Wellbeing News
Imposter Syndrome – the three myths that make it worse
In the privacy of the Wellbeing rooms at John Monash, there is a student voice that keeps reoccurring.
It sounds like this:
“John Monash is so different from my old school….Everyone here is really smart…I used to be the smart kid at my old school, now I don’t know where I fit in… I did poorly in my test…I don’t think I belong here…I feel like an imposter”
If you are a student who has felt like this in Term 1, I assure you are not alone.
This voice comes up all the time in the Wellbeing rooms. It is the voice of the ‘inner critic’ that can make otherwise successful, hardworking students, feel like they don’t deserve to be at John Monash.
It is a really harsh voice, that often holds three beliefs about imposter syndrome that are just not true.
1. The first belief sounds like: “It is just me… Am I the only one feeling anxious here?”
This belief just leaves us alone in our insecurities and anxieties. You need to know the facts.
Studies show imposter syndrome is experienced by almost everyone. More than 80% of professionals admit to experiencing imposter syndrome, and the rates are higher in surveys where participants can remain anonymous.
It is not just you who may be feeling this way. You are in fact, part of a very big club.
2. The second myth sounds like: “Everyone else at JMSS is so smart and confident”
Imposter syndrome exists everywhere there are people (& not just at JMSS!). It has less to do with the environment you are in, and more to do with the ‘inner critic’ within. The voice that creates self-doubt, that tells you your success has been a fluke. Its damage is that it keeps you safe in your comfort zone, ‘playing it small’, curtailing you from taking healthy risks and living life fully.
3. Third myth: “I must overcome imposter syndrome”
If imposter syndrome is so bad, I should overcome it, right?
Wrong.
As a counsellor I am supposed to offer hope. So this goes against the grain. But the fact is your inner critic is with you for good. It’s how our brains are hardwired. There are good evolutionary reasons for the constant mental ‘warnings’ sent by our brains. Our brains want us to avoid new risks and new dangers. Our brains want us to worry, to remain vigilant, and to run back to the safety of our comfort zone.
So instead of trying to silence your inner critic, try this instead. Just like a chronic physical issue, your real job is to manage it. To work around it. You can’t silence the beast, but you can tame it. You certainly don’t have to take orders from it.
The counsellors at John Monash can help you with strategies on how to tame these unhelpful thoughts.
Your inner critic is going to accompany you on your future job interview and presentations, so make sure it is you who is in charge.
Ironically, making peace with your inner critic in this way will go a long way to turning the volume down in the long term.
If you would like help with ‘turning down the volume’ on your inner critic, please reach out to Wellbeing on the ground floor, or email me at george.vlamakis@jmss.vic.edu.au
~ George Vlamakis (Student Wellbeing Coordinator)