Perfectionism & Burnout

??Hands up if you:

• Set excessively high standards for yourself
• Strive for flawlessness in your endeavours
• Fear making mistakes
• Fear falling short of your own expectations
• Often feel dissatisfied with your performance

If you have, you're not alone, these traits of perfectionism are extremely prevalent in modern societies, especially those that emphasise achievement, competitiveness and external validation.

Perfectionism can lead to stress, anxiety, fear of failure and, yep, you guessed it, burnout. In fact, according to Dr Gordon Parker, author of Burnout: A Guide to Identifying Burnout and Pathways to Recovery, perfectionists are at a particularly high risk of burnout.

The good news is that the traits of perfectionism actually contain a lot of the building blocks for adopting a growth mindset and cultivating a healthier relationship with yourself and others.

To do this, recovering perfectionists (myself included) need to take a look at what we believe is required to achieve our high standards, improve ourselves and grow.

Fixed vs Growth Mindset

Both perfectionism and a growth mindset involve setting high standards and aiming for improvement BUT their underlying attitudes toward failure and success differ significantly.

Perfectionism often comes with the belief that any failure is a reflection of one's inherent inadequacy. This is often referred to as a "fixed mindset" and can lead to avoiding challenges and staying within one's comfort zone to prevent failure.

A growth mindset, on the other hand, welcomes failure as an essential part of the learning process. Individuals with a growth mindset see failure as a chance to learn, adjust their approach, and ultimately improve. This outlook encourages them to take on challenges even if success is not guaranteed.

When we adopt a growth mindset we are more likely to take healthy risks, adapt to setbacks, and focus on progress rather than perfection.

Growth Mindset & Burnout

A growth mindset can helps us to reframe their relationship with challenges, failures and personal development. It also helps us to foster resilience, adaptability, and a positive outlook. Together, this plays a crucial role in both preventing burnout and aiding in the recovery process.

Adopting a growth mindset is important for burnout prevention and recovery for a number of reasons including:

1. Facing Challenges: A growth mindset helps individuals see challenges and setbacks as opportunities for growth rather than as insurmountable obstacles. This attitude promotes resilience, allowing individuals to better cope with the stressors that contribute to burnout.
2. From Perfectionism to Progress: People with a growth mindset focus on the process of improvement rather than fixating on achieving perfection. This shift can reduce the pressure to constantly meet unrealistic standards, which is a common contributor to burnout.
3. Embracing Learning and Development: Individuals with a growth mindset are more likely to seek out opportunities for learning and skill development. This continuous learning can enhance job satisfaction, prevent monotony, and provide a sense of purpose, all of which are important for preventing and recovering from burnout.
4. Reduced Fear of Failure: In a growth mindset, failure is viewed as a chance to learn and improve rather than as a personal indictment. This perspective reduces the fear of failure that can contribute to stress and burnout.
5. Increased Adaptability: A growth mindset encourages individuals to adapt and learn from their experiences. This adaptability is crucial in navigating the ever-changing demands of work and life, helping to prevent burnout stemming from feeling overwhelmed or stagnant.
6. Encouraging Healthy Risk-Taking: People with a growth mindset are more likely to take calculated risks because they believe in their ability to learn and adapt regardless of the outcome. This willingness to take risks can lead to new opportunities and experiences that can counter burnout.
7. Promoting Self-Care and Self-Compassion: Those with a growth mindset are more likely to prioritise self-care and practice self-compassion. They recognise that taking care of themselves and acknowledging their own needs is vital for sustained well-being and burnout prevention.
8. Positive Outlook on Recovery: When facing burnout, individuals with a growth mindset are more likely to view the recovery process as a chance to learn about their limits, needs, and strategies for better self-care. This positive outlook can facilitate a more effective recovery process.
9. Sense of Control: A growth mindset empowers individuals to take control of their own development and well-being. This sense of agency can counter feelings of helplessness and lack of control that often contribute to burnout.

Making the Mindset Shift

Shifting from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset involves changing your fundamental beliefs about intelligence, abilities, and personal development. Here are five strategies to help you make that transition:

1. Self-Awareness and Mindset Reflection:Start by recognising when you're exhibiting a fixed mindset. Pay attention to moments when you feel discouraged by challenges or setbacks, and when you're avoiding tasks that might lead to failure. Reflect on how your beliefs about your abilities might be influencing your behaviour. Ask yourself whether these beliefs are helping you reach your goals or holding you back.
2. Embrace Challenges and Mistakes:Instead of avoiding challenges, actively seek them out. Embracing challenges is a crucial aspect of developing a growth mindset. When you encounter difficulties, see them as opportunities to learn and improve. Embrace your mistakes as valuable learning experiences. Understand that making errors is a natural part of the learning process and not a reflection of your worth.
3. Effort and Persistence:Shift your focus from innate talent to the effort you put in. Acknowledge that hard work and dedication are more important factors in achieving success than relying solely on natural abilities. When faced with a difficult task, remind yourself that your effort and persistence can lead to improvement. Break tasks into smaller, manageable steps and celebrate each bit of progress.
4. Change Your Self-Talk:Pay attention to your inner dialogue. If you catch yourself saying things like "I'm just not good at this" or "I'll never be able to do it," challenge those negative thoughts. Replace negative self-talk with growth-oriented statements. For example, say, "I haven't mastered this yet, but with time and effort, I can improve."
5. Seek Learning and Feedback:Develop a hunger for learning and self-improvement. Engage in activities that challenge you and help you acquire new skills. Welcome feedback from others, whether it's constructive criticism or praise. Use feedback as an opportunity to understand your strengths and areas for growth.

Shifting from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset takes time and consistent effort. It's about rewiring your thinking patterns and cultivating new habits. Be patient with yourself and celebrate your progress along the way.

Over time, you'll find that embracing a growth mindset not only improves your ability to handle challenges but also enhances your overall well-being and sense of accomplishment.

In my next edition of the Refuel Your Fire newsletter, looking at the importance of Physical Fuel as part of the second key strategy for preventing burnout: Restorative Fuel.

Ps. If you'd like to find out more about how I can help you, your team or your business, visit my website: https://www.laurenkress.com