Perfectionism at work is generally considered a virtue, in fact many people mention this ability in a job interview, however, this attitude that seeks to control every little detail and excellence can be seen as a defect.
When a perfectionist starts working, we can see how this skill has more negative than positive aspects. It is common, for example, that you have difficulty meeting deadlines.
- The article Work dependence: when work becomes addictive.
- It treats perfectionism as a psychological addiction.
- And states: “The fear of failure imposes strict control.
- A high level of demand and intolerance of mistakes.
- “.
So today we’re going to find out what it really means to be a perfectionist.
An important aspect of perfectionist workers is that they end up suffering from health problems, including anxiety and stress are common, but there are many others:
These are some of the problems that can arise from perfectionism, overwork, inability to delegate, and lack of time to interact with others are some of the reasons stress and anxiety can occur.
In addition, we must add to these emotions the difficulty of enjoying free time, because work is always in the minds of these people.
As a result, they may experience impatience, irritability, and even a noticeable inattention to their own needs, as noted in the previous article on work dependency.
Perfectionists reduce their sleep hours, forget physical exercise and even take care of their diet.
As described in the article “Perfectionist Personality Style and Depression”, “Extreme perfectionism can lead to very rigid or controlling patterns or indecisions [?] That they can lead to depression and ally with it. “
While perfectionism at work is linked to people who have ambitious goals, who want to improve and are not afraid to work overtime, this ends up involving harmful behaviors.
Intolerance to error can lead to self-esteem problems, while excessive demand can lead to depression.
Not tolerating the error creates frustration. Moreover, perfectionists tend to seek the approval of others and opinion on results is always subjective. Let’s take an example.
Imagine that a person is an expert in the manufacture and placement of wooden doors, has been doing it for many years, is a perfectionist, focuses on every detail and does not respect the agreed deadline because they want to make sure that the door is perfect However, someone may not like the result. Therefore, all this self-demand greatly increases the feeling of inadequacy.
Perhaps we have reached the most important point: if it is possible to reduce perfectionism at work to minimize its consequences, the truth is that it can be done, but we must seek help and, above all, be aware that it is a problem. a limitation.
When a person is a perfectionist and suffers the consequences of this behavior, the first step is to seek the help of a professional, the psychologist will be in charge of designing an intervention, which in many cases will focus on the self-esteem problems that can perpetuate this “obsession”. Someone who wants to be in control and who seeks perfection is also usually a person with low self-esteem.
Similarly, the perfectionist can learn tools to relax, reduce wear and anxiety in areas where this feature manifests itself most strongly. With patience and work, a perfectionist can stop suffering its consequences.
Do you consider yourself a perfectionist? If so, what problems did that cause you?
“The perfectionist suffers every time he is wrong. ” ? Anonymous?