8 Signs You’re a Perfectionist (and Why It’s Toxic to Your Mental Health)
High achievers are dedicated, determined individuals who have a strong desire to accomplish something that’s important to them. Their achievements are not about what others will think of them or a fear of failure, it’s to gain personal gratification from their success. People often confuse high achieving behavior with perfectionistic behavior.
Despite your search for perfection, you never feel perfect
Dr. Hewitt uses an example of how a college student viewed his success
- He was convinced he needed to get an A+ in a particular course, so he studied hard and aced the class.
- However, he became even more depressed and suicidal than he was prior to the end of semester because he thought his A+ was a demonstration of how much of a failure he was
Struggle with getting things done on time
Perfection is an illusion, and the pursuit of it is never complete
You cannot accept and celebrate your success
Perfectionists do not acknowledge their wins to the extent of feeling the joy and satisfaction of a job well done.
You believe that your likeability is linked to being perfect
It’s not enough to be a wonderful person, you must be a perfectly wonderful person
Perfectionism
You do not allow yourself any mistakes
Life doesn’t satisfy you
Perfectionists cope well in a low-stress environment, so as long as nothing challenges you you’re fine.
- When problems occur or work and home seem unsettled to you, it presents a problem. Anxiety often increases, which offers the illusion that nothing is going well, thereby decreasing life satisfaction.
Can you overcome the seemingly never-ending pursuit of perfection?
If you occasionally insist on perfection, but it causes you excess stress, pay attention to these situations and journal about them to find the common link.
- Observe how others accept themselves, flaws and all, and assign yourself virtual mentors.
You put up a front, insisting everything is perfect
Perfectionists are afraid of being judged by others
Avoid taking on challenges that may cause you to fail
Perfectionists like to stick with what they know
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