Imposter syndrome and burnout, two seemingly disparate phenomena, may share a deeper connection than you think. Explore the intriguing intersection of self-doubt and exhaustion, and how they intertwine to impact mental health and productivity.
Feeling like you’re bad at your job is miserable
Worse, it’s also more likely to lead to professional burnout
- Fiona, a senior manager in her 40s, has spent her career battling imposter syndrome
- The stress of constantly questioning herself has been compounded by the anxieties of the pandemic and the pressure of remote working, leaving Fiona feeling “exhausted on a daily basis”.
- Now, with sky-high demand in her industry, she feels she’s showing all the symptoms of burnout
When you see an individual who’s suffering from imposter syndrome, they’re more likely to burn out.
Studies suggest up to 70% of people have experienced imposterism at work
- People with IS often feel they need to over-work and over-deliver on projects to avoid being found out
- Clare Josa, founder of an IS consultancy, and author of Ditching Imposter Syndrome, says she sees a clear link between IS and burnout
- One key factor is that IS manifests in a similar way to the third dimension of burnout, as defined by the WHO: “feelings of professional inefficacy”
- Burnout can set in after “hundreds, maybe thousands, of uncompleted stress cycles,” where the individual never has a chance to mentally recover from moments of pressure
Older generations are also suffering
Research suggests that “ingrained biases and a lack of diversity in the profession can mean that under-represented and ethnic minority groups are particularly affected”
- Companies need to tackle cultures where “everything has become an emergency” and where people feel compelled to over-perform and grit their teeth through adversity rather than being honest about their wellbeing
