We currently live in a fast-paced world and we find ourselves without time to perform various tasks of our daily lives. With this, various feelings of guilt, fear or even a feeling that nothing you do is good can arise, that there is always a need to go further. But is this healthy? Right now we may be dealing with imposter syndrome. Something very common when we feel that we are not good enough to perform our tasks!
What is imposter syndrome?
To contextualize, imposter syndrome is not classified as a mental illness, even though it is a psychological disorder linked to feelings and behaviors. With her, the person comes to believe that he does not deserve to be where he is. For example, someone who is promoted at his job on his own merits will often come to believe that he is not there because he is a good employee.
But where did the term imposter syndrome come from? In 1978 the psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes used this term for the first time to name this misperception that a person has of himself. It is important to better understand how the person presents these symptoms, as they can be confused with anxiety and depression, which are already considered diseases by the International Classification of Diseases.
We can bring the example of the reality of some women too, who are professionals, mothers and housewives. Sometimes they are tired of their routines; for the way they grew up in society and even finding themselves in the midst of so many responsibilities, They end up feeling like they're not good enough at what they do. It's important to remember that imposter syndrome can happen to anyone.
Symptoms of imposter syndrome
Watch out for all the signs, as many people may not know they have imposter syndrome. The main symptoms are these:
Anxiety: We live in an immediate world, where we need to accomplish all our tasks “for yesterday”. With this, anxiety crises can happen in the middle of the process because we have a stipulated deadline or even to try to achieve "perfection". Anxiety is linked to perfectionism.
Guilt: Guilt is linked to a feeling that leads the person to think they did it wrong, feel remorseful about it and start blaming themselves for things that were not within their reach at that moment. For example, the person delivered what was proposed to him, but feels guilty thinking he could have done more.
Fear: The fear can be as much about losing your job as it is about what others will think or say about what has been accomplished.
Self-sabotage: it is linked to the fear of making mistakes, bringing insecurity and making the person self-sabotage looking for too many flaws in what has already been accomplished or putting obstacles in the way of carrying out tasks. This feeling is linked to self-criticism and the fear of making mistakes.
Comparison with each other: the work of the other will always be the best, more popularly known as "the neighbor's grass will always be greener". But most of the time that's not how it works.
These mental symptoms that imposter syndrome brings may be directly linked to how the body will respond — anxiety attacks, for example, which can cause untimely crying, hand tremors and shortness of breath. All the interconnected symptoms can impair sleep and eating as well. Emotions, when they are in excess, can cause damage to the body, bringing what psychology calls psychosomatization - when emotions are so strong that the body responds, to protect itself, lowering immunity, which can generate some disease.
How to treat imposter syndrome?
At first it is very important to understand that, to overcome anything, we need to have self-knowledge. To acquire it, it is important to seek help from a professional, start taking care of yourself, doing things you enjoy and for yourself! These are some of the first steps in treating imposter syndrome. It is important to accept that all human beings have flaws and qualities and understand that this is part of our construction as a human being.
The question is: how to acquire self-knowledge? We have some shapes and techniques. The first is to ask a personal question. “What makes me feel good? What am I good at? What do I do right? What are my qualities?” But without charging yourself too much, after all, excessive self-charge only hurts us!
Saying no and putting limits on your coexistence with the other will be of great help for life to walk more lightly. Don't forget to take time for yourself. Do things that please you, like painting, drawing, dancing, singing… What makes you feel alive? Listen to yourself more. What are your wishes? This is not selfishness, but self-love.
Something that helps a lot to get to know ourselves as we really are are the meditations, both guided and unguided. Meditations are important as they teach us to breathe, to try to keep control of our mind, our body and our spirit. When you meditate, your concentration and connection with yourself are much more enhanced.
In addition it is important respect your own limits; avoid comparing yourself too much with the other, after all we are unique beings! Our mind is our greatest guide, so it's important to avoid harboring self-sabotaging thoughts. Celebrate whenever you have an achievement; this is important for your evolution as a human being.
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Finally, never forget that you are a person who is constantly evolving. It is possible to learn every day of your life, both acquiring new skills and improving what you are already good at. And don't forget that if you are somehow recognized for what you do, it's because you are capable and qualified to do whatever you want!
