Why Anxiety Can Make You Feel Like an Impostor
- Maria Diaz
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
By Maria Diaz, LMHC-D, LPC, EMDR Certified Therapist
Have you ever achieved something you’re proud of—only to find yourself questioning whether you really deserved it? Maybe you’ve walked into a room full of capable people and felt like you didn’t belong. Or perhaps you’ve hit a milestone in your career or education and heard a nagging inner voice say, “You just got lucky.”
If any of this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. What you’re experiencing may be a combination of anxiety and impostor syndrome—a deeply uncomfortable but common phenomenon where people doubt their accomplishments and fear being exposed as a fraud.
While impostor feelings can affect anyone, anxiety can make them more intense, more frequent, and harder to shake. But why does anxiety have this effect? And what can we do about it?
Let’s take a closer look.
The Inner Workings of Anxiety
To understand how anxiety fuels impostor syndrome, it helps to first understand what anxiety is doing behind the scenes. Anxiety is, at its core, a survival mechanism. It’s your brain’s way of scanning the environment for potential threats and helping you stay alert and prepared. In many situations, that’s a good thing—it can motivate you to prepare thoroughly, double-check your work, or think through different outcomes.
But when anxiety becomes chronic or overly active, it doesn’t just warn you about actual danger—it starts warning you about perceived danger. And one of the biggest perceived dangers for many people is not being enough.
This is where anxiety and impostor syndrome start to intersect.
Anxiety Distorts How You See Yourself
An anxious mind tends to focus on what could go wrong. It highlights your shortcomings, fixates on small mistakes, and underplays your achievements. Even when you succeed, anxiety might say:
“You just got lucky.”
“They’re going to find out you don’t actually know what you’re doing.”
“You should’ve done better.”
Over time, this pattern chips away at your self-confidence and can create a deep disconnect between your actual abilities and how you feel about them. You may be highly competent, qualified, and respected by others—but internally, anxiety is whispering that you’re not enough.
The Fear of Being “Found Out”
One of the hallmarks of impostor syndrome is the persistent fear of being “found out.” You might believe you’ve somehow fooled others into thinking you’re more capable than you really are. This fear is deeply rooted in anxiety—it’s a classic example of anticipatory anxiety, where your mind tries to protect you from a potential future embarrassment by preparing for it (even if it’s extremely unlikely).
Anxious thoughts might sound like:
“What if someone asks me something I don’t know?”
“What if they realize I’m not as smart as they thought?”
“What if I mess this up and it confirms what I’ve feared all along?”
This kind of self-talk is exhausting—and unfortunately, it can become a mental habit if left unchecked.
Perfectionism and Overworking
Another way anxiety contributes to impostor feelings is by pushing you to overcompensate. You might work longer hours, over-prepare, or set impossibly high standards just to “prove” you belong. On the surface, this can lead to success—but it often comes at a cost: burnout, self-doubt, and a growing fear that no amount of effort will ever be “enough.”
Ironically, the more you succeed under pressure from anxiety, the more likely you are to discount that success. After all, if you had to work that hard, doesn’t it mean you’re not naturally capable?
The truth is, effort and ability aren’t mutually exclusive—but anxiety has a way of blurring that line.
You’re Not Alone—And You’re Not an Impostor
The combination of anxiety and impostor syndrome can feel isolating, but these experiences are incredibly common. In fact, some of the most accomplished people—leaders, creators, professionals—struggle with the same doubts and fears.
The important thing to remember is this:
Feeling like an impostor doesn’t make you one.
You can feel uncertain and still be competent. You can feel nervous and still be capable. Anxiety might try to tell you otherwise, but those thoughts aren’t facts.
What Helps
While there’s no quick fix, here are a few ways to gently challenge anxiety-driven impostor thoughts:
Name it: Sometimes just recognizing, “Oh, this is anxiety talking,” can create space between you and the thought.
Talk about it: Sharing your feelings with trusted friends, mentors, or a therapist can normalize your experience and provide support.
Reflect on evidence: Keep a list of accomplishments, kind feedback, and moments you were proud of. Revisit it when doubt creeps in.
Practice self-compassion: Remind yourself that perfection isn’t the goal—growth is. You’re allowed to be a work in progress.