{"id":1787,"date":"2025-04-28T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-28T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nina-uffelmann.de\/?p=1787"},"modified":"2025-09-19T08:52:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T06:52:09","slug":"perfektionismus-depression-verbindung","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nina-uffelmann.de\/en\/2025\/04\/28\/perfektionismus-depression-verbindung\/","title":{"rendered":"Perfectionism &amp; depression: possible connection and how to deal with it better"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"Textbody\">Watch or listen to the article:<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Perfektionismus &amp; Depression: m\u00f6gliche Verbindung und Wege in einen besseren Umgang\" width=\"1020\" height=\"574\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fPHVanXNJ4s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"Textbody\">Do you sometimes feel down and lacking in motivation \u2013 and at the same time place high demands on yourself? Maybe you've always had a tendency toward perfectionism or just want to do things really well. If that sounds familiar, it\u2019s possible that perfectionism is playing a role in your depressive symptoms. In this article, you\u2019ll learn how perfectionism and depression can be connected, what might be behind it, and what you can do if you're facing this combination and want to relieve some of the constant pressure.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>\u00a0<\/h2>\n<div>\n<h2>Perfectionism \u2260 Perfectionism<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Textbody\">Perfectionism can be both a friend and an enemy. It can help you achieve excellent results at work or in sports, or build an ideal daily routine. As a successful, globally mobile woman, your high standards have likely taken you far and helped you set and reach your career goals. It\u2019s not a small question \u2013 and it\u2019s an important one too: Why have you achieved all these things? And why are they important to you? Take a moment to reflect on that.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Textbody\">Perfectionism can come from different motives. Most things we do or say can be examined in terms of their function. What motivates you to do things really well \u2013 what do you gain from it? What or whom are you trying to avoid? In that sense, perfectionism can vary in its function. One key aspect when it comes to perfectionism and depression is fear. The crucial question is: Are your perfectionistic efforts and actions a way to prove your worth, to avoid fears and insecurities (e.g., fear of rejection)? Or are you simply driven by the joy of creating something great?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Textbody\">It would be an illusion to believe that this distinction cleanly separates everyone into two neat categories. But perhaps a tendency will become clearer to you as you think about it. What\u2019s most valuable, though, is to ask yourself in small moments: Am I doing this right now to avoid fear or insecurity, to prove my worth \u2013 or because I genuinely feel like it?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>\u00a0<\/h2>\n<div>\n<h2>How Perfectionism and Depression Can Reinforce Each Other<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<h3>\u00a0<\/h3>\n<div>\n<h3>And human beings are\u2026 human.<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Textbody\">Human nature is imperfect \u2013 and that\u2019s what makes us who we are. When your standards are high and life happens (a breakup, more work than you can handle, suddenly losing a job, a tough decision\u2026), disappointment, self-criticism, and fear are almost inevitable. Especially if excellent performance is your only source of self-worth, it\u2019s easy to get caught in a vicious cycle. If you fail to meet your own standards, you feel bad \u2013 and try even harder to perform. This quickly leads to exhaustion. And exhaustion makes it harder to do great work \u2013 ultimately damaging your self-worth with the result that your self-esteem suffers. That, in turn, can contribute to depression.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>A \u201cZombie\u201d of Your Insecurity?<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Textbody\">When fear and insecurity are driving your actions, perfectionism can become a trap \u2013 and even worsen depressive symptoms.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Textbody\">Ein Beispiel: Stelle dir vor, wie du in Reaktion auf eine schwierige Arbeitsaufgabe (die du selbstredent richtig gut machen willst) den Beginn immer weiter vor dir herschiebst. Das f\u00fchlt sich f\u00fcr den Moment gut an, weil du der (unbewussten) Unsicherheit und Angst, es nicht gut zu machen, entkommst. Langfristig entsteht aber immer mehr Druck, und du hast zunehmend ein <a href=\"https:\/\/nina-uffelmann.de\/en\/2025\/02\/17\/immer-ein-schlechtes-gewissen\/\">guilty concsience<\/a> \u2013 f\u00fchlst dich nicht im Reinen mit dir. Zwischen Vermeidung und harter Selbstkritik pendelnd leidet dein Selbstwertgef\u00fchl. Bis zur letzten Minute hinausgez\u00f6gert stellst du die Aufgabe fertig und bist danach vollkommen ersch\u00f6pft. Dein Kopf macht dir Vorw\u00fcrfe daf\u00fcr, dass du es wieder so lange hinausgez\u00f6gert hast.