Is impostor syndrome costing you money

Is impostor syndrome costing you moneyIs impostor syndrome costing you moneyHave you had a nagging feeling at work or school that youre a complete fraud- that, despite your achievements or accomplishments, youre leid actually qualified or talented? Youre not alone. Many high achievers feel the same way. Unfortunately, it isnt just an annoying feeling making us doubt ourselves - it has far-reaching implications. Impostor syndrome, as its known, could be impacting your career and your earning potential.What is the definition of impostor syndrome?In1978, psychologistsPauline R. Clance and Suzanne A. Imes coined the termimpostor syndrometo describe aninternalized feeling of failure, despite obvious evidence of accomplishments, among high-achieving women.Many people know this feeling well- convinced that their accomplishments are due to luck, they have a real fear of being exposed as frauds.Since Clance and Imes first coined the term,psychologistshave come to better understand this psy chological phenomenon, which we now knowaffects both men and women.Later, in a 1985 paper, Clance explained that people with impostor phenomenon feel like they need to be special or the best at what they do but fear failure, so they deny their ability and discount praise. When they do succeed, they feel guilt and believe their success was not a result of their ability.How does impostor syndrome hold you back?Impostor syndrome is deeply ingrained, and unfortunately, there are negative consequences to feeling like a fraud. For someone who experiences it,impostor syndrome carries feelings of anxiety and self-doubt with anyassignment or task at school or work.This perpetuates what Clance called the impostor cycle As someone with impostor syndrome, you mightcompensate for unterstellung feelings by either over-preparing or procrastinating on a task. If you over-prepare, any success you see is the result of hard work, and if you procrastinate, any positive feedback you get is discounted be cause you just lucked out.Either way, someone with impostor syndrome doesnt see success as a result of pure ability.But what happens when this cycle repeats over and over again? Discounting your successes or accomplishments isnt good for your career or academic development.AsNBC Newsreported last year,people who experience impostor syndrome may experience burnout from trying to prove themselves as well as missed opportunities because of their self-doubt.That can have real consequences in terms of your career or your earning potential. For exampleYou may also be passed up for promotions because youre discounting the work you doYou may miss out on raises because you dont ask for what youre worth, orYou may avoid going for higher-paying jobs because you dont think youre qualified.Is impostor syndrome in the DSM?No, imposter syndrome is notincluded in the American Psychiatric Associations Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM).It might seem like a personality disorder, like narcissism or anxiety, but impostor syndrome isnt considered anofficial diagnosis by psychologists. For this reason, many experts suggest calling it impostor experience to reference that its a temporary state of being rather than a clinical disorder, NBC News reports.However, researchers have studied impostor syndrome extensively. Studies show thatitslinked toanxiety, low confidence, and self-sabotage, and thatpeople who experience this phenomenon often have another officially diagnosed mental disorder, like depression and anxiety.Is there an impostor syndrome test?Despite not being an official diagnosis, impostor syndrome is pretty common. Research has found nearly70% of people across a wide range of settings will experience at least one episode of impostor syndrome in their life.If you think youve had feelings of impostor syndrome but arent quite sure you fall into the category, you can take a short test based on the scale to measurement peoples level of the syndrome developed by Clancehere. This quiz, published inNew Yorkmagazine, is just nine questions long and allows you to see where you are on the scale. Clances scale of measurement suggests that most of us experience the syndrome- some just more than others.This article first appeared on Comet.