LISTEN. IT’S TIME to talk IMPOSTER SYNDROME.
Imposter Syndrome, honestly this one is a lot. And it really hits home for so many people. We understand that this phenomenon is everywhere, and just because TEAM KIT is all about making everyone feel fucking amazing, doesn’t mean we don’t all feel it too.
Actually, reading and researching more, we can see that a lot of us are in the same boat. What we can’t figure out is why this feels like an epidemic? Why do so many people feel this way?
Imposter syndrome has become highlighted more and more, making its way into plenty of conversations now – which is great – we can now research and understand it more. Asking questions such as why does this happen? How do we combat it?
Ok, listen, these are just our thoughts smeared on to a page, but hear us out, it’s interesting…
WHAT EVEN IS IMPOSTER SYNDROME? Well, it makes you anxious/it stops you from enjoying success. It messes with your self esteem. AND IT'S SO MUCH MORE.
OK SO, I.S. (Imposter Syndrome) can manifest in many ways. It can fuel feelings of motivation to achieve, BUT this comes at a cost in the form of constant anxiety, so much in fact, it can potentially even trigger panic disorders.
Basically, it creates a vicious cycle of you feeling like a fraud, working your ass off, and then convincing yourself the only reason you’ve made it THIS far is because you’re a fraud. And this is such an issue because with Imposter Syndrome is that when you do well at something - it still doesn’t change your belief that you are a fraud. The more you accomplish, the more you just feel like a fraud. It's as though you can't internalise your experiences of success.
AND for some reason, Imposter Syndrome makes us think:
- ‘If I ask for help, people will think I'm weak or it doesn't count'
- ‘It has to be perfect, otherwise I can't put it out there’
- ‘It is only a matter of time before people realise’
- ‘If it doesn't come naturally I must be an imposter’
We’ve looked and looked through ‘thought breakers’. Thought breakers are moments where we can break our thoughts with affirmation, positive thinking, such as:
‘I am enough and I am where I belong, I am equipped and I can ask for support' – it’s a tough one, on the one hand, WOW I WISH THIS WOULD WORK, on the other, I’m confused as to how to remind ourselves of this when we feel Imposter Syndrome starting overwhelm us again.
- And we’ve been thinking more and more about the constructs we feel need to be part of the workplace – why isn’t it more common to realise that once you put your employees thoughts, feelings and cultivate an environment that is positive, would this be a circuit breaker? Could this potentially break I.S.?
- Maybe it's all about nurturing an inclusive environment where we use positive affirmation?
AND LASTLY, Jameela Jamil, had another suggestion:
“Just do it anyway. My answer whenever I am asked about imposter syndrome is to admit that I am an imposter, and I treat it like crashing a wedding. You're in now, have as much fun as possible and grab all the cake you can before someone throws you out. Lean in and make it a party.”
We don’t have the answer, but we are here to tell you that you’re not alone.
By Sophia Collins
April 2022
IMPOSTER SYNDROME HER+ EXPERIENCE
LISTEN. IT’S TIME to talk IMPOSTER SYNDROME.
Imposter Syndrome, honestly this one is a lot. And it really hits home for so many people. We understand that this phenomenon is everywhere, and just because TEAM KIT is all about making everyone feel fucking amazing, doesn’t mean we don’t all feel it too.
Actually, reading and researching more, we can see that a lot of us are in the same boat. What we can’t figure out is why this feels like an epidemic? Why do so many people feel this way?
Imposter syndrome has become highlighted more and more, making its way into plenty of conversations now – which is great – we can now research and understand it more. Asking questions such as why does this happen? How do we combat it?
Ok, listen, these are just our thoughts smeared on to a page, but hear us out, it’s interesting…
WHAT EVEN IS IMPOSTER SYNDROME? Well, it makes you anxious/it stops you from enjoying success. It messes with your self esteem. AND IT'S SO MUCH MORE.
OK SO, I.S. (Imposter Syndrome) can manifest in many ways. It can fuel feelings of motivation to achieve, BUT this comes at a cost in the form of constant anxiety, so much in fact, it can potentially even trigger panic disorders.
Basically, it creates a vicious cycle of you feeling like a fraud, working your ass off, and then convincing yourself the only reason you’ve made it THIS far is because you’re a fraud. And this is such an issue because with Imposter Syndrome is that when you do well at something - it still doesn’t change your belief that you are a fraud. The more you accomplish, the more you just feel like a fraud. It's as though you can't internalise your experiences of success.
AND for some reason, Imposter Syndrome makes us think:
- ‘If I ask for help, people will think I'm weak or it doesn't count'
- ‘It has to be perfect, otherwise I can't put it out there’
- ‘It is only a matter of time before people realise’
- ‘If it doesn't come naturally I must be an imposter’
We’ve looked and looked through ‘thought breakers’. Thought breakers are moments where we can break our thoughts with affirmation, positive thinking, such as:
‘I am enough and I am where I belong, I am equipped and I can ask for support' – it’s a tough one, on the one hand, WOW I WISH THIS WOULD WORK, on the other, I’m confused as to how to remind ourselves of this when we feel Imposter Syndrome starting overwhelm us again.
- And we’ve been thinking more and more about the constructs we feel need to be part of the workplace – why isn’t it more common to realise that once you put your employees thoughts, feelings and cultivate an environment that is positive, would this be a circuit breaker? Could this potentially break I.S.?
- Maybe it's all about nurturing an inclusive environment where we use positive affirmation?
AND LASTLY, Jameela Jamil, had another suggestion:
“Just do it anyway. My answer whenever I am asked about imposter syndrome is to admit that I am an imposter, and I treat it like crashing a wedding. You're in now, have as much fun as possible and grab all the cake you can before someone throws you out. Lean in and make it a party.”
We don’t have the answer, but we are here to tell you that you’re not alone.
By Sophia Collins