Imposter Syndrome

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Most of the time, getting to a higher position, either in the academic field or in work, feels fantastic and a sense of accomplishment. Getting into colleges or receiving good grades is an excellent way to help improve your self-esteem and help you in your career and life goals. However, sometimes we are unaware of how good we are at what we do, that we begin to believe that we don’t belong in the position we are. If this is the case with you, then you may have imposter syndrome.

What is imposter syndrome? It’s the feeling or the belief that you don’t deserve your achievements and the current place you’re in. You usually feel like you are not competent or have the intelligence compared to others, your peers, and even your friends. But don’t feel bad about yourself just yet; people who suffer from imposter syndrome are generally well-accomplished and do belong where they are.

Why do we suffer from imposter syndrome even through all of this success? It is easy for humans to look to other aspects of our lives to prove why something happened. Many people like to believe that the only reason they got so far in life was luck or causes outside of their control. Whether in college or work, people struggle with these “struggles,” peer pressure, and high expectations.

How can we overcome imposter syndrome? It’s not that easy since it involves changing your mindset, more specifically, thinking about your abilities. Having imposter syndrome means feeling that you don’t belong because of your “lack of skills,” when in reality, your skills may be competent enough for the position you are in. It is essential to keep track of your achievements and not compare yourself to other people and their achievements. This constant self-checking may be a problem for some perfectionists, where everything needs to be a certain way for them to be happy and content with themselves. In addition, thinking about what else is next to do can also be harmful and work against you. This habit is hard to overcome, so remind yourself now and then that no one is perfect and that you can only do the best you can do.

Some people also think that school is another reason why people develop imposter syndrome. Tests, homework, and grades could also contribute to imposter syndrome since we automatically get used to ”grade” ourselves. This trait is ingrained into our brains when we begin to develop the personalities that we will carry for the rest of our lives.

But what do you think about imposter syndrome? Do you suffer from imposter syndrome? What advice would you give to someone suffering from imposter syndrome?