This is how imposter syndrome limits us professionally

Although we may not know it, that does not prevent us from having felt it on more than one occasion. It often happens that, both in our workplace and in our studies, sometimes we get the feeling that we are not we are worth for this, that our colleagues are much more skilled than we are and, even, that we are a fraud without want it.

This phenomenon is called the impostor syndrome, a psychological condition that causes us not to be able to recognize our own success, thinking that the good thing that happens to us is due to external factors and that we are nothing more than people full of defects and disabilities.

Given its definition, it can be assumed that this peculiar phenomenon has very negative consequences in the workplace. For this, next we will see how imposter syndrome limits us professionally.

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What is imposter syndrome?

Imposter syndrome is a psychological process by which the person who develops it does not recognize their own success

in the professional scope. Those who suffer from it constantly think that they do not deserve any of the recognitions or triumphs derived from their performance permanently living with the feeling of being worthless, of being a fraud and of cheating on your environment. They are unable to assess their own merits.

Imposter syndrome has been extensively studied since it was conceptualized in 1978. There are not a few people who suffer from it, and in fact we can mention widely known figures who admit to having suffered from it on occasion. The actress Kate Winslet, the singer Jennifer López or the astronaut Neil Armstrong, all of them from recognized success, claim that at more than one time they have considered themselves frauds and do not deserve their achievements.

It is believed that this psychological phenomenon affects 70% of people at some point in their lives, especially to women, and some experts tend to associate it with perfectionist traits at pathological levels. People who suffer from it suffer from a persistent fear of being "discovered" as some kind of job impostor. The funny thing is that it occurs, above all, in people with a very high work performance and who are in charge of positions of great responsibility.

This feeling of being a fraud can become very blocking, so much so that it becomes a barrier that prevents further growth in the work environment. Most of the people who present this psychological phenomenon see their professional career limited, they have lower salaries, receive fewer promotions than their peers with similar abilities and experiences and have more trouble finding new ones works.

It often happens that people are aware of our own shortcomings, but we do not see those of others. Since we only see their strengths, it gives us the feeling that our co-workers are better prepared than we are. It can give us the feeling that in certain people, simply, failure does not exist. However, we must know that the professional success we see in others is only the tip of the iceberg, and that the submerged part is made up of disappointments and failures that have not prevented them from moving forward.

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How does it limit us at work?

Imposter syndrome can affect workers in multiple ways, ways that we will delve into below:

1. High self-demand anxiety

One of the main causes behind imposter syndrome is having perfectionism too high. People who are too self-demanding They are never satisfied with the end result of their projects, so much so that they can be reviewing and redoing them over and over again.

The feelings you feel about your jobs are frustration and pessimism, thinking that what you have fact is not worth the least and, therefore, rejects the compliments that can be made to him in his position of job. Added to this, this high level of perfectionism can generate a lot of anxiety and stress, emotions that can negatively affect professional performance.

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2. Low self esteem

People with imposter syndrome have very low self-esteem. These individuals can be very aware of the work of others, constantly comparing themselves with their colleagues and paying close attention to those aspects that, however trivial, have not done well and the others Yes. This constant comparison is often fueled by the underlying belief that others deserve their achievements..

If their self-esteem is already low, it is further reduced when people with imposter syndrome view the world in a highly skewed way. They see themselves as flawed people, while they see others as successful people. thanks to their virtues and strengths, something that further fuels the idea that they are a complete fraud.

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3. Dysfunctional attribution

Attribution is the psychological process by which we attribute our successes and also failures to different causes, internal or external, that is, to ourselves or to an external element, over which we normally have no control direct. People with imposter syndrome attribute their achievements to external factors, such as luck, environmental circumstances, or action of another person, instead of considering that successes and achievements are the result of own work, dedication and skill.

This way of thinking will end up seriously affecting the psychological and emotional level, making the person suffering from the syndrome feel depressed when they perceive that the good that occurs is the product of factors over which he has no control, and that what bad happens to him is due to his fault. This further fuels the fear that others will "find out" that all that he or she has been able to get is for, what he or she believes, is luck.

4. Psychological rumination

Psychological rumination is the phenomenon that occurs when you cannot stop thinking about the same issue or negative idea, causing anxiety and anguish both from its negative content and from having lost control over thought, not being able to stop it. This situation can become so serious to the point where the person becomes obsessed and cannot abandon that recurring idea, wasting hours and hours constantly thinking about it, and also suffering from it.

Rumination is precisely one of the ways in which the impostor syndrome affects us at work. In his case, rumination thoughts are usually related to the idea of ​​not being worth for his job, of not deserve any of the successes they have achieved or believe that others are better and that, on top of that, they judge them constantly.

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5. Lack of assertiveness

When we speak of assertiveness we refer to the ability to express opinions, emotions, ideas and interests in an energetic, direct but also respectful way towards others. People tend to be more assertive the higher their self-esteem, as well as when they have a positive image of themselves.

On the contrary, people with low self-esteem and who perceive themselves as less effective people, as is the case of Those with impostor syndrome tend to be less assertive when it comes to giving their point of view or conveying their feelings.

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6. Social isolation

Imposter syndrome affects social relationships because people who suffer from it they interpret praise and professional recognition in a negative way, as if they were making fun of or lying to them.

This can make those who suffer from this psychological condition isolate themselves from others, do not want to interact with your co-workers by interpreting any interaction with them as a possible threat. They also avoid rubbing shoulders with them at company-organized social events, such as co-worker dinners or outings.

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7. Clinging to the comfort zone

Who are caught in this syndrome they avoid challenges and do not go out of their comfort zone. In fact, this type of behavior is a fairly reliable indicator of impostor syndrome, since one of its most notable features is fear of Failure, something seen as inevitable when the task to be carried out is new and it is not believed to have the knowledge or experience necessary to do it correctly.

For this reason, people with imposter syndrome are unlikely to accept new responsibilities, as well as trying new things in your job or competing for promotions or increases. Thus, we can say that the impostor syndrome affects us by making us reject opportunities for growth and improvement.

8. Lack of motivation

Another way that impostor syndrome affects us is by taking away the motivation. Believing that you do not deserve your job or that it will last a short time can make you lose the desire to strive or grow as a professional. The person believes that the success that he may have at work is not in his power, so he loses his desire and interest in expanding his skills and knowledge.

9. Unsafety

Imposter syndrome brings with it, almost undoubtedly, insecurity. This is related to all the aspects that we have seen so far, consisting of considering that the work one does is not of sufficient quality. To top it all, the feeling that things are going to be done wrong because of insecurity results, in effect, that they are done wrong, giving rise to the phenomenon of self-fulfilling prophecy.

In other words, thinking that you are not worth what you do, despite being worth it, translates into a poorer quality of work due to lack of motivation and the feeling of not being worth it.