How To Cope With Perfectionistic Tendencies
Nobody will ever be perfect but that doesn’t stop some people from trying. Perfectionists often see their need to be flawless as a positive trait, but psychologists say it’s actually quite unhealthy. It comes with chronic stress, anxiety, and their fear of failure tends to cause more procrastination than perfection. So here are some steps on how to cope with your perfectionist tendencies.
Recognize the fears which underlie perfectionism. You’ll need to dig deep if you want to get to the heart of your perfectionism. You’ve got to figure out what fear is really driving these tendencies of yours. For example, a common perfectionist fear is that if they stop setting high standards for themselves that everything will fall apart. The good news is… that’s not a thing.
Practice self-compassion. Perfectionists tend to have an inner voice that’s highly critical. The best way to fix that is to allow yourself to be self-compassionate. It starts with letting yourself make a mistake and taking it as a learning experience rather than the end of the world.
Start to imagine “good-enough” outcomes. Lower your expectations. If you always set high standards for yourself all you’re guaranteed is a good amount of disappointment. Instead, start focusing on doing work that’s “good enough” and not at all perfect.
