Why Imposter Syndrome Is So Bad

 Why Imposter Syndrome Is So Bad

If you are determined to overcome imposter syndrome then you will need to use the right techniques and work on this consistently. There is no overnight miracle fix for imposter syndrome. When you know how bad imposter syndrome can be it will help to motivate you to take the necessary action to overcome it every day.

It brings a Flood of Negative Thoughts

Those that suffer from imposter syndrome will usually experience a lot of negative thoughts each day. These thoughts will constantly remind them that they are a fraud and have no place being where they are. Our world is full of negativity and it is hard enough dealing with this. Imposter syndrome just makes the situation worse.

Imposter Syndrome can cause Procrastination

One of the worst aspects of imposter syndrome is that it usually causes a lot of self-doubt. You start to doubt your ability to perform even the simplest of tasks. Complex tasks can scare you to death. When you are scared of tackling something it is a lot more likely that you will put it off until later. This is the start of procrastination.

We all procrastinate from time to time. But if you start to do this regularly then this can be a symptom of imposter syndrome. A task may overwhelm you and when you procrastinate it will make you feel a little better. The pressure of not starting the task will be there in the background though so it is not a good thing.

You will have too much Uncertainty

Your levels of uncertainty can rise dramatically if you are experiencing imposter syndrome. It is natural to be uncertain sometimes, but if you have too much uncertainty then you will find it difficult to make even the simplest of decisions.

You can Miss Out on Opportunities

When you are usually feeling that you are not good enough due to imposter syndrome you are more likely to miss out on opportunities when they present themselves. These opportunities can be right under your nose and you will not spot them.

You no longer know what you are capable of doing

A lot of people that experience imposter syndrome can end up being unable to assess what they are capable of doing. Before, they may have held the belief that they can do anything, but imposter syndrome has knocked this out of them. This is a very serious problem caused by imposter syndrome in our opinion.

Work Harder just to keep up

If you are always feeling like you are an imposter, you may start to believe that you need to work much harder than other people do just to keep up. The confidence that you had to do your job before has been eroded by imposter syndrome and now everything is going to take you a lot longer to complete.

Your Relationships can be affected by Imposter Syndrome

It is not unusual for imposter syndrome to start affecting relationships that people have. You may start to believe that your partner can do a lot better than being with you. In addition to this, you may find it hard to form new relationships as imposter syndrome makes you feel that you have nothing to offer the other person.

The Main Causes Of Imposter Syndrome

There will always be a reason for you to experience imposter syndrome. It doesn’t just come out of nowhere. One thing that you need to know right away is that imposter syndrome is not linked to any kind of modesty or humility. Let’s take a look at the main causes of imposter syndrome.

Recalling Past Failures

We have all made mistakes and done things that we regret in the past. If you dwell on these failures then this can bring on imposter syndrome. Some people are continually haunted by their past and regularly think about the mistakes they have made a long time ago.

Dwelling in the past is not a good thing to do. What is done is done. The best way to deal with the past is to learn from it. Then you need to let go. Constantly harping back to past negative events in your life can cause you a lot of stress and anxiety.

People in your Life can Trigger Imposter Syndrome

Not all of your friends will support you all of the time. The same can be true of work colleagues and even family members. Words are extremely powerful, and if you hear the wrong things from the people around you often enough this can bring on imposter syndrome.

Have you ever heard from anyone in your life that you are useless? Perhaps you were told that you would never be a success? These are the kind of comments that some people will internalize and obsess over. In some cases, this can result in a person feeling that they are not worthy.

People like to belong to groups and there can be situations where the dynamics of a group can cause imposter syndrome. If you decide that you are going to be unique in some way and stand out from the crowd, other group members may castigate you for this and make you feel insecure.

Childhood Limiting Beliefs

Your experiences from your childhood could be responsible for the onset of imposter syndrome in later life. A lot of parents push their children to do well and if they do not live up to expectations then there are often negative consequences to this.

Another thing is that an authority figure in your life as a child may have criticized you in such a way that it really left a mark. Being told that you will never amount to anything can be devastating to a child. This is especially true when it comes from parents or a teacher for example.

These days, there is a tendency for parents to “overprotect” their children. Of course, parents need to protect their kids, but if they overprotect them then they can grow up not knowing what to expect when they are an adult.

A child that has never had to deal with any challenging situations before can be really unprepared for the world. This can hit them hard and they can be subjected to negative comments from other adults. In the worst cases this can definitely trigger imposter syndrome.

You need to know what is causing Imposter Syndrome

In order for you to overcome imposter syndrome you need to know what is causing it. It can be painful trying to figure this out but it is worth the pain of doing this. Otherwise, you will only be treating the symptoms and not getting to the root cause of the problem.

Who Can Suffer From Imposter Syndrome?

The answer to this is that anyone can suffer from imposter syndrome. Your gender, race and background is unimportant. There is a myth that females are more likely to suffer from imposter syndrome than males. Evidence does not exist to support this. Imposter syndrome can be experienced by anyone at any time.

Your Personality Traits can bring on Imposter Syndrome

There has been a lot of research into imposter syndrome and one of the findings to date is that people with certain personality traits are more prone to it than others are. One study found that people who are lazy are more prone to imposter syndrome. The belief here is that lazy people are more likely to have a lot of unfinished tasks which can make them think they are not worthy.

Experts have also seen a link between those people that have low self-esteem and imposter syndrome. This is not too much of a surprise as if you do not have a good opinion of yourself then you are probably more likely to feel like an imposter fairly often. Another link was found between neuroticism and imposter syndrome in the studies.

People that have a strong Fear of Failure

It is natural for all of us to feel a bit apprehensive when we are taking on new challenges. In some people, this manifests itself as a strong fear of failure. People that have tried new things and failed a lot in their past can develop this.

If you are someone that fears failure a lot of the time then you are very likely to experience imposter syndrome. This can lead to high levels of stress and anxiety which are no good for your health. You need to take steps to overcome your fear of failure.

Have you Experienced Discrimination or Bias?

Anyone that has experienced discrimination or bias because of their gender or race for example, can be more prone to suffering from imposter syndrome. Even if you have not personally experienced any bias or discrimination, just knowing that other people have can cause you to start feeling that you do not fit in.

It is an unfortunate fact that stereotypes have formed over many years for certain situations. This can be really prevalent in the workplace for example. If you do not feel that you belong for whatever reason then you are likely to feel like a fraud. When this becomes a regular thing then you are definitely experiencing imposter syndrome.

Imposter Syndrome is in your Head

The reason that absolutely anyone can suffer from imposter syndrome at any time is that it is all in the mind. This is both a good and bad thing. Imposter syndrome starts with negative thoughts that will not go away about you not being good enough or not belonging.

Why is this good news? Well, you are in control of your thoughts. If you experience negative thoughts about being an imposter then you can neutralize them with positive thoughts. In fact, mastering thought control is one of the most effective things that you can do to overcome imposter syndrome. It will also help you in many other areas of your life.