How to Overcome Perfectionism at Work

You stay late to triple-check your report, rewrite your emails (what feels like a hundred times) before hitting send, and feel uneasy when you make even the smallest mistake. You struggle to delegate or offload assignments, feeling like no one else can do the job “right”, and find yourself checking messages late into the night to make sure that you haven’t missed anything.  You tell yourself that you just have “high standards,” but deep down, you know it’s more than that - you can’t escape from the constant pressure to be perfect. While striving to do well can fuel success, perfectionism at work often comes at a steep cost: exhaustion, anxiety, and burnout. If you find yourself caught in an endless cycle of staying late, struggling to disconnect from work and never feeling “good enough,” you’re not alone. Let’s talk about how perfectionism shows up in the workplace - and what you can do to break free from it.

How Perfectionism Shows Up in the Workplace

Perfectionism at work can look different for everyone. Some people push themselves to achieve flawless results, while others procrastinate out of fear that what they produce won’t measure up. It’s not always obvious - you might appear driven and detail-oriented on the surface (and receive tons of praise for your “strong work ethic”), but inside, you’re battling intense self-criticism or fear of failure.

Here are a few common ways perfectionism tends to show up at work:

• Overworking and burnout: You struggle to “turn off” because you constantly feel there’s more to do or improve. Taking breaks or using your vacation days might even make you feel guilty.

• Difficulty delegating: You tell yourself others won’t do the job “right,” so you struggle to offload work or allow others to help out.  

• Procrastination: You delay starting a project because you’re worried you won’t be able to do it perfectly.

• Over-editing or over-preparing: You spend hours fine-tuning minor details that don’t significantly impact the final outcome.

• Harsh self-talk: You hold yourself to impossible standards and are quick to criticize yourself for even small mistakes.

• Fear of feedback: You dread performance reviews or even constructive criticism, interpreting them as proof you’re not good enough.

• People-pleasing: You say “yes” to every request or task because you don’t want to disappoint anyone - even when it means overextending yourself.

At first glance, these tendencies might look like commitment or professionalism. But when you won’t rest until you’ve achieved “perfect”, you can quickly end up fatigued, depleted and filled with self-doubt.  There’s even a name for this - atelophobia, or the fear of imperfection.

Is Perfectionism at Work a Strength or a Weakness?

Many perfectionists struggle with this question - after all, perfectionist behavior is often praised in professional settings. You might hear things like, “She always goes above and beyond,” or “He’s so meticulous — he never misses a thing.” And while attention to detail and a strong work ethic are valuable traits, perfectionism itself isn’t the same as striving for excellence.

The difference lies in motivation and mindset.

• Healthy striving is about doing your best because you care about the outcome and want to grow.

• Perfectionism is about trying to prove your worth and avoid criticism or failure - and often avoiding the vulnerability or openness to feedback that’s required for professional growth.

When your self-esteem depends on flawless performance, even small mistakes or oversights can feel devastating. You might feel an overwhelming sense of shame, fear, or anxiety when you fall short of your own expectations. Instead of motivating you, perfectionism can paralyze you - making it harder to take risks, be creative, or simply enjoy your work.

Some people who struggle with perfectionism may see sacrificing their own mental health as worth it to receive praise, esteem and contribute to the greater good at work.  But who your perfectionism actually benefits isn’t even as clear as it seems - the strive for perfection can lead you to procrastinate and ultimately miss deadlines, put strain on relationships with your colleagues who feel frustrated by your inability to “let go”, get in the way of collaborative working relationships, and set a poor example for your peers and under-lings.  

In other words, perfectionism sometimes looks like a strength from the outside, but realistically it can be a double-edged sword. It often leads to chronic stress, burnout, imposter syndrome, and strained relationships with coworkers or supervisors.

How to Stop Being a Perfectionist at Work

By now we’ve established that while striving for your personal best at work can be a strength, holding yourself to the standard of perfection usually causes more harm than good.  If you’re ready to take steps to overcome your perfectionism at work, it doesn’t mean you’re accepting doing poorly or being “bad” at your job.  It means learning to value progress over perfection - and to see your worth as something separate from your performance.  

Here are some practical ways to begin thinking about that shift:

1. Redefine “Good Enough”

    Perfectionists often set unrealistically high expectations for themselves. The next time you’re working on a task, ask yourself: What would “good enough” look like here?  And why am I expecting myself to do more than that?
   Most of the time, “good enough” is more than sufficient.  Remember, your goal isn’t to produce perfection - it’s to deliver quality work while not sacrificing too much of yourself in the process.

2. Challenge All-or-Nothing Thinking

   Perfectionism thrives on black-and-white thinking - if something isn’t perfect, the only option must be for it to be a failure. Try to embrace the gray area instead.
   When you make a mistake or receive feedback, remind yourself: This doesn’t mean I’m bad at my job. It just means I’m human - and learning.

3. Practice Self-Compassion

   Self-criticism might feel like it keeps you accountable, but in reality, it creates shame and burnout.  Treat yourself with the same kindness and understanding you’d offer a friend who’s struggling.
   You might say to yourself: I did my best with the time and resources I had. That’s enough for today.

