Remote Work Can Exacerbate Imposter Syndrome
Imposter syndrome — a term coined by clinical psychologists in the late 1970s — is a psychological pattern of behavior in which an individual doubts his or her accomplishments and is persistently (often internally) afraid of being exposed as a fraud. Individuals suffering from imposter syndrome feel underqualified for or unworthy of their jobs, even if noted success has already proven their capabilities. Individuals suffering from imposter syndrome may be considered high-performing employees, but live with a persistent fear that they aren't.
Unfortunately, remote work can exacerbate imposter syndrome in some people.
- It can hard to read the nuance in feedback or constructive criticism via email or messenger apps.
- The body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice we use to decode others' intentions are harder to read over the computer.
- Spending so much time on one's own can cause individuals to get stuck in their own heads and overthink things.
- Asking for help can seem more daunting when you can't just go across the hall or quickly ask a friend.
- Individuals experiencing quick pivots to first-time remote work due to pandemic closures may struggle with new technologies, processes, and time management.
- Remote workers have a lot of freedom and autonomy, and sometimes with that comes with less feedback than an individual may be used to.
Research has found that up to 70% of the US workforce has suffered from imposter syndrome at some point in their careers. Imposter syndrome can cause individuals to miss professional opportunities they don't feel qualified for, cause burnout, impact an individual's ability to form meaningful relationships, and affect the quality of an individual's work. How can remote workers suffering from imposter syndrome mitigate the situation and gain confidence?
Four Tactics Remote Workers Can Use to Combat Imposter Syndrome
1. Stay Social
"I get by with a little help from my friends" isn't just the name of a classic Beatles song, but an approach more people should take in the workplace. Building and nurturing relationships at your organization can help you feel more connected, build a network you can go to for informal help or feedback, and also make work more enjoyable. The more you know your coworkers, the less nebulous their feedback or responses to you will seem. Take advantage of communication tools in your office like Zoom, Slack, or Google Meetings to build and nurture those relationships. Also, don't hesitate to publicly ask any questions or clarifications-others may have the same concerns you do!
2. Learn from Mistakes
This is going to sound like a cliché, but everyone makes mistakes (and anyone that says otherwise is telling some white lies). What sets apart successful professionals is how they handle messing up. Do you wallow in self-pity? Let it completely derail your day? Or do you use a mistake as a chance to learn and grow? Anytime you make a mistake, take some time and reflect why the mistake happened. What did you do wrong? What do you need to learn to ensure the mistake doesn't happen again? What can you do differently in the future to be more successful? If you approach mistakes this way, eventually you'll be the one helping others who are learning from their mistakes, since you have already learned and grown.
3. Establish Work-Life Balance
Many remote workers tend to work too many hours, struggling to separate work time from personal time. In a common pattern called the imposter cycle, coined by researchers Jaruwan Sakulku and James Alexander, an individual begins by feeling anxious when he or she receives a new task, followed by over-preparing and finally spending way more time and effort on a project than necessary. When the project is successfully completed, instead of acknowledging a job well done, the individual grows falsely convinced that the project failed because he or she took additional hours to complete it. The thought of the next task can lead to a completely new round of anxiety.
Working less can actually make you more productive! Studies find that 85% percent of companies that help employees foster a healthy work-life balance report a more productive workforce. If your company doesn't do that, figure out how to implement a work-life balance plan of your own. Figure out when you're most productive and do your most taxing tasks during those times. Create realistic lists of what you need to get done when. Don't feel bad about taking a break to grab a coffee, lunch, or quick workout (we're big proponents here at HiringThing about taking at least a quick 5-10 minute break every hour to recharge). There are plenty of resources out there for anyone struggling with maintaining a healthy work-life balance, but the first step is realizing that a healthy balance is better for your output than overworking.
4. Assume Good Intent
In a remote work environment, communication requires significant effort. Since it’s difficult to decipher tone in emails, Slack messages, etc., those with imposter syndrome can struggle to internalize good feedback and may even dwell on perceived critiques. They may falsely interpret a co-worker’s tone as harsh or short. A best practice is to always assume colleagues have good intentions when communicating. Even in chat tools like Slack where emojis and gifs can be added to conversations, you may read your co-workers’ tones completely differently than you would over the phone or on video calls. Assuming good intent can help wash away worries about communication. If you still struggle, never be afraid to ask a co-worker or supervisor to connect via video and clarify their meaning.
Are there any other remote-work issues you're struggling with? We're here to help! HiringThing has been remote since we started in 2012 and have created our Remote Work Hub as a way to share our remote-work expertise with others!
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