[BPG Podcast] Imposter Syndrome

BPG Podcast Group 2 Imposter Syndrome.mp

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Sophia: Hello there, welcome to your weekly self-care podcast by Berkeley Psychology Group. My name is Sophia.

Alina: My name is Alina.

Ying: My name is Ying.

Sophia: Today we will be having a conversation about imposter syndrome. What exactly is imposter syndrome?

Alina: Well, it’s actually not anything official. It’s generally defined as the inability to internalize personal accomplishments, therefore leading to feelings of being a fraud.

Ying: It’s actually a really common phenomenon, and I wouldn't be surprised if every person has dealt with it at some point in their lives. Say, what are some examples of imposter syndrome that you all may have experienced?

Sophia: Just as many other Berkeley students, I always feel like I don’t belong to this prestigious university. I doubt if I can ever fit in that I feel less intelligent as my peers. Everyone else around me seems to know what they are doing and they are all working towards their career goal. I, on the other hand, am still deciding between majors. They can also handle both academic and social life really well while I always need to make sacrifices with my time. Therefore, I feel less and less confident both academically and socially.

Alina: In fact, Imposter Syndrome may just be no more than a combination of other symptoms, such as feelings of self-doubt, burnout, lack of confidence, shame, and the list could go on. Sometimes as a Berkeley student I felt like the activities on my resume or I was selected to were not as outstanding as others, and that I got into certain programs or internships due to luck but not much due to my personal capabilities. Yea and this mindset sometimes just makes me feel down or anxious, but journaling and reflecting on my personal strengths really helps a lot shifting away from that sense of fraud.

Ying: Yea I feel you. I took violin lessons for about 8 years prior to entering college, and I feel like I had a love-hate relationship with it. I didn’t think I was good at all. But my violin teacher thought I was, so after graduating, he gave me a chance to perform my own two hour long graduation recital. I remember feeling extremely uneasy because I didn’t think I could have such a privilege. But it still happened. To be honest, I was not satisfied with my performance at all, but I received so much praise from my family, friends, and teachers, but a part of me really thought I did not deserve any of it, and I kind of still think that way today. I know my self doubt is unreasonable, but it’s something that I still can’t stop thinking about.

Sophia: Wow, imposter syndrome really can manifest in so many different ways. What methods do you think we can use to cope with it?

Alina: Are there reeeeally any effective methods...other than just to...“bear” with it?

Ying: heh I appreciate the pun. But to answer the question, I think it really varies person to person. For example, daily journal writing may be really helpful for one and completely useless for another.

Alina: True, I think just understanding that you’re not the only one feeling like you have no idea what you’re doing. Everyone will get stuck in this mentality at some point, but everyone will eventually get past it too.

Sophia: Yea, it may also help to stop negatively comparing yourself to others. After all, they have their strong points, but you do as well.

Ying: Exactly, we all need to remind ourselves of the actual, specific things we have succeeded in and that we really deserve what we have earned. Thank you for joining us in today’s self-care episode produced by the Berkeley Psychology Group! And we will see you next week. Stay safe.