Health check for leaders: can your drive for perfection lead you to burnout? 

8 questions to ask yourself

• Do I routinely find myself doing and saying things to please people?
• Do I often want to say no but end up saying yes instead?
• Do I often feel resentment, stress, or pressure because of a disconnect between what I want and what I think others want from me?
• Do I struggle to ‘fit in’ at work?
• Do I define myself through the lens of other people, rather than through my achievements?
• Do I have a strong tendency to fail in prioritizing my needs?
• Do I feel pain in my body (shoulder pain, back pain, headaches) on a regular basis?
• Do I sometimes feel a physical reaction when I go to work or when I think about work?

What your answers say about you

If you answered ‘yes’ to most of the above questions, it sounds like you’re struggling to control everything in pursuit of perfection, while failing to disconnect from (largely self-imposed) pressures of work. Your drive for perfection is impacting your well-being, and you need to put self-regard above seeking approval from others.

Preventing burnout

If you feel you don’t have the emotional and physical resources to continue working at this pace, you should get professional help by consulting a psychiatrist, therapist, or other qualified healthcare provider. If you are not at that stage yet, the following techniques can help reduce the risk of burnout:

Exercising

Somatic exercises (movements such as breathing techniques, guided meditation, dance, and other physical workouts) will help restore your equilibrium.

Connecting with your ‘inner child’

You need to reconnect with your inner motivation – and rediscover feelings of joy and authenticity. Your inner child can help counteract the burdensome expectations you’re imposing on yourself through playfulness.

Practical tip: Put your favorite music track on and dance, sing out loud, or do whatever feels good. The aim is to activate your joyful, spontaneous self. This can support you tremendously in the challenges you’re facing right now.

Accepting yourself

It’s time to unmask the ‘saboteurs’ in your life, such as the urge to please others, the drive to be perfect, the need to control, and the desire to fit in. The first step is to identify the saboteurs and be aware when they surface, so you can calmly decide to go another way.