The Internal Struggles Of Imposter Syndrome
At some point during your professional career, you may be impacted by a phenomenon known as “Imposter Syndrome.” It can affect anyone, including elected officials and celebrities. While it’s normal to have sporadic feelings of inadequacy as you progress through your career track, people who experience symptoms of Imposter Syndrome tend to feel a higher level of insecurity and fear about the work that they produce. Doubting their skills, talents, and achievements regardless of how much they have accomplished or how successful they are.
Despite overwhelming evidence of competence levels, people who experience symptoms of Imposter Syndrome tend to place a lot of pressure on themselves and overprepare or work harder to prove they are capable. As a result, they may experience productivity shortages because they take much longer to complete tasks. Individuals often spend more time worrying that they will be exposed as a “fraud” and work diligently to try to convince themselves and others that they can do their job.
Viewing yourself like this can impair how you interact with others and can impact your ability to perform your job duties effectively and efficiently. It can be a debilitating and frustrating experience.
Imposter Syndrome can take on many different forms and people can experience many symptoms, including but not limited to:
Feelings of cyclical self-doubt and negative thinking patterns at work
Feeling that success is impossible or doubtful
Feelings of failure and disappointment after setting high goals for yourself and then not meeting your own expectations
Feeling that you are always comparing yourself and your job performance skills to others
Feeling like you are a fraud, that you aren’t good enough
Feeling incompetent and inadequate despite demonstrating competency
Feeling fearful that you won’t live up to your own or other people’s expectations
Feeling pressure to perform at the same level every day/week/month/year
Feeling disappointed over unachieved accomplishments
These feelings and beliefs are a form of self-destruction and can greatly impact your well-being, often leading to higher burn out rates, anxiety, depression, and even substance abuse.
If you can relate to or are experiencing any of these symptoms, there are several actions you can take to help overcome:
Seek professional help through group or individual therapy
Engage in positive self-talk and affirmations
Set clear, measurable, and realistic goals
Make a list of accomplishments and skillsets; focus on strengths and what you do well
Don’t compare yourselves to others
Adjust your expectations about what success looks like
Try not to minimize accomplishments
Take things one day at a time
Reference: Sakulku, J. The Impostor Phenomenon. The Journal of Behavioral Science, 6(1), 75-97.
