Working in FIFO: The challenges for mental health (and tips to help)
A FIFO lifestyle presents unique challenges to your sleep, relationships, and mental health. We cover these challenges and suggest tips to help you cope.
Managing mental health while FIFO
A Fly-in-Fly-out lifestyle is not for the faint-hearted – long days (think 12-hour shifts) working away in remote mining locations for weeks at a time, separated from family and loved ones, feeling isolated, sleep disruption, coping with heat and dust, and a workplace culture where bullying and sexual harassment are commonly reported. With these challenging conditions, it’s not surprising that approximately 33% of FIFO workers report a higher level of psychological distress compared to the average population [1]. FIFO workers experience higher levels of depression and anxiety symptoms as well as higher levels of burnout compared to the standard population [1]. This article outlines some of the unique aspects of a FIFO lifestyle, its impact on wellbeing and mental health, and offers tips to striking a helpful work/life balance. Read on to learn more about:
Common challenges in FIFO Roles
Signs your mental health might need support
Strategies to help your FIFO wellbeing
common challenges in fifo
FIFO roles are those based in remote locations away from towns, and often facing extreme weather conditions. Workers travel to site for several days or weeks at a time, then return home for days or weeks of rest (depending on rosters. Whilst on site, accommodation is often temporary (‘dongas’). Other common features of FIFO roles include long shifts (often 12 hours each day with highly regimented routines), working in male dominated industries (mining, construction, oil and gas), and working in an environment in which stigma regarding mental health often exists.
In light of the nature of FIFO work, it’s no secret that a FIFO lifestyle can take a heavy toll [2][3][4][5]. Let’s dive deeper into these challenges, and consider both workplace-based challenges (which may be harder to shift) and individual-based challenges (which we can have more influence and control over).
workplace-based challenges
Workplace-based FIFO challenges related to the organisation, how it structures work roles, the work environment itself (job conditions, physical environment), and also the organisational culture:
Workplace Culture. Numerous surveys point to the challenging workplace culture in FIFO environments, with gender-based discrimination, bullying and sexual harassment reported to be higher in what is typically a high pressure, male-dominated environment [1][6][7][8]. Living at camp means it can be difficult to separate from work, feel psychologically safe, find like-minded people to connect with.
Work Structure. Shiftwork, long hours, and roster length have all been shown to impact wellbeing. Shiftwork and long hours can increase fatigue due to disruption to sleep and sustained physical or mental demand [. The highly regimented structure of long hours with strict meal and recreation times can also create a challenge in maintaining connections with supports at home, especially if on night shift. Even-time and short rosters , choice in roster, and permanent rooms, are all linked to better mental health outcomes. [1][2][7]
Reduced Autonomy. The highly regimented nature of FIFO work (with strict compliance to safety and operational matters, and a highly structured daily routine and rosters) can lead to a reduced sense of control and autonomy and, in turn, poorer mental health outcomes. [1][2][3] Factors such as difficulty travelling home in emergencies, difficulty obtaining time-off or sick leave, changes to changes to camp rooms, and limited choice in job tasks, all impact mental health and a sense of agency over one’s life. [1][2]
Environmental Factors. Site-based work often occurs in harsh environments - heat, flies, dust, camp conditions, food onsite and access to recreational facilities, can all impact on mental health and wellbeing. Not having your creature comforts can be challenging, as can living out of your suitcase not knowing if you’ll return to your same donger can contribute to feeling displaced and unsettled. Is it any wonder that the environment can impact your wellbeing? [2][3]
individual-based challenges
Whilst punishing work conditions that accompany FIFO work contribute to poorer mental health, there are also individual-based challenges at play. These include:
Managing multiple demands. While working FIFO, employees can feel as though they are leading two separate lives. Depending on your commitments, it can look like a feast/famine cycle (e.g. long hours with a highly regimented daily routine with set times on site vs. nothing structured when on R&R) or a continuously busy cycle with little respite (e.g. long hours on site then coming home to dive right into parenting duties and taking care of the household). Continuous adjustment is required when travelling to/from site, and time away can impact on relationships, friendships and parenting.[2][3] Learning how to juggle these demands is key to maintaining good mental health.
Maintaining social connections. FIFO workers report that time away often can result in feeling socially disconnected. [2][3][5] Time away often means missing important events and celebrations in the lives of loved ones – missing out on friends’ major celebrations or children’s birthday parties - and can certainly create a barrier to forming new relationships or participating in activities on R&R.
Beliefs about seeking help. In spite of the higher prevalence of mental health difficulties in FIFO workers, there is often reluctance to seek support due to significant stigma. [4][8] A machismo culture of ‘getting on with it’ and ‘toughing it out’ means that seeking support may be viewed as a sign of weakness, resulting in help being sought at the point of high distress. The reality is that by seeking help along the way – to fine tune negative thoughts, or learning how to manage a suitable sleep routine whilst FIFO – it can actually help prevent things from getting to breaking point.
Golden Handcuffs. One of the main benefits of FIFO is the financial security, allowing for more investment into building a life, supporting partners and children, and moving towards financial freedom. However, the seductive financial benefits can often lead to ‘lifestyle creep’ (nicer toys, more holidays) and higher levels of debt. In turn this can lead in FIFO workers feeling ‘trapped in their roles, resulting in increased stress and potentially taking on more overtime to catch-up. [2][3][5]
signs of poor mental health in fifo workers
Research into the mental health of FIFO workers has shown higher rates of depression, anxiety, burnout, as well as higher overall psychological distress, compared to the standard population. [1][2][3][4] Some early warning signs that your mental health may be impacted can include:
Changes to mood: Feeling consistently stressed, numb, flat, or having a ‘shorter fuse’ than usual, or even reduced enjoyment during R&R.
Changes to health: Difficulty sleeping, trouble winding down, fatigue
Changes to behaviour: Withdrawing from social gatherings, increased alcohol and substance use, increased gambling
Dreading work: Finding it hard to travel to site (i.e. becoming increasingly anxious or down on fly-out day).
Even though these may be signs that you experience it doesn’t mean that you have to put up with it because it’s part of the job. There are steps you can put in place to help improve your mental health.
tips to manage fifo life: relationships, health, wellbeing
One of the biggest challenges to FIFO life is maintaining positive social connections and looking after yourself. Others may seem to get on with their regular daily and weekly routines back home, but as a FIFO worker you’re transplanted into another world for a few weeks at a time, disconnected from your regular life back home. Below are some tips to help with managing your FIFO life:
1. Sort out your priorities. Having a realistic understanding of the potential impact of FIFO work, and its challenges can assist in managing mental health and wellbeing. [1][2] Developing a plan with practical and financial goals, things to look forward to, and what you would like to get out of a FIFO career, all help with increasing a sense of autonomy and control.
