The Hidden Costs of Pursuing Perfection

⭐ Perfectionism can provide clients with competence, rewards, and control.

😰 However, perfectionism can also lead to stress, health issues, and anxiety.

💔 Perfectionism can cause internal torment and have negative effects on clients' well-being.

Perfectionism creates rigid mindsets that can damage relationships and hinder connection with others.

Perfectionists have high standards that can lead to disappointment, stress, and anxiety.

Perfectionism often breeds envy and a desire to eliminate competition rather than strive to improve.

💡 Perfectionism can both help clients achieve their goals and break them down.

🔑 A crucial first step in treatment is helping clients understand the real-world costs of their perfectionistic behavior.

🤔 Clients need to explore what they gain from their perfectionism.

🎯 Perfectionism creates a loop of constantly striving for perfection, leading to anxiety, exhaustion, and neglecting other responsibilities.

💡 Questioning the rewards gained from perfectionism helps individuals realize that striving for a marginal improvement is not worth the negative costs.

🧠 The brain's dopamine response to fixing something slightly better does not outweigh the detrimental effects of trying to be perfect.

Perfectionism can lead to anxiety and dissatisfaction.

Asking oneself a simple question can help trigger change.