and consider the situation — and your own thoughts, feelings, and reactions — more mindfully.

Stop: Allow yourself to stop in your tracks and take a moment to pause.

Breath: Give yourself a deep breath and let your thoughts go and not be attached to them.

Notice: Notice your feelings, your body, your surroundings, your peers, the situation, your reaction, and anything else that you can notice.

Reassess: Evaluate the situation and the reason you felt a need to fall into the imposter syndrome.

Respond: React intentionally. It can be more informed and composed now that you have calmed yourself a bit.

 

In addition to this technique, there are several tips to overcoming imposter syndrome:

Assess the evidence. Making a simple 2-column list — on one side, “Evidence that I

am inadequate” and on the other side, “Evidence that I am competent” — can help    bring perspective. This list enables you to combat imposter syndrome by collecting,    acknowledging, and reflecting on proof of your competency.

Refocus on values. Take your focus away from outward signs of success or achievement and remind yourself of what really matters to you.

Reframe around growth. Life and a career are a journey. You can’t grow, learn, or make progress without stretching yourself.

Get out of your head. Rumination, a pattern of circling thoughts, goes hand-in-hand with imposter syndrome. Find someone to talk to or write down your fears — they are less powerful when they aren’t circling.

Practice self-compassion. Don’t beat yourself up for feeling like a fraud. Now that you understand where the doubt and inadequacy come from, give yourself credit and compassion for how far you’ve come.

Be kind to yourself. You are a human. Humans make mistakes. You will, too. “Practicing self-compassion will help you tame your inner critic.”

Keep failure in perspective. Instead of focusing and defining your failure in the abstract, take time to write down the likely outcomes if some part of your effort fails. Rarely is it the end of the world. Try learning from your failures instead of letting your failures define you.

Practice mindfulness. Use the SBNRR technique to pause and re-evaluate. This technique gives you the opportunity to situate yourself in the present. It’s a reflection point that enables you to recognise the capacities you have and used to successfully reach this point.

Seek trusted feedback from your network. Make a practice of periodically getting feedback from people you trust and respect. Knowing that you have a source of meaningful feedback can help you let go of wondering what everyone else is thinking of you.