You're Not A Fraud, But Your Brain Thinks You Are - How Impostor Syndrome Contributes to Burnout, with Dr. Amanda Tobe

Have you ever worked yourself to the bone to prove you deserve to be there — and ended up more exhausted than ever? That's probably impostor syndrome fueling burnout, and it's one of the most common — and most overlooked — patterns Dr. Amanda Tobe sees in her psychology practice every day.Dr. Amanda Tobe is a Toronto-based organizational psychologist, researcher, and founder of Amanda Tobe and Associates, a group psychology practice specializing in career-focused psychological services. She works with high-achieving professionals, leaders, and entrepreneurs on the internal barriers that quietly drain them: impostor syndrome, performance anxiety, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and burnout. Before founding her practice, she spent five years in corporate talent management — and it was her own experience of burnout and an unfulfilling career that set her on the path to do this work.In this episode, Dr. Zarya and Dr. Tobe go deep on the psychology of self-doubt and why the most ambitious, capable women are often the most vulnerable.In This Episode, You'll Learn:Why impostor syndrome is a phenomenon — not a disorder — and why that distinction changes how you work with itThe direct link between impostor syndrome and burnout: how overcompensating for self-doubt leads to overworking, exhaustion, and running on emptyWhat a 'performance-based identity' is and why high achievers are most at risk ('I am what I do' vs. 'I did poorly at that')The three most common fears Dr. Tobe sees in her practice — fear of failure, fear of judgment, and fear of stillness — and what they're really aboutHow the inner critic operates: what it's trying to protect you from and how to start unhooking from the stories it tellsWhy the goal isn't to eliminate fear — it's to 'fear less, not be fearless'What career therapy actually looks like: values, deal-breakers, fantasies about leaving, and rebuilding a career that gives you energy instead of taking itWhy you don't have to blow up your life to fix it — and how to make meaningful changes from inside your current roleThe role meditation, stillness, and nervous system regulation play in doing this work (and why so many high achievers resist it)Timestamps:00:00 — Introduction: Who is Dr. Amanda Tobe?01:00 — Dr. Tobe's personal experience with burnout and career change02:30 — From corporate HR to founding a career therapy practice05:45 — Ikigai, values, and the career you actually want08:30 — Who seeks career therapy? The 'second career' population11:00 — Values misalignment as a marker of burnout14:30 — You don't have to blow up your life: gentle, stepwise approaches to career change16:30 — The three fears Dr. Tobe sees most: failure, judgment, and stillness18:00 — Performance-based identity: 'I am what I do'21:00 — Meditation, stillness, and why high achievers resist it23:30 — Impostor phenomenon vs. impostor syndrome: why the distinction matters26:00 — Who is most vulnerable to impostor thoughts?28:00 — The inner critic: what it is, how it operates, how to unhook31:00 — Dr. Zarya's own experience: perfectionism and performance pressure in medicine33:00 — Reframing narratives and the stories we tell ourselves under pressure36:30 — The impostor syndrome-to-burnout pipeline: overcompensating through overwork38:00 — RAPID FIRE: ambivert, explaining your job to a five-year-old, beliefs about success44:00 — Where to find Dr. Amanda TobeConnect with Dr. Amanda Tobe:Website: www.amandatobe.comInstagram: @dr.amandatobeLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/amandatobeNewsletter: sign up at amandatobe.com (tools and exercises from inside the practice)Email: [email protected] like, subscribe and share this podcast with someone you think might enjoy it. And if you enjoyed the episode? Please leave us a review! It really does help other women looking to outsmart burnout discover the show.And remember, burnout is not your destiny; it's your wake-up call!Connect with Dr. Zarya Rubin:Sign up for your 1:1 SOS Session and Step Out of Survival Mode! https://drzarya.myflodesk.com/Listen to my TEDx talk about my burnout story: https://bit.ly/TEDxBurnoutLearn more: https://drzarya.comFollow along on IG: https://instagram.com/drzaryarubinDownload your FREE Outsmart Burnout Toolkit: https://drzarya.myflodesk.com/outsmartburnouttoolkit