That quiet voice that says you don’t belong.
That you’ve somehow slipped through the net.
That any moment now, someone is going to find you out.

In this episode of It’s A Small World!, Tanya and Mich explore imposter syndrome - what it is, why it’s increasing, and how it links directly to burnout, particularly for women in the workplace.

Drawing on research from Claire Josa’s Imposter Syndrome Study, we unpack the connection between imposter syndrome, mental load and chronic stress, including the finding that over half of female employees are now concerned about burnout.

We discuss:

• The 4 P’s – Perfectionism, Procrastination, Project Paralysis and People Pleasing
• Why leadership structures are still based on outdated assumptions
• The “spotlight effect” (and why most people aren’t judging us as much as we think)
• How school grading, comparison culture and relationships shape self-worth
• The difference between internal doubt and external bias

We also share personal stories - from school experiences and career fears to confidence, failure and questioning whether we’re ever really “enough.”

If you’ve ever replayed conversations in your head or felt like your achievements were down to luck, this episode is for you.

Next week: Ageism - where imposter syndrome ends, and systemic bias begins.

And remember… sometimes the world is smaller and stranger than we think.