2. Prioritise Relationships. FIFO workers who are happy with their personal relationships have been shown to have significantly better mental health and well-being. [1][3][5][9] This may include planning social activities on your R&R, having alternative ways of communicating to maintain relationships with those back home, and prioritising time-off for key celebrations or events. This could also include exploring social activities onsite and connecting with your crew.
3. Create a Routine. It’s common for FIFO workers to feel ‘lost’ or unsure of what to do on R&R, and therefore managing the transition between site and home can feel challenging. Creating a routine for site and home can help support wellbeing, as well as allowing you to make the most of your R&R.
4. Know your warning signs. Tune in to some of the early signs that you may need some extra physical or mental health support. These could be physical signs such as feeling consistently tired, headaches, or difficulty sleeping, as well as emotional signs such as difficulty switching off, feeling flat, or being snappier and more irritable than usual.
5. Check in with your physical health. FIFO work is demanding on your body, with long shifts, disruption to sleep schedules, night shift, heat, dust and continued physical demands. [7] It’s important to pay attention to your physical health, monitor alcohol and substance use, and work with a GP or psychologist to create a manageable sleep routine.
6. Reassess as needed. Remember to regularly check in with yourself and reassess how you are going. Different life stages will often mean different goals (financial, career, relationship) and balancing different demands (i.e. relationships, sport, parenting). As you go through different stages of your life, remember to reassess and develop new routines and goals.
7. Work with a psychologist. You do not have to wait until you are exhausted or at the point of burnout before working with a psychologist. Ways a psychologist can help include:
Laying the groundwork in preparing to start a FIFO role.
Helping you to build helpful sleep strategies.
Finding ways to support your relationships.
Helping you to find a work/life balance.
Supporting you with problematic alcohol or substance use.
An additional benefit of having periodic check-ins with a psychologist (like me!) is that psychologists are also trained to identify emerging wellbeing issues such as depression, anxiety, burnout, problematic alcohol use, and can work with you to build strategies to improve mental health and coping.
REFERENCES
[1] Parker, S., Fruhen, L., Burton, C., McQuade, S., Loveny, J., Griffin, M., ... & Esmond, J. (2018). Impact of FIFO work arrangements on the mental health and wellbeing of FIFO workers. https://www.mhc.wa.gov.au/media/2548/impact-of-fifo-work-arrangement-on-the-mental-health-and-wellbeing-of-fifo-workers-summary-report.pdf
[2] Roets, A. (2021, October 19). How FIFO work impacts mental health and well-being. Engineering Institute of Technology.. www.eit.edu.au/how-fifo-work-impacts-mental-health-and-well-being/
[3] Gardner, B., Alfrey, K. L., Vandelanotte, C., & Rebar, A. L. (2018). Mental health and well-being concerns of fly-in fly-out workers and their partners in Australia: A qualitative study. BMJ open, 8, e019516.
[4] https://www.mmhg.com.au/blog/depression-and-anxiety-in-mining-and-fifo-work-australia
[5] Brook, E. R. (2020). Fly-in/fly-out working arrangements: Employee perceptions of work and personal impacts (Doctoral dissertation, Murdoch University) https://researchportal.murdoch.edu.au/esploro/outputs/doctoral/Fly-in--fly-out-working-arrangements/991005544778107891/filesAndLinks?index=0
[6] Pupazzoni, R. (2023, Aug12). ‘Not acceptable’: Women in mining speak out against sexual harassment and discrimination. ABC News, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-12/women-in-mining-speak-out-against-decades-of-sexual-harassment/102699944
[7] Joyce, S.J., Tomlin, S.M., Somerford, P.J., Weeramanthri, T.S. (2013). Health behaviours and outcomes associated with fly-in fly-out and shift workers in Western Australia. Internal Medicine Journal, 43(4), 440-444. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1445-5994.2012.02885.x
[8] Van Halm, I. (2022, October 27). Why the Australian mining industry needs to address workplace culture. Mining technology. https://www.mining-technology.com/features/why-australian-mining-industry-address-workplace-culture/?cf-view
[9] Meredith, V., Rush, P., & Robinson, E. (2014). Fly-in fly-out workforce practices in Australia: The effects on children and family relationships. https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-400935781/view
Thank you to the FIFO workers who contributed to this article.
Public speaking anxiety at work: Tips to manage a common challenge
Public speaking anxiety holding you back at work? Step up to the next level with these tips to help you manage your anxiety.
STEPPING UP AT WORK: TIPS FOR OVERCOMING PUBLIC SPEAKING ANXIETY TO HELP YOUR CAREER
By Giulia Villa
What holds you back at work? Over your working life, there will inevitably be barriers and missed opportunities. At times, these barriers will be external – the work environment may not be suitable, or the workload unrealistic. At times, however, these barriers are internal – your mindset, skills, and habits get in the way of stepping up to the next level at work. Some examples of these include difficulties with being assertive at work and setting boundaries, managing procrastination, managing a team, or managing burnout. Another common internal barrier we often see – that touches so many areas of working life – is that of public speaking. In fact, public speaking is seen as an important skill in the workplace. However, a fear of public speaking – or glossophobia – is widespread, with estimates ranging from upwards of 20% to a whopping 75% of populations. How far-reaching is the impact of public speaking anxiety at work? Let’s look at some examples:
Ella, a high-achieving teacher, has been asked by the Department of Education to train a cohort of early-career teachers. In spite of her passion for educating the next generation of teachers, Ella is considering turning down the role because it involves public speaking – training large groups of teachers, giving regular progress updates to senior staff, and speaking at Department of Education conferences. At present, Ella copes with public speaking anxiety by preparing for hours to reduce the likelihood of making mistakes and ease her anxiety. She knows given the sheer number of sessions she will be delivering, it will not be possible to overprepare for each session whilst maintaining her usual teaching duties without experiencing burnout. Ella could turn down the position and keep her workload and anxiety more manageable, however she knows she will feel trapped remaining at her current level, without opportunity to progress.
Oliver was recently promoted to management level due to his excellent technical skills as an engineer. However, while he excelled at research, problem solving, and producing written deliverables, the director of his team has recently expressed concern at Oliver’s performance in his new role. Notably, Oliver has cancelled several meetings, preferring instead to communicate via email to avoid being put on the spot and to have time to plan what to say. Rather than delegate project work to the team and Oliver being the ‘face’ of the project, Oliver carries out the technical work himself and assigns more junior staff to present project updates and lead team calls. After a conversation with his director, understands he will struggle to progress in this workplace without tackling his avoidance of public speaking.
The situations faced by Ella and Oliver are just a few examples of how typically high-performing individuals may be held back by their fear or avoidance of public speaking in their workplace. Let’s break down public speaking anxiety a little further. In the DSM-5-TR (2022) public speaking anxiety is a specific subset of social anxiety. Key features of this type of anxiety include:
A fear of acting in a way or showing anxiety symptoms (e.g., blushing, trembling hands, excessive sweating) that will be embarrassing or lead others to negatively judge the speaker or the content of the presentation.
