Anxiety, Perfectionism, and Chronic Stress

Empowering you to manage anxiety and stress through personalized therapy and coping skills

Understanding Anxiety, Perfectionism, and Chronic Stress

Anxiety and stress can feel like a constant hum in the background of life—sometimes loud and overwhelming, other times subtle but persistent. When perfectionism is layered in, it often drives self-criticism and a relentless pressure to perform. Therapy offers a compassionate space to slow down, understand what's happening beneath the surface, and begin to shift out of survival mode.

What Are These Patterns?

These experiences can show up as overthinking, physical tension, fear of failure, and difficulty relaxing—even in calm moments. They often come with a sense of urgency, guilt, or not being “enough.”

▸ Recognizing the Signs

  • Social withdrawal or avoidance

  • Chronic fatigue or burnout

  • Difficulty sleeping or relaxing

  • High-achieving with internal distress

  • Cycles of procrastination and self-criticism

How They are Interconnected

Perfectionism can heighten anxiety by creating impossible standards. Chronic stress wears down the nervous system over time. Together, they form a cycle that feels hard to break—until you bring awareness and compassion into the process.

Root Causes and Contributing Factors

Early family dynamics, societal expectations, personality traits, and even trauma can contribute to these patterns. Understanding where they come from helps you reclaim agency.

▸ Is It Anxiety or Something Else?

Whether you’re dealing with diagnosable anxiety or high-functioning stress, your experience is valid and worthy of care.

Recognizing These Patterns in Yourself

You may appear “together” to others, but internally feel frazzled, inadequate, or constantly on edge. That dissonance is often the first clue that something deeper needs tending.

Pathways to Resilience

Using psychodynamic therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction, we’ll help you:

  • Uncover emotional patterns beneath perfectionism

  • Calm your nervous system

  • Build realistic self-expectations

  • Learn to pause, breathe, and reconnect with your values

▸ Areas of Focus

  • Social anxiety

  • Perfectionism, OCPD (obsessive compulsive personality disorder)

  • Stress Management techniques

  • Mindfulness-based stress reduction

▸ Additional Resources