Last Updated on March 1, 2021 by Shane Corbitt
Impostor syndrome is the faulty belief that one is a fraud and not deserving of their achievements. This is often despite plenty of evidence to the contrary. Research published in the Journal of Behavioral Science suggests that nearly 70% of the U.S. population has experienced impostor syndrome at some point in their lives.
Impostor syndrome can be debilitating to one’s personal and professional life. It also affects one’s mental and physical health and even their relationships in a variety of ways.
Personal & Professional Life
Impostor syndrome often leaves people feeling as if perfectionism is the only option and asking for help is out of the question. This perfectionism results in two primary responses:
1) An impostor will procrastinate out of the fear that they cannot meet the often unreasonable high standards they’ve set for themselves.
2) The impostor will over-prepare and spend an extraordinary amount of time on the task in an obsessive manner as a means of trying to get it to perfection.
This behavior can contribute to massive amounts of stress. The person dealing with impostor syndrome tries to meet unrealistic standards of excellence or constantly lives in fear of their inability to perform well. Often, good outcomes in response to either of these responses work to reinforce the behavior further and lead to toxic cycles.
Burnout is often more common because people get trapped in the cycle of overworking or overproducing to meet high standards and prove themselves worthy.
Additionally, people struggling with impostor syndrome can also miss out on opportunities as their fear of failure will keep them from taking risks or chances that could lead to a positive outcome. They’d much rather not try and avoid failure than try and fail, even if the likelihood of failure is not that large.
Mental & Physical Health
Impostor syndrome can create massive amounts of psychological distress, enhance self-monitoring, increased self-doubt, and continual fear of failure. Levels of stress that are continually high over time can lead to anxiety disorders, increased risk for depression, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and other mental health issues.
Not only that, the increased levels of cortisol present in the body when high levels of stress are experienced can lead to a host of physical health issues. This includes but is not limited to gastrointestinal issues, migraines/headaches, heart issues, raised blood pressure, and chronic pain conditions.
Relationships
Relationships with family members can also suffer as a result of impostor syndrome. When large amounts of time and effort are put into accomplishing tasks, it can put a strain on relationships because family members might
Impostor syndrome can negatively impact relationships when a family member prioritizes career success over time with families or children. Partners and families can suffer when someone spends too much time trying to prove themselves in a professional capacity to the detriment of their personal lives.