An avoidance of public speaking situations, or enduring these situations with fear and anxiety. Avoidance might crop up as frequent sick days, low involvement in work meetings, joining calls at the latest possible moment, or agreeing with everyone to avoid conflict.
The fear provoked by public speaking situations and the possibility of being judged negatively by others is intense and significantly impacts one’s functioning in their work and/or social life.
HOW PUBLIC SPEAKING anxiety HOLDS YOU BACK AT WORK
As we’ve seen in Ella and Oliver’s examples, there are many situations at work in which public speaking may have a negative impact and hold you back from succeeding in your career. Let’s take a closer look at some of these scenarios.
NETWORKING: A MINEFIELD FOR SOCIAL ANXIETY
Networking is often a highly dreaded activity for those with public speaking anxiety – in effect it’s being ‘on show’, making small talk in a work context, often in small groups. However, networking has become an essential component of success in our hyper-connected society – did you know over half of jobs are never publicly advertised? In 2016, LinkedIn reported that 70% of professionals starting a new role already had an existing connection at their company. The takeaway? You’ve got to meet groups of people and make connections so as to be at the forefront of people’s minds when upcoming jobs arise. Unfortunately, nerves about being on show in public can make the ever-important act of networking a nightmare and may lead you to connect online, to avoid unfamiliar people, or even to undersell yourself during in-person networking events. In any case, anxiety stops you from making the most of an important networking opportunity.
WORK MEETINGS
Speaking up in front of others – whether it’s the weekly check in around the meeting table, or your turn to give an update on a project – can feel extremely daunting to someone who dislikes public speaking. You may focus on all eyes being on you, and have spent the night before thinking about how exactly to present what you need to but minimise your time ‘on display’.
Post-pandemic flexible work arrangements may mean that many meetings now take place over video calls. For some, these online meetings may be even more anxiety-inducing than face-to-face meetings. You may feel more aware of being watched and of being negatively judged by others, and thus experience more pressure to perform well. Social anxiety can also lead to a greater focus on scrutinising one’s own onscreen image, thus amplifying self-consciousness. Additionally, brief moments of silence that feel natural in person may become accentuated and feel awkward in a video call.
DELIVERING PRESENTATIONS AND SALES PITCHES
If the idea of delivering a presentation to a client or even your own colleagues is enough to make your heartrate quicken, you may have developed ways to deal with this seemingly inevitable anxiety. For example, you may spend hours overpreparing like Ella. Or you may be so focused on getting the presentation over and done with, you don’t have much energy to put into designing the presentation itself. Then, of course, there is question time – a period where you don’t know what questions will be thrown at you.
A good presentation in a work setting boils down to how you design your presentation and the speaking techniques that you employ to deliver your message. Unfortunately, it can be incredibly challenging for someone with anxiety to simultaneously manage uncomfortable physical symptoms, quiet down unhelpful self-talk, remember the content, and remember how to deliver it, and have the presence of mind to adapt the presentation to the audience.
Public speaking anxiety might also affect your presentation by impacting:
Speech rate
Tone of voice
Posture and body language
Use of filler words
Use of visual materials
Engagement with the audience
Public speaking anxiety may hold you back from being able to recognise what style is most appropriate for your audience and situation, and also on helping you to handle unknown questions (as part of question time). This is where we can help – keep reading to find out how our team of counsellors and psychologists can help you manage anxiety and become a more confident public speaker in your workplace. We’ve helped students manage anxiety for their university presentations, helped doctors to present confidently in their clinical exams, helped teachers to present to peers and parents, and helped professionals develop networking and sales pitch skills. We enjoy helping people grow their skill set and their confidence.
tips for managing PUBLIC SPEAKING ANXIETY
Try the following tips for managing social anxiety at work:
TIP 1: LEARN TRIGGERS AND HABITS THAT MAINTAIN PUBLIC SPEAKING ANXIETY
What exactly is it about public speaking that causes you anxiety? Perhaps it’s the idea of drawing attention to yourself, or perhaps you’re worried about visibly freezing or sweating. Having a clear grasp on what causes and maintains your anxiety goes long way in developing a targeted action plan to reduce your fears.
TIP 2: DISMANTLE UNHELPFUL SELF-TALK THAT FUELS YOUR FEAR OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
Negative self-talk is a common thread underpinning public speaking anxiety. The ‘stories’ you tell yourself can increase your anxiety. For example, Ella might notice a senior staff member check their phone during one of her presentations. Self-talk along the lines of “I’m not doing enough to hold their attention, they can tell I’m inexperienced and underprepared” is likely to make Ella more nervous, possibly increasing her likelihood of making mistakes.
On the flipside, self-talk can also be a helpful tool to reduce anxiety and help you to feel more comfortable during your presentation. A more helpful thought for Ella in the above situation could therefore be, “They may be checking their phone as they could be expecting a call”. In this case, Ella would feel less nervous and better able to continue with her presentation as planned.
TIP 3: FINE-TUNE YOUR PRESENTATION STYLE
We all have a different idea of what it means to be a good public speaker. Presenter ‘personas’ can vary widely across people, furthermore different types of speeches require different styles and components – presenting a sales pitch marketing muesli requires a different approach to delivering a lecture on research developments in biotech. By clarifying your goal – for example, who is your target audience (Formal? Informal?), what are you trying to achieve (Sell a product? Disseminate information?) – you have a clearer idea of how to shape your message and design an effective presentation. By having confidence in your materials and your messaging, you will also feel more comfortable in delivering!
TIP 4: GET EXPERIMENTING
Running ‘experiments’ on yourself is a great way to challenge pesky thoughts and fears that are standing in the way of your career success. Thoughts aren’t exactly the most reliable source of information when it comes to public speaking – fears that ‘everyone will laugh at me’ or ‘if I stumble over my words I’ll get fired’ can disproportionately dial up your anxiety to the point of interfering with your presentation.
In order to move past your fears try setting up small behavioural experiments to test how true these predictions are. The next time you are asked to speak in front of others, perhaps intentionally slip in a small mistake. Carefully notice the reaction of your audience – does it fit with your predictions? This testing can help you to determine whether the evidence fits with what you’ve been telling yourself.
If you’re interested in a tailored approach to dismantling your public speaking anxiety at work, check out our Speaking Volumes course. Over six weeks (allowing for time to practice your new skills in between sessions), you will work individually with one of our clinicians through an evidence-based, practical approach, to reduce public speaking anxiety and provide you with the skills and tools you need to succeed in the workplace.
Speaking Volumes, our 6-week course to help with public speaking anxiety covering how to improve your presentations skills as well as anxiety management skills (cognitive restructuring, exposure therapy). This course is based on CBT and social skills training.
REFERENCES
Aderka, I.M., Hofmann, S.G., Nickerson, A., Hermesh, H., Gilboa-Schechtman, E., & Marom, S. (2012). Functional impairment in social anxiety disorder. Jounral of Anxiety Disorders, 26, 393-400. Doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2012.01.003
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text revision). American Psychiatric Association Publishing.
