OVERCOMING IMPOSTER SYNDROME Imposter syndrome, imposter phenomenon, imposterism, fraud syndrome, and all its other iterations, is something that almost every person carries in their vocabulary nowadays. Coined in 1978 by two psychologists, Dr Pauline Clance and Dr Suzanne Imes, the imposter phenomenon describes an individual’s feelings of fraudulence and not being deserving of their achievements or accolades in the face of external evidence that they are in fact competent and capable. I do not purport to be a psychologist or expert in any psycho-related field; what I am is a university student with a penchant for existential crises and anxiety. I have tried and tested some of the most common titbits of advice for coping with and trying to overcome my imposter experiences. Through lived experience, I have devised some not-so-common tips that may help someone else who has tried ‘speaking affirmations in the bathroom mirror’ and/or ‘visualising success’ (a vague strategy, if you ask me) and has come up a bit short. Below are the strategies that tangibly work for me in my university and workplace spheres, and hopefully you can apply to your circumstances. In the alternative, hopefully these strategies assist you in discovering your own idiosyncratic ways of coping with imposter syndrome. SMILE AT PEOPLE Have you ever walked into a networking event and known no one, or walked into a class with a teacher that you admire and by effect are intimidated by? Because humans
are empathetic creatures, offering a smile usually will generate a smile in return. Due to the disarming and non-offensive nature of a smile, you will not only make yourself feel relaxed and happy, but you will give permission to the other people you encounter to also relax and to trust you. Science will also back this up, due to what is called “mirror neurons” that exist in our brains. These neurons are interesting because they light up when we both perform ourselves, and see someone else perform, a particular action. Smiling is one of these actions, like yawning. COMPLIMENT PEOPLE An underrated trick for increasing your own confidence is by leaning into the things that you admire in others. Research has shown that giving and receiving gifts to people sends a rush
of dopamine through our brains, which makes us feel happy and reinforces bonds that we have with people. Compliments are gifts in verbal form, and have also been linked to increased activity in the reward centre of the brain both when giving and receiving praise. Seeing someone’s positive, and often taken-aback reaction to a compliment reminds me that I have a unique power to make someone else feel good, and therefore I deserve to take up whatever space in any situation that I am in. DISTINGUISH SPACES OF TEACHING AND SPACES OF LEARNING At the end of the day, all spaces are spaces of learning, no matter what role you take up at a meeting or a function or networking event. I have an affirmation that I use when I find that I am particularly nervous for an event or meeting with someone or interview and everything in between. I take a breath and say to myself, ‘I am here to learn.’ It is really as plain and simple as that and it reminds me to not put so much pressure on myself to be the most interesting or knowledgeable person in the room, and that I am allowed to step back
