The Perfectionism Trap
Closer Look.
"I strive for excellence in most endeavors."
"I hold myself to high standards in various aspects of my life."
"I actively pursue self-improvement and aim to achieve my best in most things I do."
"I demonstrate dedication and commitment to the tasks I undertake."
The Nature of Perfectionism
-
The American Psychological Association (APA) discusses how perfectionism, distinct from merely striving for excellence, significantly increases the risk for anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders. This distinction is crucial in understanding the broader implications of perfectionism within high-pressure environments like the tech industry, where the pursuit of flawless work can exacerbate these risks.
-
Motivation: Driven by an internal desire for improvement and mastery. You set high standards for yourself, fueled by a passion for your craft and a genuine love of learning.
Mindset: You view mistakes as opportunities for growth, readily embracing feedback and challenges. You find fulfillment in the journey of continuous improvement, not just the end goal.
Impact: Can lead to high achievement, dedication, and resilience. However, the relentless pursuit of excellence can still cause stress and anxiety, especially if expectations become unrealistic.
-
Motivation: Driven by a fear of failure and negative judgment. You strive for perfection as a shield, hoping to avoid criticism, disappointment, or disapproval.
Mindset: You often have perfectionistic all-or-nothing thinking, viewing anything less than perfect as a failure. Mistakes are feared and avoided, leading to procrastination and self-doubt.
Impact: Can lead to paralysis, anxiety, and low self-esteem. The fear of failure can hinder progress and prevent taking risks necessary for growth.
-
Thomas Curran, PhD, is a BPS chartered psychologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science at the London School of Economics. He is a world-leading expert on perfectionism, contributing significantly to the understanding of how perfectionism affects mental health and well-being. Curran has authored several pieces on perfectionism and related topics for well-regarded publications such as TIME magazine and the Harvard Business Review. Additionally, his research has explored the links between rising parental expectations and the increase in perfectionism among college students, highlighting how perfectionism contributes to a range of psychological conditions including depression, anxiety, self-harm, and eating disorders.
The first is self-oriented perfectionism, the irrational desire to be perfect: "I strive to be as perfect as I can be." The second is socially prescribed perfectionism, the sense that the social environment is excessively demanding: "I feel that others are too demanding of me." And the third is other-oriented perfectionism, the imposition of unrealistic standards on other people: "If I ask somebody to do something, I expect it to be done perfectly."
Now, research shows that all three elements of perfectionism associate with compromised mental health, including things like heightened depression, heightened anxiety and suicide ideation. But, by far, the most problematic element of perfectionism is socially prescribed perfectionism. That sense that everyone expects me to be perfect. This element of perfectionism has a large correlation with serious mental illness.
Impact on Mental Health
-
A report highlighted by the Australian Computer Society sheds light on the silent stigma of mental health in the tech industry, revealing that people working in the tech sector are five times more likely to experience depression than the general population. The report underscores the incorrect assumption that the tech industry's mental health has not been impacted by the shift towards remote work, emphasizing the isolation and 'always-on' mentality that contribute to stress and anxiety.
-
A 2017 meta-analysis investigated the clinical significance of two main dimensions of perfectionism—perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns—in relation to psychopathology. The study meticulously analyzed data from 284 studies, resulting in 2,047 effect sizes, to explore the relationship between perfectionism and various forms of psychopathology, including clinical diagnoses (depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders) and symptoms related to these disorders, as well as outcomes like self-harm, suicidal ideation, and general distress.
The findings highlighted perfectionism as a transdiagnostic factor, meaning it is associated with multiple forms of psychopathology, underscoring the significance of both perfectionistic strivings and concerns across different disorders. This analysis supports the concept of clinical perfectionism, defined as the pursuit of high standards despite negative consequences and basing self-worth on achievement, which has been a focus in developing cognitive-behavioral treatments for perfectionism with evidence for efficacy.
In clinical samples, perfectionistic concerns have been consistently higher in individuals with disorders like depression, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, OCD, generalized anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder compared to controls. Similarly, perfectionistic strivings have also been found to be elevated in conditions such as depression and OCD, among others. The role of perfectionism in eating disorders is particularly emphasized, with it being a core maintaining mechanism in cognitive-behavioral treatment models for these conditions.
-
The combination of perfectionism and tech burnout can create a vicious cycle, where the pressure to perform at an optimal level without errors increases reliance on technology, leading to longer working hours and less downtime. This can exacerbate the effects of burnout, as individuals feel they can never truly 'switch off' or meet their own high expectations, further impacting their mental health.