Blöte, A. W., Kint, M. J. W., Miers, A. C., & Westenberg, P. M. (2009). The relation between public speaking anxiety and social anxiety: A review. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 23(3), 305–313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2008.11.007
Ebrahimi, O. V., Pallesen, S., Kenter, R. M. F., & Nordgreen, T. (2019). Psychological Interventions for the Fear of Public Speaking: A Meta-Analysis. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 488. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00488
Martin-Lynch, P., Correia, H., & Cunningham, C. (2016). Public speaking anxiety: The S.A.D. implications for students, transition, achievement, success and retention. In: Students Transitions Achievement Retention & Success (STARS) Conference 2016, 29 June - 2 July 2016, Perth, Western Australia. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/39766/1/SAD.pdf
Vriends, N., Meral, Y., Bargas-Avila, J.A., Stadler, C., & Bogels, S.M. (2017). How do I look? Self-focused attention during a video chat of women with social anxiety (disorder). Behaviour Research and Therapy, 92, 77-86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2017.02.008.
Social anxiety at work: How social anxiety affects your performance
What is it like showing up at work when you live with social anxiety? In this article we dive into tips to help you better manage social anxiety in the workplace.
How social anxiety AFFECTS work
By Giulia Villa and Joyce Chong
Living with social anxiety can be challenging, particularly in the workplace. Even if your job seemingly does not involve much social interaction (for example, working with computers, in data entry, as an author, or as an artist) when you dig a bit deeper it’s surprising how many social interactions are involved in performing your role. These situations include speaking to colleagues and managers, speaking up in meetings, giving a presentation, even being ‘put on the spot’ and asked for your opinion. Other roles may involve a greater social component including networking, client contact, and pitching projects. Indeed, social anxiety can be quite debilitating in the workplace. Let’s take a look at a few examples:
Will is an engineer who wishes to become a manager and lead interesting projects within the organisation. However, a major obstacle is Will’s social anxiety and his worries that others think that he is incompetent. His social anxiety stops him from sharing ideas in a meeting, giving project updates, and networking at industry events to build industry connections. Will’s fears lead to excessive preparation in relation to reading up and fact-checking, on rehearsing what he is going to say, and on anticipating how others may react. Needless to say, this increased workload - and mental load - has brought Will close to burnout a number of times, and he sees that if he were less concerned about what others think that he could be more productive and less overwhelmed.
Ali believes that social anxiety has led to a ‘failure to launch’ in their career as an accountant. Having lived with social anxiety for decades, they’ve found many ways to minimise their social anxiety through avoidance. Ali avoids the lunchroom to reduce the likelihood of making small talk, agrees with others’ opinions just to avoid conflict, and is unable to set boundaries regarding their workload. Ali does not apply for jobs that require interviews, instead working for family friends who sought them out because that way they know they’re good enough to be wanted in the workplace. In fact, Ali rationalises their way out of applying for promotions because this would involve an interview as well as potential rejection. Even if Ali were to be successful, it would then mean meeting new people (and facing the possibility of additional rejection). an element of public speaking, they avoid the lunchroom in case small talk arises, and agrees with others’ opinions at work just to avoid conflict. Ali is also unable to set boundaries at work and as a result feels taken advantage of, as well as feeling overwhelmed.
Ali and Will are not alone. Let’s dive deeper into situations at work that can be challenging for those experiencing social anxiety (see below):
What is social anxiety?
According to the DSM-5-TR (2022), some core features of social anxiety include:
* Significant anxiety regarding social situations wherein one may be scrutinised by others, with a fear of acting or behaving in a way that will lead to being negatively evaluated.
* The fear or distress is persistent, out of proportion to the situation, and interferes with functioning (e.g. occupational, social).
* These social situations are avoided, or endured with intense anxiety. Avoidance of social situations may be quite common in the form of sick days, ‘alternate appointments’ occurring at the same time as feared situations (e.g. work meetings), or even in subtler ways such as choosing to transact via emails rather than face to face, or attending a meeting but ‘hiding behind’ a more outgoing colleague.
* Social anxiety may also be specific to performance situations (e.g. musicians, athletes, public speaking).
stressful workplace situations for social anxiety
Various workplace situations that present difficulties for those with social anxiety. Indeed, it is unsurprising that social anxiety is linked to increased absenteeism (for example, calling in sick on training- or team-building days) and declining promotions or opportunities because they involve a greater degree of social interaction. Such situations include:
Small talk and networking: A minefield for social anxiety
In situations of small talk and networking, whilst there may be common ground (e.g. the workplace) or a common goal (networking and promoting your organisation), the initial exchange of social pleasantries may include talking about a wide range of topics - the weather, holidays, current affairs, entertainment, travel… the possibilities are endless. Navigating the transition from making small-talk to focusing on work-related discussions can also be a source of stress.
work meetings
Work meetings are also often a source of anxiety. In addition to making small talk with colleagues prior to the start of the meeting, once the meeting commences you may be called upon to provide an update on your projects or asked your thoughts on a work issue. Cue all eyes on you and being the focus of attention, and being ‘put on the spot’. These situations can seem highly intimidating, and often those with social anxiety may miss meetings altogether, or opt to dial in remotely (with their camera off so they can sit silently in the background).
Public speaking, giving presentations, and being observed
In our work with individuals with social anxiety, public speaking is easily one of the most dreaded scenarios. In fact, public speaking is a very common fear - and not just for those experiencing social anxiety. Avoidance of giving talks and presentations is very common in individuals experiencing social anxiety. To learn more about public speaking anxiety in the workplace, read our article and find out how you can helps your fears.
Another workplace concern is that of being observed, particularly by supervisors and managers but also more junior colleagues (or even students on placement), where you are required to demonstrate competency in a skill. This can impact a wide range of professions including those in healthcare, hospitality, education, and performance.
Talking to managers and authority figures
Talking to managers and authority figures can be extremely daunting for those experiencing social anxiety. Each interaction with someone who is in a position to assess your work is seen as potential for scrutiny, and common unhelpful thinking styles that dial up anxiety in these interactions include mind-reading (assuming that your manager thinks poorly of you) and catastrophising (worrying that saying something incorrect will lead to criticism and punishment down the track). Performance reviews are likely to further exacerbate anxiety.
Job interviews
Job interviews may be avoided by those with social anxiety for several reasons. This is a scenario where the goal is to convince someone (and often, a panel of interviewers) that you are ‘good enough’ for the position. Sources of stress in job interviews typically include being asked unexpected questions, crafting a response that answers their question, monitoring non-verbal responses (for example, tone of voice, use of fillers, what to do with your hands), and speaking about your strengths and experiences.
tips for managing social anxiety at work
Try the following tips for managing social anxiety at work:
Tip 1: Flip the script on your socially-anxious thoughts
A fear of social situations can trigger a host of unhelpful thoughts and assumptions:
“I can’t give the presentation, it’ll be disastrous.”
