Being a perfectionist, for the time being, can make you inspire people, deliver quality work, get your tasks done and become the best employee but it also messes with your mental health up to a great extent. In this article, we have discussed 10 ways to stop being a perfectionist.
“The essence of being human is that one does not seek perfection.”
– George Orwell
Perfectionism creates unnecessary anxiety, insecurity and can also slow you down in the long term run. It is said that too much of everything is bad in the same way if you are expecting too much from yourself, trying to get everything perfect, not allowing yourself to make mistakes then this can also lead to great chaos and anxiety.
A person who is always trying to fix things, wanting his relationships, career, social and personal life perfect will end up feeling drained and tired. So it is completely okay to lower your standards a bit, give yourself rest and not put too much burden on your shoulders because you deserve to feel free.
10 Tips to overcome being a perfectionist
Perfectionism can limit your potential therefore it is important to get yourself free from it. So in this regard, we have mentioned 10 ways to stop being a perfectionist.
1. Acknowledge Perfectionism
Identify and realise your perfectionist behaviour. Don’t label yourself by it but do understand that you have it, so this way you can change your behaviour. Ask yourself the reasons for your perfectionist behaviour. It might be different for every individual, for example, someone likes to get praised while others like to get ahead of others.
Now that you understand your behaviour and the reasons behind it this is the time to make a plan to get rid of perfectionism. Challenge yourself, create new habits that can lead you to success without obsessing over perfectionism and trying to be perfect at all times.
2. Create Goals For Yourself
For achieving success, setting some goals is the primary step. But these goals should be genuine and it should be something that can give you inner satisfaction and peace. Understand that you can fail a hundred times on the way but it’s the failure that brings you closer to success. Be specific with your goals, Know what exactly they are and how you can achieve them. They should be attainable as well, not anything that is not for your hands to get. Furthermore, their relevance to you is also an important factor that you need to keep in mind. So these are the actual ways to stop being a perfectionist.
3. Lower your Expectations and Standards
To overcome being a perfectionist it is important to lower your expectations with yourself, I am not saying it in an extreme sense but yeah lowering a few of your expectations and standards can be worth it.
Adjust your expectations and standards, and the best way to do so is to observe your peer group. If you see them being easy on themselves, not taking much pressure and still getting good results then you can try to do this as well. If not working too hard can still get them fair results then why are you putting in so much effort and extra hard work?
4. Take Help from Others
You can ask your trusted friends, colleagues about your performance. This can help you to understand better what progress you are making and the style of your work. If they see you stressing so much about making everything perfect they will tell you so you can stop perfectionism this way. Moreover, you can also ask them about how they manage and do tasks, what strategies they are applying, time management and everything. That’s how you can learn to do smart work.
5. Practice saying “no” more
The problem with most perfectionists is with saying “no”. They think they have to do everything and avail themselves of every opportunity which comes their way but it can sometimes leave them overwhelmed with too much work.
The workload and stress that comes with it can be bad for their health so it is important to learn to say no. When you feel like overworking, stop right there when you already have tasks to do and don’t take on new projects. Give yourself a little rest. Don’t overwork thinking that it will give good results and even if it does for the short term but it can have ads=verse effects on you for the long term.
6. Do Things that makes you Happy
Perfectionism may lead you to work overtime and cut off your social life. You can be working 20 hours a day and not having any other activity. But remember that it’s all in vain since we have this one life and working all life without having fun is just like wasting your life. So it is important to take time for other activities that you enjoy. Go out for a walk, speed time with your friends. Plan a trip and do everything that can make you feel alive and happy.
7. Challenge your thought process
Observe your thought process and see what’s the root cause that is leading you to perfectionism. Negative self-thoughts, insecurity, fear of failure all these things can lead you to be a perfectionist so try to replace these intrusive thoughts and emotions with positive self-talk.
Give yourself positive affirmations. Though you can not tell yourself that you are worthy, capable and deserve the entire best in life. So challenging your perfectionist beliefs and negative thought patterns can help you to remove them and replace them with more positive thoughts and behaviour. These are very helpful ways to stop being a perfectionist.
8. Practice self-care
Self-love and self-care is the supreme important step in the self-development journey. Eat healthy, drink water and take a rest. Don’t overload yourself with a lot of worries, stresses and anxieties. Let yourself be free of negative emotions and insecurities. Do work that you can easily bear. Don’t overwork, take time for yourself, for your grooming and health. Take care of your mind and body because you are all you have. Self-care will make you realise that perfectionism is not good for you so eventually you can overcome it.
9. Accept yourself
Don’t try to be extra accept yourself the way you are. Love everything about yourself, the way you look, the things you do, the potential you have. Don’t try to be perfect at everything. It’s okay if you struggle at things, it’s okay to fail, it’s okay to do one step at a time. Everything takes time and everything will be alright. Just have faith in yourself. Trying to be perfect won’t solve anything, instead, it will create problems for you so try to be kind to yourself and go smoothly.
10.Make Small Changes
If you want to change something, it takes time, it takes patience, nothing can be achieved overnight. So if you have perfectionism do small steps to overcome it, make small changes to yourself. These small and consistent steps will result in great things in life. So be smooth, be kind and be nice to yourself. Once you understand your issues and you’re willing to make a change in your life then no force can stop you from achieving your goals. With time everything will be fine.
FAQS
Is perfectionism a good thing?
It is said that perfectionism is a blessing as well as a curse as too much of anything is not good.
Can self love help with overcoming perfectionism?
Yes, self-love can help with perfectionism. People are always trying to be more of what they are but if they become satisfied with what they are then it can overcome perfectionism.
What is the main reason that leads to perfectionism?
At times people don’t know how to say no, they try to get every opportunity they see, this makes them feel drained so this is one of the leading causes of perfectionism.
Can lowering your expectations and standards help with overcoming perfectionism?
Yes, It can help a lot as sometimes we expect so much from ourselves that it takes all our life to meet those expectations and in between all this your mental health gets affected so it is important to lower your expectations from yourself.It is also mentioned in our 10 ways to stop being a perfectionist that we have discussed above.
Does accepting yourself help to stop being a perfectionist?
Yes if you love and accept yourself the way you are then you won’t need to become more so it will help you to stop being a perfectionist.
Final Words
So these were the 10 ways to stop being a perfectionist. I hope that it will be helpful for you all. Our life is so beautiful with its ups and downs so there is no need to get everything perfect and fixed. Breathe freely and be kind to yourself. Spread positivity and happiness.
Stay Healthy, Stay Happy!
