• Feeling stuck and unable to stick to a healthy work-life balance. 
• Believing that you need to be the best or have a lot of achievements to be loved.
• Never feeling satisfied or proud of you achievements.
• Avoiding new opportunities to grow your skill set, which limits growth. 

Not everyone experiences Imposter Phenomenon in the same way.  You might be surprised that seemingly positive behavior can be considered Imposter Phenomenon. 

Recognizing the ways that Imposter Phenomenon may affect your behavior is the first step to overcoming it. 

5 Types of Imposter Phenomenon

• Perfectionist - Do you always believe that your work must be perfect, or if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself? Those high standards might lead to feelings of doubt or worry when they are not met. Understand that mistakes are part of the learning process, and no one is perfect.  
• Superhuman - Do you tend to overwork yourself to keep up with your colleagues?  This imposter type overcompensates for feelings of insecurity by pushing themselves to work longer hours than everyone else. Over-working can cause issues with mental health and personal relationships. 
• Natural Genius - Do you get embarrassed when you don’t get something right on the first try, or when you take a long time to master a skill? This imposter type avoids challenges for fear of failure. However, failing is often a sign of growth.
• Soloist - Do you not like to ask for help because you believe it makes you a failure? Being independent is not a bad thing, but you should realize that asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It’s actually a quality that employers really value.  
• Expert - Do you believe that you are only as good as your skills, and you will not try something new unless you meet all the requirements? Instead of trying to know everything, try to focus on acquiring new skills when you need them. Mentoring others is a great way to share your knowledge without putting excessive pressure on yourself.  

Once feelings of being an imposter develop, they can be difficult to stop. Even after you achieve some success in school or in your career, you might feel like you don't deserve it or that someone else would be able to do an even better job. As time passes, success causes your fear of being "discovered as a fraud" to grow even stronger. 

There are several strategies to cope with Imposter Phenomenon. You should pick the strategies that work for you and your situation. 

Tips on Coping with Imposter Phenomenon

• Acknowledge your feelings – you have to acknowledge your feelings because you have to realize that you have it so you can try to work through this feeling. 
• Take a break from doing the thing that makes you stressed/have feelings of imposter phenomenon – come back to it another time or get help with the activity you are doing 
• Try to focus on growing your skillset – you'll confidence by increasig your competence. 
• Don’t overwhelm yourself – some people with imposter syndrome try to do too much work to overcome a feeling of not working hard enough, which stresses them out more 
• Don't let your doubts control you - believe in yourself. You have earned your spot where you are in life.

Privilege plays a real role here: it's far easier to show up and behave like you belong in a space when society reinforces the notion that people like you do belong there.

POC who work in predominantly white jobs experience imposter phenomenon at higher rates.

Transgender and queer people experience imposter phenomenon at high rates as well.