Fighting Perfectionism with Self-Compassion

“Be kind to one another.” You don’t need to be a die-hard Ellen DeGeneres fan to appreciate the value of that motto. And while we’re reminded how kindness goes a long way in our everyday interactions with others, we often forget to apply it to those who need it most: ourselves. Whether it’s setting a personal weight-loss goal, or believing that we can ace a final exam—all of us are familiar with the experience of setting high standards. We’re even more familiar with the inevitable let-down that comes from not living up to those very standards. Enter, the life of a perfectionist. But, importantly, not all perfectionists operate the same. There are different types that are associated with different psychological outcomes. On the one hand, if you strive to attain your ambitious goals and prevent yourself from being overly self-critical, you might be a personal strivings perfectionist. This isn’t so bad. In fact, this type of perfectionism is more likely to lead to relatively higher levels of self-esteem and decreased levels of negative affect. On the other hand, if you constantly believe that you are not good enough, if you judge yourself by your shortcomings, and if you are constantly worried that other people won’t approve of you, then you might be more on the side of maladaptive perfectionism. This form of perfectionism has been linked to depressive symptoms in both adolescents and adults. It’s no wonder then that researchers are curious to know more about...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Brain Blogger Perfectionism Publishers Research Depression Kindness perfectionism and depression Perfectionist self-compassion Self-Esteem self-worth Source Type: blogs