Imposter syndrome among sports nutrition professionals
Written by: Nancy Clark
If you are a sports nutrition entrepreneur who is working hard to create a new career in your country, you may be feeling a bit insecure about how to turn your dreams into reality. Or perhaps you are a new faculty member, hired to teach sports nutrition for the first time at your university, and are afraid of not “knowing everything.” Regardless of your career goals, most novice (and even experienced) sports nutrition professionals experience Imposter Syndrome (also known as Imposter Phenomenon). Imposter Syndrome makes you feel like you aren’t good enough at your job, though the facts say otherwise.
The definition of imposter syndrome is “Persistent doubt concerning one’s abilities or accomplishments accompanied by the fear of being exposed as a fraud despite evidence of one’s ongoing success.” That is, others may see you as an expert but you do not! Your self-doubt generally means you are facing a new challenge from which you can learn and grow. It doesn’t mean you are going to fail. You don’t have to know everything right from the start.
Signs of Imposter Syndrome (IS) include:
- feeling inadequate in intelligence, ability, education, and experience
- down-playing your own skills and accomplishments
- feeling like a fraud or phony
- attributing success to luck or outside variables
- obsessing over small mistakes or flaws
- avoiding new opportunities and challenges
- doubting yourself, lacking confidence, or procrastinating
- over-preparing to the detriment of personal relationships
- feeling physically distressed, anxious, or depressed
- experiencing job burnout and/or dissatisfaction
If any of this sounds familiar, you are not alone. In a survey of 1,015 nutrition students, dietetic interns, practising RDs, and retired RDs, about two-thirds reported frequent or intense Imposter Syndrome. Lower IS scores were linked to being older, having more work experience, and having job satisfaction (1).
Steps to overcome Imposter Syndrome include:
- Be aware of negative or self-defeating chatter in your brain and reframe your thoughts
- Acknowledge you will increase in competency with increased experiences
- Share your feelings with colleagues, mentors, and/or supportive friends
- Stay well-educated on your topic, but know that mistakes are inevitable
- Keep a list of your accomplishments and what you do well
- Stop comparing yourself to others and pat yourself on the back once in a while!
If you have intense feelings that you are an imposter, your best bet is to address the problem. Find a mentor/business coach who can listen to your fears, offer honest feedback, and help you see your strengths. If you are the mentor, assure your struggling mentee that you, too have experienced the same feelings of self-doubt, and with time and experience, you grew your skills and became more competent. Mentees can do the same if they are willing to step out of their comfort zones.
Mentoring group for PINES Member
Athletes around the globe are seeking confident sports nutrition professionals who can help educate them how to eat to win. PINES is here to help sports nutrition entrepreneurs rise above their self-imposed and self-limiting Imposter Syndrome issues and meet the challenge of becoming a local, national, or international sports nutrition leader. Through PINES, you can join a mentoring group that meets one a month for 45-60 minutes. If that is of interest, send an email to PINES secretary and mentoring workshop leader Nancy Clark MS RD CSSD at nclarkrd@rcn.com.
Another way for you to boost your confidence and strengthen your career path is to get involved with PINES as a volunteer. You will automatically meet nutrition professionals and potential mentors who will help you reach your professional goals.
You can volunteer to be on a committee and work on a project of interest, such as—
- interview PINES’ members or researchers regarding their work and write an article for the enews;
- help revise the website;
- be a speaker for a Present & Connect session;
- write or translate an International Food Fact Sheet.
To volunteer, send your expression of interest to info@PINESNutrition.org and we will connect you with teammates.
Author
Nancy Clark MS RD CSSD counsels both fitness exercisers and competitive athletes in the Boston-area (Newton; 617-795-1875). Her best-selling Sports Nutrition Guidebook is a popular resource, as is her online workshop. Visit NancyClarkRD.com for info.
References
1) Landry M, D Bailey, M Lee et al. The Imposter Phenomenon in the Nutrition and Dietetics Profession: An Online Cross-Sectional Survey. Int’l J Environ Res Public Health 2022, 19,5558. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/9/5558
2) You are Not an Imposter: The Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Imposter Phenomenon Landry M, D. Bailey, A Ervin. J Nutr Educ Behav 2021; 53:625-630
