Perfectionism is the most socially acceptable mental-health risk factor I treat. It is rewarded at school, at work, in relationships. It is also one of the strongest predictors of anxiety disorders, depression, eating disorders and burnout in the literature.

Adaptive — high standards with self-compassion when you fall short. This is healthy and predicts good outcomes. Maladaptive — high standards with harsh self-criticism when you fall short. This is what we treat.

Lower the bar deliberately on low-stakes work to retrain the brain that imperfect output is survivable. Practise self-compassion when something goes wrong. Separate identity from performance — you are not your last deliverable.