8 Tips for Beating Perfectionism and Anxiety

Most people don’t make the connection between procrastination, perfectionism, and anxiety. Perfectionism, the tendency to hold everything to a standard of perfection, can actually paralyze you into not doing anything, creating more tension and anxiety.

8 Tips for Beating Perfectionism and Anxiety

Beating perfectionism and anxiety is possible with a few changes and a mindset shift. Identifying the root cause of your perfectionism can help you determine the most effective course of action. A counselor can assist you with anxious thoughts and perfectionist behaviors that interfere with daily activities and relationships.

The following are several tips for beating procrastination, perfectionism, and anxiety.

Make a mistake on purpose

If worrying about making a mistake causes you anxiety, try a bit of exposure therapy. Make a tiny mistake on purpose. For example, if you need to staple documents for a presentation, be okay with misaligned staples. Leave it alone. Learn to accept the little mistakes. Life will not stop.

Change your mindset to overcome perfectionism and anxiety

Where does the belief that you must be perfect come from? Often, people develop perfectionist tendencies after being let down by others. They may feel that everything is up to them. This causes a surge of cortisol and adrenaline as anxious thoughts flood their minds. Everyone has limitations, and multitasking is not always healthy. Try your best and let the rest go. Trust God to help you.

Learn to love yourself

Perhaps people don’t feel loved or accepted unless they’re trying to prove something to others. This mindset may be the result of abandonment, neglect, or abuse. Here’s the truth: God loves you and has already accepted you. Change your mindset to receive love and learn to love and accept yourself.

Set goals

Goals can focus your mind and help you overcome procrastination, which can be a byproduct of perfectionism and anxiety. Set SMART goals. SMART is an acronym that stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound goals. Be specific about what you want, but also be willing to pivot as necessary.

Use the baby step method

Take a large goal or task and break it down into smaller tasks. For example, if you have a presentation at work to create, break the project down into milestones, such as completing two slides every morning and evening until the day before the presentation. This keeps you from procrastinating, but gives you a sense of accomplishment as you know the project will get done. Your perfectionism and anxiety have no room to grow.

Do what you can for two minutes

Marla Cilley, an author and self-help expert in home organization, promotes doing just two minutes for any task instead of procrastinating. When you feel overwhelmed or anxious due to perfectionism, commit to doing two minutes of the task.

For example, you want to start a business, but you are afraid of failure, so you procrastinate and let the dream slip away. Instead, spend two minutes working on a task for that business idea. You could look up start-up costs, inventory, business license applications, and places to rent. After a few minutes, you will feel a sense of accomplishment. You can beat perfectionism and anxiety two minutes at a time.

Develop routines

The most effective way to overcome procrastination, perfectionism, and anxiety is to establish routines. Routines give you a sense of control. When you adopt small routines, steps throughout your morning, afternoon, and evening, you accomplish more without feeling as if you have exerted extra effort. You can tackle overwhelming tasks, such as filing taxes, and incorporate them into your routine.

For example, you schedule ten minutes in the evenings to tackle taxes, whether that is locating paperwork, filling out forms, or submitting an online return. Within a few days, you will have filed your taxes with little anxiety.

Find a counselor

Counseling can help with intrusive thoughts, negative emotions, and paralyzing actions (or inaction). Therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help to break the cycle of negative thoughts controlling your feelings and behaviors. A counselor will take an assessment and determine how much perfectionism and anxiety are hindering your daily activities and mental health. You may want to consider whether you prefer in-person or virtual counseling sessions.

Next Steps

Don’t allow perfectionism and anxiety to hold you back any longer. Procrastinating is an unhealthy coping mechanism that only leads to more anxiety and stress. Contact our office today to schedule an appointment with a Christian counselor. Let us help you take hold of your anxiety and kick perfectionism to the curb.