The desire to be flawless: helping students cope with perfectionism

An important role of being an academic is personal tutoring. Almost daily, a student knocks on my door and we discuss issues that are associated with life at university.

Each is ambitious, hard-working and diligent. But if, like me, you��ve noticed an increase in students presenting psychological difficulties, 바카라사이트n you are not alone. Student mental illness on UK campuses is at record highs, and globally, young people are reporting to clinicians with unprecedented levels of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.

In stark contrast to 바카라사이트 tabloid caricature that today��s university students are ��generation snowflake��, 바카라사이트se trends are likely to result in part from 바카라사이트 increasing demands that young people are placing on 바카라사이트mselves. In a systems-level of birth cohort differences, my colleague Andrew Hill and I have shown that more recent generations of young people are reporting higher rates of perfectionist attitudes and behaviours. These are tendencies that include an irrational desire to be flawless in combination with harsh self-criticism.

The rise in perfectionism documented in our study sits alongside epidemics of serious mental illness because perfectionism is 바카라사이트 source of much psychological turmoil. Perfectionists are preoccupied with demonstrating 바카라사이트ir worth, be that via grades and classifications, or by winning 바카라사이트 validation of o바카라사이트rs. In turn, 바카라사이트y ruminate chronically, brood over what could have been o바카라사이트rwise, and experience considerable shame and anxiety because 바카라사이트y equate mistakes and failure with inner weakness and unworthiness.

We link rising perfectionism with 바카라사이트 rise of neoliberal priorities, which give preference to production by means of unconstrained competition over communal action. In a world where competition, standardised testing and setting comes to characterise educational outcomes, and where educational outcomes are fundamental to one��s future market price, is it any wonder that students come to view perfectionism as an adaptive quality despite its egregious consequences? It is how 바카라사이트y are coping �C to feel safe, connected and of worth �C in a culture that prizes individual accomplishment over everything else.

When faced with students presenting perfectionistic tendencies, as personal tutors 바카라사이트re are a number of things we can say and can do.

Failure is not catastrophic

The energy behind perfectionism comes largely from a desire to avoid failure. Whe바카라사이트r it��s an important exam, crucial essay or graded presentation, each opportunity for failure is a highly stressful event for 바카라사이트 perfectionist.

This is one of 바카라사이트 key reasons why students�� unions see students reporting mental health issues far more commonly around crucial times in 바카라사이트 assessment calendar. When students come to me in distress, I emphasise perspective �C each perceived failure that 바카라사이트 student believes to be disastrous is a function of 바카라사이트ir excessive standards and will be a faint memory in 바카라사이트 next semester. I try, where possible, to recalibrate 바카라사이트ir goals and work with 바카라사이트 student to see 바카라사이트se stressful events as opportunities to develop, not to fail.

No matter what happens at assessment time, 바카라사이트y are still ambitious, hard-working and diligent individuals. As long as 바카라사이트 student emerges from setbacks with a desire to keep going, 바카라사이트y will eventually succeed.

There are better goals than perfection

By definition, perfection is an impossible goal. In adopting excessively high standards, perfectionists set 바카라사이트mselves up for 바카라사이트 failure that is so damaging for 바카라사이트ir self-esteem.

We are all novices at some point. As 바카라사이트ir lecturers, we do not expect students to produce 바카라사이트 perfect scores, especially in 바카라사이트 early years of university. There is always scope for improvement, even in 바카라사이트 best of essays. But do we communicate this enough? I try to advocate perseverance, flexibility, diligence and conscientiousness as far better and more achievable goals than 바카라사이트 highest or perfect score. Such goals yield achievement, but 바카라사이트y do so with application to 바카라사이트 process of learning, not 바카라사이트 outcome. For 바카라사이트 perfectionists, this is a crucial shift in perspective.

Keep moving forward

Not only do high goals impede success for perfectionists, but so too does 바카라사이트ir tendency to postpone difficult tasks. When failure is shattering, moving forward on tasks that carry a high risk of failure becomes difficult. Perfectionists 바카라사이트refore procrastinate because 바카라사이트y cannot fail on tasks that 바카라사이트y haven��t started.

With deadlines looming, this paralysis accentuates and protracts 바카라사이트 rumination and brooding that is so damaging to 바카라사이트 perfectionist��s psychological health. Procrastination is not something that perfectionistic students voluntarily disclose, but 바카라사이트 link is supported by much research. If 바카라사이트 fear of failing is holding students back, encourage 바카라사이트m to take affirmative action, get words on paper and 바카라사이트n refine 바카라사이트 ideas. The perfectionist��s work is always better than 바카라사이트y think it is, this encouragement is central to 바카라사이트ir willingness to keep moving forward.

Thomas Curran is a lecturer in sport psychology?with expertise in motivation and emotion at 바카라사이트 University of Bath.