Imposter Syndrome: how to recognize it

Are you aware of anyone who does not believe they can complete a task? Do you feel that you are not good enough for a promotion at work, even when everyone tells you otherwise? You may be experiencing imposter syndrome.

According to experts, this is not considered a disease, but rather a disorder of self-perception, like looking in the mirror and not being able to see the real you.

Imposters are prone to self-sabotage, having a perception of incompetence or inadequacy. There are a variety of negative feelings that are related to this syndrome, such as low self-esteem and insecurity.

The person achieves several positive results, but cannot imagine themselves as part of that. They believe that their achievements are the result of some other factor. According to experts, it is a syndrome related to abilities, skills, and undeserving. Among the main causes of this feeling is a high level of demand in childhood, but it also results from social life, particularly among shy people.

Do not panic if you identify with these characteristics. At some point, we have all struggled with imposter syndrome, but we can outgrow it by understanding our problems and difficulties.

Symptoms of imposter syndrome

Procrastination. A common symptom of imposter syndrome is procrastination. As in this case, insecurity arises from uncertainty about the tasks to be performed. It is important to know where procrastination comes from before you can determine if it is truly related to imposter syndrome.

Self-sabotage. A person who has this syndrome can also run away from certain experiences in which they don't feel safe to play a significant role. As a result, they miss out on many good opportunities.

Self-depreciation. Be aware if you talk negatively about yourself very often: this is also an important red flag.

Excessive self-criticism. While it is important to evaluate our actions, for those who suffer from  imposter syndrome, this becomes completely excessive. Those people seem to lose the ability to learn from mistakes and punish themselves constantly.

Comparison. Last, but not least, comparison is the main sign of imposter syndrome. In general, it seems like people can only find good qualities in others, not in themselves. As a result, we live in an endless race towards an ideal of perfection that doesn't match anyone's reality.

How to deal with imposter syndrome?

Many symptoms and signs of imposter syndrome get worse if cultivated, and it can be very difficult to recognize that we have it. Self-knowledge and making a positive assessment of situations in your life can be the first step, but the ideal thing is to reach out to a therapist to diagnose the exact cause of the syndrome.