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With this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week taking place from the 12th to the 18th of May, this article shines a light on what Imposter Syndrome is and how to recognise the symptoms in anyone who might be struggling at work.
While looking after your employee’s wellbeing, alleviating stress and managing workloads are an integral part of your company-wide policies, it’s also important to consider lesser-known conditions that might cause anxiety in a workplace setting. This article can help you and fellow members with advice and actionable steps to support all employees regardless of the position they may find themselves in.
What is Imposter Syndrome?
Although it’s important to consider the mental health of employees throughout the year, this Mental Health Awareness Week is an opportunity to reflect on an under-discussed but fairly commonplace condition that impacts workforces and companies in every sector. Imposter Syndrome is characterised by persistent feelings of self-doubt, incompetence, and a fear of being “found out” as a fraud—despite evidence of competence and achievement.
This can affect people of all ages, backgrounds and professionals at any stage in their career—from new graduates to CEOs nearing retirement. In fact, according to research by Nuffield Health, as many as 84% of people will experience Imposter Syndrome, also known as “high-functioning anxiety” at some point in their life.
The impact on workplace wellbeing
What makes Imposter Syndrome particularly challenging is how the condition distorts cognition and can silently undermine someone’s confidence, productivity and wellbeing at work, from a trainee to an employer in a leadership role. This constant mental effort of maintaining a facade can be also exhausting, creating a cycle that impacts both personal wellness and professional performance.
Significantly, the aim is to counteract the negative internal symptoms and cycle of Imposter Syndrome making it harder for a person to “prove themself” at work or anywhere. This negative cycle, in turn, can lead to burnout, anxiety, and diminished job satisfaction. Addressing such negativity can often require professional support.
London-based psychotherapists at KlearMinds recommend a unique combination of integrative psychotherapy including CBT, counselling and coaching. An effective trio of therapies can help turn around critical thoughts, strengthen self-belief and prevent any anxiety and distress, induced by Imposter Syndrome, from undermining happiness and success.
Recognising the signs and symptoms
Identifying Imposter Syndrome in colleagues (and personally) can be difficult as many sufferers become adept at hiding their struggles. However, certain behavioural patterns may signal someone is experiencing these feelings. Observable signs include reluctance to apply for promotions despite being qualified, excessive working hours, and difficulty accepting praise.
Many individuals with Imposter Syndrome deflect compliments with phrases like “I just got lucky” and attribute successes to external factors rather than personal ability. They often apologise excessively and set unrealistically high standards, becoming devastated by minor setbacks.
More subtle indicators might be noticed in daily interactions. Colleagues may hesitate to speak up in meetings despite having valuable contributions. They tend to over-prepare for routine tasks or might frequently compare themselves unfavourably to peers. Expressions of genuine surprise at their own successes are common, as is a reluctance to delegate tasks due to perfectionistic tendencies. Many avoid asking questions for fear of appearing uninformed, even when clarification would benefit their work.
How to offer avenues of support
If you recognise any symptoms of Imposter Syndrome in yourself as a leader this is not uncommon and there are resources tailored to support you. You might identify colleagues who are showing signs in meetings, conversations or in their performance. By advising them to consider speaking with a GP, they can then discuss how any feelings might be impacting their wellbeing and work life.
Furthermore, implementing thoughtful approaches to address Imposter Syndrome, through both policy and culture changes, is an important element of a supportive workplace. This is coupled with establishing a better understanding of mental health challenges, equips managers with the tools to create effective support channels. This could be signing up for mental health training programmes or encouraging employees to have a better work/life balance.
Likewise, business and HR managers can learn how to signpost and share resources to employees in a sensitive way via emails, in posters or across internal HR documents. There are several national organisations that can provide employees with specific guidance for anyone struggling with Imposter Syndrome or experiencing other mental health challenges, such as Mind, the NHS Talking Therapies programme via self-referral and the Mental Health Foundation with resources on managing workplace mental wellbeing.
Mental Health Awareness Week presents a good opportunity to take the time to revisit management strategies and mental health policies in your workplace, identifying how you can make a significant difference to the support available for employees showing signs of Imposter Syndrome. With such understanding workplaces can foster a more supportive and productive environment for all employees.
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