Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
Imposter syndrome can inhibit someone from reaching their goals and potential by preventing them from seeking new opportunities for growth in jobs, relationships, and even their hobbies.
Martin Huecker and his colleagues classify imposter syndrome “as a behavioral health phenomenon described as self-doubt of intellect, skills, or accomplishments among high-achieving individuals. These individuals cannot internalize their success and subsequently experience pervasive feelings of self-doubt, anxiety, depression, and/or apprehension of being exposed as a fraud in their work, despite verifiable and objective evidence of their successfulness” (Huecker, 2023). Research suggests around 25 to 30 percent of high achievers suffer from imposter syndrome.
While there is no formal diagnosis for imposter syndrome, some criteria/characteristics may be present in someone who suffers from imposter syndrome, such as perfectionism. This can be best described as, the “need to be the best.” Setting unattainable goals and standards creates a feedback loop which is detrimental to one’s mental health because perfectionism cannot be attained. Fear of failure contributes to imposter syndrome as well. “Individuals with imposter syndrome experience anxiety, the fear of being shamed and /or humiliated if they fail or do worse than a peer on a particular task; thus, they are exposed as an imposter if they were to fail” (Huecker, 2023). Lastly, denial of competency and capabilities. Closely tied to perfectionism, individuals with imposter syndrome tend to discount their intelligence, experience, skills, and natural talent. They tend to relate their success to external factors despite the evidence that they accomplished something with their skills (Huecker, 2023).
Jessica Vanderlan, Ph.D has seven suggestions to help people overcome imposter syndrome:
Learn the facts. Challenge the negative thoughts and gather evidence that supports a healthy perspective.
Share your feelings. Don’t isolate yourself. Find a safe person who you can honestly talk to about how you are feeling. This might include a professional therapist.
Celebrate your successes. It is easy to brush off credit or successes. Pay attention to how you respond and make it a goal to speak more positively about yourself.
Let go of perfectionism. Try to focus on your progress and not aim for perfection. Reframe failures or setbacks as opportunities to learn.
Cultivate self-compassion. Be kind to yourself. Talk to yourself like you would a friend and know that you are doing your best.
Share your failures. Discuss failures in a group setting. This can help paint a more realistic picture of what people are struggling with, which creates a sense of community.
Accept it. Imposter syndrome doesn’t magically disappear. You can learn ways to cope with it and understand that as you grow and new opportunities will arise, imposter syndrome will come again (Abramson, 2021).
Laura Cole, MSW, LCSW
References
Abramson, A. (2021). How to overcome impostor phenomenon. Monitor on Psychology. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2021/06/cover-impostor-phenomenon
Huecker, M. R. (2023, July 31). Imposter phenomenon. StatPearls [Internet]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK585058/