Has the Pandemic Made Imposter Syndrome Worse?
The Covid-19 pandemic thrust many people into new roles and now, as life starts to return to a new version of normal, many people will re-emerge as different people.
The group that may be impacted the most are those who feel they are “left behind” or that question whether they’re doing “enough”.
Feelings of self-doubt are normal but they can sometimes trigger imposter syndrome - a sense that you’re not really as smart or capable as people think you are, despite clear evidence to the contrary.
What is imposter syndrome?
Impostor syndrome is the internalised belief that your success is due to luck or other external factors rather than your own skills, talent, intelligence, or qualifications. This false idea leaves you with a perpetual feeling of being a fraud under constant threat of being exposed. It can lead to persistent feelings of insecurity, anxiousness, and stress, and it can impact your self-confidence, self-esteem and self-worth.
Signs of imposter syndrome
Imposter syndrome can be sneaky, and you may not even recognise that you are experiencing it. Your fears about not being good enough might have become your ingrained, habituated thinking for so long that they have become background noise; humming away without you even noticing.
Some common indicators of imposter syndrome:
Feeling anxious that you’ll be exposed as a ‘fake’ or a ‘fraud’
Not believing you've earned your success by your own merits and instead attributing it to luck or other external factors
Inability to internalise your success and be proud of your achievements, skills and competency
Constantly comparing yourself to others and feeling like you’re never enough
Being very sensitive to even constructive criticism
Rejecting positive feedback and fixating on your shortcomings and failures
Needing to be seen as the best or as valuable
Downplaying or minimising your achievements
Setting very challenging goals then feeling disappointed when you fall short
Why has the pandemic made imposter syndrome worse?
Isolation: At the root of imposter syndrome is a fear of being rejected. Human beings are social animals, and we need to belong with others for our survival. Social distancing during the pandemic has isolated us from one another to an unnatural degree, and so our fear of being cast out from the herd is running higher than usual.
Change: Human beings can be creatures of comfort, and it can be challenging and stressful to go through change. Any time you’re in a new role, facing a new set of challenges or you simply find yourself out of your comfort zone, there’s a lot of pressure to perform well. This can trigger the imposter feelings of “I’m not good enough” or “Who am I to think I can do this?”.
Stress: Many people are experiencing ‘crisis fatigue’, which is a feeling of exhaustion or a burnout response to prolonged exposure to unexpected and stressful events. Imposter syndrome is more likely when you’re mentally and emotionally depleted.
Less informal validation: When you’re working from home, there are fewer opportunities to check-in with one another and receive informal nods of approval. With fewer cues from your colleagues or your boss as to whether you are doing ok, you may become paranoid about your performance and doubt your abilities.
Some helpful things to know about imposter syndrome
Many people think that imposter syndrome is purely a mindset issue that can be overcome by changing our thoughts and habits, but this is only part of the picture. To create change at a profound level, we need to approach imposter syndrome from a mind-body perspective.
This is because the fear and self-doubt associated with imposter syndrome activates the nervous system’s survival response. This can result in periods of ‘hyperarousal’ or ‘hypoarousal’.
Hyperarousal (commonly referred to as fight or flight flight) is the state we’re in when we feel anxious and panicky. Hyperarousal can cause us to ‘over-function’, which might look like:
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- Working long hours
- Extreme attention to detail
- Difficulty delegating
- Trouble switching off and relaxing
- Perfectionism
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Hypoarousal (commonly referred to as freeze) is the state we’re in when we feel withdrawn and low in motivation. Hypoarousal can cause us to ‘under-function’, which might look like:
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- Procrastinating
- Missing opportunities
- Difficulty asking for help
- Failing to be assertive
- Staying under the radar
The key to overcoming impostor syndrome is tackling our thoughts AND our nervous system. If you would like to learn how to regulate your nervous system and silence your negative internal dialogue you might be interested in joining my four-week digital programme, Reclaiming You.
Reclaiming you is a step-by-step guide to overcoming imposter syndrome, reducing anxiety and rebuilding confidence. The next enrolment opens 12th January 2022. You can sign up to the waiting list here and receive a special earlybird discount.
