Why Imposter Syndrome Is So Common Among High Achievers (And What the Subconscious Mind Has to Do With It)

Natalia Yusenis
7 days ago
6 min read

Let me ask you something, have you ever reached your career goal, and instead of celebrating it… you started worrying about what’s next?

Maybe you thought, “What if I can’t keep this up?” Or worse, “What if they find out I’m not actually as good as they think I am?”

In my work with high-achieving professionals here in Sydney, I see this all the time. People who seem calm and confident on the outside are secretly wrestling with self-doubt, fear of failure, and that nagging feeling that they’re somehow… faking it.

Instead of feeling confident, they’re constantly second-guessing themselves.Instead of feeling free, they feel stuck in pressure and perfection.And instead of feeling proud, they feel like a fraud.

It is known as imposter syndrome. And it’s one of the most common (and least talked about) forms of anxiety among high performers.

Let’s dive into why this happens and what you can do to finally stop walking that tightrope and start standing in your power.

What Exactly Is Imposter Syndrome?

In simple terms, imposter syndrome is that nagging feeling that you're not as competent as others think you are—even when all the evidence says otherwise. It’s the belief that your success is due to luck, timing, or external factors, rather than your own abilities. You might find yourself thinking things like, “I have no idea what I’m doing,” or “They’re going to figure out I’m not really that good.”

This term ’Imposter Phenomenon’ was first introduced in 1978 by psychologists Dr. Pauline Clance and Dr. Suzanne Imes, who observed high-achieving women feeling like frauds despite their accomplishments. Since then, it's been widely studied and is now known to affect all genders and industries. Across Australia, the phenomenon has gained national attention—for example, the Australian National University recently highlighted how competitive workplace cultures can magnify imposter feelings, particularly when colleagues are viewed as rivals rather than collaborators.

Common symptoms include chronic self-doubt, overworking to “prove yourself” or being “found out,” difficulty accepting praise, feeling unworthy despite proven success and attributing success to external factors.

If you’d like to dive deeper into the science behind it, check out the book The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women by Dr. Valerie Young.

Why Imposter Syndrome Is So Common Among High Achievers

At the root of imposter syndrome, there’s often a deeper emotional wound that was formed long before your career ever began.

If you were praised only when you achieved…If love, approval, or safety felt conditional…If you were made to feel like “being worthy of any attention or reward” meant “being exceptional”...

Then your subconscious mind made a powerful connection:

“In order to be loved, I need to perform. I need to achieve. I need to be perfect.”

This belief doesn’t disappear just because you grow up. In fact, as you rise, it often gets louder. You might find yourself:

Overworking, even when you're exhausted
Dismissing your wins as “not that impressive”
Pushing past your limits to avoid “letting anyone down”

What’s happening here isn’t ambition—it’s a nervous system seeking emotional safety through achievement.

How the Success Feeds Self-Doubt

Here’s the part no one tells you: success itself can feel threatening to the subconscious mind.

Why? Because success stretches you. It invites visibility. It asks you to be seen, to lead, to receive. And for a subconscious that’s still wired around old beliefs of unworthiness or fear of judgment, that feels unsafe. It’s not that you’re faking it. It’s that your inner world hasn’t caught up with your outer growth.

This creates what I call the success paradox: the more you achieve, the more your subconscious scrambles to keep you “safe” from visibility, judgment, or rejection. You feel anxious, disconnected from your achievements, and even guilty for thriving.

This is the success paradox:

You rise… and yet feel smaller inside.
You achieve… and feel more afraid to lose it.
You get recognition… and feel pressure to prove yourself even more.

High achievers often unconsciously chase success to fill a void only to discover that success actually amplifies the doubt, because they haven’t yet felt emotionally safe with being fully seen.

Imposter Syndrome and the Fear of the Unknown

Let’s talk about the discomfort of growth.

Every time you do something new—whether it’s leading a team, launching a business, speaking up in a meeting—you’re stepping outside of your known identity. And the subconscious loves what’s known.

So even if you’re stepping into something good, your subconscious might resist it with thoughts like:

“I’m not ready.”
“Someone else could do this better.”
“I have no idea what I’m doing.”

This isn’t evidence that you’re an imposter, it’s a normal response to uncertainty.

