Perfectionism has been on the rise since the 1980s. About 33% of the general population identifies as a perfectionist. Now, with the unprecedented added pressures from social media, these numbers just keep rising.

In a previous blog post, I shared a story about a phone conversation I had with a close friend. He didn't know that Perfectionism was a type of Imposter Syndrome. Honestly, neither did I until I started to research Imposter Syndrome at the beginning of 2021. I had just started my 300hr teacher training in yoga and psychology and the term was brought up almost immediately. I was surrounded by intelligent, mindful, and ambitious women who didn't believe in their abilities and knowledge. I was one of those women.

Reminiscing about my journey as a recovering perfectionist inspired me to write this blog post. Perfectionism is one of the five types of Imposter Syndrome. Here are three tips to help you navigate being a perfectionist.

Tip #1 - Develop awareness of your tendencies

Do you have a mindfulness practice? I began exploring Buddhism as a late teenager and felt drawn to mindfulness. I don't think I entered my mindfulness practice until I walked away from alcohol eight and a half years ago and began to explore the complex grief I carried around.

On a bright Spring day, as I walked through the small hallways of the Landa Library in San Antonio, TX, I randomly glanced over at a display and saw the book Grieving Mindfully by Sameet Kumar. Looking back, I can now clearly see how this book changed the trajectory of my life by teaching me how to practice mindfulness.

Mindfulness practices can look different from person to person because mindfulness is not a skill to be taught but something that we discover within ourselves.

Tip #2 - Learn how to work with your anxiety

Perfectionism is related to avoidance. Avoidance is an indication of anxiety. When we occupy the space of the perfectionist, we are trying to avoid any discomfort from doing it wrong, being rejected, or being thought of as less than.

In addition to developing a mindfulness practice, engaging in pranayama practices such as Nadi Shodhana or Kapalbhati can help soothe your nervous system more effectively than any western medical interventions.

Tip # 3 - Try not to procrastinate

There is a clear cycle between perfectionism and procrastination. Often the perfectionist will have trouble starting a project or task because of overwhelming fear that they won't be able to do it perfectly. This fear can be the perfectionist believing that there is something bad, wrong, or unworthy within themselves.

As the self appointed Queen of Procrastination, I deeply understand that applying due dates to projects and keeping an ongoing list of tasks may sound overwhelming. One of the biggest lessons I've learned is that it is easiest to procrastinate when I don't know where to begin. I keep a progress journal in which I write down everything that I need to do for a project and then keep daily notes on what tasks I completed when I sat down at my desk.

Perfectionism is Imposter Syndrome

These three tips are long-term solutions to overcoming Perfectionism. The Perfectionist is only one of five types of Imposter Syndrome. Over the next few weeks, I will share tips for working with all five types of Imposter Syndrome.

Are you ready to develop your toolkit to take back your power over Imposter Syndrome? Click Here to learn more and join the Let's Get Real About Imposter Syndrome LIVE 5-Day Challenge running June 20th- June 25th.