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Mental Health

6 Signs That Your Perfectionism Is Affecting Your Mental Health

There’s having high standards, and then there’s paralyzing yourself from making progress.

Marisa Taylor KarasMandy Armitage, MD
Written by Marisa Taylor Karas | Reviewed by Mandy Armitage, MD
Updated on February 11, 2025
Reviewed by Mandy Armitage, MD | February 11, 2025

It’s reasonable to want to put your best effort into your work, self-care, and relationships. But sometimes the fear of failure and striving for absolute perfection (which doesn’t exist) can cause mental distress. 

Learn more about coping skills to relieve perfectionist tendencies here.

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Marisa Taylor Karas is a freelance journalist based in Brooklyn who has covered health, gender, and technology for 15 years. She previously worked at The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, and Al Jazeera America, among other publications, and also served as managing editor of the Mellon Foundation in New York City.
Mandy Armitage, MD
Reviewed by:
Mandy Armitage, MD
Mandy Armitage, MD, has combined clinical medicine with her passion for education and content development for many years. She served as medical director for the health technology companies HealthLoop (now Get Well) and Doximity.

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