You’re simply operating without enough internal evidence yet. The subconscious mind believes only facts that have been proven over and over again, the rest is danger. It wants to see a list of “I’ve done this before” to feel confident. So when you’re doing something for the first time, you’re automatically more likely to feel anxious—even if you’re more than capable. Learn Why anxiety spikes after promotions and how hypnotherapy helps.

The Impact of Critical Childhood Conditioning

If you grew up with voices that told you:

“Don’t get too big for your boots.”
“You’re not that special.”
“You’ll never make it doing that.”

…then part of you might still be carrying those words inside.

And even as an adult, when you’re doing something powerful, especially if you’re breaking cycles or rising above what you were told was possible, your subconscious will pull those old stories forward.

This is especially true if you never had your talents mirrored or celebrated in childhood. That kind of emotional neglect or criticism often leads to high-functioning adults who don’t feel worthy of their own success.

Why Awareness Isn’t Enough (And What to Do Instead)

You can know all of this and still feel stuck. That’s because imposter syndrome lives in the subconscious, not the conscious mind.

This is why hypnotherapy, RTT, and inner child work are so effective. They allow you to:

Reconnect with the part of you that still feels “not enough”
Rewire the emotional links between performance and worth
Build safety around being seen, celebrated, and imperfect

In my hypnotherapy sessions—especially using Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT) to rewire self-doubt—we go deep into the root of these patterns. We uncover the old stories and subconscious beliefs that taught you that being anything less than perfect meant you weren’t worthy, or lovable, or safe.

Breathwork as Your Secret Weapon Before High-Stakes Meetings

Let me share something simple that can completely shift your state, especially when your nervous system is going haywire before a big presentation, meeting, or pitch.

Breathwork.

Not the kind that takes 45 minutes on a yoga mat (although that has its place too!). I’m talking about 2–3 minutes of intentional breathing that calms your body and focuses your mind.

Try this:

Box Breathing:

Inhale for 4 counts
Hold for 4
Exhale for 4
Repeat for 4 rounds

This kind of breathing signals to your nervous system: You’re safe. You’re grounded. You’re okay.

I teach this to my high-performing clients as part of their daily routine. It’s incredible for managing executive stress and giving you a sense of calm confidence when you need it most.

Quiet the Inner Critic With One Simple Shift

Let’s be honest, our inner critics can be relentless. And if you’ve ever found yourself spiraling in overthinking before a meeting or replaying a conversation in your head on repeat… this is for you.

Here’s a quick NLP trick I teach:

Step 1:

Imagine that critical voice in your head. Get familiar with its tone, its words. You probably know it well.

Step 2:

Now… change its voice.Make it sound like Donald Duck. Or a bad karaoke singer.

Step 3:

Add a silly outfit. Maybe a tutu. Or a cowboy hat.

I know this sounds ridiculous. But trust me, it works. When you change the way your mind represents that voice, it loses its power. You stop seeing it as truth, and start seeing it for what it is: just a thought.

You’re not your thoughts. You’re the one hearing them. And with the right tools, you can retrain your mind to be your biggest supporter, not your biggest critic.

Rebuilding Self-Trust from the Inside Out

If I could give you one thing today, it would be this: your own trust back.

Because when you trust yourself:

You stop second-guessing every move.
You speak up without rehearsing 20 times.
You handle failure without spiraling into shame.

And that’s what real confidence looks like. Not perfection. Not never messing up. But knowing you can handle whatever comes your way.

That’s what we build together in sessions using tools like RTT, hypnotherapy, breathwork, and neuro-linguistic techniques.

We rewire the belief that you need to be perfect to be valuable.We dissolve the fear of being seen.And we rebuild your internal safety so you can show up boldly and unapologetically. Learn more about my tailored hypnotherapy for professionals in high-pressure roles.

Let’s Wrap This Up

Here’s what I want you to remember: You’re not not a fraud. You’re not alone.

You’re just carrying subconscious beliefs that no longer serve you. And those can be changed.

If you’re a high achiever dealing with anxiety, imposter syndrome, or burnout, please know—there is a path forward. You can feel confident, calm, and grounded again. Not by trying harder, but by healing deeper.

Your mind is powerful. Let’s make it work for you—not against you.