Your mind is the fraud, NOT YOU!!!

“What am I doing here?”

“I don’t belong.”

“I’m a total fraud, and sooner or later, everyone’s going to find out.”

These are some of the examples a person with imposter syndrome might say.

Introduction

Imposter syndrome, also known as perceived fraudulence, is characterized by persistent emotions of ineptitude and self-doubt, regardless of your education, skills, and accomplishments. Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes, psychologists, were the first to identify it in 1978.

To put it another way, impostor syndrome is the sensation of feeling like a phony — as if you’re about to be discovered as a fraud — as if you don’t fit where you are and were only there by chance. It may impact anyone, regardless of their socioeconomic class, employment history, skill level, or level of experience.

What it feels like

Thoughts of imposter signify a clash between your own self-perception and how others see you.

Even while others applaud your abilities, you attribute your achievement to chance and timing. You don’t feel you achieved them on your own abilities, and you’re worried that others will come to the same conclusion.

This creates a vicious loop in which you believe the only reason you made it through the class presentation was because you practised all night. Or you believe the only reason you made it through that event or family gathering was because you learned all of the attendees’ names so you’d always have something to speak about.

Symptoms

1. Self-doubt

2. an inability to judge your skills and talents realistically

3. External forces are being blamed for your achievement.

4. Your conduct is being criticised.

5. Fear of not living up to expectations

6. Overachieving

7. You’re undermining your own progress.

8. Setting high-stakes objectives and being dissatisfied when you don’t meet them

Causes

Imposter sentiments are caused by a variety of factors. Rather, a variety of circumstances are likely to come together to cause them.

Perhaps elementary and high school never presented a significant obstacle. You picked things up quickly and gained a lot of praise from your instructors and parents. It’s possible that you’re a perfectionist, you have a low level of self-efficacy, or belief in your capacity to control your behaviour and effectively manage your duties.

Fears of failure may cause a lot of emotional pain, and many individuals who are dealing with impostor syndrome also suffer from anxiety and depression. Obviously, you want the job. It could even turn out to be your ideal job. Nonetheless, you may be concerned that you will fall short of expectations or that your talents will fall short of those of your coworkers or classmates.

Coping

You must grow comfortable challenging some of your deeply established views about yourself in order to move past these sensations. This might be difficult since you may not even be aware that you are holding them, here are some techniques you can use:

1. Feel free to express yourself. Talk to your friends and family about how you’re feeling. When illogical views are kept concealed and unspoken about, they tend to fester.

2. Take little measures at first. Don’t worry about doing things precisely; instead, focus on doing them well and rewarding yourself for taking action.

3. Examine your talents. Make a legitimate appraisal of your talents if you have long held views about your inadequacy in social and performance circumstances.

4. Concentrate on the people around you. Try to help people who are in the same circumstances as you, even if it seems paradoxical. If you observe someone who appears uncomfortable or lonely, ask them a question to pull them into the group.

5. Everyone has their own set of skills. You are where you are now because someone saw your strengths. You don’t have to thrive at every work you take on, but you also don’t have to. Almost no one is capable of “doing it all.” You may not know the whole picture even if it appears that someone has it all under control. It’s fine to take a little time to pick up a new talent, even if someone else appears to have mastered it right away.

Conclusion

Remember that if you’re feeling like an impostor, it’s because you’ve had some success in your life that you’re blaming on chance. Instead, try to transform that emotion into one of appreciation. Be appreciative for all you have done in your life.

Don’t let your fear of being discovered hold you back. Instead, lean into that sensation and investigate what’s causing it. Allow them to see the real you by lowering your guard. If you’ve tried everything and still feel like you’re an impostor, it’s time to get help from a mental health specialist.

Thank you for reading.

- Swati Kewlani