How Do You Calm Perfectionism Anxiety? Insights from a Salt Lake City Therapist
Many women in Salt Lake City know what it feels like to live under the pressure of perfectionism. You may hold yourself to incredibly high standards, replay mistakes in your mind, or feel like you’re constantly falling short no matter how hard you try. While striving to do well can be a strength, perfectionism often comes with intense anxiety and harsh self-criticism. Calming perfectionism anxiety usually involves learning to respond differently to that internal pressure and recognizing that mistakes and imperfection are a normal part of being human. Over time, things like setting more realistic expectations, challenging negative thoughts, practicing self-compassion, and taking tasks one step at a time can help reduce the anxiety that perfectionism creates. For many women, working with a therapist through anxiety therapy in Salt Lake City can also provide support in understanding where perfectionism developed and learning healthier ways to relate to themselves.
Overcoming perfectionism is a process that takes time and practice. Be patient with yourself. Coping with perfectionism anxiety can be challenging, but there are several strategies you can try to help calm your mind and reduce the negative impact of perfectionism. Here are some ideas that may be helpful:
1. Set realistic expectations
Perfectionists often set unattainable standards for themselves. Practice setting realistic goals and accepting that perfection is not always achievable. Focus on progress and improvement rather than demanding flawlessness.
2. Challenge your negative thoughts
Perfectionism is often fueled by irrational thoughts and beliefs. Remember thoughts are not facts and that means they aren’t necessarily true. Learn to identify and challenge these thoughts by asking yourself if they are based on facts or if they are distorted by perfectionistic thinking. Replace negative self-talk with more realistic and positive statements.
3. Embrace mistakes and failures
Perfectionists tend to fear mistakes and failure. Recognize that making mistakes is a natural part of learning and growth. Embrace failures as valuable opportunities for personal development. Learn from them and use them as stepping stones toward improvement.
4. Practice self-compassion
Be kind to yourself and cultivate self-compassion. Treat yourself with the same understanding and support you would offer to a friend. Remember that nobody is perfect, and it's okay to have limitations and make mistakes.
5. Break tasks into smaller steps
Perfectionists often feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of a task, leading to procrastination or anxiety. Break down larger tasks into smaller, manageable steps. Focus on completing one step at a time, celebrating your progress along the way.
6. Prioritize self-care
Engage in activities that promote relaxation and stress reduction. Take breaks when needed, practice deep breathing exercises, engage in physical activity, and make sure to get enough sleep and maintain a balanced diet. Taking care of your overall well-being can help alleviate perfectionism anxiety.
7. Challenge perfectionistic behaviors
Engage in behaviors that challenge perfectionism directly. Set aside time for activities where you intentionally allow imperfection, such as drawing, painting, or writing without aiming for perfection. Gradually expose yourself to situations where you can practice accepting less-than-perfect outcomes, and use coping skills to deal with anxiety as it comes up.
8. Seek anxiety treatment
Consider talking to an anxiety therapist or anxiety counselor who can help you explore the underlying causes of your perfectionism and provide guidance on managing anxiety. They can offer tailored strategies and techniques to address your individual experience with anxiety.
The Weight of Toxic Perfectionism
Perfectionism isn’t just about wanting to do well. Toxic perfection is the constant pressure to be flawless, no matter the cost. Toxic perfectionism takes this even further, making it feel like every mistake is a failure and every success is never quite enough. It keeps your nervous system activating and working hard, fueling anxiety and self-doubt, because the fear of not measuring up won’t go away. You might find yourself overthinking every decision, replaying conversations in your head, or avoiding things altogether just to escape the possibility of failing. But perfection isn’t the solution to anxiety, it’s part of what keeps the anxiety cycle going. Anxiety therapy can help you step out of this cycle and learn how to move forward without the weight of impossible expectations.