4. Set Boundaries

   Perfectionists often equate busy-ness with worth, making it hard to justify rest and breaks. But constant overworking actually makes you less effective over time - we all need breaks to reset and recalibrate.
   Try setting clear boundaries: leave work at a certain time, mute notifications after hours, and take your full lunch break. Notice how your productivity and creativity improve when you’re well-rested and leave time to care for yourself.

5. Learn to Delegate

   Delegating isn’t a sign of weakness - it’s a sign of trust and strong leadership.  If you struggle with letting go of control, start small. Ask a colleague to take on a task and remind yourself that different doesn’t = “wrong.”

6. Celebrate Small Wins

   Perfectionists often move the goalpost as soon as they achieve something. Instead, pause to acknowledge your progress.
   Did you finish a project ahead of schedule?  Speak up in a meeting even though it made you nervous?  These are moments worth celebrating!

7. Separate Worth from Work

   Your job performance does not define your value as a person. This can be one of the hardest lessons for perfectionists to internalize. Try grounding yourself in other parts of your identity - your relationships, your hobbies, your values, and your sense of humor. It’s important to remind ourselves that we are worth more than our output. 

8. Embrace Growth Mindset

   Instead of seeing feedback as a personal attack, view it as information that can help you grow. According to research on growth mindset, framing our intelligence and skills as things that can be developed and nurtured over time helps us to actually perform better compared to when we view our intelligence as fixed.  Embracing growth mindset allows us to view challenges as learning opportunities, rather than indications of inadequacy.  When we recognize that there are always opportunities to grow and learn, viewing “perfection” as a finite goal seems less and less relevant.

9. Take Imperfect Action

   Sometimes the best way to fight perfectionism is to do something before you feel ready. Send the email, submit the report, or share your idea - think of it as exposure therapy for perfectionism. The goal is to build tolerance for imperfection, and recognize that “mistakes” rarely have the catastrophic consequences you imagine.

10. Notice Your Triggers

    Perfectionism often flares up when something feels unstable or uncertain -  a new project, a performance review, or a shift in leadership. When you notice your perfectionistic urges rising, pause and ask yourself: What am I afraid will happen if I don’t do this perfectly?
    Often, the fear is about rejection, failure, or not being seen as capable. Recognizing the underlying emotion helps you respond more intentionally, rather than reactively.

Therapy Can Help You Overcome Perfectionism at Work

If you’ve struggled with perfectionism for years, changing these patterns on your own can feel daunting.   Perfectionism is often rooted in deeper experiences - perhaps growing up in an environment where love or approval felt tied to achievement, or where mistakes weren’t tolerated.  Over time, that pressure to perform becomes internalized, showing up later in your career as overworking, people-pleasing, or relentless self-criticism.

In therapy, you can begin to explore where these beliefs come from and learn new ways to relate to yourself and your job. Therapy can help you:

• Identify and challenge the inner critic that fuels your perfectionism

• Build self-compassion and resilience

• Learn tools to manage anxiety and stress at work

• Practice setting realistic expectations and healthy boundaries

• Develop a more balanced sense of identity beyond your professional role

Through this process, you can begin to experience what it’s like to take pride in your work without the constant pressure to be perfect - so that your relationship to work can be sustainable, and something that fulfills you (rather than drains you) over time. 

Ready to Leave Perfectionism Behind?

If you recognize yourself in these patterns, therapy can help you break free from perfectionism and build a healthier relationship with your work and yourself.  At Root to Rise Therapy, I specialize in helping high-achieving women, new moms, and professionals navigate the anxiety, self-doubt, and burnout that often accompany perfectionism. Together, we’ll work toward more balance, confidence, and self-acceptance - so you can show up fully (rather than “perfectly”!) in your career, and your life.

You don’t have to keep pushing yourself to the brink to feel worthy. Reach out today to schedule a free consultation and begin your journey toward healing from perfectionism.

Related Posts:

5 Tips for Overcoming Perfectionism

Are You An Anxious Perfectionist? How Therapy Cann Help

Therapy for High Achievers: Healing from People Pleasing and Perfectionism

From Parentified Daughter to Overachiever: Finding Healing as an Adult

How Therapy Can Help You Find Self Love and Leave the Inner Critic Behind

Why Do I Doubt Myself So Much? (And How to Stop)

Overcoming Perfectionism as a Colorado Athlete

The Myth of the Perfect Mother: How to Break Free from Perfectionist Parenting

For more related posts, check out Root to Rise Therapy’s perfectionism blog!

Other Services at Root to Rise Therapy:

Other mental health services at Root to Rise Therapy include Therapy for Anxiety,  Therapy for Perfectionism, Therapy for People-Pleasing,Cultural Identity Counseling, ADHD Therapy, Counseling for Moms and Postpartum Counseling.   I see clients located inColorado, New York and New Jersey.  Contact me to learn more about how I can help you overcome perfectionism and reclaim your life!