I’ve had the pleasure of working with several people who’ve come to me due to my writing about perfectionism and perfectly hidden depression. So we’re going to be talking about the fear of losing your edge – the edge that you believe keeps you on your toes, keeps you doing better, doing more, doing doing doing… when it’s really perfectionism that’s causing your worry and fear.
Certain kinds of perfectionism can be more dangerous than others – and there’s a huge difference between it and striving for excellence. We talked about perfectionism as a disease in Episode 071 – and you may want to go back there to listen. For today, I contacted a handful of people I’d treated for perfectionism and I have their quotes to offer you. It’s amazing what they said about their own journeys toward self-awareness and self-acceptance in their work life.
We’ll briefly go over what’s helpful if you’re working with perfectionists – this is based on an article by Susanna Mittermaier a psychologist who writes about happiness and is the author of Pragmatic Psychology.
Our listener email is from someone who was thanking me for the most recent podcast I did on vulnerability where I talked openly about my panic attacks. I loved what he said so thought I would share.
Important Links:
Dan Harris’ book 10% Happier — a great read for anyone who’s afraid of losing their workplace edge.
Great article on the rise of perfectionism with quotes by researcher Dr. Gordon Flett
Rates of suicide increasing in US
Susanna Mittermeier’s article on what employers can do for perfectionistic folks..
You can hear more about perfectly hidden depression and many other topics by listening to my podcast, SelfWork with Dr. Margaret Rutherford. Subscribe to my website and receive one weekly newsletter including my weekly blog post and podcast! If you’d like to join my FaceBook closed group, then click here and answer the membership questions! Welcome!
My new book entitled Perfectly Hidden Depression has arrived and you can order here! Its message is specifically for those with a struggle with strong perfectionism which acts to mask underlying emotional pain. But the many self-help techniques described can be used by everyone who chooses to begin to address emotions long hidden away that are clouding and sabotaging your current life.
And there’s a new way to send me a message! You can record by clicking below and ask your question or make a comment. You’ll have 90 seconds to do so and that time goes quickly. By recording, you’re giving SelfWork (and me) permission to use your voice on the podcast. I’ll look forward to hearing from you!
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