Do you suffer from imposter syndrome? Sorry, let me define it first! According to Arlin Cuncic, it is “the internal, psychological experience in which one believes that they are not as competent as others perceive them to be, as if they are a fraud.”
Let’s talk about some signs and then maybe you can determine if you experience it or not:
- Negative self talk
- Self-doubt
- Undermining your own success
- Inability to properly assess skills or strengths
- Anxiety surrounding expectations
- Self-sabotage
- Setting unrealistic or challenging goals and then feeling as if you failed
- Overachieving
- Stressing over trivial mistakes
“Imposter syndrome is the internal, psychological experience in which one believes that they are not as competent as others perceive them to be, as if they are a fraud.”
Let’s go a little deeper. Here are some different types of imposter syndrome:
- The Perfectionist (seeks nothing less than perfection- this is slippery slope)
- The Expert (feels they must know everything- there is always more to learn)
- The Natural Genius (feels they are not naturally smart; they must learn things right away)
- The Soloist (doesn’t think they should ask for help)
- The Superperson (feels that they must be the most diligent person or they must reach the highest level of success to not be considered a fraud)
If you are still reading this and you have identified that you do indeed experience imposter syndrome, please affirm right now that you are a CAPABLE and COMPETENT person. You are worthy of your accomplishments! Aside from affirming yourself, here are four things you can do regularly to combat this: identify thoughts to assess irrationality (yes, these are irrational thoughts) of each thought, regularly evaluate accomplishments and strengths, avoid comparisons to others, and stay motivated to learn!
As I am typing this, I am reminded of a Dr. Seuss quote that I think is relevant here: “Today, you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you”.
Stop being so hard on yourself. You are doing fine!
I promise to come back soon.
Until you visit me again,
Dr. E
