"Self-care can reduce the effects of stress and prevent perfectionism from harming our physical and mental health. But as perfectionists, we often feel guilty about doing things for ourselves-especially anything that isn't directly tied to achieving a goal, meeting expectations, or getting more done."
"We imagine perfect people as self-sacrificing, low-maintenance, don't-need-anything types who can run on fumes and still get the job done. Because our expectations are unrealistic, we underestimate our need for rest, boundaries, connection, and fun-and then feel guilty for having those needs in the first place."
"Perfectionists have impossibly high standards for themselves-and sometimes for others, too. We expect ourselves to excel at everything, achieve our goals effortlessly, and always be agreeable. We derive our self-worth from our accomplishments, which means we're constantly correcting and perfecting, seeking validation, and trying to prove our worth. It's a stressful way to live."
"But the reality is that we all need self-care. We have to tend to our physical, emotional, and spiritual needs to stay healthy and live fulfilling lives."
Some people wrongly label self-care as lazy or selfish, but self-care reduces stress and helps protect physical and mental health. Perfectionists often set impossibly high standards for themselves and sometimes others, deriving self-worth from accomplishments. This leads to constant correcting and perfecting, seeking validation, and trying to prove worth, which creates stress. Perfectionists may feel guilty about self-care, especially when it is not tied to goals, expectations, or productivity. Unrealistic images of “perfect” people cause underestimation of needs for rest, boundaries, connection, and fun. Self-care is necessary for physical, emotional, and spiritual health, and hobbies can become competitions instead of sources of enjoyment.
Read at Psychology Today
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