It was the summer of 2018, when I first infiltrated the prestigious halls of the University of Witwatersrand, and I’ve been lurking there ever since. Of course, I didn’t do it alone; I had a team working with me – a real skeleton crew consisting of my mother and baby brother. After all our adventures together, I don’t just think of them as my crew, I think of them as family. With their help, I successfully registered as a student at Wits University, got my grubby hands on two degrees, and no one was the wiser. You see, dear reader, I’ve been deceiving you and everyone around me for years. I know you think I’m a dashingly handsome, stunningly intelligent young man, but I am in truth, a dashingly handsome, incompetent, bumbling fool who has cunningly risen through the university ranks. I don’t deserve my position; I don’t know how I did it, but I know I conned my way into postgrad. I’m a fraud, an imposter… At least that’s what my brain tells me, and I see no reason to doubt it!

Imposter Syndrome is a condition that many postgraduate students experience, and which can be difficult to even acknowledge. It’s a condition characterised by feelings of anxiety and self-doubt, wherein the person experiencing imposter syndrome may feel that they don’t deserve their successes, that they’re a fraud. Personally, I don’t believe I’ve experienced imposter syndrome, because I’m genuinely undeserving of everything around me and I should not be trusted with responsibility. I believe the reason that imposter syndrome is so prevalent in universities – especially at postgrad level – is because university is brimming with intelligent, capable people. I am at all times surrounded by brilliant people, who are doing incredible research. I am surrounded by people who are passionate and incisive, who are uncovering truths about the world that no one knows. I am surrounded by people who have been doing this work for years – and absolutely killing it­ ­– and they feel like the imposters. All the people I look at to convince myself I don’t belong, spend a great deal of time hating their output, and feeling the exact same way.

There’s nothing wrong with you if you’re experiencing imposter syndrome. Self-doubt is a very human thing. Humans are social creatures, and we naturally compare ourselves to the people around us to remind ourselves how much we suck. And with the advent of social media, we can now compare ourselves with almost anyone on the planet! No longer are we limited to looking to people we know to fuel our self-loathing. Now, we can compare ourselves to people we will never meet, people who are halfway across the world; people who are upsettingly rich, and great at using photoshop, creating a perfect and unobtainable standard. It’s easier than ever to feel insecure, and unworthy of your successes, but I want you to know something, dear reader: you don’t suck. In fact, I think you’re quite cool! So, why do we feel like this, and how do we deal with it?  

Imposter syndrome relies on cognitive distortions, which are mental biases and patterns of negative thinking, which can become habitual and harm your mental wellbeing. Breaking out of these patterns of thinking can be difficult, and mending your self-perception takes effort and practice. Opening up to your friends, family and peers about your experience can be a great way to deal with imposter syndrome. For many people, it’s easier to recognise their own value when someone else points it out. External affirmations can grant you the confidence to begin believing your own affirmations, allowing you to minimise cognitive distortions, and to start changing the way you think about yourself. It will not always be easy to love and respect yourself – no matter how much of a habit you make of it, there will be bad days. But it’s still important to put in the effort to change your self-perception.

Finally, I’ve saved the worst advice for last: if nothing else works, just embrace the imposterism. You are a deceptive genius, who has tricked their way into a prestigious institution, and no one even suspects you! You should be proud of how far you’ve made it despite yourself! After all, I guarantee you that student using AI to write all of their assignments has never once felt like an imposter…

There are only two constants in this life: the Earth will spin around the sun, bringing with it the changing of the seasons; and I will not stop talking about how seasonal changes can potentially affect your mental health. Summer heat can be dangerous, directly affecting our health and heightening the risk of violent crimes. Winter weather is also potentially dangerous for your mental health, but in a different way! At this point, you may be wondering why the weather hates you and you specifically, but that’s not something I’m at liberty to tell you, dear reader. What I can tell you is that certain mental health conditions appear to be adversely affected by winter weather conditions, and there are ways to mitigate this effect. While the summer heat can make good people go bad, the winter cold can make all people feel sad – or should I say SAD? That joke will make sense in a moment, but it still won’t be very funny or alleviate those winter SADs.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a relatively well-known condition whereby individuals experience depressive symptoms during the autumn and winter months. Symptoms include loss of appetite and motivation, and a sense of listlessness and fatigue. SAD is not the only mental health condition impacted by winter weather; research suggests that diagnoses of bipolar disorder, and substance abuse disorder may also increase during the winter months. Biologically, we can understand the relationship between winter weather and conditions such as SAD and bipolar disorder like so: during winter, a decrease in sunlight results in a deficiency of vitamin D, which disrupts serotonin, dopamine, and melatonin production in the brain. Decreased sunlight exposure disrupts healthy sleeping patterns, and can leave you feeling unmotivated and tired. Exposure to sunlight is incredibly important for your mental health.  

It’s also important to note that winter weather is not social weather, and most people tend to spend more time indoors when the temperature starts to drop and the sun sets earlier. The isolation that may come with winter can also contribute to incidence of SAD, bipolar disorder, and substance abuse disorder, stemming from a sense of loneliness and apathy. Research suggests that drug overdoses increase in winter, and incidences of substance abuse tend to do the same. Individuals may turn to substance abuse as a response to the psychological impacts of winter, or as a way to feel warmer, due to the effects of alcohol on the body. Lower temperatures may also drive individuals to increase the dosage of the substances they use, as the cold weather may dampen the perceived effects of these substances. Basically, don’t do drugs in the wintertime. Don’t do drugs at all, but especially not in winter.

While the effects of winter on mental health is relatively well-known, and slightly less prevalent in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s still an issue that many South Africans live with, and which many people tend to brush off and not fully engage with. The stigma surrounding mental health still exists, and can easily be internalised, making it difficult to acknowledge the full weight of what you feel. It’s important not to downplay your experience and to maintain healthy habits during the winter. Cold weather doesn’t have to leave you isolated – you can get in touch with friends and family over any of the many free social media and communication platforms we have available to us! Your health matters to the people around you and they will want to support you, so don’t be shy to reach out. Stay active and exercise – you can do it within the comfort of your own home! Exercising is not just about gaining muscle or losing weight, and it will benefit both your mind and your body. Working out works wonders for your mental health, is a great way to destress, and it has turned me into the absolute unit that I am today.

So, dress warm, stay safe, and thank you for reading my blog, dear reader. The weather might hate you, but I think you’re pretty cool.