“They think I’m incompetent.”
“I’ll make a fool of myself.”
“They’ll see my anxiety leaking out and I’ll look weak.”
These thoughts are often exaggerated or even untrue, and it’s when you flip the script on these thoughts that you reduce your anxiety. Helpful questions to ask yourself include whether your thoughts are realistic and proportionate), and whether you are able to cope with a negative situation should it arise.
Tip 2: Avoid your avoidance of social situations
Whilst avoidance leads you to feel better in the moment, in the longer term it reinforces your fear of the situation. Instead, face your fears gradually through setting small exposure tasks. Start with making a conversation about someone’s weekend, or by briefly drawing attention to yourself by clearing your throat.
Tip 3: Build a set of social skills for work
Often social anxiety can be exacerbated when you don’t have a set of skills to cope with social situations. Skills such as making small talk, networking, attending job interviews, being assertive and setting boundaries, and public speaking, are some examples of skills to develop so that you can build up your confidence to navigate your workplace.
Hopefully the above tips will help you to better manage social anxiety in the workplace. If you’d like a more tailored approach you can book in with one of our team by contacting us (click on button below). Alternatively, you can look into our Social Set or Speaking Volumes courses:
Social Set, our 8-week course to help you better manage social anxiety. Social Set focuses on building four sets of skills for social anxiety - skills to improve your mindset, skills to help your body’s anxious response, social skills across a range of situations, and skills to help you set the scene for success in real life through exposure therapy. It is based on CBT and Social Skills Training.
Speaking Volumes, our 6-week course to help with public speaking anxiety covering how to improve your presentations skills as well as anxiety management skills (cognitive restructuring, exposure therapy). This course is based on CBT and social skills training.
REFERENCES
Aderka, I.M., Hofmann, S.G., Nickerson, A., Hermesh, H., Gilboa-Schechtman, E., & Marom, S. (2012). Functional impairment in social anxiety disorder. Jounral of Anxiety Disorders, 26, 393-400. Doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2012.01.003
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text revision). American Psychiatric Association Publishing.
Hidalgo, R.B., Barnett, S.D., & Davidson, J.R.T. (2001). Social anxiety disorder in review: Two decades of progress. International Journa. of Neuropsychopharmacology, 4, 279-298.
Hofmann, S.G. (2007). Cognitive factors that maintain social anxiety disorder: a comprehensive model and its treatment implications. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 38, 193-209.
Hofmann, S. G., & Otto, M. W. (2017). Cognitive behavioral therapy for social anxiety disorder: Evidence-based and disorder-specific treatment techniques. Routledge.
Mendlowicz, M. V., & Stein, M. B. (2000). Quality of life in individuals with anxiety disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry, 157, 669-682.
Moitra, E., Beard, C., Weisberg, R.B., & Keller, M.B. (2011). Occupational impairment and social anxiety disorder in a sample of primary care patients. Journal of Affective Disorders, 130, doi:10.1016/j.jad.2010.09.024
Stein, M. B., & Kean, Y. M. (2000). Disability and quality of life in social phobia: epidemiologic findings. American Journal of Psychiatry, 157, 1606-1613.
Zhang, I.Y., Powell, D.M., & Bonaccio, S. (2022). The role of fear of negative evaluation in interview anxiety and social-evaluative workplace anxiety. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 30, 302-310. doi.org/10.1111/ijsa.12365
Caught in the Perfectionism-Procrastination loop?
Is perfectionism driving you to procrastinate? It may seem counterintuitive, but unrealistic standards and a fear of failure can often lead to procrastination. Read on to learn more…
Caught in the Perfectionism-Procrastination Loop?
By Olivia Kingsley
Perfectionism is often viewed as a positive quality – after all, who wouldn’t want to be perfect? High achievers meet their goals, and this can lead to feeling accomplished. However, the dark side of perfectionism, Clinical Perfectionism, can actually harm our wellbeing, mental health, and performance. Clinical Perfectionism involves placing immense pressure on ourselves to meet extremely high (and often unattainable) standards [1], relentlessly striving for these standards, and basing our self-esteem based on the ability to achieve these standards[2]. When we (inevitably) fall short of meeting these standards, we experience negative emotions and low self-worth. Rather than helping us attain excellence, Clinical Perfectionism can actually result in a number of self-defeating behaviours, including procrastination [3]. Let’s look at Mia’s situation:
Mia, 22, is a university student who takes her studies very seriously and wants to impress her professors. She holds very high standards for her academic performance and believes that any grade lower than a high distinction is unacceptable. If she receives a grade she considers too low, Mia believes she is a failure and assumes that her professors are disappointed in her. Because of the immense pressure she faces, Mia delays starting assignments because she is terrified of making a mistake when writing the ‘perfect’ paper. This means that Mia starts her assignments at the last minute, which leaves her feeling rushed, guilty, and overwhelmed.
In Mia’s situation, procrastination has nothing to do with being lazy. Rather, her procrastination is directly tied to her fear of not attaining perfection. If this sounds familiar, here are some other signs that perfectionism could be driving procrastination [3]:
The thought of starting a project or assignment is too terrifying because it won’t be good enough.
Excessive amounts of time are spent in the planning phase (the ‘grand vision’), but doing the actual task is put off until the last minute because the output may fall short of the vision.
Actions are heavily driven by emotions, for example avoiding finishing a task until it feels “ just right”, or not starting an assignment because we’re “not in the right frame of mind”.
Easier, less intimidating (and less ego-threatening) tasks are prioritised, taking time away from those tasks that need to be completed.
The challenge, though, is that while procrastination brings short-term relief, it’s later replaced by increased time pressure, feeling even more overwhelmed, and underperformance in general.
what maintains the perfectionism-procrastination loop?
How is this unhelpful perfectionism-procrastination loop maintained? Let’s look to those thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that keep us stuck in this loop.
The way we think
The way perfectionists think can really maintain clinical perfectionism and contribute to procrastination.[3][4]
Perfectionists are often hypervigilant for signs that their performance is not up to scratch. They may be sensitive to signs of negative feedback, or even tune in to their own stress and discomfort when attempting to start a task (and rationalising that this discomfort reflects a lack of ability).
Perfectionists can fall into the trap of unhelpful thinking styles. These thinking styles are often inaccurate but are accepted as reflecting reality. They unhelpful thinking styles serve to increase stress and overwhelm, which can be demotivating. Procrastination is a natural consequence when facing such negative emotions. These kinds of thinking styles include:
All or Nothing Thinking: This particularly relates to the attainment of unrealistically high standards, “If I don’t receive 100% on my test then I am a bad student”. Certainly, attaining these unrealistically high standards is unlikely, thus this way of thinking sets the perfectionist up to experience stress and overwhelm.
