Letting go of perfectionism in school can be challenging, but it’s essential for your well-being and academic success. Perfectionism often leads to stress, burnout, and anxiety, making it difficult to enjoy learning and perform to the best of your abilities. Here are some strategies to help you let go of perfectionism:
Letting Go of Perfectionism is Being Nicer to Yourself
Dr. Jodi discusses the hidden negative effects of self-criticism and exposes the societal pressure of perfectionism. She highlights how harsh self-judgment can contribute to stress, anxiety, and even depression. By contrast, adopting a compassionate attitude towards ourselves allows for greater forgiveness of mistakes and setbacks, fostering a growth and learning mindset essential to feeling good.
You’ll learn HOW to release the pressure perfectionism puts on you by being kinder to yourself. With this freedom, you will find you perform better, not worse. Perfectionism is not your friend. It is a time-waster. It is worse than a time waster, actually, it causes suffering. Transform your inner dialogue from one of self-criticism to one of kindness and self-love, ultimately leading to a more fulfilling and balanced life.
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Resources Letting Go of Perfectionism
EnCompass Game: Navigating Challenges Through Conscious Purpose Order here!
Redirect Negative Thought Reframing Cards: Order here!
Here are some strategies to help you let go of perfectionism:
1. Recognize the Downsides of Perfectionism
- Understand the Costs: Acknowledge that striving for perfection can lead to unnecessary stress, procrastination, and even lower performance. Accepting this can motivate you to shift your mindset.
2. Set Realistic Expectations
- Acknowledge Unrealistic Expectations: Perfectionism often sets standards that are impossible to meet. Impossible standards lead to perfectionism; realize that even the best students make mistakes, and those errors are part of learning.
3. Celebrate Wins
Focus on accomplishments, no matter how small, rather than counting your deficits.
- Practice Self-Compassion: Instead of criticizing yourself for mistakes, be kind to yourself and recognize that everyone has flaws. Ask yourself how you’d talk to a friend in the same situation.
- Reframe Failures as Learning Opportunities: Rather than seeing mistakes as failures, view them as steps in the learning process. Ask yourself, “What can I learn from this?” instead of, “Why wasn’t this perfect?”
4. Externalize Perfectionism
Perfectionism is not your friend; see it for what it is. It harbors and hurts you. Stop seeing it as part of you but something that affects you. This will give you the power you need to shift the situation.
5. Slow and Steady Wins the Race
- Do things as you go along. Don’t procrastinate and wait until the last minute because of the pressure. It will just grow and overwhelm you. Do a little at a time, and things will get done faster than you can imagine. With time, you can expand your skills in ways you wouldn’t have imagined before.
- Let Go of Minor Details: Don’t get caught up in obsessing over small mistakes. Ask yourself, “Will this matter in the long run?” Most minor errors won’t have a big impact on your final grade or future success.
- Practice Time Blocking: Plan your schedule with clear breaks and downtime. This can help you avoid burnout and keep you productive without getting overwhelmed by the desire to perfect everything.
6. Start Before You Are Ready
- When you hesitate, your brain thinks something is wrong and releases stress hormones. To save yourself this agony, start without thinking and focus on doing rather than on the pressure of doing.
7. Stop Aiming for Perfection
- Perfection is not definable. It is impossible. Consciously, stop yourself from striving for it.
8. Plan Down Time
- Develop Healthy Habits: Prioritize sleep, nutrition, and exercise, as they’re crucial to managing stress and maintaining focus. Plan these instead of letting yourself go until you hit a wall. Then you can get the full benefits of the rest.
- Engage in Relaxation Techniques: Try mindfulness, meditation, or deep breathing to reduce anxiety and refocus your mind when you start feeling overwhelmed by perfectionist tendencies.
Letting go of perfectionism takes time, but by practicing these strategies, you can create a healthier, more balanced relationship with schoolwork. This will allow you to grow and succeed without the constant pressure of being perfect.
See you every Monday at 8 PM E! When you attend Live, you can ask Dr. Jodi your questions. Get on the list to get reminders about the show, including the topic for the week, PLUS, receive my Gen Z Mental Health Resource Guide here: