Imposter Syndrome

What is Imposter Syndrome? Although it’s not an official psychiatric diagnosis, Imposter Syndrome is recognized as a cognitive distortion that affects a person’s view of their success and failure, and as a result, the feeling of being a ‘fraud’ or a ‘phony.’ People who have Imposter Syndrome feel that despite their achievements and accomplishments, they are not adequate or successful. Internally, they feel that they haven’t had success, even though others can clearly see their successes, accomplishments, and achievements. In short, Imposter Syndrome causes self-doubt and anxiety of ‘being found out’ or ‘discovered’ as a fraud or incompetent.

What’s the difference between a healthy dose of humility and caution and self-doubt and Imposter Syndrome? Humility and caution are part of having a realistic, accurate assessment of oneself in a challenging, complex situation. It involves recognizing that there is potential for mistakes to happen, failure, and messing up. And at the same time, it’s recognizing one’s capabilities and ability to manage the situation. On the other hand, self-doubt and Imposter Syndrome doesn’t take one’s capabilities into consideration when assessing the challenging, complex situation. Rather than accurately analyzing the situation, Imposter Syndrome comes from a sense of inadequacy.

Why do some people deal with Imposter Syndrome? There are a few reasons why someone might have Imposter Syndrome. It could have started in childhood with the family. If the family, parents and adults in a child’s life placed a large importance on achievement and accomplishments, OR if the adults were overly critical, it’s likely that the child started to associate value and self-worth with what they produce. This can lead to perfectionism and self-doubt continuing from childhood into adulthood.

Another reason why people may have Imposter Syndrome is due to social pressure. If someone is part of a community or culture (work, social, family, etc.) that places a lot of value on what you produce and accomplish, then it’s likely to lead to Imposter Syndrome. Most people want to have approval from a group; if gaining approval means high achievements, then there is pressure to continue to produce and succeed. This can lead to the feeling of being afraid to be ‘found out’ or discovered as not being able to perform and meet up to standards or expectations.

People may have Imposter Syndrome when they are trying to have a sense of belonging. Everyone likes to belong to a group and have that sense of belonging from others around them. The fear of being cast out or excluded from the group may cause a person to act a certain way or conform to certain standards. This may lead to the feeling of being ‘fake’ or ‘phony’ in order to fit in and belong.

Some people are more likely to have Imposter Syndrome due to their personality traits. People who tend to internalize their failures and feelings of self-doubt. High-achievers and perfectionists may have the tendency towards Imposter Syndrome, as may people who tend to struggle with self-esteem.

What can you do to fight Imposter Syndrome?

First, you can try to use mindfulness in moments when Imposter Syndrome takes over and has a ‘louder voice’ than your own. Try practicing the SBNRR method of mindfulness. ‘Stop’: take a moment to pause and give yourself a moment when the situation is triggering you. Tell yourself to pause, stop, take a break. ‘Breathe’: give yourself the chance to breathe, connect with your breathing and turn your focus to that. ‘Notice’: take a moment to observe and notice your emotions, sensations in your body, and whatever feelings are coming up. ‘Reflect’: ask yourself some questions about the thoughts and beliefs that are coming up about Imposter Syndrome. (What evidence is there for and against the thought? What have I accomplished? What are the facts? What do others say?) ‘Respond’: Decide how to move forward in the moment. Challenge the thoughts, reframe the situation, treat yourself with kindness and compassion.

Additionally, the long-term work you can start to do is shifting your thinking and mindset around what success and failure means. Recognize that both success and failure are normal parts of life and often coexist; also remember that failure is a necessary part of growth and learning. Examine your identity outside of your successes and failures, apart from your accomplishments and achievements. There is much more to you as a person than what you produce. Start trying to loosen the ties between your success and failure and your value and self-worth. How can you start to view your self-worth as something that is not solely related to your accomplishments?

You can also start to use CBT skills to start identifying unhelpful and untrue thoughts, tracking the triggers for the Imposter Syndrome, noticing how the thoughts impact your feelings and behaviors, and challenging the beliefs and thoughts you have that are caused by Imposter Syndrome.

Finally, you can start to look for opportunities to find joy in your life. Engaging in activities that bring you joy, spending time with people who make you feel loved and known, and finding pleasure in life outside of accomplishments. It also helps to practice gratitude and remind yourself of the small things in life that bring you a sense of belonging, accomplishment and meaning, that are NOT related to your achievements. In summary, Imposter Syndrome has the potential to be very limiting to the person experiencing it. It can prevent us from finding true meaning and a sense of accomplishment in life, and it can prevent us from trying to live out our lives authentically and to the fullest. Don’t let yourself fall into this trap. Use your newfound awareness of what Imposter Syndrome is and how it shows up in life, along with these tools to combat it, and start to view yourself from a more compassionate, accurate lens.