Catastrophic Thinking: This involves assuming that one will not be able to cope with negative outcomes, and that even a small mistake will be a disaster. “My reputation would never recover if I said the wrong thing at a work meeting”. When the consequences are blown out of proportion, is it any wonder that procrastinating on taking action seems to be the safer option?
Mind Reading: This involves predicting what other people are thinking, often making assumptions that they are judging you negatively, “My supervisor is so critical and exacting that they will rip my assignment to shreds and think I am utterly incompetent.” This type of thinking can then lead to procrastination when submitting work to be evaluated.
Misguided attributions and rationalisations following the outcome subsequently serve to reinforce the perfectionism-procrastination loop, for example believing that:
Attributing deadline-driven productivity to capability, “I do my best work under pressure!”. In reality, the work is done only because of the imminent deadline. The rest of the time
Rationalising outcomes as an underestimate of true abilities, thus preserving self-esteem, “Wow, look at that mark. Pretty remarkable given I didn’t have much time to do it. Imagine if I actually focused I could’ve done so much better!”
The way we feel
Since perfectionists tend to be highly self-critical, they experience negative emotions when their expectations are (inevitably) not met. The thinking styles described earlier keep perfectionists feeling bad about themselves and reinforce their low self-worth. When a perfectionist is unable to meet their high standards, they may experience feelings of anxiety, overwhelm, guilt, depression, and doubt.
These feelings may be so intense and unbearable that procrastination seems to be the safest and most comfortable option. [4]
The way we behave
Finally, behaviour plays a big role in maintaining the perfectionism underpinning procrastination. In the article Anxiety on Campus: What Students Need to Know about Managing Anxiety, our Fight or Flight response kicks in when we face a threat (as is the case of a task we see as challenging and demanding perfection). Procrastination is an excellent example of the Flight response, where we seek to avoid the threat of failure and the resulting negative feelings triggered by the task. Some common examples of procrastination behaviours include:
Avoiding making a decision: This may include being unable to choose an assignment topic because you need to pick the “perfect” one that will result in you making the most compelling presentation in order to earn top marks, or even putting off making a decision (in case it’s the incorrect one!) so that you just have to make do with whatever is left over.
Giving up too soon: It is common for perfectionists to give up trying because doing so means facing the possibility of failure. It feels more secure and safe to avoid the scrutiny.
Delaying starting a task: This can include avoiding starting assignments, or even spending an excessive amount of time on researching but not actually starting the assignment (but still feeling productive). Not committing means not having to deal with a less-than-perfect attempt.
All these procrastinating behaviours are problematic in that they not only increase psychological distress, but also maintain perfectionism. When we engage in procrastination behaviours, we never really learn if we are actually good enough, and our thoughts keep us stuck in the perfectionism-procrastination loop:
If we performed well, we can only imagine how much better we could’ve done if only we’d started earlier and given ourselves a proper chance to shine (that is, our real potential hasn’t been fairly tested!)
If we perform poorly, then we can excuse it because of the pressure you were under (that is, our real potential was crushed under the weight of time pressure or anxiety).
Tips to break the perfectionism-procrastination loop
If you find yourself agreeing to all of the above, help is at hand. Here’s our tip sheet to help you break the perfectionism-procrastination loop [2] . As a sneak peek these include:
Count the costs of procrastination.
Set realistic and achievable goals .
Shift your mindset.
Shift your goalposts.
Show yourself compassion. .
Reach out and talk to a psychologist who works in the perfectionism-procrastination space (like us!).
A word of caution - the perfectionism-procrastination loop often reflects an entrenched pattern of thinking and behaving, accompanied by strong emotions. Progress will take time, and there will be setbacks along the way, so it’s best to adopt the approach of chipping away at it gradually.
REFERENCES
[1] Flett, G.L., Hewitt, P.L., Blankstein, K. R. & Koledin, S. (1991). Dimensions of perfectionism and irrational Thinking. Journal of Rational Emotive and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 9, 185-201.
[2] Baldwin, M. W., & Sinclair, L. (1996). Self-esteem and "if…then" contingencies of interpersonal acceptance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 1130 - 1141. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.71.6.1130
[3] Antony, M. M., & Swinson, R. P. (1998). When perfect isn't good enough: Strategies for coping with perfectionism. New Harbinger Publications.
[4] Fursland, A., Raykos, B. and Steele, A. (2009). Perfectionism in Perspective. Perth, Western Australia: Centre for Clinical Interventions
[5] Egan, S.J., Wade, T.D., Shafran, R., & Antony, M.M. (2014). Cognitive-behavioral treatment of perfectionism. New York: The Guilford Press.
Imposter Syndrome: When the perfectionist feels like a fraud (and how to overcome it)
Ever feel like a fraud, that you'll be found out? Perfectionists often fall prey to Imposter Syndrome - read on to find out why, and learn steps to help overcome it.
IMPOSTER SYNDROME: WHEN THE PERFECTIONIST FEELS LIKE A FRAUD (AND HOW TO OVERCOME IT)
By Joyce Chong
Jessica, 29, looks like someone who is winning in life. She has a great job in her dream organisation, is the youngest person to hold the position that she does, and there’s considerable buzz surrounding her amongst senior managers and in the wider industry as being ‘one to watch’.
Yet…Jessica finds it hard to accept any of this.
She thinks she obtained her job through good fortune and timing. That people in her industry view her capabilities positively only causes her to worry more about being found out – she can’t possibly know as much as people think she does!
Sound familiar? That’s because what Jessica experiences is quite common, and around 70% of people have experienced the Imposter Syndrome at some point in time. Indeed, Imposter Syndrome has been uncovered in university students, academics, medical students, marketing managers, and physicians.[1] Heck, even Natalie Portman, actress and Harvard graduate, has alluded to experiencing the Imposter Syndrome.
WHAT IS IMPOSTER SYNDROME?
The Imposter Syndrome, or Imposter Phenomenon as it is also known, refers to when people believe themselves to be intellectual frauds due to an inability to internalise their successes. Along with this is a fear of being exposed.
There are certain transition points in life when we may expect Imposter Syndrome, for example:
- Starting a new education adventure like Natalie Portman (e.g. high school, university, postgraduate studies).
- Becoming 'qualified' in your field, leading others to treat you as if you are 'fully-fledged' yet you feel you have only just scratched the surface of the knowledge in your field.
- Being looked up to due to your years of experience (e.g. relative to junior members or people outside of the field) or to your position as an expert (e.g. teacher, lecturer, tutor).
However, there’s also suggestion that Imposter Syndrome is linked to stable personality traits such as neuroticism, conscientiousness, negative core self-evaluations across situations, and also maladaptive perfectionistic tendencies.[2]
IMPOSTER SYNDROME AND PERFECTIONISM: WHAT'S THE LINK?
