If you are in the world of mental health and wellness you probably have heard the term imposter syndrome a time or two. Today we are going to be breaking down imposter syndrome and its relevance in your life.
Imposter Syndrome Defined
Imposter syndrome is a psychological state in which you do not feel deserving of your accomplishments and possibly even like you don’t belong and are out of place. If you struggle with imposter syndrome you might:
- Struggle to internalize success
- Perceive praise as overestimation and not an accurate representation of them
- Feeling like you are the only one who feels like this (even though everyone experiences imposter syndrome at some point)
- Feeling undeserving of the achievements you have received
Any of those sound familiar? Know that you are not alone. Oftentimes when we take on new roles, accomplish something grand, or start a new chapter in our lives, it can feel foreign and unnatural to our bodies and minds. It is important to note that imposter syndrome can lead to a drop in life performance and satisfaction.
Here are some questions you can ask yourself to see if you might be struggling with imposter syndrome
1. Do you feel undeserving of your achievements?
2. After a success, do you dismiss your accomplishments?
3. Do you find yourself over-apologizing for no reason?
4. Do you feel uncomfortable or overwhelmed in the spotlight?
5. Do you stress about people finding out the “truth” about your worthy and deservingness in a role?
All of these questions can hint at the possibility of imposter syndrome. I know that I can reflect on various times in my life where I felt under qualified and undeserving, but with time and support I was able to heal this and know that feeling this way is something that can pass. How does it feel to answer these questions? Was it revealing?
Now what would be the opposite of imposter syndrome?
That would be the Dunning-Kruger effect. The Dunning-Kruger effect is when you think you already “know” everything or brush off other people’s advice. This can often show up in the way of people being arrogant or overly confident. This is also something we are ALL susceptible to. For example, think of that test you didn’t study for because you felt you already knew the material. This is something that can also be worked through with a practitioner.
What next?
If you identified with some of the questions and symptoms listed above on imposter syndrome or the Dunning-Kruger effect, I would love to connect with you and give you support around how to release these limiting beliefs and improve your personal relationship with confidence and deservingness, book a clarity call with me to find out how I can support you further in your journey.
As always, thank you for saving room for me in your inbox and I look forward to connecting with you further. If you don’t already, follow me on Instagram where I share posts about all things psychology, self-care, and neuroscience
