Imposter syndrome is a term used to describe the feelings of being a fraud or not up to the task. It is common in life to occasionally feel as though we are out of our depth. This can be a good thing and focuses our attention on learning and the productive ways that we can do better in the future. But imposter syndrome can present a roadblock to a bright career and in a workplace it may mean that some of the best ideas never see the light of day.
If you are finding that your inner voice is inconsistent with your outward persona – and it is creating anxiety, procrastination and an abiding sense of failure, even if things are going well, you may be suffering from imposter syndrome. But don’t worry you are not alone. Imposter Syndrome is a phenomenon that affects many. Tom Hanks once said, “No matter what we’ve done, there comes a point where you think, ‘How did I get here? When are they going to discover that I am, in fact, a fraud and take everything away from me?”
"When are they going to discover that I am, in fact, a fraud and take everything away from me?”
Tom Hanks
Dr Desiree Dickerson is a neuroscientist and clinical psychologist who uses cutting-edge neuroscience and psychological strategies to help individuals to make changes to maximise cognitive performance and wellbeing. She also helps institutions to help their academic staff and postgrads to optimise their productivity, increase their resilience to stress, anxiety and burnout, and enhance their wellbeing and work-life balance.
She related her struggles with ‘the voices in my head’ in an article published in Nature in October 2019, saying, “It has driven many of us to academic accolades and career advancement — both measures of success according to most social standards. But for some of us, this voice can denounce us as ‘impostors’ in academia and demand that we work twice as hard.
“Gradually, every day begins to feel like the morning of an exam. New ideas are dismissed with negative thoughts such as: “If I thought it, then it must be obvious.” We read and re-read to see how others have said what we want to say, because surely they said it better and more clearly. We silence our curiosity and don’t speak up in lectures or meetings, missing invaluable learning opportunities.”
"The black-and-white lens of ‘perfect or fail’ means that even the most constructive feedback is seen as implying failure."
Dr Desiree Dickerson
In another article published during the pandemic in July this year, Dr Dickerson revisits the perils of perfectionism, saying, “Perfectionism makes us miss out on critical learning opportunities. Failing fast allows for useful iterations of an idea to happen early in the picture and lets us learn from what works and what doesn’t. Perfectionism inhibits that iterative process. The black-and-white lens of ‘perfect or fail’ means that even the most constructive feedback is seen as implying failure.
Dr Desiree Dickerson recently conducted an education session for the VCCC Nurse-led Research Hub. She will be back by popular demand on Monday 21 September for a Monday Lunch Livestream webinar. Don’t miss this compelling event. Registrations are now open.