Six key components of Imposter Syndrome have been identified, and show a link with perfectionism, including (1) A need to be special or the very best; (2) A desire for superhero status where there is pursuit of excellence most areas of life; (3) A fear of failure when faced with achievement-related tasks, leading to anxiety; (4) Denial of competence or discounting of praise; (5) Fear and guilt about success in instances where the imposter feels undeserving of success; and (6) The Imposter Cycle. [3]
The Imposter Cycle is a particularly important component of the Imposter Syndrome. Here, an achievement-related task triggers a fear of failure and anxiety, leading to over-preparing (or to initial procrastination followed by an intense last-minute work rate). When the goal is achieved a process of discounting may kick in, thereby diminishing the validity of the achievement.
As you can see, there is much overlap between the key components of Imposter Syndrome and perfectionism as outlined in our previous post from the pursuit of excellence, the desire to be the very best, and the discounting of achievements.
Delving deeper into the relationship between perfectionism and Imposter Syndrome, it’s been found that Imposter Syndrome is linked to perfectionistic self-presentation, a heightened concern over making mistakes, and a need for approval.[4]
With this relationship in mind, let’s look at some tips for change.
HOW TO OVERCOME THE IMPOSTER SYNDROME (AND PERFECTIONISM!)
1. Ease the unrealistic standards
Sometimes things seem daunting and unattainable because we’ve built them up in our minds so that they’re bigger than Ben Hur. The uneasiness and anxiety that goes with this is awful enough to put anyone off. Guess what? The unrealistic standards make you want to start the task even less! So ease the unrealistic standards, and consider setting a task that extends you rather than deflates you.
2. Ask THE tough question
For those who find procrastination a big stumbling block, this question may be confronting – Is it worse to go through life dominated by a fear of failure, or is it worse to have found your limit even if it's not exactly where you thought it was (and, be honest, are your perfectionistic standards likely to be met?)?
It's comforting to hide behind the possibility that you could’ve done better (“if only…”) and prop yourself up by going over the top in your efforts, but it can also be extremely tiring and never-ending.
3. Choose some, not all
Sure, you can choose some areas to focus your efforts on, but what happens when you try to be the best in all areas of your life, all at the same time?
Are your efforts diluted (and therefore, in your mind, less than perfect)? Do you have the energy to cope with applying unrealistic standards to all areas of your life, push yourself hard to achieve in every domain, and maintain performance at this level for a sustained period of time?
4. Set experiments to test your predictions
If you think your efforts will only be good enough if you put in 110% then let’s test if that is true. Let’s say you’re making lunch for friends. Maybe in your mind, your friends will only be happy if you prepare an eight-course degustation menu with matching wines.
Let’s test that. What if we served a four-course menu? Would it lessen their enjoyment?
What if you prepared one main dish, assembled a tasting platter, and bought a dessert? Would it lessen their enjoyment?
Putting your thoughts to the test is a great way to see if others really expect that of you, or if it's what you think others expect of you (see more on socially prescribed perfectionism here).
5. Be fair in weighing up the evidence
Remember Jessica from the start of this post, the ‘one to watch’ in her industry? The one who discounts her multiple achievements, instead worrying about being found out? How do you think Jessica would view criticism? Would she give it the same weight as she does praise? Or would she let one small speck of criticism cloud her judgement of her abilities?
There’s a real negative filter at play here (you can read more about the negative filter, and other unhelpful thinking styles here), where one small negative outcome overrules all positives that may apply. So, exercise fairness when it comes to weighing up the evidence.
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REFERENCES
[1] Sakulku, J., & Alexander. J. (2011). The imposter phenomenon. International Journal of Behavioral Science, 6, 75-97.
[2] Vergauwe, J., Wille, B., Feys, M., De Fruyt, F., & Anseel, F. (2014). Fear of being exposed: The trait-relatedness of the imposter phenomenon and its relevance in the work context. Journal of Business Psychology. DOI: 10.1007/s 10869-014-9382-5.
[3] Sakulku, J., & Alexander. J. (2011). The imposter phenomenon. International Journal of Behavioral Science, 6, 75-97.
[4] Dudau, D.P. (2014). The relation between perfectionism and imposter phenomenon. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 127, 129-133. Doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.03.226.
A primer on perfectionism
Here’s a quick guide on what you need to know about perfectionism.
A PRIMER ON PERFECTIONISM
By Joyce Chong
It’s easy to think of perfectionism as one overall category in which you’re driven to achieve exceedingly high standards, and attaining the standard is like climbing to the peak of a mountain. But perfectionism is so much more complex and diverse than that. Today, we’re taking a closer look at the different ways in which we can think about perfectionism.
WHERE DOES PERFECTIONISM COMES FROM?
The cause of perfectionism is thought to be varied. [1] Genes potentially make a contribution, as suggested by studies of identical twins raised together versus those raised apart, as do parental expectations. It’s also thought that we can ‘learn’ perfectionism through mechanisms such as observation, reward (e.g. getting praised for doing well), and punishment (e.g. getting punished for failing to meet others’ expectations).
ABOUT PERFECTIONISTIC STANDARDS
We often think of perfectionism as something that is driven from within, influenced by our own high standards and driving our own behaviour. However perfectionism isn’t necessarily directed at ourselves.[2]
Perfectionism can be directed at others wherein you expect others to adhere to the high standards that you expect of them. Thus, you may expect:
Your partner to do housework a particular way;
Your family to conform to your idealised vision of how family members should relate to each other
Your friends to act in a particular way
Your children to behave how they ‘should’
In each of these situations it’s easy to see that disappointment, hurt, and anger may follow when others don’t meet your expectations.
There is also something that we call socially prescribed perfectionism, wherein we believe that others hold high expectations that we must meet. Not surprisingly, it’s been shown to be linked to a fear of negative evaluation, loneliness and shyness, lower levels of social self-esteem[3]. It has also been linked to a tendency to be perfectionistic when it comes to how one presents oneself (perfectionistic self-presentation), the perception of having received social feedback that is negative in nature, to ruminate more about having (potentially) offended others, and also feelings of depression and social anxiety.[4]
HOW IS YOUR PERFECTIONISM MANIFEST?
Perfectionism can be manifest in different ways in different domains of our lives. For instance you may see perfectionism:
Within the home, with lawns meticulously manicured, the interior and exterior cleaned spotlessly, and objects arranged ‘just so’. There may be daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal cleaning routines that must be rigidly adhered to.
At work where you pore over every detail of every project, find it hard to delegate tasks, and set extremely high targets that you ‘must’ achieve at all costs. Long hours are typically involved in getting outcomes that meet your exacting standards.
At school or at university, where you aim for extremely high marks, relentlessly study or research to ensure that you have all the answers readily available and that you avoid making any mistakes. Your assignments keep getting reworked until they feel ‘just right’.
In hobbies, where there are multiple attempts are made to get something ‘just so’. If cooking is your thing, then it may be attempting to replicate a dish so that it looks exactly like it does in a magazine.
In sport/exercise, and not just at the lofty levels of competition. There may be multiple attempts to achieve a textbook yoga pose, or overtraining against a coach’s advice because of a desire to perfect techniques.
