If you’ve ever endured an episode of impostor syndrome, you know that it tends to knock down any sense of accomplishment or pride before they can even settle in. It can entirely ruin your perception of personal success. It’s difficult to celebrate if you can’t get that doubtful voice out of your head. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, there’s still a chance that you’ve experienced it before. Impostor syndrome is defined as “the persistent inability to believe that one’s success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one’s own efforts or skills.” It’s largely common amongst high-achieving women, and 70 percent of people will experience it at least once in their life.
I first learned about this condition in one of Sierra Schultzzie’s YouTube vlogs, where she discussed how impostor syndrome causes her to question her own success, despite being a well-received, body-positive influencer whose success is on the rise. She has almost a million subscribers on YouTube, multiple viral videos and is such a positive influence on her audience. Since hearing Sierra open up about her struggle with this, I’ve wondered about my own past with impostor syndrome and the effect of it on women around me. I will always be one to celebrate and hype up my girlfriends. But impostor syndrome isn’t something that can be washed away with a simple, “Good job! You worked so hard for this.”
People who experience it look at their accomplishments in the face and think, “How did I get here? I don’t deserve this.” It doesn’t matter how hard they worked, how much time they put in or how perfect of a candidate they were. The fear that they’ll be outed as an impostor nags at their brain. This can overshadow the big moments in our lives and eliminate any sense of celebration that we deserve, as difficult as it may be to realize. I know that sometimes I don’t feel that I’ve done enough to deserve the accolades and positions that I’ve been assigned to. But what gives my brain the right to question those in charge of selecting, let alone undermine my efforts to get there. Who knows how many achieving women out there struggle with accepting that their spot at the top was well-deserved, rather than a bout of luck. This article highlights successful and famous women who have experienced the phenomenon, including Mindy Kaling, Tracee Ellis Ross and Emma Watson.
It’s easier said than done, but once you recognize that impostor syndrome is affecting your mindset, there are ways to combat the fits of doubt. Remind yourself how much of a boss you are. If you’re anything like me, then you’re your worst critic. Nothing you do is good enough for your own standards, and you definitely just got lucky to land where you did. It helps me to remind myself that I would not have been chosen as the best candidate had I not met their qualifications. Researchers also say that coming to terms with the fact that it’s okay not to do everything perfectly can ease the stress of impostor syndrome, too. Nobody is perfect, in their own eyes or in those of an employer, professor or judge. Give yourself a break. It’s great to celebrate our successes and we don’t need those voices in our heads questioning our deservance to be at one point of accomplishment or another.