Have you ever felt like you do not deserve your job, grades, or other achievements? Like you do not work hard enough to get them, being afraid that any day now your colleagues and friends will find out that you are nothing but a fraud?
That you do not belong in a room full of professional people who all know so much more than you and you have somehow just managed to fool them to believe you are someone you are not? Do you experience feelings such as fear of failure, need to perform better, and perfectionism?
Good news is, you are not alone.The phenomenon is known by the name Impostor Syndrome and research says that 70% of successful people experience it at some point of their lives. Impostor Syndrome makes you feel like you have succeeded in life due to pure luck – and that the luck will run out soon. Your mind provides you with ideas of how none of your achievements are due to your own skills, talent, or qualifications.
Some people are in a bigger risk of being affected
While Impostor Syndrome affects people from different socioeconomic groups, genders, and other demographics, there are some groups of people who are more easily affected by it, listed by Valerie Young.
- Experts who constantly look for new training and certifications to improve their skills and to gather every piece of information before starting a new project. The experts may also be the people who do not apply for jobs if not matching every criterion in the job posting, or who do not ask questions in a class or meeting for the fear of looking stupid if the answer is not correct.
- Perfectionists who set extremely high expectations for themselves. If these goals are not met, a perfectionist feels like a failure. Even small mistakes can make perfectionists question their own competence, making them a potential victim of Impostor Syndrome.
- Soloists who feel that they need to fulfil tasks on their own and that asking for help means that they have failed or proven their incapability.
- Natural geniuses in the cases of when they have to work hard to accomplish something. These people are so used to skills coming easily that when they have to put in the effort, their minds tell them that they are a fraud.
- Superheroes who push themselves to work harder to prove that they are not impostors. These people feel like they need to succeed in every aspect of their life, for example as employees, partners, and parents, and if they do not feel like they are succeeding in everything, they feel like a fraud.
Along with the reasons listed above, it is important to remember that gender bias, institutionalized racism, and trauma can also play a significant part in imposter feelings.
How to deal with Impostor Syndrome?
A key thing to keep in mind is to remember that despite our fears, other people do not perceive us as impostors. In fact, they might feel like impostors themselves. To deal with Impostor Syndrome, specialists recommend things such as acknowledging your feelings and openly talking about them with trusted people; building networks and learning not to do everything alone; not comparing yourself with others; challenging your feelings when the impostor feeling strikes; and accepting that you do not have to be seek perfectionism.
