Expert warns of worrying sign 'career dysmorphia' could be tanking your mental health

An expert has set out eight signs of career dysmorphia to be aware of.

Career dysmorphia is a distorted perception of your work and achievements, which make you feel as though you're never good enough.

While it's similar to imposter syndrome - which often appears in moments of self-doubt - career dysmorphia is a continuous distorted view of your whole profession.

It influences how you act at your job, makes your achievements seem smaller and opportunities for progress further out of reach.

The effects of career dysmorphia go beyond how you perform at work; it can also have a major impact on your mental health and emotional wellbeing.

Constantly undervaluing your accomplishments and telling yourself you’re falling short can increase anxiety and chip away at your self-esteem, while overworking to prove your worth can cause exhaustion and burnout.

Is this you? (Nitat Termmee/Getty Images)

Career expert Dan Bruce at Pressreacher has explained the eight signs of career dysmorphia - and the steps to take to combat them.

What are the signs of career dysmorphia?

Constant comparison

One of the biggest signs of career dysmorphia is comparison; being able to list everything that other people are good at and doing well, but not being able to name any of your own achievements. This often isn't usually the case either - we tend to see others more favorably than ourselves in most cases.

Feeling like you’re behind

When colleagues share their biggest accomplishments on LinkedIn or elsewhere, it can make you feel like you’ll never be able to catch up - especially when they’re younger than you, or have been at the company for less time.

Downplaying your successes

Even when you do achieve something big, you feel like it’s something ‘anyone could have done’ or just down to luck, rather than allowing yourself to feel proud of what you’ve done.

Second guessing every decision

Do you second guess every decision you make? (Hispanolistic/Getty Images)

Career dysmorphia can make you extremely critical of your own judgement, making you hesitate to make decisions in case you do the wrong thing, or keep re-doing tasks that you don’t think you’ve done well enough. This makes even the most simple of tasks feel impossible, and soon everyday things begin to snowball.

Feeling invisible

From a colleague getting more recognition for a team effort than you did, or a manager not replying to your email right away, even the smallest oversights can accumulate and make you feel unseen, or as though your effort doesn’t matter.

Silencing your ideas

These feelings of invisibility can knock your confidence and make you fear sharing your ideas and speaking up in meetings.

This is a bit of a vicious cycle; sitting back could see you miss out on opportunities and showing your expertise - ironically, confirming your thoughts that you’re never listened to.

Deflecting praise

A trademark sign of career dysmorphia can be difficulty accepting compliments and praise, as you don’t think they’re deserved. So, you might find yourself shrugging them off and not taking credit where credit's due.

Overworking to prove your worth

When you don’t feel like you’re providing enough value, you might sacrifice your work-life balance and risk burnout but overcommitting, saying yes to everything, and working longer hours. Despite all this, you still won't feel secure...

How to break the cycle of career dysmorphia

You can help turn career dysmorphia around (Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images)

When you’ve recognized the signs, you can start to shift your distorted perspective and reframe how you view your career.

Success is built on small, consistent habits. Document every win - big or small - so you can celebrate progress and remind yourself how far you’ve come.

Instead of comparing yourself to others, use their achievements as inspiration, and don’t be afraid to speak up with your own ideas to grow confidence.

Feedback is also key. Positive comments from colleagues and managers not only highlight areas to improve but also reveal strengths you might overlook.

Redefine what success means - it could be completing a project you were nervous about or having a meeting go better than expected.

Most importantly, reframe negative self-talk. Shift from 'I’m not as good as my colleague' to 'My skills are different, but just as valuable'.

And remember, what feels like 'not enough' to you often looks like success to others.