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>\u00a0<\/h2>\n<div>\n<h2>How to break the vicious cycle<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<h3>\u00a0<\/h3>\n<div>\n<h3>3 Hints for recognition &amp; exploration<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Textbody\">Observe yourself over the next three days: When and where does your perfectionism play a role in your daily life that makes it less livable? What keeps you from doing important things or causes you to avoid them? Here are a few ideas:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t<section class=\"section\" id=\"section_957904988\">\n\t\t<div class=\"section-bg fill\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t<div class=\"section-content relative\">\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n<style>\n#section_957904988 {\n  padding-top: 30px;\n  padding-bottom: 30px;\n}\n<\/style>\n\t<\/section>\n\t\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Sign up here to read the rest of the article and find out how you can break free from the vicious cycle.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"row\"  id=\"row-1638625171\">\n\n\n\t<div id=\"col-1561032494\" class=\"col medium-4 small-12 large-4\"  >\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-inner\"  >\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/a078741e.sibforms.com\/serve\/MUIFAPdqvtY4n_KkcF45PrMJT_tKKxJBErwt0PeyKRRGizfx-HUbBPPh1uaGrsQxk6zKE8yoh9BeXgzwb5LLnN2MLs7EoI3QGA3zIJIdJ8M6s5qaqja-TTy1t34WITm9swyzpQtbOt4I1jkgOsYFwgsOtupwzb-2UzHXbdlNJuAtxS7Vm1dqIHVLKiKzkDbi20BpByViRLQSuRQP\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"button primary expand\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t<span>Continue to Part 2 of the Article<\/span>\n\t<\/a>\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\t<div id=\"col-1731968490\" class=\"col medium-4 small-12 large-4\"  >\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-inner\"  >\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n<\/div>\n\n\t<section class=\"section\" id=\"section_371130136\">\n\t\t<div class=\"section-bg fill\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t<div class=\"section-content relative\">\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n<style>\n#section_371130136 {\n  padding-top: 30px;\n  padding-bottom: 30px;\n}\n<\/style>\n\t<\/section>\n\t\n<p>Sources<\/p>\n<div class=\"gs_citr\" tabindex=\"0\">Smith, M. M., Sherry, S. B., Ray, C., Hewitt, P. L., &amp; Flett, G. L. (2021). Is perfectionism a vulnerability factor for depressive symptoms, a complication of depressive symptoms, or both? A meta-analytic test of 67 longitudinal studies. <i>Clinical psychology review<\/i>, <i>84<\/i>, 101982.<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0272735821000258\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0272735821000258<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"gs_citr\" tabindex=\"0\">Moroz, M., &amp; Dunkley, D. M. (2019). Self-critical perfectionism, experiential avoidance, and depressive and anxious symptoms over two years: A three-wave longitudinal study. <i>Behaviour Research and Therapy<\/i>, <i>112<\/i>, 18-27.<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0005796718301785\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0005796718301785<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n\t<div id=\"text-557737672\" class=\"text\">\n\t\t\n\n\n\t\t\n<style>\n#text-557737672 {\n  color: #404b3b;\n}\n#text-557737672 > * {\n  color: #404b3b;\n}\n<\/style>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is perfectionism, how can it affect your mental health and what can you do to cope better with your high standards?<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1802,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[84],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1787","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nicht-kategorisiert-de"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nina-uffelmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1787","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nina-uffelmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nina-uffelmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nina-uffelmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nina-uffelmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1787"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/nina-uffelmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1787\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2775,"href":"https:\/\/nina-uffelmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1787\/revisions\/2775"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nina-uffelmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1802"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nina-uffelmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1787"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nina-uffelmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1787"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nina-uffelmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1787"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}