The impostor syndrome is really a women's issue

It is often a topic that comes up when a friend has a new job or has been promoted: the impostor syndrome. For some reason, I have never discussed this subject with my male friends; it seems like they are always just convinced of themselves and their own abilities.

It turns out that impostor syndrome is indeed an issue that primarily affects women. Have you not heard of it before? Perhaps you still recognize the ‘symptoms’. Impostor syndrome means that you are afraid that people will find out that you are not suitable for the job you applied for, that you are dumb, that you are being paid too much for what you can do, or that you simply cannot do anything at all. Despite the fact that the term ‘syndrome’ is in the name, it has nothing to do with a mental disorder. This problem exists mainly because women are still not taken seriously everywhere. Positive discrimination also plays a role here; for example, sometimes women are chosen for a particular job to meet a female quota within a company.

But even if they are chosen because they are truly the best for that position, the fear of being ‘exposed’ remains. Even extremely successful women recognize this: writer Maya Angelou, former Google and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg (who wrote this a fantastic book for women about pursuing top positions in their careers), but also actress Emma Watson.

What can you do about it? Journaling seems to help a lot. Organizing your thoughts can help you realize that you are doing this to yourself, that it is just a kind of self-bullying. Additionally, there is something called ‘gestalt therapy’: you learn to accept all parts of your own personality, which helps you realize that these thoughts belong to you. You also learn that you do not necessarily have to suffer from them. You know they are there, and that is okay.
But the easiest thing is of course just to do it and see how it goes. There is a good chance that you will positively surprise yourself.

Image: The Bold Type