The Imposter Syndrome - Do You Feel Like a Fraud?

There is a disquieting trend emerging among women particularly - that of feeling like a fraud at work, along with the accompanying fear and anxiety about being "found out".

The Scientific Evidence

This trend has been investigated scientifically only relatively recently, with studies beginning in the seventies, with findings that the people who suffered from this syndrome had significantly high levels of self-doubt and an inability to internalise their success (Clance & Imes, 1978). Further research has shown that there is a link between the Impostor Syndrome and high Neuroticism and low Conscientiousness on the Five Factor Model of Personality (which are Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, & Neuroticism), and depression and anxiety were particularly important characteristics of those with imposter feelings as well as low self-discipline and perceived competence (Bernard, Dollinger & Ramaniah, 2002). This implies that there is a tendency for those who score high on Neuroticism and low on Conscientiousness to develop this syndrome, not that there is a necessarily causal link between the two.

In English Please?

Enough of the science, basically what we have is a set of characteristics that you may find rather familiar: depression, anxiety, fear, neuroticism, low self-discipline and a distorted view of reality (the latter particularly through not being able to recognise achievements for what they are and instead attributing them to sheer luck). While that list is still rather technical, if you think that you are not 'worthy' for your position at work and dread being found out, you have classic symptoms of the syndrome.

How many people have it and who are they?

What you might not realise is quite how pervasive this syndrome is: it is estimated that 30% of the population has some form of this, and that it is cross-cultural to the extent that it appears so long as people have gone beyond the basic need for survival. You don't see this in people who either are imposters or who have not achieved a high level of success (of course that latter is subjective, so difficult to pin down). Generally there is a higher tendency for women to display symptoms, but it is not unknown for men to develop it. You can particularly see it in high achievers, and the higher incidence in women I would suggest might be due to the pressure to 'have it all' - the career and the home life and its associated pressures.

How does it develop?

It has been suggested that it develops when children who are told by their parents that they are wonderful, then meet a challenge (either by being put in a bigger pond, or by simply encountering a subject which they take a while to understand and 'get') and start getting the feeling that they may actually not be wonderful, but instead may be average or, worse, stupid. External proof of achievements is dismissed and instead it is assumed that any success is due to luck or through their contacts. Since nothing is ever without a bit of luck, and rarely without asking someone you know for help, this is a really vicious circle.

So what to do?

There are many things that you can do to work on the self-doubt and low confidence, among which are reality-checking, gremlin-squishing, affirmations, and the swish technique. You may want to look for more information on these and similar techniques: try the internet and you might want to look at the links on my website: http://www.lifeisvital.com

Reality Checking

This is a simple as it sounds: you check whether what you're saying is true or not. If you say that you're not qualified to do whatever it is, check whether you are or not - and give due respect to your training and experience. If you got a 2:1, but constantly wish you got a first (or equivalent situation), give yourself a break! A 2:1 is good. Likewise, if you compare yourself with others all the time, catch yourself and stop. It serves no purpose as you can never know what other people are thinking unless they say so (and then you can never know whether that's the truth or not). Give yourself a pep talk and stop wasting your time beating yourself up.

Gremlin-Squishing

Also known as Gremlin-Bashing, this series of techniques allows you to separate that voice in your head that says 'you'll fail' and take a stick to it. Frequently the first hurdle for those following this technique is that you don't notice when that voice comes into your head and takes over. You might want to try writing down a list of your skills and failings and seeing which ones really aren't true - the ones that make you feel self-conscious or depressed tend to be your gremlin talking.

Gremlin-Bash 1: When your gremlin starts talking, give your gremlin a form in your mind - and then either try some violence on it, or try metaphorically putting it in a box and hiding it under the bed.

Gremlin-Bash 2: Imagine your gremlin in your mind and then imagine him/her/it shrinking into the distance, with the associated voice getting quieter and further away.

Gremlin-Bash 3: Talk to your gremlin - say thank you for your opinion, but...

Frankly your gremlin is there to protect you from hurting yourself - so it does have a function, but it can frequently overstep its mandate. Get it back to the stage at which is does its job, but you can over-rule it at any point.

