By Jenna Fitzgerald | Copy Editor
I used to be a nail-biter. A couple of years ago, I traded that nervous habit for my current one: picking at the skin around my fingernails. From the looks of my Band-Aid-wrapped fingers, you would think I have some personal vendetta against my hands. Allow me to assure you, though, that the only quarrel going on in my soul is between my perfectionism and my peace.
For as long as I can remember, I have been grudgingly managing perfectionist tendencies, which — according to the American Psychological Association — demand “an extremely high or even flawless level of performance, in excess of what is required by the situation.”
You know the drill. You see a task and spend an unnecessarily long amount of time working on it so that it’s “just right,” but your above-and-beyond efforts earn you little to no bonus. Quite simply, you just wasted your time, and you stressed yourself out doing it.
I’ll be the first to say that perfectionism makes no legitimate sense. It’s unnecessary and — in a lot of cases — unattainable. For some reason, though, it’s impossible for me to move my goal post closer to reality. That’s the problem with perfectionism: you can’t just “turn it off.” It lives with you. It affects every task that’s set before you, whether that task is big or small. It drains you in more ways than one.
Logistically, tasks are drawn out, usually with minimal material reward. When studying for tests, I memorize way more information than I need, simply on the off chance that there will be a question that asks about the most obscure thing we learned. For my capstone class, I read every reading assignment — which, for reference, is not usually short — twice so that I can pick up on more details and excel on my reading quizzes. When taking notes, if I notice that my bullet points aren’t in a straight line, I don’t hesitate to erase them and draw them again.
Besides costing time, perfectionism takes its toll on mental health. According to the University of Michigan’s Counseling and Psychological Services, perfectionism can put people at greater risk for depression, anxiety, obsessiveness, compulsiveness and loneliness. The stress that comes with having the impulse to do everything, and to do it flawlessly, is emotionally taxing. Pressure can certainly be a good motivator, but at some point, a line has to be drawn.
Perhaps the most surprising impact, though, is on physical wellbeing. I’ve been told on more than one occasion that the chronic migraines and nausea I experience could be a result of stress. An even more obvious connection can be drawn between stress and the types of nervous habits I’ve already mentioned. Ultimately, it’s not uncommon for the logistical and mental stressors of perfectionism to manifest themselves physically, too.
Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely some perks to being a perfectionist. Since I’m a copy editor, details are, quite literally, my job. It also comes in handy when I’m doing classwork and aiming for the highly sought-after 4.0. At my core, though, I wish I could be someone who was OK with making a few grammatical errors and getting a B on a quiz.
I know this is easier said than done, but try not to put undue amounts of pressure on yourself. Create a to-do list every day, and set a reasonable deadline for your work — after which you will spend time resting or doing something you enjoy. Take advantage of resources that could help lessen your burden, such as the University Writing Center and the Tutoring Center. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, reach out to the Counseling Center; its website actually lists perfectionism as a commonly addressed academic concern, so it is undoubtedly prepared to assist you in a more professional capacity. Above all, give yourself grace.
To my fellow perfectionists, know that I see you.
To everyone else, try to see them, too.
