Anxiety demands certainty from “danger.” One way this can play out is through perfectionism. Like certainty, perfectionism is often a hidden driver that we’re not consciously aware of. And just like certainty, perfectionism is unachievable.

Perfectionism is hard to give up because it offers a massive buffer from “danger.” In reality, it’s a setup for self-criticism and beating ourselves up because we’ll always fall short.

Self-compassion can assist with letting go of perfectionism. Self-compassion often gets lumped together with complacency or giving up our values. This isn’t the case. In general, self-compassion is responding to ourselves the same way we would a good friend.

Dr. Kristin Neff offers helpful information on self-compassion: https://self-compassion.org/the-three-elements-of-self-compassion-2/