Affirmations

A very simple technique, but one which is often not explained properly - it is not just about saying something to yourself several times every morning, you have to imagine it in every way and integrate it into your life. The easiest way to learn how to be confident is to act confidently. Think about which behaviours you want to have and try them out. It can be difficult to remember to do them all day long, so integrate some triggers into your daily routine to help you remember (such as a special ring, pair of shoes, photo, etc that you'll notice throughout the day and which will make you remember). If your affirmation is "I am a confident woman", imagine yourself acting confidently in a variety of different situations and also set up triggers so that you keep practising throughout the day - every day. It takes 12 weeks to ingrain a habit, so don't expect instant results - there is no such thing.

The Swish Technique

This is a wonderfully simple NLP (that's Neuro-Linguistic Programming) technique that allows you to change your thought processes and your beliefs.

The Basic Technique

1. Identify Context. Pick a situation that induces the undesirable feelings - where or when would you like to behave differently?

2. Identify Cue Image. What do you see in the chosen situation just before you start doing the behaviour or start the thought process you don't like? Imagine actually being in the situation, first person narrative.

3. Create Outcome Image. See yourself acting/thinking in the way you would like to behave/think. In the case of thoughts, what associated feelings do you want to have (a good feeling in your belly, a lack of tension in your forehead etc). In the case of actions, imagine yourself doing what you wish you could do instead (such as speaking confidently, or not getting frozen in the style of the metaphorical rabbit in headlights).

4. Swish. Starting with the Cue Image in your mind, big and bright. Then put a small dark image of the Outcome Picture in the lower right corner of your vision. The small image becomes bigger and brighter and cover the cue image (which in turn will get dim and small and shrink into nothing).

When you try this for the first time, take your time with imposing the new picture onto the old picture. When you've tried it a few times you need to do the Swish very quickly - it has to happen in less than a second in your mind for it to be effective.

5. Blank Out Screen or open your eyes

6. Repeat the Swish five more times.

7. Test yourself: try and recall the initial picture again - if the swish has worked, it should be quite difficult to recall as you have trained your mind to replace that image with another - your Outcome Image.

While this technique needs to be practiced at home before you can use it at work, it is very useful as it takes, literally, one second to do.

You can also use this for many other situations in which you have self-esteem problems, you can use it for any set of beliefs you don't want to have anymore. The greatest thing about it is its swiftness to use. In less than the time it takes to take a breath you can have done at least one swish.

Fraud Control

The most important part of personal development, not just improving confidence levels, is that you need to recognise which techniques suit you best - not all of the ones above may suit you, so do some research and find ones that do. Then you must keep going, keep motivated and really try to integrate these new beliefs into your life. A half-hearted attempt is almost as bad as no attempt at all.

References

Bernard, N. S., Dollinger, S. J., & Ramaniah, N. V. (2002) Applying the Big Five Personality Factors to the Impostor Phenomenon. Journal of Personality Assessment, Vol. 78, 2, 321-333

Clance, P. R. & Imes, S. A. (1978) The impostor phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 15, 241-247.

About The Author

Charlotte Burton is a Licensed Career Coach & Psychometric Assessor. For more information and to sign up for the ezine, view the website at http://www.lifeisvital.com or email http://www.lifeisvital.com to request your complimentary consultation.

Alexis limo rentals ..
In The News:

