Unhealthy perfectionism is the term used to define the Behavior of a person who wants things to be done in perfect way and meets the standards as high as possible and to do so he or she will take considerable efforts to achieve the goad without making any mistakes.
What is unhealthy perfectionism and what are its effects?
The increase in such behaviors (to be perfect) is referred as unhealthy perfectionism. What are the immediate effects that are reflected first of all there is a behavioral change, and this often is shown from his tendency to control everything, overwork or exaggerated criticism on others.
Contents:
- The disadvantages and consequences of perfectionism.
- How do you know if you are a perfectionist or just have high standards?
Disadvantages and consequences of unhealthy perfectionism:
Although theoretically they track the results, in reality the perfectionists get much less, but they are much more stressful, compared to those who are more relaxed and have great results. Perfectionists find it difficult to achieve the perfection they aspire to, which causes them great frustration.
Unhealthy perfectionism is characterized by an excessive focus on control
Perfectionists can be very picky and anxious to make sure everything is flawless, which can lead to attempts to over-control others. Thus, contributing to stress and seriously affecting your interpersonal relationships. Stress caused by perfectionism can lead to anxiety and is linked to symptoms such as low self-esteem, eating disorders or sleep disorders.
Unhealthy Perfection can seriously affect your mental and physical health
Researchers point out that perfectionism can have a long-term negative effect on health through the level of stress created. Perfectionists have self believe that their surroundings are always overlaid and demanding, and others judge them on strict rules and laws, and that must be perfect in order to get the appreciation and acceptance from others.
Unhealthy perfectionism seems to hit especially young people. According to recent studies, nearly 30% of students experience symptoms of depression, and perfectionism is strongly linked to these symptoms.
It is said that self-criticism perfectionism also increases the risk of bipolar disorder.
To be more realistic, this mental health disorder of perfectionism will not stop in just damaging your mental health. Some studies have found that high blood pressure is more common among perfectionists, and other researchers have also linked this trait to cardiovascular disease.
In addition, when faced with a physical illness, perfectionists find it harder to cope. There is also a link between perfectionism and a number of serious diseases, also because of the accompanying stress.
Thinking all or nothing:
Perfectionists tend to set high goals and work hard to achieve them. However, a person with high standards is satisfied with the work done, even if he does not achieve his goals in full. But perfectionists will not accept intermediate results, they only accept perfection, and "almost perfect" is seen as a failure.
Extremely critical spirit:
Unhealthy Perfectionists are always self-conscious about themselves then others as compared to those who have high standards. While they are proud of their accomplishments and tend to support others, perfectionists tend to spot mistakes and imperfections. They focus on flaws and have a hard time seeing anything else. They judge much more harshly towards themselves and others when “failure” occurs.
They are motivated by fear:
People with high standards are driven by the goals and desire to achieve them and are satisfied with every step taken in the right direction. Perfectionists, on the other hand, are driven not by goals, but by the fear of not reaching them, and in any unrealized goal they will fail.
Unrealistic standards:
Unfortunately, the goals of a perfectionist do not always make sense. While those with high standards set their goals at a high level, but they also enjoy hiking and are flexible in adjusting their goals along the way, perfectionists often Define their original goals as very difficult to achieve and not take into account.
People with high standards tend to be happier and more successful than perfectionists in striving for their goals.
Exclusive focus on results:
People with high standards can enjoy the process of striving for a goal to one degree or another from achieving the goal itself. Instead, perfectionists see purpose and nothing else. They are so much preoccupied to achieve their goal and avoiding failure that they are unable to enjoy the process of growth and hard work.
Unfulfilled goals cause depression:
Perfectionists are far less happy than those with high standards. While people with high standards are capable of in negative feelings when high expectations are not met. Perfectionists often struggle to move on when things do not go as they had hoped.
Fear of failure:
Perfectionists are very afraid of failure, and since anything that does not come close to perfection is perceived as failure, it is difficult for perfectionists to engage in new actions for Themselves or learn some of the mistakes they make.
Adjournment:
It seems paradoxical that perfectionists will be prone to procrastination, as this trait may be detrimental to productivity, but perfectionism and procrastination tend to go hand in hand. A unique reason for this is that for fear of failure, perfectionists will sometimes worry so much about doing something imperfect that they get stuck and fail to do. A delay can led to greater feelings of failure, commemoration and more of a vicious circle that blocks perfectionists.
Defensive attitude:
Because less-than-perfect performances frighten perfectionists, they tend to look at criticism, even constructive ones, from a defensive point of view. This makes them different from those with high standards, who may see reviews as valuable information that will help them in their future performance.
Low self-esteem:
They may also be tempted to be lonely and isolated, as their critical nature and rigidity may alienate others, leading to low self-esteem. But unhealthy perfectionism can lead to stress, anxiety, low self-esteem and other problems that can affect quality of life.
Healthy perfectionism can make people perform better. But unhealthy perfectionism can lead to stress, anxiety, low self-esteem and other problems that can affect quality of life. Perfectionists are often critical, driven by fear, have unrealistic expectations, fear of failure, and are defensive when faced with any criticism.
If you identify some of these traits with yourself and identify how they can adversely affect you, you can start working towards a healthier approach that will allow you to achieve your targets with less stress and less negativity.