All About Perfectionism and Anxiety Pt.1
When the clients at Live Lekko struggle with perfectionism, they often are also suffering from anxiety. In this three-part blog series, I will introduce some of the connections between perfectionism and anxiety. With the hope that it will provide validation and support for those of you who are feeling similar symptoms.
Anxiety symptoms are felt in the present but often focus on future fear. More specifically, fear of something terrible happening and the belief that you can keep that event from occurring. Perfectionism is the action that thrives on this feeling of dread. In the same way as anxiety, perfectionism follows a false belief that if you do things just right, you can keep the pain away.
What Connects Perfectionism and Anxiety
As a perfectionism therapist, I have seen that the common fear that links perfectionism and anxiety is the fear of failure. Because for my clients, failure brings with it the pain of not feeling good enough. They see failure as proof of something wrong with them and feel high levels of guilt and shame as a result.
My clients don’t have many positive experiences with failure and don’t allow themselves to make mistakes. A small mistake makes them feel terrible, and it takes them a long time to recover. In addition, it makes them question themselves and worry about others finding out and judging them.
It Can Lead to Overworking & Procrastination
Many people try to take control of their overwhelming and uncomfortable feelings by overworking or procrastinating on tasks. It’s easy to assume you can prove your worth through achievement or by putting off the pain by putting off tasks. Especially if you’ve spent your whole life doing this.
By now, these actions feel more like habits. Sometimes, you can also feel temporary relief by engaging in these behaviors, which makes these patterns more tempting and confusing. But these approaches are not sustainable. Instead, they create new problems. Overwork becomes burnout, and procrastination turns into avoidance. And both burnout and avoidance lead to a depressed state.
As a perfectionism and anxiety therapist, I see intelligent and insightful people daily who struggle with the fear of failure despite their high levels of success. As a result, they overwork and procrastinate in all areas of their life. Living in a society that values being the best at all costs, it’s easy to see how quickly one can get stuck in perfectionism and anxiety. In addition, if you’re like my clients, you’ve also had these behaviors enforced while growing up.
Therapy For Anxiety and Perfectionism Can Help
No matter where you are in this cycle, therapy for perfectionism and anxiety can help. You are already taking the first step by starting to observe and question your fear of failure. Anxiety treatment and counseling for perfectionism can continue to support your understanding of your habits and aid you in feeling more comfortable with failure. In addition, you can learn healthier approaches to managing your feelings. Specifically, ones that are realistic and self-compassionate.
In the rest of the blogs in this series, I will explore how overwork and procrastination build on each other and lead to burnout and avoidance. As well as I will also add sections on how to take opposite action to overwork and procrastination.
Are you ready to face your fear of failure and build lasting self-worth? If so Live Lekko can help.
Ready to Start Therapy for Perfectionism and Anxiety in Illinois?
Taking the first steps in facing your fears and addressing your perfectionism and anxiety can be hard. As a perfectionism therapist in Illinois, I am here to tell you that it can get better. Therapy for perfectionism and anxiety treatment at Live Lekko can help you build your self-worth and decrease burnout. It all starts by following these steps three steps.
- Get a free online consultation by calling or texting 217-402-7817
- Schedule your first appointment with a perfectionism therapist.
- Live life free of the restrictions of perfectionism and anxiety.
Other Services At Live Lekko in Champaign, IL
At Live Lekko in Mahomet, IL I offer several mental health services to provide you with support. Which includes counseling for women, depression treatment, and therapy for burnout and stress. As well as grief counseling, counseling for people-pleasing, and therapy for childhood emotional neglect. Whether you are in Mahomet, Peoria, Springfield, Champaign, or anywhere else in Illinois I can help with online therapy. Get started today to start living a life you enjoy.