Invicta Vlogs
How to overcome imposter syndrome
Throughout every stage of our lives, we always have big goals and aspirations for what we hope our future will hold. We work hard towards these, spending time and effort laying the foundations for our achievements. But why, when we finally achieve what it is that we desire, we can so sometimes feel inadequate or not worthy of our achievements?
This is known as imposter syndrome, which is defined as an internal experience of believing that you are not as competent as others perceive you to be. It can be experienced in many different forms, whether that be related to intelligence, achievement, perfectionism or in a social context.
Imposter syndrome can affect anyone regardless of their social status, background or degree of expertise, and is thought that over 70% of people will experience it in their lifetime. The issue with imposter syndrome is that even if you are successful, this does not do anything to change your belief about yourself. You may find yourself thinking, ‘What gives me the right to be here?’, or ‘Why do I deserve this success?’. It is as though you can’t internalise your experiences of success, and as such you are not able to celebrate your achievements.
The term was first used by psychologists in the 1970s, and initially was thought to mostly apply to high-achieving women. Since then, it has been recognised as a much more widely experienced issue. Some common signs that someone may be experiencing imposter syndrome include self-doubt, overachieving, attributing your success to external factors, over-analysing your performance, or a fear that you will not live up to your own expectations. It can create a vicious cycle, especially in environments such as work or school where it is easy to compare yourself to others and feel as though you do not deserve your success.
So, if you identify yourself experiencing feelings of imposter syndrome, what should you do? It can seem difficult to know where to start, especially because the thought patterns may have become very intrinsic within your day to day thought processes. A great start is always to share how you are feeling with someone, as it can help you to rationalise your beliefs if you can see how others view you. You could then use this to start challenging your own thoughts about yourself. Moreover, try to stop comparing yourself to others, as everyone is on a different path and will be achieving different things to you. Instead of feeling envious or inferior, perhaps you could learn something more from them and their achievements?
Personally, I have experienced imposter syndrome at several points throughout my life. I have always had big dreams and aspirations, yet I sometimes struggle to see myself having that success and those achievements. This week, I got a place at my dream university that I had always secretly aspired for, but never genuinely believed that I would get in. It made me realise that actually, the years of hard work I have put in have led me to this moment, rather than pure luck or chance. I have still had thoughts like, ‘How has this happened to me?’ or, ‘Do I deserve a place?’, but compared to a few years ago, there has been significant improvement.
To conclude, what advice would I give to my younger self? Most importantly, refuse to let imposter syndrome hold you back. No matter how much you feel that you don’t belong as your successful self, don’t let that stop you from pursuing your goals. You are the most deserving person of your success.
Layla Sarakbi
Senior Prefect Team
