At some point in our careers, we have all felt out of place, like we don’t belong where we are, or wondering how it is that we got to that point in our careers. Maybe you felt lost. Maybe you felt like there was someone more qualified to do the job that your company had so absentmindedly hired you for. Rest assured, you are not alone. Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes coined the term “imposter syndrome” in 1978 when they discovered that people who had accomplishments that could be measured still felt as if they did not deserve the success they had (Dalla-Camina, 2018).
This phenomenon can occur in the most tenured professional, or even ones just getting started. But what’s the root cause? Many have speculated, but there seems to be a connection between perfectionism and stress. The more we strive for our work to be perfect, and ignore that as humans, we will make mistakes, the more stress this creates for us in our work environments, thus leading to imposter syndrome.
Black people especially may be prone to this condition. Since black people already have to work twice as hard as their white peers to be viewed as half as good, having imposter syndrome may feel like a slap in the face for some, or cause cognitive dissonance for others.
Imposter syndrome can also feel like you’re living a lie, and cause you to ignore all the hard work you’ve put in to get where you are. It can cause you to measure yourself against your peers, and tear down your own accomplishments, which then contributes to lower self-esteem and feelings of self-doubt. This, in turn, can be debilitating, and lead to more stress and anxiety. After all, it’s hard not to see what others have achieved and not wonder when it’s our turn.
So how do we combat imposter syndrome? Remind ourselves as often as possible that we deserve to be here. We worked hard and earned our spot. We are not here on accident. Our lives are purposeful and on purpose. Self-affirmations can help, as well as talking to our peers, which can remind us that we are not alone. Everyone’s journey is unique, and there is no right or wrong way to do it. Remember, we are our own worst critics, and no one is as harsh about our accomplishments as we are to ourselves. There’s someone out there right now admiring everything that you’ve done. So be kind to yourself. Believe in yourself. You deserve it.