When I decided to try my hand at freelance work earlier in the year (Goodbye, Boring Cubicle was really helpful), one of the first things I did was reach out to other young women in the area who were successfully doing it.

I met up with a smart, friendly woman named Rachel who runs a business that focuses on freelance content creation. Of the many things I made note of during our coffee date, one of the most interesting and helpful was the importance of identifying and overcoming my “Imposter Syndrome”.

I had never heard of this physiological phenomenon before. Original studies have found it to affect women more often than men, though nobody is safe from feeling it regardless of sex, race, or background.

So, what is it?