Is Imposter Syndrome keeping you in a toxic work situation? Here is what you can do about it.

Imposter syndrome is heartbreakingly common, and despite efforts to increase mental health awareness, anxiety and burnout are at an all-time high.

These terms have now become so firmly planted in our vocabulary that I rarely have to explain them, and most people instantly understand (and are familiar with) what I mean. 

What's often less talked about is my lived experience and something you may be experiencing, too - How imposter syndrome keeps us in toxic work situations and unhealthy ways of working.

"When you see an individual suffering from imposter syndrome, they're more likely to be experiencing burnout.    And the folks that are experiencing burnout are more likely to be suffering from imposter syndrome."

-       Dr Sahar Yousef (neuroscientist researching workplace productivity)

When I first learned about Imposter Syndrome in my twenties, I thought, "Well, that's exactly what I've been living for most of my life". However, it wasn't until much more recently that I've come to understand how it contributed to the high-functioning anxiety that dominated parts of my working life and contributed to my burnout. 

I want more for you. I want more for all of us. That's why I want to share what I have learned with you. 

Imposter Syndrome manifest differently in different people but commonly leaves us feeling, despite all evidence to the contrary, that somehow who we are is not enough, and there will be terrible consequences if anyone ever finds out who we really are – not a fun way to live and work!

The reason for the link between imposter syndrome and burnout is the high levels of stress and anxiety that result when competent employees feel like they are a fraud, and this drives them to feel like they constantly need to attain to feel safe and accepted, even when they've already proven themselves capable. 

Our imposter syndrome encourages us to question our value and try to win approval by taking on work we don't have time for or to avoid having difficult conversations, which makes challenging situations worse. 

Often, self-doubt encourages us to deny who we naturally are and shapeshift to fit a corporate mould. Holding in our emotions and feeling like we’re ‘faking it’ depletes our energy.

We're also more likely to miss doors held wide open for us because we think we need to be more worthy, capable, and qualified enough.

Through my coaching practice, I'm meeting with many brilliant professionals who are now so emotionally depleted that they have come to question the whole point of work and the value they bring. 

So, you can see how, over time, those affected by imposter syndrome are at greater risk of being physically and emotionally burned out.

To combat burnout, we're told to manage our stress, delegate, and exercise more, but prioritising ourselves and committing to these things becomes almost impossible when we have yet to address that doubting voice in our heads. 

Now, I'm not suggesting that our imposter feelings are solely responsible for all our stress.     No amount of self-belief will compensate for toxic workplace behaviours, lack of representation or supportive workplace practices. 

Companies need to do more to tackle cultures where everything has become an emergency, people are set at impossible levels of work and where people feel compelled to over-perform and white-knuckle their way through challenges rather than being honest about their health and wellbeing.  

However, we are less likely to tolerate it and be successful in our efforts to create change when we address our self-doubt. 

So, what can we do about it?

Admitting we have it is half the battle. So often, we don't even want to admit it to ourselves. Still, research suggests that 70% of us will experience imposter syndrome at some point during our lives, and contrary to popular opinion, it's just as likely to affect men as women.

My mentor and self-doubt expert Sas Petherick identifies seven signs of Imposter Syndrome to look out for…

1, Believing that other people have an overinflated view of you

2, Believing that you will inevitably let everybody down, as well as yourself

3, Attributing any success you have to luck

4, Believing that your ability to do something negates the value of it

5, Constantly feeling fearful that you will be found out

6, Catastrophic thinking about the consequences of any mistake

7, Feeling like an outsider or that you don't belong

Does Imposter Syndrome feel familiar to you?  If it does, talk about it. Imposter syndrome makes us feel like we're the only ones having these feelings, so we tend to keep them to ourselves and think we are alone because we don't hear many other people talk about it.   

If you can, talk about it with a professional because often when we speak up about our imposter thoughts, we do so with friends and family, who tell us this isn't true. As well-meaning as this support is, it can exacerbate our fraudulent feelings because our loved and trusted people just get added to the ranks of all the people we have fooled, and it can feel like there is no safe space to say how we really feel. 

Mainstream thinking around imposter syndrome will give you many ways to hack, fight or eliminate imposter syndrome. However, I've found that the more you fight and resist something, the more it persists. 

What if, instead of trying to eliminate imposter syndrome, we saw these feelings as a natural part of our growth?    After all, these feelings tend to step up a gear whenever we express our creativity, make new connections, or take on situations that may make us more vulnerable to psychological risk (rejection, conflict, success, judgement, failure, complexity, and disappointment).  

 I don't know about you, but I didn't come here to accept a career full of stress, exhaustion and boredom; I want a little more magic from life.   What finally stopped me from working myself to the brink of burnout was healing the root causes of my self-doubt and cultivating a more supportive belief system to help me overcome, mitigate, and manage risk in a compassionate and ease-filled way. 

No more white-knuckling through, no more abandoning myself, and no more comparing. 

When we operate from self-doubt, our first point of call when challenges arise in the workplace is to worry, blame ourselves and assume that what we did was not good enough or that we are the problem. 

But here's the thing, when you offer yourself compassion for the completely understandable reasons you may be experiencing imposter syndrome and instead learn how to cultivate the internal resources of self-belief, self-acceptance, self-worth, and self-trust (all the best selfies), we begin to think and act differently. 

We begin to ask questions about our workload, assess what is realistic and set boundaries accordingly.    We start to unhook from criticism and praise from others and begin to celebrate ourselves.

We remember hidden talents and allow our heart and gut to also have a say in our choices.

Moving, nourishing and listening to our bodies and having a regulated nervous system become a priority.  

We speak up for ourselves, stand our ground and direct our ambition in smart, strategic ways that don't require us to sacrifice our wellbeing.

When we discover who we are behind all that stress and self-doubt, the way to a more courageous, calmer, and fulfilling career becomes clear.