Perfectionism, in psychology, is a broad personality style characterized by a person’s concern for the pursuit of flawlessness and perfection. It is accompanied by critical self-evaluations and concerns regarding others’ evaluations of themselves.
The root of perfectionism is to believe that your self-worth is based on your accomplishments.
Perfectionism is also often present when a combination of these factors exists:
- Rigid, high parenting expectations from when you were a child
- Very critical, shameful or abusive parents
- Excessive or unrealistic praise for your achievements when you were a child. It forms an external locus of control that causes you to try to find self-worth outside of yourself throughout your life.
- Low self-esteem or feeling inadequate
- Where your self-esteem is determined by your achievements
- Black and white thinking –
- Attempts to feel in control
- Cultural expectations
It’s where you try to maintain balance by trying to reproduce the opposite outside than you feel inside
How to master your own perfectionism:
Become more aware of your tendencies and thinking towards perfectionism
- Focus on the positive aspects of your life and be practical about your areas can development
- Allow yourself to make mistakes and work gently with yourself when you have
- Set more reasonable and realistic goals
- Learn how to receive criticism and also to distinguish when someone criticizes your behavior or your character. If they criticize your character they may need boundaries
- Reduce the pressure you put on yourself
- Focus on meaning above perfection
- Try not to procrastinate
- Cut out negative influences from your life and actively work towards comparing yourself to others.
- Go see someone if your perfectionism makes your life unbearable