This Is What Imposter Syndrome Feels Like

If you’ve ever felt like a 'fraud' at work, you're not alone. That feeling is known as Imposter Syndrome: a belief that your success is just down to luck, and that pretty soon, everyone’s going to sniff you out as a chancer. It's the real deal, and affects more of us than you probably think.

To prove how common it is, we asked all the women at Refinery29 UK if they had ever experienced Imposter Syndrome. Of those who responded, 90% said yes. Some experienced it just once, for others it has returned again and again, all the way through their career.

The symptoms were different for all these women, but it had the same impact: it weakened their presence. They spoke up a little less, held back from sharing ideas, and shrank away from their genuine talent.

Together with TRESemmé, we're powering our presence in the workplace – starting with facing up to Imposter Syndrome. This feature is just step one in our year-long partnership; expect inspiring stories, career advice from top coaches, The Presence MasterClass®; a free 7-part online Masterclass, and more...

In the meantime, we invited five R29 women to tackle their Imposter Syndrome head-on, once and for all. Writing a letter to these feelings, they describe how it manifests in their mind and share valuable tips for overcoming it.