Overcoming Perfectionism
Perfectionism and anxiety often go hand in hand, creating a cycle of self-doubt, avoidance, and overwhelming pressure. The good news is that overcoming perfectionism doesn’t mean lowering your standards—it means shifting from impossible expectations to a more flexible, self-compassionate mindset. Instead of measuring your worth by how flawlessly you perform, therapy for perfectionism can help you recognize how focusing on self-compassion and progress is more helpful than setting high standards.
A key part of this process is learning to tolerate discomfort and uncertainty. Perfectionists often procrastinate or avoid challenges out of fear of failure, but mistakes aren’t proof that you’re not good enough and therapy for perfectionism can help you recognize this. When you permit yourself to be imperfect, you create space for so many more positive things and most of all less anxiety.. Therapy for perfectionism can help you break free from perfectionistic patterns and build a healthier relationship with yourself.
Anxiety therapy in Salt Lake City,Utah can help calm perfectionism anxiety
Anxiety therapy in Utah can be beneficial for women struggling with perfectionism. Anxiety therapy sessions provide a safe and supportive place where you can talk about your struggle with perfectionism and how it relates to anxiety. An anxiety counselor can help you understand the root causes of your perfectionism and teach you ways to manage it. Anxiety treatment can help you in setting realistic goals, challenge negative thoughts, and practice self-compassion. Through anxiety therapy, you can learn to embrace mistakes and develop healthier ways of thinking and coping with anxiety. Remember, anxiety therapy is a process that takes time, but it can be a valuable tool in finding relief from perfectionism-related anxiety.
Begin meeting with an anxiety therapist in Salt Lake City, Utah
You don’t have to deal with your perfectionism anxiety alone. Anxiety therapy can help. This Utah Counseling Clinic has an anxiety therapist that specializes in treating perfectionism. To begin anxiety treatment follow the steps below:
Meet with a therapist for anxiety
Break away from perfectionism
Frequently Asked Questions About Perfectionism and Anxiety
Why does perfectionism cause anxiety?
Perfectionism often creates anxiety because it sets unrealistic standards for yourself. When you feel like mistakes aren’t acceptable, or that you always have to perform at a high level, everyday tasks can start to feel stressful and overwhelming.
What are the signs that perfectionism is affecting your mental health?
Common signs include constant self-criticism, fear of making mistakes, overthinking decisions, procrastination because things have to be “perfect,” and feeling like nothing you do is ever good enough.
How can I calm perfectionist anxiety?
Calming perfectionism anxiety often involves learning to challenge harsh self-criticism, set more realistic expectations, and practice self-compassion. Therapy can also help people understand the deeper emotional patterns that keep perfectionism and anxiety stuck in place.
Is perfectionism related to overthinking?
Yes. Many people who struggle with perfectionism also experience overthinking. They may replay conversations, worry about making mistakes, or feel pressure to get everything exactly right before taking action.
Can I get anxiety therapy if I live in Salt Lake City?
Yes. If you live in Salt Lake City or anywhere in Utah, you can work with a therapist through online sessions. Anxiety therapy in Salt Lake City can help you understand the connection between perfectionism and anxiety while learning healthier ways to manage pressure and self-criticism.
About the Author
Ashlee Hunt, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker who works with women struggling with anxiety, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and concerns about body image and food. She earned her Master of Social Work from Utah State University and previously completed two Bachelor’s degrees at Southern Utah University in Psychology and Family Life and Human Development.
Ashlee has spent years working with individuals experiencing anxiety and eating-related struggles in a variety of treatment settings. Her clinical work focuses on helping high-functioning women who often look like they have everything together on the outside but feel overwhelmed internally by pressure, self-criticism, and overthinking.
In addition to her therapy practice, Ashlee has contributed to the training of future clinicians as an adjunct instructor in the Utah State University Social Work Department, where she taught courses related to social work practice.
Ashlee is the founder of Maple Canyon Therapy, a telehealth therapy practice serving women throughout Utah, including Salt Lake City. Her work focuses on helping women better understand the emotional patterns behind anxiety and perfectionism so they can develop healthier boundaries, reduce self-criticism, and feel more at ease in their daily lives.