life & style // no. 12 theotherpress.ca

Imposter syndrome

> The plague of the terminally humble

Brittney MacDonald
Life & Style Editor

 

o you ever feel like a fraud? Do you

feel as if all the accomplishments
you have achieved are either not your
own, or are simply not something
to be celebrated? If so, you might be
suffering from imposter syndrome, a
psychological phenomenon that has
risen to affect approximately 70 per
cent of the world’s population, and acts
as a gateway to developing anxiety,
depression, and self-confidence issues.

Imposter syndrome (IS)—also
called the imposter phenomenon,
fraud syndrome, and/or the imposter
experience—is a method of behavior in
which people find themselves unable to
internalize any form of accomplishment,
and suffer paranoia pertaining to
being exposed as someone who has
deceived others into thinking they are
more intelligent or competent than the
sufferer believes themselves to be.

IS was originally identified in 1978
by research psychologists Dr. Pauline
Clance and Dr. Suzanne Imes. They
found that those suffering from IS
would not only embody this belief on a

personal level, but even go as
far as publicly expressing
a dismissive attitude
towards personal
accomplishment,

often citing that

luck, timing, or

outside aid was

the reason behind

their success.

The dangerous
thing about people
suffering from IS is
that as technology
advances. people
have become
more independent
and therefore less
likely to recognize
the accomplishments
of others. If you are unable
to praise or recognize your own
accomplishments in the face of
your peers, these accomplishments
will then go unnoticed in
general. It also becomes very easy for
sufferers to then talk themselves out
of available opportunities as a result
of believing themselves unworthy.

Unfortunately, IS is not a formally-
recognized mental disorder, and

Next to godliness

> New weekly cleaning column is here to make your bathroom sparkle!

Sophie Isbister
Senior Columnist

 

Hee and welcome to my new,
regular cleaning column. Are you
ready to glove up and get sudsy? Each
week I, a self-professed Mostly-Clean
Student, will share my tried and true
methods for cleaning and organizing
different parts of your life and home.
Whether youre a seasoned independent
just starting out on your own, or are still
camping with mom and dad, there will
be something in this column for you!

For my inaugural episode, I will
be tackling the dirtiest room in your
home: The bathroom. However, I’m
not here to make it spotless. My simple
tutorial this week only has but one goal,
and that is to help you de-clutter.

We all know the saying, “tidy house,
tidy mind.’ Decluttering is crucial to
keeping both your home and your brain
running smoothly. It feels good to be able
to find things; to know exactly where
you ve put your hair ties or concealer
brush, and to not have to fight through
a drawer full of unused moisturizers to
get a Band-Aid! Keeping a tidy home,
including the bathroom, means that there’s
one less thing for you to think about.

So that’s why you should tidy.

Now let’s move on to how!

I usually begin de-cluttering my
bathroom with the medicine cabinet,
because it’s super easy, I promise—just look
at the expiry date!! The first time I used this
method, I was surprised at how much old
stuff I got rid of. Simply check each of your
medicines or medical products for a tiny
date on the package. Checking expiry dates
is not something that people do regularly,

so this will likely result in an impressive
pile that can go right in the trash.

Next, I move on to makeup and
body products. While these don’t usually
have expiry dates, there are definitely
some guidelines for how long you should
keep makeup. If you're anything like me,
you've moved onto a new mascara or
eyeliner and left the old one to flounder,
neglected, in your makeup case. If makeup
is something you use every day, then you
should definitely consider tossing some
of your older collection. And oh yeah,
that sample of skin cream you got a year
ago at Shoppers Drug Mart or in your
Ipsy bag? Chuck it! Samples are kept
in such small quantities, their quality
degrades quick and should really be
used up shortly after you acquire them.

Makeup can carry bacteria, depending
on how well you handle it and how often
you clean your brushes (which is a whole
other column). A good guideline is to
throw out your blushes, eyeshadows, and
other hard powders after a year or so.
Liquid or cream concealers, foundations,
blushes, and highlighters can hit the road
in six months to a year, and you can kiss
your lipstick goodbye after a year! As for
mascara, because it is often water-based
and applied close to your eye, it has the
shortest shelf life; three to six months!
Really makes you think twice about
spending $30 on a tube from Sephora.

By the time I’ve thrown away the last
of the makeup and said a prayer for my
fallen soldiers, my bathroom is almost
completely tidy! The last thing I do is
clear everything off the counter that I
don't use every day. Another important
thing to do is to make sure you rinse
and recycle all those old containers, and

therefore does not have a standard
treatment available. However,
psychologists and sufferers agree that
talking about the syndrome and letting
those in positions of power within your
workplace know that you suffer from it
can help greatly—as long as your boss

dispose of any prescription medicine
responsibly. Do not flush meds down the
toilet! Instead, place them ina plastic
bag and pour some water in the bag to
destroy the medicine, and then place
the bag in the garbage—or take them to
the nearest pharmacy. The pharmacists
there will be more than happy to dispose
of your unused medications for you.

I follow this decluttering routine a

is willing to give extra praise when
appropriate. Experts say that group and
writing therapy are also particularly
effective, because they allow the sufferer
to reflect and become hyper aware
of when they exhibit IS symptoms.

     

(MAALIN GOL TSE

couple times a year, and each time I am
shocked at how much extra, random
product I allow to accumulate. Clearing
out old products regularly helps
contribute to a tidier bathroom and in
turn, a more peaceful state of mind.
E-mail lifeandstyle@theotherpress.
ca if you tried my tips and liked
them, or if there’s anything you want
me to cover in a future column!

Image via MainStreetDigest.com

  
   

Illustration by Cara Seccafien