Navigating Imposter Syndrome
All of us have felt it at some time in our lives. It could have been on your first day of university, your first midterm grades being returned, or perhaps not getting the reaction you wanted from that project you worked so hard on. The thoughts creep into your head, telling you, ‘you’re not good enough,’ ‘you’re going to be found out,’ or ‘you don’t deserve [job x] or [promotion y].’ These feelings of inadequacy are all the more present at an institution like U of T, where many of us, the top performers from high school, are surrounded by the best and brightest from all over; it can be overwhelming! Throughout your life, though, it is very normal to feel this.”
According to a systematic review of research, up to 82% of people have experienced feelings of inadequacy at various stages of life; imposter feelings are a real, an impactful force in many of our lives. Not to fear, though — although it is a challenge, we can learn to recognize the effects of imposter syndrome, both good and bad, and learn to create strategies to deal with it.
The Effects of Imposter Syndrome
The first step in recognizing imposter syndrome is to realize that feelings of inadequacy are not a binary choice — either having them or not. Feelings associated with imposter syndrome can vary in intensity.
Imposter syndrome, can very much be a problem for some individuals. Among other things, it can particularly prevent those who have it from connecting well with their co-workers, since the doubts inherently make people want to take less risks. Feeling unqualified can also lead people to struggle with negotiating for a better salary, or even cause them to stay at a new job longer than they want to. Imposter syndrome creates a feedback loop where individuals feel they are not performing well, leading to worsening feelings of inadequacy. Over time, this can contribute to career burnout.
Upon closer examination, it’s normal to wonder how you measure up against others. Human beings are social creatures and it makes sense that we want to know more about our position in the hierarchies of the groups we choose to be a part of.
Especially in new situations, whether it’s a job, research placement, or even a club position, it’s common to want to have “all of your boxes checked” so that the people around you know you are contributing to the group in a positive way. When joining a new team, having doubts about the knowledge you currently have can lead you to learn new things and push yourself to become a more impactful person. In this way, imposter syndrome can be viewed as a catalyst for growth for some individuals. Having self-doubts can naturally fuel achievement, which in turn gets rid of them, enhancing your personal confidence in your abilities.
Given the severity and variability of imposter syndrome among individuals, is there a productive way to approach these feelings and potentially leverage them for personal growth?
Beating Imposter Syndrome
Although our societal systems have a big part to play in fostering imposter feelings, often we want to have relief right now, rather than wait for policies and corporations to slowly adapt and change. Through that lens, here are five strategies that might help you in beating imposter syndrome.
1. Assess YOUR Facts
First way to manage the unhelpful feelings of imposter syndrome is to look at your feelings as distortions of what is really happening to you. Think about the self-talk you have when something good happens to you — what are you saying to yourself? When these feelings begin to bubble up, try to find concrete evidence in your memories or at work that negate these thoughts. If your feelings can be disproven, oftentimes those distortions will start to fade.
2. Talk about your failures
Perhaps things aren’t going your way. A great way to deal with this is to share your insecurities with people you trust. Discussing your failures or uncertainties about situations can help paint a more realistic portrait of what you and even other people are struggling with. Once you get a clearer picture of what everyone thinks of something, many uncertainties often go away by themself. Sharing your feelings candidly can also reduce loneliness and open doors for you to connect with others more deeply.
However, in a professional environment, be very strategic about who you share these feelings with. In certain cases, it may be better to seek out professional help (i.e. therapy) if you find that imposter feelings are impacting your overall functioning as a person.
3. Truly celebrate your successes
It is all too common for people with imposter feelings to simply brush off the great successes that have come out of their hard work. If this sounds like you, try slowing down and savour the feeling of accomplishment for a little bit. Reward yourself with a little gift, like a piece of cake or a dinner with your friends. If people congratulate you, don’t move on too fast! Taking this time can help you internalize and appreciate your success; and, yes, a little self-love is good for the soul every now and then!
4. Find a Mentor
Building on “Talk about your failures”, a good way to get over your imposter syndrome is to find a mentor. As mentioned before, finding one is a bit of a strategic endeavor. To do this, assess if certain members of the team could be willing to mentor you by asking around. Often, tactfully asking a person “would you be interested in having lunch with me a few times a week?” or similar is enough to get a simple mentorship situation going on. Through this, you can be somewhat candid with someone at work, which can help alleviate some imposter feelings. A great place to find a mentor and connect like-minded individuals is at the YNCN Winter Career Fair on Feb 2nd from 10:30–4:00pm @ The Carlu!
5. Cultivate self-compassion through mindfulness
Though the pursuit of perfection is admired by many, it often leads to more harm than good. Often, perfectionism is very closely associated with feelings of imposter syndrome. To combat this, cultivate self compassion by being more mindful — a YNCN member mentioned they use a journal to help them process their day. Shifting your self-worth to being internally, rather than externally validated can also really help assuage these perfectionistic feelings, ultimately keeping your imposter feelings at bay.
As you encounter imposter syndrome throughout your career, dealing with it in one instance does not guarantee it won’t pop up again. It’s common for imposter syndrome to resurface during a career shift. However, you will find that it will become easier and easier to deal with as time goes on. While imposter syndrome can be challenging to work through, millions of people have overcome it and found success in their professional endeavors. By using these strategies, you can too.
Written by Luca Carnegie.
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