Imposter Syndrome

Imposter Syndrome

‘I was just lucky’, ‘It was a fluke’, ‘They’re going to find out I’m a fraud’.

WHAT  IS  IMPOSTER  SYNDROME  AND HOW  TO TACKLE  IT?

Do you ever feel like you’ve got by on a fluke? Like you’re not actually good at maths or geography or piano and that receiving your good marks happened purely by accident. You’re certainly not alone in this! In fact, it’s a psychological pattern called imposter syndrome, where we perceive ourselves to be inadequate, doubt our skills or achievements and worry that at any moment someone will expose us as a fraud.  Imposter syndrome has nothing to do with your talents and it can happen to anyone at any level. From experts to beginners, working professionals to students, and it is usually brought on when you are faced with an opportunity. It is estimated that almost three quarters of people will be affected by the syndrome during their lifetime.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

Symptoms include feelings of inadequacy, embarrassment and worrying about failure. This can lead to procrastination, over-preparation, paranoia and doing rituals for luck, such as wearing certain clothing, with the belief that not wearing it would lead to misfortune. Physical reactions can include shallow breathing, increased heart rate, sweating, difficulties sleeping and depression.

TYPES OF IMPOSTER SYNDROME

Typically, there are five types of imposter syndromes: the perfectionist, the superhero, the expert, the natural genius and the soloist. So, what do they all mean? The Perfectionist: Perfectionists are super critical of their performance; have incredibly high expectations and always believe they could have done better. They have a tendency to concentrate on their mistakes instead of their accomplishments.The Superhero: Superheroes feel insecure in their abilities and often view themselves as phony and as a result feel the need work as hard as possible for fear of being found out. The Expert: Experts always want to learn more, feeling that their knowledge is limited even if they have the high level of understanding. The Natural Genius: These individuals assess their worth on ease and speed, expecting to master something on the first try. If they are not able to do this, they see this as a direct result of their lack of intelligence.  The Soloist: See asking for help as a weakness. These individuals tend to work alone and measure their worth through their productivity.

HOW TO OVER COME IT

Talk about it!

Negative emotions tend to feel a lot worse when they’re not voiced. So speak to others; you will be surprised how many of them have felt the same as you.

Accept praise!

Too often we are quick to reject praise, however it is important to recognise your efforts and the positive outcome they have led to.

Don’t compare yourself to others!

We’re all on different journeys and you shouldn’t measure your worth based on other people’s accomplishments.

Question yourself!

Think about whether you’re being fair to yourself. Would you say such negative words to someone else, no? Then don’t say it to yourself.

Give yourself a pat on the back!

Acknowledge and celebrate your success. That doesn’t necessarily mean a mark or grade, it can be celebrating your determination to continue your work even when it got tough.

Don’t let it stop you!

You are amazing! You are strong! The world is a better place with you in it. Keep going, be kind to yourself and incredible things will happen.