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Are you a perfectionist??

A. You might be thinking, I don’t have to have everything in my life just so, so I am not a perfectionist. My house is a mess. My closet is a mess. I am not a perfectionist.

Definition: Perfectionism is the combination of setting high performance standards accompanied by critical self-evaluation. Or concerns over judgment or evaluation by others.

Perfectionism often leads to depression, anxiety, low self-esteem.

B. If you answer yes to any of the following, you may be a perfectionist: ( If you haven’t done so already head to imperfectthriving.com to download your perfectionist quiz for a more complete list of symptoms.

If:

1. You procrastinate
2. You are constantly trying to prove your worth to others
3. Often thinking about the parts of you that you need to fix
4. Constantly comparing yourself to others
5. Experience shame about your perceived short comings
6. Feeling like you are not living up to expectations (your own, society, family)
7. Have trouble relaxing- always feel like you should be doing something

Constantly feeling like a failure….

You may be a perfectionist.

Ongoing Problem

Scientists say perfectionism is getting worse and becoming more and more of a problem.

According to the World Health Organization and the Harvard Business Review: Perfectionism is on the rise.

A record number of young people worldwide are suffering from serious depression or anxiety disorders.

Scientists attribute increase to perfectionistic tendencies have increased substantially among young people over the past 30 years, regardless of gender or culture. Greater academic and professional competition is thought to play a role, along with the pervasive presence of social media and the harmful social comparisons it elicits.

There is growing evidence that the increase in psychological ill-health of young people may stem from the excessive standards that they hold for themselves and the harsh self-punishment they routinely engage in.

Perfectionism might be behind the recent rise in serious mental illness epidemic levels of serious mental illness in young people.

Share this podcast workshop with a young person in your life

Perfectionism is linked many mental health issues

So many clients come into my office and tell me they are stuck. They are unsatisfied and unfulfilled or even filled with anxiety and just can’t seem to move forward, can’t seem to accomplish anything they want to accomplish.

And after a session or two, I uncover that they are perfectionists.

Perfectionism does not motivate

Some people mistakenly believe that perfectionism is a healthy motivator, but that’s not the case. Perfectionism can make you feel unhappy with your life. It can lead to depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and self-harm. Eventually, it can also lead you to stop trying to succeed. Even mild cases can interfere with your quality of life, affecting your personal relationships, education, or work.

Anxiety disorders

Not just happening with the younger generation, anxiety disorders are the most common form of mental illness in US – at least 40 million adults living with some form diagnosable.  

This is why we need to care about perfectionism and what it is doing to us. I hope you will join me for the next 4 Episodes in this workshop. Grab your son or daughter- or both and get them to join us. 

Click here for the link to the free episode pre-assessments and post-assessments to help you get the most out of this workshop.

Useful links:

• How to Have a Healthy Relationship with Food with Nicole Mareno | IT 031
• Imperfect Thriving Facebook Group
• Imperfect Thriving on Instagram
• Imperfect Thriving Free Email Course (Your Blueprint To Thrive)

Meet Kathryn Ely

I’m Kathryn Ely and at age 50, I’m enjoying my very best life. I spent years as a lawyer and then stay-at-home mom helping others go out into the world and live their best lives. While this was very important to me, I did not realize that I was losing myself in the process. I followed all of the “shoulds” like “women should always care for others” and “taking time for yourself is just selfish”.

As two of my children were getting ready to go out into the world I realized I was lost, without my next purpose, and it was scary. So I went back to school and over the course of several years, I not only found myself, but I designed the formula for women in midlife to achieve their most fulfilling lives. It is my mission to equip as many women as possible with this design and the tools to make this chapter of their lives the best chapter.

Thanks for listening!

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Imperfect Thriving is part of the Practice of the Practice Podcast Network, a network of podcasts seeking to help you thrive, imperfectly. To hear other podcasts like the Bomb Mom Podcast, Beta Male Revolution, or Empowered and Unapologetic, go to practiceofthepractice.com/network.