Do You Suffer From Imposter Syndrome?
Do you ever have the sense that you’re waiting to be ‘found out’ – that you don’t really deserve your success? Imposter syndrome affects an astonishing 70% of us at one time or another, and it can have a significant effect on your life and confidence.
What is Imposter Syndrome?
Impostor syndrome is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their accomplishments or talents and has a persistent internalised fear of being exposed as a 'fraud'.
Impostor syndrome was first identified in 1978 by psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes. In their paper, they theorised that sufferers of imposter syndrome are convinced that their achievements are due to luck, timing or as a result of tricking others into thinking they’re better than they believe themselves to be.
If this resonates with you, you’re in good company! Famous faces such as Tina Fey, Kate Winslet and Tom Hanks have admitted to feeling like a fraud at times.
What Can Trigger it?
Imposter syndrome tends to be triggered by any kind of achievement-related task or as a result of feeling insecure about our abilities, particularly when we’re trying something new or working in a competitive environment.
Feeling discomfort when we’re out of our comfort zone is actually completely normal and healthy. So why do some people conclude from this discomfort that they’re an imposter, while others seem to brush it off and move on?
The answer is about how we interpret the discomfort. When imposters feel it, they believe it means they are a fraud and not up to the job. They falsely believe that if they were more confident or capable then they wouldn’t be feeling like this. This interpretation increases anxiety and sets off the below cycle.
The truth is – Everyone feels unsure of themselves sometimes. Confident people just recognise that it is normal and part of being human.
How Can Imposter Syndrome Manifest?
When we live with the fear that we're going to be exposed as a fraud, we'll do anything to avoid the shame it makes us feel. As a result, we often develop coping strategies that fall into the categories of 'over-functioning' or 'under-functioning’
Over-functioning
When we imagine that everyone else is more intelligent than us, we can think we need to work extra hard to cover up our perceived incompetence. This can lead us to do more than is necessary and more than is healthy. Common over-functioning behaviours include working long hours, extreme attention to detail, over-preparing and perfectionism.
Under-functioning
If we get overwhelmed by our fear of failure, we can become fatigued by obstacles in front of us. This can lead to avoiding and procrastinating and difficulty taking control of problems that can and need to be controlled. Common under-functioning behaviours include procrastinating, avoiding difficult conversations, failing to be assertive and staying under the radar
If you’re interested in learning more about imposter syndrome then download your FREE Imposter Syndrome Toolkit here
