Unmasking the “Fraud”: Imposter Syndrome and How to Overcome It
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Have you ever been in class, working on a group project, or starting a new job and had this thought pop into your head: “What if I really don’t belong here?” Or perhaps you get positive feedback on a piece of work, and suddenly you’re thinking, “I’ve just been lucky. It’s only a matter of time before everyone sees that I don’t actually know what I’m doing.”
If this has ever happened to you, it can feel quite saddening. You might get anxious and think, “Why do I feel like that? Does this mean it’s true?”
Take a deep breath. You’re by no means alone in these feelings or thoughts. This experience is known as “imposter syndrome,” and virtually everyone experiences it at some point in life.
What actually is imposter syndrome?
Imposter syndrome is the phenomenon in which your brain tells you that your success isn’t real (Clance & Imes, 1978). You may have the grades, the praise, and the evidence that you’ve worked hard and done a good job, and yet you still feel like a fraud who has somehow managed to fool everyone into thinking that you’re capable when you’re actually not.
That’s why it’s so stressful. Once you’ve achieved something big, your brain immediately goes on the self-doubt train rather than feeling proud of yourself.
Some common examples of imposter syndrome include:
- Thinking your teacher just graded easily after you get an A on a tough paper.
- Feeling like everyone in the room is obviously more clever, more prepared, and more capable than you are.
- Being worried that if you ask one question, everyone will know you don’t belong.
The fact that these feelings lead to insecurity means that a huge number of students and workers will simply keep to themselves. They’re afraid that if they talk about them at all, it will prove that they’re, in fact, frauds. Psychologists make the point, though, that it’s the very people most anxious about being good enough who are actually high achievers (Clance & Imes, 1978).
Why does imposter syndrome happen?
Your brain is always working out where you fit in the world. When you’re in a new environment or facing a bigger challenge than you’re used to, it’s perfectly normal for your confidence to wobble a little.
Feeling like an imposter is way more likely to pop up when you are:
- Starting a new school year, class, skill set, or job
- Taking on a leadership role or new responsibility
- Dealing with high pressure or perfectionism
When you’re in a new situation, your brain will try to protect you by being hyper-vigilant to spot any possible errors, sometimes generating the most dreadful scenarios just to prepare you for the worst (Young, 2011).
The tricky bit is what happens afterwards. If you go into a state of panic about the doubt you’re feeling and then desperately try to force yourself to be 100% confident, your brain treats it as a massive test, and that can make the doubt persist even longer. It’s the same as trying not to think about screwing up—the more you fight it, the more you end up focusing on it.
How to deal with feeling like an imposter
You can’t actually stop your brain having these moments of self-doubt. The trick is in how you respond when those thoughts do arise. Here are a few practical ways to handle them:
- Label the thought
When a thought like “I’m not clever enough for this” comes up, don’t get worked up or try to fight it. Just recognise it for what it is. You can quite literally tell yourself, “This is imposter syndrome talking. Self-doubt is kicking in because this is a significant task for me.”
- Stop fighting it
If you try to push self-doubt away, it just comes back even stronger. Instead, acknowledge that you’re feeling doubtful and allow that feeling to be there whilst you continue to work. You don’t need to be 100% confident to do a good job. Practice mindfulness by letting the thought go by, almost like background noise.
- Keep a “fact sheet”
Imposter syndrome and insecurity can make you forget all your real achievements. Keep a list on your phone or in a notebook of your accomplishments, nice comments from peers, good grades, projects you’ve completed, etc. When the imposter feelings come, just go back to the facts to remind yourself of all you’ve achieved.
- Talk to someone about it
If self-doubt is what’s got you feeling stuck and/or utterly stressed, then it’s a good idea to talk to a friend, teacher, or mental health counselor/therapist. Once you’ve opened up, you’ll very likely find that the people you know—even the ones who appear to have it all together—have felt the same way at some point or another.
The bottom line
A feeling is just a feeling. Doubting yourself in no way implies you don’t have the talent to succeed or that you don’t belong. It simply means you’ve taken a step outside your comfort zone and into something new. Once you stop giving that self-doubt weight and power, it simply ceases to have any control over you.
To discuss how therapy could help you during this season of your life, please contact Sage Counseling and Wellness or schedule your free 15-minute consultation.
References:
Abramson, A. (2021, June 1). How to overcome impostor phenomenon. Monitor on Psychology, 52(4). https://www.apa.org/monitor/2021/06/cover-impostor-phenomenon
Bravata, D. M., Watts, S. A., Keefer, A. L., Madhusudhan, D. K., Taylor, K. T., Clark, D. M., Nelson, R. S., Cokley, K. O., & Hagg, H. K. (2020). Prevalence, predictors, and treatment of impostor syndrome: A systematic review. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 35(4), 1252-1275. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-019-05364-1
Clance, P. R., & Imes, S. A. (1978). The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 15(3), 241-247. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0086006
Young, V. (2011). The secret thoughts of successful women and men: Why capable people suffer from impostor syndrome and how to thrive in spite of it. Crown Currency. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/195268/the-secret-thoughts-of-successful-women-by-valerie-young/
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