The Perils of Perfectionism

But if it's perfect, what's the problem? Plenty.

Being perfect sounds like a pretty great goal, right? Perfect blood sugars, perfect A1C. That would mean no anxiety, no stress, no problems. Right?

The problem with perfectionism in diabetes is not that we are striving for excellent blood sugars. The problem is when we hold ourselves to unrealistic and ultimately unattainable results, and then when it fails, we blame ourselves.

This causes a cascade of thoughts and emotions that propels us in two directions: we can try harder at the same goal, and ultimately perpetuate the cycle when it continues to not work. Or it can cause us to give up.

In this week’s bonus newsletter for paid subscribers, we are going to look at:

1. what perfectionism is and why it manifests

2. how it can cause problems for people with diabetes

3. what to strive for instead