What is imposter syndrome and how does it affect work life?

Experts say that everyone has experienced this syndrome at least once in their lives. How to identify it?

How many times have you asked yourself if the success of your professional career, your academic, personal, social achievements and the praise you receive are just for a reason? “stroke of luck”?

It’s not a stroke of luck, it’s just you are not recognizing your intelligence, ability or creativity. This is known as the imposter syndrome. A thought that is common in many people, since 7 out of 10 have experienced it at some point in their lives.

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“Millions of women and men around the world, from successful business executives to brilliant students to actresses like Kate Winslet, are secretly worried about not being as capable as everyone believes,” says the .

What is imposter syndrome?

It’s feeling like an imposter when you really aren’t and It is evidenced by thoughts that minimize or invisibility all your effort and dedication.which is the harvest you have sown to get to where you are today.

What does the person experience?

Aida Baida Gil, professional advisor and author of the book “How to overcome impostor syndrome”, shared with the that: “Those who experience it They have the feeling of never measuring up, of not being good enough, competent or capable enough; of being impostors, a fraud”.

To this we must add that although it is real, it is possible that the person who suffers from it is not even aware that it is happening to them.

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Dr. Young believes that There are two levels: one that disappears with time and experiencemanifests itself when we feel insecure when faced with a new challenge or job, and another more serious one, which worsens over time.

“You assume that your success is a matter of luck and you never attribute it to your intelligence but to external factors or the fact that you had to work very hard to achieve it,” he explained.

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What causes it?

Depending on your personality, your history and all the circumstances you have gone through, it can appear or develop. Baida added on the BBC that Dr. Young established four possible sources of origin of the syndrome:

  1. Family dynamics during childhood which were presented in the following way: your brother is the intelligent one and you are the nice one, your parents pressured you to get good grades in school because they were excellent at the time or because you feel that you are the black sheep of the family.
  2. sexual stereotypes. Although this syndrome occurs with equal frequency in men and women, until recently it was thought that more women suffered from it due to the social pressure of motherhood and professional challenges.
  3. Salary differences. In this scenario, the reality of women in the professional world is also a cause of this syndrome.
  4. Perception of success, failure and competition. “People who suffer from the syndrome are very demanding of themselves and have a list of requirements that are practically impossible to carry out,” says Baida.
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Does it affect work life?

The repercussions on the work life of those who suffer from it can occur when they are people who:

  • They take no risksThey don’t even dare to ask for a promotion because they are afraid of not measuring up, so they work below their potential.
  • They work too hard to justify that their success is due to hard work and not their talent.
  • They have an increase in their stress levels and your productivity is affected because they often procrastinate.

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How to combat it?

  1. Accept that your achievements are the result of your effort.
  2. Appreciate a compliment, without explanations or justifications.
  3. Stop comparing yourself to other people.
  4. Say it out loud: ‘It’s imposter syndrome.’
  5. Making a mistake doesn’t make you a fake.
  6. Authenticity is a deception.
  7. Realize that no one knows what they are doing 100%.

Use those emotions and thoughts to create a more useful lifestyle away from work stress. This syndrome doesn’t just happen to you, studies indicate that approximately 70% of people suffer from it. Reduce the feeling of isolation and shame by sharing with others what you feel and how you feel it.

If this feeling does not disappear over time, you can seek professional help so that you recognize the demands you are making on yourself in stressful situations and modify them.