People who dream of perfection all the time are driven by the avoidance of failure. They don’t do well by thinking of avoiding setbacks. It shows their behavior as linked to depression. They feel a social pressure to do something they are expected to do. It makes their desire for absolute perfection to never come to an end. But these are the things that put them in a continuous risk of anxiety and in extreme cases suicidal thinking.

Following are the pursuits of perfection that are toxic for mental health.

Unable to accept and celebrate success:

When you achieve a goal but are not satisfied with it thinking you could have done it in a better way then you become frustrated and angry. You find flaws in the project and always think there is something that is wrong. It makes you unable to acknowledge your success.

You put up in front of others as everything is perfect:

Perfectionists usually fear judgment of others. When you feel whatever you are doing is going to be judged by others, you put up everything as perfect in front of others. Even when nothing is right under your leadership, you pretend to others as if it is all perfect.

You avoid taking risks:

If you are a perfectionist, then you are unable to take risks for the fear of getting failed. You don’t take opportunities and therefore stay deprived of learning or improving new skills.

You are not satisfied with life:

If you have the trait of a perfectionist, then you will never be able to enjoy life and will never be satisfied with it. You cannot stay in the competitive environments because when challenges occur, your world seems unsettling. The increased anxiety reduces the satisfaction in your life.

You believe you need to be perfect for being liked:

If you are a perfectionist, then you don’t want other people to see your flaws. You do not want them to talk about your failures instead you just want them to praise you for being perfect.

You think you cannot make any mistakes:

For an extreme perfectionist, it is hard to forgive their own mistakes. You criticize yourself for not coming up with an outstanding outcome whereas others may consider mistakes as an opportunity to learn.

You cannot get things done:

The pressure of making everything perfect leads you to incomplete work all the time. You remain in a constant battle to take decisions and complete things perfectly.

The pursuit of perfection loads you with extra stress and slows down in your life. You should be aware of the fact that perfection can never be achieved instead focus should be on learning from the flaws and making things right. Instead of hiding the failures, successful people learn from them and achieve success.

Via: Business Insider