Katharina Buczek
3. Always Assessing Your Image
As a toxic perfectionist, you obviously strive to be “perfect.” It’s literally in the name.
Only you know that, deep down, you aren’t truly perfect. And that’s not anything to be ashamed of– because no one is.
But, for some reason, you still hope that everyone else will view you through rose-colored glasses. You want to woo people or at least shield them from your “less favorable” qualities.
That’s why many toxic perfectionists also tend to be people pleasers. And in addition to that, you may just be super self-conscious and hyper-aware of your image at all times.
In the age of social media, this idea has gained a whole new level, too. Perhaps you are constantly checking what your social feed looks like– trying to figure out what other people who don’t know you might think when they click on your profile.
And before sharing a picture, you probably agonize over hitting the “post” button– wondering how the image will be perceived.
Don’t get me wrong: it is completely normal to want people to like you. But this kind of obsession is seriously toxic. And it pushes you to criticize yourself and refrain from living your most authentic life by constantly curating and editing the version of yourself that you share with others.
4. Never Getting Enough Sleep
If you struggle with toxic perfectionism, then your schedule is probably already super tight. That’s why your “responsibilities” likely bleed into the nighttime, pushing you to stay up late working or simply overthinking about everything you “need” to do.
You may even pull all-nighters often, just because they make you feel mentally accomplished as opposed to physically nourished.
