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IMPOSTOR SYNDROME: AN OVERTHINKER’S NIGHTMARE

Writer's picture: Zeynep ÇerçiZeynep Çerçi


 Have you ever felt like your achievements are not enough? Do you always pressure yourself to be perfect? If so, the chances are you suffer from Impostor Syndrome. This medical condition happens when one thinks he / she is not good enough, and anyone could get it! Even Paul McCartney, the owner of 18 Grammy awards, had said that he felt like a fraud from time to time. However, just like almost every disease, there are some ways to treat impostor syndrome: sharing your feelings with someone you trust, lowering your expectations and stopping on being a perfectionist, and celebrating the small things you do.

 Sometimes, the thing you are going through is too much for you. That is why opening up to someone you can trust helps a lot. It is important to be able to have someone you can fully be sincere with. It could be your parents, a therapist, or even your classmate. Plus, having another perspective to look at things will make you more rationally. Opening up to people also strengthens the ties between people.

 Another way to solve this problem is to lower one’s expectations. It definitely is not as easy as it is to say; but with enough help, it can be done. For starters, do not compare yourself to other people around you. Of course you both have different results and/or capabilities! One cannot be the best at everything, and they should not think of themselves lowly because of that. Remembering that no one’s worth is measured by their successes is another key thought to keep you away from high expectations and perfectionism.

 Last but not least, learning to celebrate small things in life. Appreciating little things helps one to stop comparing himself / herself to other people, and competing with them. Rewarding yourself after your small tasks also boosts your self-esteem and makes you feel worthy. It also makes you feel happier and helps you live a more fulfilling life. Dividing tasks into smaller pieces and finishing them will also tire you less than how much it would have if you had done it without breaks.

 Even though there are lots of easy cures for impostor syndrome, it is still one of the most serious problems us humans are facing these days. Some of the solutions include but are not limited to: opening up to someone, lowering expectations and perfectionism, and appreciating small achievements. However, everything is up to our mindset. If one really wants to get treated, they are determined to win. Not everything we do can be perfect, the mistakes are a part of our lives. Then again, is it not the mistakes we make that make us human?


(image credits: https://www.verywellmind.com/imposter-syndrome-and-social-anxiety-disorder-4156469)

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