It’s Okay to Be Wrong: Why Anxiety Makes Mistakes Feel So Heavy for Women in Salt Lake City
My brain is full of things that I’m not sure I can make a clear thought on. I’m just going for it because doing it and showing up is better than waiting for it to be perfect. I’ve been listening to the book “Think Again” by Adam Grant, and I’ve been really enjoying the concepts in it. One of them is our ability to be wrong and rethink what our opinion is based on the information we are given.
I see this come up often in my work with women in Salt Lake City, Utah, especially those navigating anxiety, eating disorder recovery, and trauma while holding themselves to impossibly high standards.
For many women I work with, the fear of being wrong isn’t about pride or stubbornness, but it’s anxiety. It shows up as overthinking conversations, replaying moments long after they’re over, or feeling a tight sense of dread at the idea of disappointing someone. When anxiety is running the show, being wrong can feel unsafe, even when the mistake is small. This is often where anxiety therapy in Salt Lake City can help by slowing the mental spiral, understanding where the fear comes from, and learning how to respond to yourself with more steadiness instead of self-criticism.
It’s hard for me as a therapist to be wrong
One thing that is hard for me in my role as a therapist is the being wrong part. Not because I don’t want to be wrong in something I say or do with a client BUT because I don’t want to hurt these precious and wonderful and inspiring people. I learned from the beginning as a graduate student first beginning therapy practice to admit when you’re wrong with a client. Admit when something isn’t communicated well or I didn’t respond effectively. I learned to be quick to do this. It’s still uncomfortable but it really does matter. It matters that a therapist takes responsibility and apologizes. This may be the only relationship that a client has where someone is willing to admit when they’re wrong. That’s how healthy relationships are supposed to go. We admit when we are wrong and make amends for it.
Admitting and apologizing for mistakes is important in relationships
I did this just yesterday in therapy. I didn’t effectively communicate what I was trying to say to my client at the end of a session and readdressed when I saw them again. It sucked AND I’m glad I did it. Here’s to the reminder that we are all human. Not to use that as an excuse but as an understanding that we are all trying and hopefully willing and committed to keeping being better for our relationships.
Reasons why it’s good to admit you’re wrong
The women I work with struggle with feeling guilty when they aren’t perfect especially in their relationships. It’s difficult to see the benefits of admitting when you’re wrong but let me assure you there are benefits. For some women, the fear of being wrong is tied to past experiences where mistakes didn’t feel safe, which is why trauma-informed work like EMDR therapy in Salt Lake City can be helpful.
Admitting you’re wrong can improve the relationship
When you admit that you are wrong, this can be healing to the other person. It’s not about being perfect now or ever. It’s about acknowledging our mistakes and working a little harder to be better.
Admitting when you’re wrong shows you care about the other person
My clients are the best caregivers. They want nothing more than to take care of the people they love. Admitting your mistakes and when you didn’t get something quite right, shows the other person you care enough about them and the relationship to share this.
Admitting you’re wrong builds trust
You can feel more trustworthy to the other people in your life when you show you are willing to take accountability for your actions and admit when you’ve made a mistake. It’s hard to build trust with someone who can’t admit when they’re wrong because we all make mistakes as humans.
Admitting you’re wrong shows you are willing to challenge your thinking and actions
Thinking and acting the same doesn’t show we are open to personal growth. When we admit to being wrong, it shows we are invested in growing through using a different pattern of thoughts and behaviors that align with our values.
Hopefully, you can embrace the fact that you’re human and it’s ok to make mistakes, and there can be some important benefits to admitting when you’re wrong.
Online Therapy for Perfectionism and Anxiety in Salt Lake City, Utah
If you live in Salt Lake City (or anywhere in Utah) and constantly feel pressure to get things right, to say the right thing, respond perfectly, or never disappoint anyone, anxiety therapy in Salt Lake City can help you with that internal pressure. Many of the women I work with are high-achieving, capable, and deeply caring, yet feel anxious, guilty, or ashamed when they make mistakes or fall short of their own expectations.
In therapy, we don’t work on becoming perfect. We work on understanding where that fear comes from, learning how to repair instead of self-punish, and building relationships both with yourself and others that allow room for being human. I offer online therapy for anxiety, perfectionism, and eating disorder recovery to women in Salt Lake City, Utah, making it easier to get support without adding more stress to your life.
If you’re tired of living in fear of getting it wrong, you don’t have to do this alone.
Start anxiety therapy in Salt Lake City, Utah
I provide online anxiety therapy for women in Salt Lake City, Utah, with a focus on high-functioning anxiety, perfectionism, and fear of making mistakes. Get started with a 15-minute phone consultation
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Online Therapy in Salt Lake City, Utah
It’s not always convenient to travel to see a therapist and make time for an appointment. I know struggling with mental health isn’t easy, and trying to manage treatment can prove to be challenging. I know that therapy is an investment in yourself, and I know it’s worth it. I also want to make it easier for you to manage your schedule, which is why I offer online therapy in Utah. It’s secure, convenient, and just as effective as in-person.
Using telehealth also allows me to work with you if you are in the Salt Lake City metro area or anywhere in utah.
Other mental health services provided in Salt Lake City
Anxiety therapy isn’t the only counseling service offered at Maple Canyon Therapy. Other mental health services offered by Maple Canyon therapy include body image therapy, EMDR therapy, birth trauma, eating disorder therapy, and binge eating disorder treatment.