A recent study published by the British Psychological Society in July 2025 sheds light on the often-overlooked consequences of perfectionism in professional settings. Studies have found that individuals who set unrealistically ambitious targets tend to overwork themselves. Too often, though, they find few signs of progress in their performance. This phenomenon has a profound effect on productivity. Just like Abbas, it deeply impacts the human side of the equation—just look at human stories such as Dayna and Aswan.
Dayna, a newly self-identified “former perfectionist,” remembers how she stopped letting her perfectionism stand in her way. She was in a state of chronic anxiety and stress, fueled by her perfectionistic striving, which has the perfectionism-focused urge on the pursuit of highly ambitious, personal standards. In order to come to terms with her behaviors, Dayna started keeping a journal and engaging with self-help literature, eventually attaining an incredible level of self-awareness in the journey.
“I kept a journal to gain more self-awareness about my tendencies and read self-help books,” – Dayna
Dayna confesses that facing her perfectionism was not exactly a walk in the park. She insists that this discomfort provides the key ingredients to help you grow. Through these struggles, she came to understand in her heart that perfectionism is not a noble quality, as she had once believed. It can promote toxic productivity culture and ultimately toxic mental health.
“I had to learn the hard way how to develop coping mechanisms and strategies to not sacrifice everything and that being a perfectionist is not a noble quality as I used to think it might be,” – Dayna
Aswan, a 25-year-old who struggles with perfectionism himself, expresses something similar. And yet, as he often reflects, by demanding this constant and unattainable perfection, he is chaining himself to a treadmill. Instead, this cycle only reinforces feelings of failure and disappointment. Even knowing that perfectionism is an illusion, Aswan continues to fall under its spell.
“It feels like I am constantly setting myself up for failure or disappointment,” – Aswan
Aswan admits that he knew his perfectionistic ways could lead to this outcome. He knows that if he makes a mistake, he won’t be thrown out of a job. Even so, these days he frequently feels as if he’s one misstep from crashing.
“I know that I can make a mistake and I won’t lose my job, yet I constantly feel like I’m one strike away from being fired,” – Aswan
Lead researcher Dr. Sula Windgassen, a health psychologist, highlighted the connection that low self-esteem has with perfectionism. As she explains, what many people don’t realize is that they have a deeper fear of failure from which come these impossible standards.
“Poor self-esteem tends to go hand in hand with perfectionism because there is this fear of failing,” – Dr. Sula Windgassen
Dr. Windgassen encourages anyone struggling with perfectionism to engage in these sorts of behavioral experiments. Through these experiments, they begin to overcome their fears and develop a more experimental, risk-taking mindset. She argues that any discomfort you meet along the way shouldn’t stop you but should encourage you to continue to push through and persist.
“That’s not a sign that you shouldn’t do it – it’s a sign that you should,” – Dr. Sula Windgassen
Dayna herself has found a certain serenity in not pushing so hard against her constraints. Today she works to be her best self without being overwhelmed with the expectation to be perfect.
“Right now I have become content with just trying my best and accepting that I can’t always get the outcome I want but the outcome I get will be more than good enough and I am at peace with that now,” – Dayna