Do you consider yourself a perfectionist? If you said “yes”, you’re not alone. A study recently discovered that 92% of people are affected by perfectionism and that the impact it can have on your life can actually lower the quality of your work.
Read on to learn more about the effects of perfectionism and how you can adopt a healthier outlook.
What is “perfectionism”?
Perfectionism is a mindset where you tend to set extremely high and rigid goals for yourself, as well as placing excessive demands on yourself and others.
Challenging yourself can be a good thing, as it encourages you to learn new skills and push yourself out of your comfort zone.
However, unmanaged perfectionism can lead to negative effects on all areas of your life.
The consequences of perfectionism
Putting the pressure of perfection on yourself can lead to negative consequences, such as:
1. Burnout
Burnout is a state of mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion that occurs when you experience long-term stress and feel under constant pressure.
While it can be triggered by several external factors – for example, a stressful work environment or life circumstances – your sense of perfectionism can often be the root cause.
Burnout comes on gradually and can cause physical and emotional symptoms such as:
- Headaches
- Frequent illnesses
- Loss of interest and enjoyment
- Difficulty concentrating
- Becoming isolated and withdrawing from people and responsibilities.
If this sounds familiar, it’s important to know that burnout does not go away on its own.
Ignoring the warning signs can lead to symptoms worsening and potentially causing you chronic physical and mental health problems, such as heart disease or depression.
2. Low self-worth
As a perfectionist, how do you judge whether you are successful?
Many people compare themselves to others and what they have achieved, rather than focusing on their success. This can lead to harmful feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem.
In the age of social media, this problem is only getting worse. Comparing your progress to the unrealistic or impossible standards of what someone chooses to share online can be setting yourself up for failure.
3. Fear of failure
To a perfectionist, the only two options when completing a task are perfection or failure. And while the feelings of success might be nice, failure can feel catastrophic.
These crushing emotions can damage how you see yourself as a person and add extra stress into your life that can lower the quality of your work and even contribute to illnesses such as generalised anxiety disorder.
4. Procrastination
Ironically, this fear of failure might cause you to stop working altogether.
Some people avoid starting projects due to the fear that the results will never meet their own impossibly high standards. Unfortunately, this delay only leads to increased stress and feelings of self-doubt as you wonder whether you can complete the task at all.
4 strategies that could help you avoid the pitfalls of perfectionism
Training yourself out of a perfectionist mindset can be difficult, especially if you’ve been thinking this way for years. However, there are some tips and tricks that can help you tackle your work in a more positive and encouraging light.
1. Take a break
If you are suffering from burnout, one of the best solutions is to take a break from work altogether.
This chance to relax and step away from the stress can help you reset your mindset and reunite with old hobbies you might have forgotten about, or allow you to catch up with the friends or family you might have been neglecting in your pursuit of perfection.
2. Look after yourself
Taking the time to look after your physical health can help you battle the symptoms of burnout and encourage your body to stay healthy so you can continue producing high-quality work.
One of the first aspects of your health that can suffer as a perfectionist is your sleep hygiene.
Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day and ensuring you are getting between seven and nine hours of sleep per night can help you fall asleep faster and wake up feeling refreshed and ready to face the day.
Cooking healthy meals and partaking in regular exercise can also help you to keep your mental and physical health in the best possible condition.
3. Celebrate your successes
When success is the expectation, many perfectionists focus more on the next thing they need to achieve rather than celebrating their wins.
The first step to building your self-esteem back up is to recognise your successes. Every time you achieve a goal or do something difficult, you should take a moment to reward yourself and feel proud of all the hard work you’ve put in.
If you find this difficult, you might want to try starting some daily gratitude practices, such as writing down three things you are grateful for or that you have succeeded at every day.
4. Reframe how you see failure
If you see everything as either a success or failure, you need to try switching to a more positive outlook.
It’s important to remember that a failure might feel terrible in the moment, but it can become a vital learning opportunity that allows you to succeed in the future.
One way to face your fear of failure is by exposing yourself to rejection. By putting yourself in situations where you know you will be rejected, you can train your brain to cope with feelings of failure. And, as a plus, you might find yourself accepted for something you never would have applied to otherwise!
