4 May 2022
Feel like you’re faking it? We all do from time to time. But what happens when it’s an ever-present emotion? That’s when it is out of control. Carolyne Crowe discusses when we face impostor syndrome.
Carolyne Crowe
Job Title
Image: © sdubrov / Adobe Stock
While impostor syndrome resonates with lots of people across many professions, it can be more prevalent among high-achieving, self-pressurising individuals. These traits are commonplace among veterinary practitioners – and many experience that feeling of being an impostor.
You can hear it in the words and phrases that we choose – for example, “I was just lucky”; “I had lots of help”; “I’m not smart, I just work hard”. It’s when we put ourselves down and build others up.
It is feeling like someone is going to catch you out; it is focusing more on what you haven’t done rather than what you have achieved.
The reality is that every vet is a great achiever. The time, energy and focus it takes to qualify is tremendous, and we continue to achieve so much throughout our careers.
But do we feel confident? Competent? And present in what we are doing? For so many, our inner voice is undermining us. Day-to-day impostor syndrome makes it difficult to accept praise. Often, those who face it are dismissive of recognition, which makes it hard for both the individual and others working with them.
It can stop people from seizing opportunities and taking initiative. It can make people reluctant to highlight their contributions to the team and, instead, potentially hang back. That fear and self-doubt can also hinder career progression.
Other symptoms include a difficulty in delegating, causing a variety of other issues, such as overload, stress and burnout. It can stop people asking for – or accepting – help. Times exist when this is potentially dangerous for clients and for patients, too.
Different archetypes of impostor syndrome exist. Some will work harder and for longer – competing with others through the length of time worked. Overworking can lead to many tricky situations, both for the individual, their team and their clients.
Impostor syndrome knocks confidence. If you are not feeling confident, it is unlikely you will be feeling competent – and that can affect your daily tasks.
Fundamentally, it will affect how you come across to clients and team members, how you communicate, and how you go about your clinical work and practise patient safety. It is intertwined.
The mechanisms behind impostor syndrome are normal and natural, having initially evolved to protect us. Our brain develops thought patterns that affect how we feel. And how we feel affects how we behave.
Habitual thought patterns can either help or hinder us. Thoughts that previously helped us succeed can start to hold us back.
Perhaps throughout your education you were a perfectionist, or maybe you tried to control situations, or overcome challenges by working harder.
These tendencies, at some point, will have served you well, but sometimes they go too far and start to become a negative set of thought patterns.
Effectively, impostor syndrome is an overinflated self-protection strategy that is trying to keep us safe or feel comfortable.
Through coaching, we can break these thought patterns and get people thinking about what they have achieved – for instance, focusing on what a client or colleague actually said, rather than what we thought they meant by what they said.
In reality, impostor syndrome isn’t a pathology; no medication exists for it, and it can be transient and present at different times.
It can be used as a good check-in, making sure our egos aren’t getting too big. And it can stop us from jumping into situations blindly. It is when the thoughts take over or become habitual that it becomes a problem for us.
As previously mentioned, some behaviours associated with impostor syndrome can contribute to burnout.
The constant second-guessing is another factor – feeling like you are always faking it is exhausting. Yet, there is no need to feel like this. There are other ways that we can feel and think without needing to change those elements beyond our control, such as what our clients say and which animals come under our care.
It is important to be mindful and recognise when we have thoughts of impostor syndrome.
If not managed, they can slowly chip away at our reserves and erode our resolve. It is about being aware.
People look at impostor syndrome differently, but the archetypes described in Valerie Young’s The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women will be very familiar to those working in veterinary settings. It is important to note that men are equally susceptible to impostor syndrome.
Those archetypes include:
It’s about changing what we think about what we know, not the knowledge itself.
The questions I am commonly asked are “What do I do about this?” and “How do I stop feeling like this?”.
My response is often based on helping people to understand that many of these emotions are normal as part of the learning and growing process. Development is often uncomfortable – you are inevitably stretching beyond your comfort zone. Focusing on where we have come from, what skills and knowledge we have acquired, and what we did well and what we didn’t can all help to gain perspective.
Sometimes it is managers who recognise these feelings and thoughts in their colleagues, and want to know how they can stop them questioning their place in the practice.
The short answer to this is that you can’t. You can, however, talk about the emotions and recognise that feeling this way, from time to time, is entirely normal.
Dispelling the myth that experienced veterinarians do not feel like this is very powerful for younger members of the team. It’s a normal process, and part of growth and development in whichever role you are in. Managers can also help others focus on the facts – what was actually said, not how they felt about what was said. Looking at the reality.
The fact is, no one is perfect. We all have those moments where we “wobble”; when it feels awkward, clunky and outside of your comfort zone. This is okay.
Take a deep breath and know that not knowing isn’t a reflection on you as a person, or your ability to do your job.
