A scenario: You’re at work when your boss springs a last-minute presentation on you. Do you: a) Work on it till end of day, accept that while it might not be perfect, it has its charms, and feel proud of yourself once it’s done for pulling it off under pressure. Or b) Work on it until the early hours, endure a fitful night of stress-sleep, while afterwards you can’t stop picking over the bit where you froze and worrying when your boss is going to haul you over the coals for it.
If you’re very much in the latter camp, while it might not be all that reassuring, you’re far from alone. Imposter syndrome – which manifests in a number of symptoms including perfectionism, unjustified self doubt, and fears your incompetencies are about to be discovered – affects people of all ages, backgrounds and experiences, and can manifest across all areas of life, from work and education, to friendships, relationships and hobbies.
