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Masking is the hidden habit of “performing” your way through work and relationships—smiling, sounding confident, and staying agreeable even when you feel anxious, exhausted, or disconnected. This post explores how masking shows up, why it’s so draining, and how to start coming back to your real self.

That “maybe I’m just faking it” feeling isn’t always imposter syndrome. Sometimes it’s a signal of purpose misalignment: you’re capable, the plan is solid, yet something inside stays unsettled. This piece explores how misalignment shows up (over-preparing, overworking, tweaking endlessly, feeling flat after meetings) and offers a few gentle questions to help you reconnect—without forcing answers or “fixing” anything today.

Dropping the mask isn’t a single brave moment—it’s a practice. In this follow-up to my piece on the hidden costs of masking, I share five grounded steps to start showing up more authentically without forcing vulnerability or oversharing: noticing when you mask, getting curious about what it protects, building tolerance for discomfort, choosing environments that welcome the real you, and redefining success on your own terms.