Tips for Overcoming Perfectionism

September 29, 2022

My house is a wreck… my hair is a mess… my outfit is not on point…and they all need to be perfect, or I cannot function. If you are experiencing feelings like these, you may be a perfectionist. With perfectionism comes other underlying symptoms, such as depression, anger, and anxiety. It might even affect relationships, both personal and professional. Luckily, you can conquer these inclinations. Read our blog as we discuss tips for overcoming perfectionism.

The Power of Mindset

Your mindset will help you manifest positive energy. Here is a little exercise for you to try. At the end of every day, think of three good things that have happened. Just by taking a few minutes to list three good things, it will help your positivity level grow. When you start to change your mindset, it will change how you look at things. It helps you grow, and it helps you reflect on life. Here are some other ways to help you change your mindset:

• Practice gratitude—this will help to reduce stress, build up your self-esteem, and encourage resilience in your everyday life. You could even keep a gratitude journal and write down the things you are grateful for.
• Sometimes laughter is the best medicine. Laughter can help your heart, stimulate your lungs and muscles, and improves oxygen intake.
• Spend your time with positive people. Positivity can be contagious. Spend time with people who lift the mood rather than get you down in the dumps. This will help improve your self-esteem.

It is Okay to Make Mistakes

In order to succeed, you have to make mistakes. Making mistakes helps you grow, improve, and learn. If you want to learn from your mistakes, take up a new hobby that you know will be hard for you at first. Concentrate on the activity and learn how you can improve on it every time you do it. Just because you fail does not mean it is the end of the world. Try and try again. We learn something new every time we make a mistake. It is part of the learning process. Nobody is perfect.

Create More Realistic Goals

If you are a perfectionist, you may find yourself setting unrealistic goals to achieve. Trying to set more achievable goals for yourself is another way of overcoming perfectionism. Setting realistic and challenging goals will make you feel more confident and less stressed. Here are some ways to set realistic goals:

1. Write down your goals in a journal.
2. Check out your resources that will help you achieve this goal.
3. Reassess your goals if they are not realistic.
4. Set milestones to check in on the progress of your goals.
5. Celebrate and share the goals you want to achieve with others.

Praise Your Imperfection

Show yourself that you are enough. Praise the small flaws that make you, you. You will start to see who you are rather than who you think you need to be. It will be much easier to stay positive, forward-thinking, and happy. Praising your imperfection will help your mental health immensely. Start each day with your affirmations. Manifest that you are who you are, and nothing will change that. Use “I am” statements to help motivate and inspire your goals and ideas. Take control of your perfectionist tendencies.

Finding meaning in your goals, discovering who you are, and taking hold of your life are just some of the ways you can be perfectly imperfect. Keep your head up and remember that it is okay if you are not perfect. If you feel you cannot figure out how to overcome your perfectionism, Laurie Grengs Counseling is here to support you. Laurie can help build up your inner strength, catch unhealthy behaviors, and help you live a better life.