It's important to note that imposter syndrome is not a mental health condition that can be medically diagnosed. It is, whether you believe it or not, a common experience that can affect anyone at any point in their lives.

But, what is imposter syndrome and why are people affected by it?

Imposter syndrome refers to the feeling of inadequacy - that nagging belief that what you’ve accomplished is only because of luck and not talent. You may even feel like you’ve cheated your way to the top, even if there is evidence of your hard work and dedication!

Feeling constantly like a failure or that you’re not doing enough or giving enough or kind enough or achieving more, etc., can affect all aspects of your life. This situation is mostly true among high-performing, high-achieving, and ambitious women and men. They often perceive their mistakes as failures instead of a simple setback that can help them learn. So, most of these wonderful, talented people end up doubting themselves, stressing over what they think are problems, suffering from anxiety, and eventually, losing focus and negatively affecting their performance.

What are some of the signs of imposter syndrome?

We must understand that imposter syndrome does not happen overnight. It is the result of many years of life experiences, individual upbringing, culture, social conditioning, personal traits, and personal worldview. The signs can vary, too, but the most common are the following:

1. Self-doubt - You constantly question your talents and skills. This is also a sign of lack of self-trust. It may stem from negative childhood experiences like growing up with very critical parents, bullying in school, or low academic performances.

2. Perfectionism - Your mantra is “Nothing should go wrong! Everything has to be perfect!”. And when something goes wrong, you beat yourself up. You feel like you may have miscalculated something. You waste your time trying to rectify the damage, even if there was no real damage. You overthink. This is how perfectionism is when met with just a little flavor called “mistake”. This can also lead to the next sign of imposter syndrome.

3. Fear of failure - If you fear failure, you will most likely stick to the old-fashioned, tried, and tested paths. But this is a pitfall in itself as the old-fashioned, tried, and tested path may not always work as years go by, so you end up failing anyway. Fear of failure also means not trying new things and not taking risks, which leads to little to no personal and professional growth.

4. Anxiety - Imposter syndrome is a joy killer! That’s because it makes you “grieve” your success. You become anxious and not happy when you are doing great and people are noticing. You have a hard time accepting the praises of your coworkers, friends, or family members.

5. Comparisons - You constantly compare yourself to others. This can lead to an overall dissatisfaction in life. When you look at others, you see them as competitions. You think other people are always out to get you, even if they’re not.

Experiencing one or more of these does not always mean you have imposter syndrome. Sometimes it means you truly lack the skills. The solution to that is simple: gain those skills so you can become qualified! Sometimes it also means that the person has mental health problems. Some mental health conditions need a mental health expert’s assistance.