Take Care: Pushing back on self-doubts, ‘imposter syndrome’

Do you ever feel that everyone else is:

• Smarter than you are? 
• More compassionate and caring than you are? 
• More successful in their career or home life than you are? 

If so, you may have a touch of imposter syndrome.

Imposter syndrome is a common condition. It’s especially prominent in high achievers, which would include everyone reading this. We are a campus of high achievers – whether you are a staff member, student or faculty member.

So most, if not all, of us will have those times when we compare ourselves to our colleagues, and we usually feel we don’t measure up. This is a fallacy that our brain manufactures, though.

You may not realize that, because we usually are so self-conscious of our perceived “failings” that we don’t reveal them to anyone else at work. But if you took the courageous step of telling that colleague about your imposter syndrome symptoms, I bet they would say something like, “You too?” 

The next time your brain tries to make you feel inferior to others around you, talk right back to those thoughts. Remind yourself of your strengths and talents.

I encourage you to actually write down those strengths and talents – there is a scientific basis for this. When you make your brain commit thoughts and feelings to writing, it helps your brain process this information in a deeper way that you will retain much better than if you just think about it. 

Remember this: You have an absolutely unique blend of knowledge and skills – no one on the planet knows exactly what you do. And that’s what makes you a valuable member of the UNMC community.