Imposter syndrome: What it is and how to overcome it
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“You know what you’re capable of,” she states pointedly. While Tanner shouldn’t need a reminder of his genius – selling out a full collection of his paintings before it’s publicly unveiled – in this moment, even he, a celebrated artist, felt like a fraud.
What then for the rest of us, arguably with less talent and on the receiving end of fewer accolades? While imposter syndrome sounds like an affliction brought on by social media and comparison-itis, it’s a syndrome that was first recognised in the ‘70s by psychologists Suzanne Imes, PhD, and Pauline Rose Clance, PhD.
While not an official diagnosis listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), imposter syndrome is acknowledged as a legitimate issue.
Defined as a syndrome that particularly affects high achievers, characteristics include being unable to internalise or accept success, attributing accomplishments to luck rather than to ability, and a fear that others will eventually unmask them as a fraud.
One demographic particularly sensitive to it is closer than you think: high achieving, successful women. “Imposter syndrome is rampant among female entrepreneurs.
Many question their capabilities and think that any success is a fluke, and often feel inadequate and unworthy,” says mindset coach Jillian Parekh (@yourcoachjill) who has a degree in counselling psychology, conflict analysis and management.
“Female entrepreneurs specifically will downplay their success, over-consume information to feel like they know more, and constantly refine their work to make sure it’s “good enough”, says Parekh.
''“Sometimes this leads to over-work and burnout for more established entrepreneurs, but it can also lead to analysis paralysis and procrastination when they’re just starting out.”
If any/all of this sounds like you, the good news is there are ways to help work through this form of dysfunctional thinking and allow your self-worth and self-belief to catch up with your achievements.
Find out where you are on the imposter scale
Start by taking the Clance IP Test to see where you rank and to what extent you’re suffering from imposter syndrome. Designed to measure one’s fear of evaluation, fear of not being able to repeat success, and fear of being less capable than others, don’t be surprised by how much you relate to the illustrated scenarios.
Gender norms may contribute to imposter syndrome
Conventional gender norms do play a part in women feeling especially susceptible to imposter syndrome. Parekh singles out the subconscious programming that starts from young and naturally shapes one’s belief system and definition of self worth.
“While the research shows that women and men suffer from imposter syndrome at varying degrees, women may feel more fraudulent because of experiences from childhood and societal/cultural norms and expectations in regards to how women should think and act.” Says Parekh.
“So many of us are taught as young women to be seen and not heard, not to boast about our accomplishments so others don’t feel bad, and to base our worth on external validation instead of looking for it within ourselves.”
Not all "imposters" are the same
A syndrome that has different phases, it’s not unusual for women to experience both ends of the spectrum depending on their stage of their life.
For instance, tendencies to overconsume information and procrastinate tend to affect beginning stage entrepreneurs/career women and sometimes manifests as self-sabotaging emotions of feeling not good enough.
The senior manager who always comes across as a superwoman? Parekh cautions that she might be that way because she never feels good enough and continually seeks external validation. Another telltale sign? Extreme emotional highs and lows depending on if she feels like she’s doing well or poorly.
The root of imposter syndrome
As with most dysfunctional behaviours, the negative patterns usually take root from one’s childhood. While working through the past can be messy business, it’s also a reservoir of solutions and when done right can permanently bring about positive changes.
“I like to remind my clients that when they’re feeling really low and negative towards themselves, to envision themselves as their childhood self, inherently worthy without the need to perform or produce for external validation,” advises Parekh.
“Overcoming imposter syndrome is routinely challenging your negative thoughts and subconscious programming with factual evidence and the understanding that these thoughts and feelings are not factual, they are simply stories that you are allowing to stand in the way of what you truly want to achieve.”
How to deal with imposter syndrome
Whichever side of the imposter syndrome scale you’re on, the general sense of unworthiness and negative thoughts should not be ignored. Parekh suggests a few simple coping strategies.
1. Keep an accomplishment journal
Read or update it on a daily basis. People who suffer from imposter syndrome are always looking at what they have to accomplish to be good enough instead of assessing the evidence as to why they already have so much to be proud of.
2. Name your inner imposter
Give this persona a different name than your own so you can decipher between yourself and your negative thoughts.
By doing this you can monitor what things “she” says to you on a daily basis, specifically around worthiness and the work you’re producing. And whenever a negative thought creeps in, ask yourself – is this me, or is this her?
3. Keep a journal or start voice notes
This will help you become aware of how negative and subconscious your thoughts are and then you can work to shift these beliefs.
4. Practise belief-bridging
The brain will do what it’s told so if you tell yourself “I’m not a good public speaker” this doesn’t leave room for the brain to think otherwise and only look for evidence to support this belief. Try instead to think “I’m open to seeing how I can be a good public speaker”.
This will give you a subconscious reason to look for evidence to support this belief through conscious thought and/or journaling.