A Google DeepMind team has developed an artificial intelligence system that can play video games like a human and take native language commands from players.
Four of the largest school boards in Ontario, Canada have launched lawsuits against TikTok, Meta, and Snapchat, claiming that they have impacted students' thinking and behavior.
Finalists for the inaugural Women’s Prize for Nonfiction, aimed at addressing the gender imbalance in nonfiction publishing, were unveiled on Wednesday.
Tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson breaks down whether the government is watching citizens and what they can do to protect online privacy.
A benchmarking group for artificial intelligence has released new results evaluating the speed of hardware in running AI applications and responding to users.
Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spaceplane provides a glimpse into the future of space travel. Traveling to space may become a part of everyday life.
The new European Hyperloop Center in the Netherlands aims bring in a new era of transportation. The center will use a steel tube as a proving ground for testing the new vehicle.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
While it may be incredibly tempting to have a “go with the flow" mindset like the rest of your vacation, your technology definitely should not be compromised while traveling.
Have you ever accidentally deleted an app from your iPhone that you’ve already paid for? Don't worry. We’ve got a trick that will help you get it back without having to buy it again.
Apple's new Journal app has raised privacy concerns among Apple's userbase. Tech expert Kim Komando examines social media rumors and explains what steps to take to protect yourself.
Although Facebook has denied that our phones listen to us, they do have other ways of finding out what we are talking about, listening to and searching for.
With the integration of OpenAI technology, Figure 01 has taken a significant leap forward, showcasing the potential of robots to understand and interact with us on a personal level.
Port Ellen, newly reopened whisky distillery in Scotland, is using SmokeDNAi technology to understand mouth-feel and flavors during the whisky maturation process.
Telly, a smart TV firm, is promising to give out their 4K 55-inch TV for free. What must you give in return? The innovative, yet potentially unsettling, answer might shock you.
The moment a spam invite hits your calendar, it’s like an uninvited guest at a party. So, what do you do? Show it the door.
Identity thieves are now targeting children and are making large sums of money by exploiting children's identities, possibly hurting their financial future.
There's a clever way to change the notification sounds on your Android without having to look at your screen. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains.
If your bank accounted has been hacked, there are a number of steps you can take to prevent it from happening again. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
The Wave House, a data center in Heidelberg, Germany, is the the largest 3D-printed building in Europe. Its walls were built in about 140 hours.
Some government agencies around the world are struggling to meet their staffing goals when it comes to hiring artificial intelligence experts.
Google Maps' recent upgrades have introduced real-time ETA and turn-by-turn directions to your phone's lock screen while you are traveling.
Kat Cammack says AI could disrupt the 2024 election. A report says shared AI image tools generate election disinformation in 41% of cases and voting disinformation in 59% of cases.
Deepfakes have become commonplace, and the technology is only getting better, but there are certain elements that might give away the fact that an image is AI-generated.

Success Lessons From A Gym Wall And From The Rematch

Recently, I have been riveted by the amazing reality show... Read More

There is a Technique that can Change Your Life, says Author

Do you feel like your stuck?No matter what you do,... Read More

A Field of Multiple Opportunity

Opportunity is all around us and has many facets, but... Read More

Who Else Wants to Keep Failing?

Who wants to carry on being a failure?Failure. Not a... Read More

Decision-Making: The Right Way!

Why do some people end up with boring jobs living... Read More

Are You the Reason for Your Lack of Success?

Have you ever noticed when playing a video game, or... Read More

Listening - A Life Skill for Success!

When I decided to have my web site built, I... Read More

From Rags To Riches

Nicholas Darvas, escaping his war-torn homeland, Hungary, sought refuge in... Read More

Small But Mighty!

When most of us are asked the most important possession... Read More

Help Yourself To Success

If you help yourself, God and humans will help you... Read More

Your First Step to Success ? Eliminate Inner Obstacles

Think back to a time in your life when you... Read More

How The Right Questions Can Change Your Life

Your own pressing needs, your long-standing frustrations, would benefit tremendously... Read More

Success At Any Time?

It goes without saying that we are unlikely to experience... Read More

Tiger Woods Secret to Success

Did you see or hear about 'The Masters' golf tournament... Read More

Career Management and Life Planning Tools: Eight Powerful Questions About Your Future

"Most people don't plan to fail. They just fail to... Read More

How Close Is Your Fortune?

A farmer in Pennsylvania decided to sell his farm, but... Read More

Communication and Communication Skills - Understanding Your Audience

Response means "to answer" and that idea, in its purest... Read More

Become a Dreamer!

Cool Facts: Walt Disney went bankrupt several times before he... Read More

Thinking About Winners

Have you ever thought about what makes a superstar? What... Read More

Animal Teachers Reveal Success Through Pleasure

What the anteater and otter show us about success?It's been... Read More

How to Make Your Wildest Dreams a Reality

According to Bill Gates there are 3 keys to success... Read More

How To Begin Your Journey To Success

Becoming successful requires a lifestyle change. It requires that you... Read More

How Do You Measure Success?

Success isn't all that it's cracked up to be... I'm... Read More

Obstacles to Success. Why Dont I Believe In Myself and What Can I Do About It?

Why do so many of us lack belief in ourselves?... Read More

The Secret to Intense Focus By

One of the common elements you see in almost all... Read More

car service from Midway Alsip ..