Some of the most successful people out there are considered perfectionists, and may you call yourself one of them. Long hours are often spent focusing on minor and major details to ensure everything goes according to plan, and while this can make for a seamless presentation, product, or service, it does take a heavy toll. As humans, we’re bound to make mistakes – if we spend every second attempting to perfect everything we do, we’re not only stifling our creativity, but we’re also draining ourselves over some things that may not need that much special attention. Perfectionism often causes us to fear failure, be critical of ourselves if we don’t meet our own high expectations, and even become extremely critical of others – which can take a negative toll on our social relationships.
Consider the following phrases and see if any of them apply to you:
“I try not to let anyone know about the mistakes that I made or have made.”
“I would hate for others to see me fail at something.”
“I strive to look perfect to other people.”
A 2014 study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences sought to explore the relationship between perfectionism and social anxiety; a total of 165 students were involved, and researchers assessed perfectionism self-presentation, social anxiety, perfectionism cognitions, and more. Results from the study concluded that perfectionism is indeed linked with social anxiety. How exactly are these two associated?
As you can imagine, the thoughts listed above can have an impact on one’s perceptions of other people. If you have perfectionism traits, you may be extremely worried that others will notice a flaw in you or feel uncomfortable taking major risks in front of others because you don’t want to look “bad”. This can certainly play out in your professional endeavors, as you may find yourself clinging to more “safe” business options due to fear of failure. Social anxiety can significantly impact your daily life if not treated, and it’s important that you seek help to overcome these obstacles.
If you’re constantly in fear of doing or saying the wrong thing, you limit your ability to interact with others and make decisions based on your intuition, dreams, and goals.
Eventually, there is nowhere left for trauma to go when we leave it unresolved, and it shows up everywhere in our life begging to be healed. Make the decision today to enter trauma recovery and find healing. Call The Guest House Ocala to learn more about our residential care programs for trauma, addictions, and related mental health issues: 855-483-7800