Breaking Free from Perfectionism

Perfectionism is often thought about as a positive trait. Constantly striving for excellence sounds like a good thing, right? But always pursuing perfection can lead to stress, self-doubt, and fear of failure. It tends to become more harmful than helpful for perfectionists. Many people who practice perfectionism struggle with setting unrealistic expectations for themselves, therefore never feeling that anything they do is “good enough”. If this sounds familiar, you are not alone and you can break free from perfectionism and embrace a healthier mindset.

            Perfectionism is not just about holding yourself to high standards. It is an unrelenting pressure to meet impossibly high expectations. This often leads to procrastination, anxiety, burnout and can even affect your relationships. Some common signs of perfectionism include fear of failure or making mistakes, setting unrealistic goals, harsh self-criticism, avoiding new challenges, extreme attention to detail, and inflexibility.

There are practices and habits to implement in your life in order to break perfectionism behavior.

1. Set realistic and flexible goals and give yourself permission to adjust your goals as needed without feeling like you have failed.
2. Embrace mistakes as learning opportunities and lessons instead of failure. Remember, growth happens outside of your comfort zone.
3. Challenge your self-critical thoughts by replacing harsh self-judgement with self-compassion.
4. Prioritize self-care and mindfulness through activities that bring you joy without providing pleasure from excellence.

It is often difficult to replace your perfectionism behavior and implement these new practices into your life on your own. Book an appointment at Olive Branch Counseling Associates by calling 708-633-8000. One of our many qualified and professional therapists can help you prioritize a healthier mindset through services offered at our office located at 6819—167^th St. in Tinley Park, Illinois 60477 or through telehealth appointments. Call us today!

Myleigh, undergrad intern, 2025

Olive Branch Counseling Associates, Inc.

Reference:

https://www.verywellhealth.com/perfectionism-5323816#:~:text=Perfectionism%20is%20defined%20as%20the,%2C%20and%20unattainable%20goal%2Dsetting.