The Bad Part of Being Good

Summary: Being responsible, organized, and hard-working is usually a great thing. However, trying too hard to be perfect can actually hurt your mental health. Highly conscientious people often deal with severe anxiety, guilt, and burnout because they want to control every little detail of their lives.

Psychologists compare this to an athlete who trains too much and ends up getting injured. When you hit this wall, the fix isn't to try harder or push yourself more. Instead, you need to practice letting go. You can do this by accepting small uncertainties (like sending an email without rereading it five times), sharing your true feelings even when it feels messy, and taking time to just play or relax without trying to "solve" anything.

For more details, see Psychology Today at psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/threads-of-sanity/202605/the-bad-part-of-being-good (opens in new tab)