Have you ever had feelings of self-doubt — or worse, those sneaking feelings that you’re a fraud and don’t deserve your job or accomplishments?
Well, you’re not alone. These feelings are known as impostor syndrome, or what psychologists often refer to as impostor phenomenon, and more than 80 percent of people experience these feelings at one point or another, according to a 2020 review from the National Institutes of Health.
“It’s mostly experienced by high achieving people. They have a really high internal experience of persistently feeling like a phony, a fraud, or a fake, and with that comes a fear that they’re going to be found out,” explains licensed psychologist Audrey Ervin, Ph.D.
But are there some ways to better understand and overcome these feelings? To answer these questions, we turned to Dr. Ervin as well as University of Texas professor and psychologist Kevin Cokley, Ph.D. They shared some helpful ways to cope with imposter syndrome and how to manage it.
First, what is imposter syndrome?
The term was first coined in 1978 by psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes and was primarily thought to affect women, but since then, it has been well-established that it affects all kinds of people from all walks of life. This includes everyone from young professionals and students to celebrities and CEOs.
“A common thread across all of these identities is that folks are high achieving, but they are unable to internalize their successes,” says Dr. Ervin.
While these feelings are very real, Dr. Ervin says the term “imposter syndrome” is not an actual disorder, and has become more of a pop culture phenomenon. “You could Google it and pull up 60,000 hits on imposter phenomenon,” she tells us. “The scientific research, however, probably lags.”
What causes imposter syndrome?
But here’s what we do know: people who are generally anxious can be more predosed to increased imposter syndrome but it may not always appear that way on the outside, according to Dr. Ervin. “Typically what happens is the person with the imposter phenomenon will over-prepare, will present or execute the exam or the research or the dissertation or whatever,” she says. “To the outside world, they look incredibly competent.”
There are other societal factors that can also play a role in creating these feelings that you’re an imposter or a fraud. Dr. Cokley, who specializes in educational psychology and African Diaspora studies, found in his own study published in The Journal of Counseling Psychology that racial discrimination often amplifies these feelings among minorities. He explained that students of color tend to be underrepresented, and this leads to the struggle of feeling a sense of belonging.
“They have to contend with perceptions that they are not intelligent enough or competent enough,” he says. “And so for students of color, imposter phenomenon feelings are very salient and they take on a distinctly racialized form that you don’t really see happen with say white students who are also experiencing imposter feelings.”
What is the impact of imposter syndrome on mental health?
These feelings of imposter syndrome can lead to burnout and what’s worse is that imposter syndrome is often correlated with high psychological distress, increased self-doubt, persistent fears of failure, and anxieties that can lead to depression.
“When we have these feelings, we know through research that they can lead to bouts of depression and anxiety,” says Dr. Cokley. “And so when you have these sort of perpetual feelings of impostorism, for some people it can be debilitating and it can really impact one’s wellbeing.”
Both experts agree that if these feelings are really intense and persistent, you should consider getting professional help. “If people have an ongoing perpetual experience of not being able to internalize their successes, and they’re finding that they’re experiencing really ongoing low self-esteem, low self-worth, and low joy, it’s probably a good time to consider seeking counseling,” Dr. Ervin tells us.
What are some ways to overcome imposter syndrome?
Both experts recommend taking the time to document your successes. This could mean keeping a weekly or even monthly journal and writing down your achievements. “We have to be intentional in paying attention to all those successes that we’ve actually had that demonstrate that you’re not an imposter, you actually do belong and you are worthy to be here,” Dr. Cokley tells us.
Second, don’t suffer in silence. Whether it’s with a mentor or with colleagues, they recommend seeking community with those who may very well share the same struggles as you and help you realize that you’re not alone.
The last thing to realize is that no one’s perfect, and this is where being a manager or supervisor is especially important because these leadership-type positions are setting an example for others. “We know that this idea of sort of perfectionism is closely linked to feelings of impostorism,” says Dr. Cokley. He recommends that managers and supervisors be transparent about their own mistakes to help reduce imposter syndrome among their staff, “because we all make them no matter what level in our career we’re at.”
