Perfectionism is a common issue for many high schoolers in the current generation. Especially as school becomes more overwhelming and challenging. Students starting in freshman year wanting to do well is a good thing, but sometimes perfectionism gets in the way. It can make students feel like every assignment has to be in a way that the teacher would consider college-ready or perfect. The pressure can harm both their mental health and their school performance. There are several reasons perfectionism develops. Some students can feel pressured by parents to get perfect grades. Other students may compare themselves to others, like friends or people on the internet, to measure their success. As time goes on, this pressure might make students believe that perfectionism is better than being a total failure. This being a student’s mindset can affect mental health in a lot of negative ways. Perfectionists often feel stressed or anxious because they fear making mistakes. Some are worried because their work won’t turn out perfect.
This stress can lead to students feeling tired, unmotivated, and overwhelmed. Perfectionism can also hurt academic performance. While some students might work hard, others might spend so much time making every detail perfect, hoping they won’t fall behind. They may redo assignments, over and over again, or avoid challenges completely. Instead of helping students improve, perfectionism can completely slow them down. Many students can manage perfectionism, set realistic goals, get the support they need, and understand that mistakes help them learn, which can make school feel less stressful. Talking to somebody you trust can also help you realize that not everybody expects you to be perfect all the time. Perfectionism can be pushed onto children at a young age, starting tasks as simple as drawing a circle or drawing a simple house.
Perfectionism may seem like a way to succeed, but it often creates more stress and frustration. Learning to try your best without expecting perfection can lead to better mental health and steadier progress in school. Perfectionism can seem like a motivator, but when it becomes extreme, it can often hurt mental health and make performance worse, not better. A healthy effort is doing your best, not being flawless.
