“The impostor syndrome can lead to burnout”

The feeling of not being up to scratch, the impression that you owe everything to luck or the irrational fear that others will realise that you are not up to the task? These unpleasant ideas are the daily reality for people who suffer from impostor syndrome. According to a study published in the Journal of Behavorial Science, 70% of the population suffer from this disorder to varying degrees, and they all share the same fear: “being unmasked”, as Stacey Callahan, a clinical psychologist and researcher at the University of Toulouse - Jean Jaurès, explains.

Where does impostor syndrome come from? 

Impostor syndrome has been in the news a lot in recent years. However, this concept is already 35 years old, since it was the American psychologist Pauline Clance who theorised about it in 1986. This psychologist even developed the reference test to determine whether one is prone to this illness. 

At the time, the phrase "impostor syndrome" was not used, but rather "Impostor phenomenon" - the title of Pauline Clance's founding book. Today, the phrase impostor syndrome, although misused since it is not a medical condition, is widely spread. 

Whatever you call it, impostor syndrome is identified by three main symptoms: 

• the feeling that one's achievements are the result of external forces 
• the feeling of being illegitimate in claiming one's achievements 
• the inability to believe in one's own abilities. 

We are beginning to know a lot about this impostor phenomenon, but “we don't really know what causes it”, Stacey Callahan says. There are many theories. The one that dominates in cognitive-behavioural psychology is the idea that we have integrated that humility and not admitting success are good things. And impostor syndrome would be a kind of perverse effect of this idea deeply embedded in us. 

One syndrome for two impostors 

This syndrome of permanent doubt - one of the many names for the phenomenon - can be expressed by two types of personalities: procrastinators and over-workers. The former fall behind in their tasks because they are afraid of getting started and failing. The latter try to compensate for their belief that they are not up to the task by increasing their workload - but not necessarily their efficiency. In both cases, the consequences can be harmful. 

“Imposter syndrome can lead to burnout”, Stacey Callahan says. And this is true whether you are a procrastinator or an over-worker, since both cases will entail an excessive workload that can lead to burnout. In the office, impostor syndrome can also affect relationships between colleagues. Because of their task management, “impostors” may create very negative relationships with the rest of their team. 

As if that wasn't enough, the Covid crisis has also increased the prevalence of impostor syndrome. The reason: remote working, which, by eliminating some face-to-face validations, may have activated or reactivated a feeling of impostor among certain employees.

How can we fight against impostor syndrome at work? 

So, what can be done to fight this syndrome at work, which can have disastrous consequences? Fortunately, Stacey Callahan has some answers. 

Firstly, the expert on the subject recommends creating a culture of acceptance of failure within the company. This is a corporate culture which benefits have been the subject of several scientific studies. The idea is simple: “if failure is no longer a problem, then success is no longer the only possible outcome”. Easy to say, harder to implement. So, Stacey Callahan recommends adopting an “attitude of unconditional self-acceptance”, or at least learning to do so. Because accepting yourself also allows you to accept others and their mistakes, which is good for everyone.