How Feeling Like an Imposter Impacts Your Learning

Dr. Jasjit Sangha, a Learning Strategist from Academic Success, facilitated a workshop of “How the Imposter
Syndrome Impacts Your Learning.” In the workshop, Jasjit defined the imposter phenomenon and shared
strategies that we can use to combat this deliberating feeling we all experience.

The imposter syndrome is an internalized feeling where we doubt ourselves due to the pressure to produce
results, persistent fear of not meeting expectations and constant self-comparison to people we surround with.
This feeling depletes our motivation and performance level, making it difficult for us to find purpose in our
work. We find ourselves stuck and frozen, resulting us diving deep in the realms of procrastination. It is a trick
of self-fulfilling prophecy, as we reinforce our self-doubt.

A student quoted in The Varsity, U of T’s student newspaper, “[The imposter syndrome] would often really
consume my thoughts and I’d barely be able to concentrate, which would make me stop paying attention in
class, which only caused more problems.” The imposter syndrome exhibits a domino effect, inducing effects
such as emotional response and self-doubt. It ultimately impacts our learning.

Thinking Traps,
Emotional Impact on
Trigger Negative Self- Stress Self-doubt
Response Learning
Talk

Common thinking traps among students include “I’m not smart enough, I don’t deserve to be in this program,
I feel like a failure,” “Everyone is more productive than me and I cannot find the motivation to work,” and “I
cannot talk about setbacks in my work or others will judge me.” An exercise to refrain from these thinking traps
is by reframing them. Reframing includes understanding and acknowledging the feeling of self-doubt while
finding a supportive network and creating a realistic and manageable pace to accomplish a goal. We can
support our peers reframe their thinking traps by sharing a moment of self-compassion, helping them
recognize that it is a challenge, yet it is normal to feel such way.

The imposter syndrome also leads us into a spiral of self- deprecating thoughts, making us question our self-
worth. Sacred Pause is a strategy where we separate the feeling and our self-worth. It is important to
acknowledge that this feeling does not define us as an individual. During the pause, we can ask ourselves:
“How do I define failure? How do I define success?” and “What supports may I reach out to?”

Be Aware of Reframe
Emotional Strenghten Impact on
Trigger PAUSE Thinking Thinking
Response Sense of Self Learning
Traps Traps

Creating realistic pacing and time management is beneficial, as it allows us to feel that the goal is achievable.
We may do so by identifying our most productive time and space and recognizing distractions that energize us
or distract us further. The solution can be very simple. Different ways to overcome procrastination are the 5-
minute rule, Pomodoro, writing out thinking traps, applying a reward system, forming study groups, chunking
out tasks, identifying daily intentions, aligning with future goals, and practicing self-care.

Lastly, the most important we must do is to express self-compassion. We must acknowledge our moment of
suffering, that what we are experiencing is stressful and painful, and that there are moments we will struggle
and face challenges. Mindfulness activities help ground ourselves and display self-compassion. We may do so
by identifying moments of joy and generating a list of things that help us define meaning and a sense of purpose.
Being present, appreciating the simplest things, and most importantly, forgiving ourselves will help combat our
experience of the imposter syndrome.