In self-presentation…how you speak, dress, your level of grooming, your lifestyle choices, your body weight and shape. Throw in the heightened scrutiny of social media to this mix and it’s easy to see how perfectionism can take over in a bid to maintain a perfect image.
HOW IS PERFECTIONISM MAINTAINED?
How do perfectionistic standards continue to persist given they are often unrealistically high and therefore at times unlikely to be met?
One factor is the thought process or interpretation – that a failure to meet these standards are not a reflection of the unrealistic nature of the standards themselves, but rather a reflection on your own failures. Or, if the standard is somehow achieved, then it may be discounted as being too easy and attainable by all.
Perfectionistic behaviours also reinforce the problem, as you increase your efforts to achieve the unrealistic standards. While it may pay off, it’s important to recognise that this level of effort is often difficult to sustain in the longer term.
Interestingly, procrastination also plays a part for some dealing with perfectionism. By ‘opting out’, or perhaps completing the work with insufficient time to do a decent job, the ‘blow’ of being unable to meet the unrealistic standard becomes far easier to handle.
THE IMPACT OF PERFECTIONISM
Critically, what is the impact of perfectionism? Is it something that motivates you, spurring you on to strive for excellence? When that excellence is achieved do you feel a sense of contentment and satisfaction?
Or, is perfectionism more like a rod of punishment, where you feel pressured to reach a particular standard, your motivation is driven by a fear of failure, or where achievements are quickly dismissed as being too easy and replaced by even loftier goals?
Give that perfectionism can have very different effects, the big question is what differentiates adaptive perfectionism from maladaptive – or clinical – perfectionism?
A key factor to look at is how much 'wiggle room' we give ourselves when it comes to our standards. When perfectionism is adaptive we tend to see the goals as guidelines to work tirelessly towards, however we can show some degree of flexibility when it comes to the goal that is set, whether the goals are realistic, and whether there is flexibility in the time frame within which it is to be achieved.
In contrast, when clinical perfectionism is at play goals are set unrealistically high (typically setting us up for failure), however in typical black and white thinking any deviation from the goal is viewed as failure. Clinical perfectionism leaves us constantly feeling that we’re not good enough, leading us to set even loftier goals that we are unlikely to meet. With this type of mindset is it any wonder that clinical perfectionism is linked with burnout, psychological distress, depression, and other mental health disorders?[5] To learn more about this, see our Tip Sheet in our FREE Resource Library on When Perfectionism Harms your Wellbeing.
When considering the effects of clinical perfectionism, the big question to ask yourself is…Is it really worth it?
REFERENCES
[1] Antony, M.M., & Swinson, R.P. (1998). When perfect isn’t good enough: Strategies for coping with perfectionism. Oakland: New Harbinger.
[2] Hewitt, P.L., Flett, G.L., Turnbull-Donovan, W., & Mikail, S.F. (1991). The Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale: Reliability, validity, and psychometric properties in psychiatric samples. Psychological Assessment, 3, 464-468.
[3] Flett, G.L., Hewitt, P.L., & De Rosa, T. (1996). Dimensions of perfectionism, psychosocial adjustment, and social skills. Personality and Individual Differences, 20, 143-150.
[4] Nepon, T., Flett, G.L, Hewitt, P.L., & Molnar, D.S. (2011). Perfectionism, negative social feedback, and interpersonal rumination in depression and social anxiety. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 43, 297-308.
[5] Egan, S.J., Wade, T.D., Shafran, R., & Antony, M.M. (2014). Cognitive-behavioral treatment of perfectionism. New York: The Guilford Press.
SLEEP + PSYCHOLOGY: HOW SLEEP AFFECTS THE MIND + HOW THE MIND AFFECTS SLEEP
Sleep affects the mind, and in turn the mind affects sleep. So how can you get a better night of sleep?
SLEEP + PSYCHOLOGY: HOW SLEEP AFFECTS THE MIND + HOW THE MIND AFFECTS SLEEP
by Joyce Chong
WHY IS SLEEP IMPORTANT?
We all know that getting a good night of sleep is important for our health, but when it comes time to go to bed it can be tempting to stay up to send just one more email, finish off that movie, or cross one more thing off the to do list. The thing is, sleep is critically important for our health and overall wellbeing. Studies have shown significant health risks linked to insufficient sleep. These include a greater risk of coronary heart disease[1], Type 2 Diabetes[2], and even a shorter lifespan[3].
Sleep deprivation has also been linked to weight gain, through various pathways including increased hunger, increased opportunities for eating (through being awake for longer), as well as increased fatigue resulting in less exercise[4].
It may be less obvious, but sleep also has an impact on the mind, and in turn, the mind has a powerful impact on sleep. Read on to find out more about how they influence each other.
HOW SLEEP AFFECTS THE MIND
Sleep is also important for our mind, particularly when we consider our cognitive performance and our mood.
In our busy schedules we may stay up just that bit later so that we can work, study, or play hard, however even short term sleep deprivation can result in reduced concentration, memory and performance[5]. Reduced concentration and performance might not seem like such big deal if you’re dozing in front of a movie, but studies have shown that sleep deprivation can lead to the same decrease in performance as would be seen if one was under the influence of alcohol.
One study compared the performance of certain tasks by participants when they had drunk alcohol, and then again when they were deprived of sleep. Results showed that after 17 to 19 hours without sleep, performance was equivalent to when participants had a BAC of 0.05%. Accuracy and speed on both cognitive and motor tasks was impaired. After even more sleep deprivation, performance worsened to the equivalent of a BAC of 0.1% - the maximum administered in the study[6].
Sure, that’s a study in a lab, but what are the real-world implications? Let’s think about sleep deprivation in each of these situations below:
The student who pulls an all-nighter in order to cram for an exam;
The consultant who has to ‘think on her feet’ during a budget presentation she is giving;
The person who operates heavy machinery for work; or even
The everyday worker who wakes up at 6am to gets into work for an 8-hour day and follows this up with a Friday night partying session, and then gets behind the wheel to get home.
What happens to each of these individuals when concentration and memory suffers? What are the real risks when you consider these very individuals performing these tasks where their performance is equivalent to that of someone with a BAC of .05%?
How sleep affects MOOD
Sleep deprivation can also have a real impact on mood. Consider the potential for things to spiral upwards or downwards as the day progresses for you. Let’s look at the example of Paige:
When Paige doesn’t get enough sleep she:
Wakes up feeling tired.
Is prone to making simple mistakes when getting ready for work because her concentration and memory aren’t in tip top shape. This can lead to ‘lost time’ as she has to question herself or even backtrack (e.g. “Did I turn the iron off? I should probably go back and check just in case.”).
Drives to work in peak hour traffic but because she is already stressed from the morning rush, she is quick to react if she is cut off by another car, less tolerant of any obstacles, and feels more irritated.
Is frazzled and very frustrated by the time she enters the office, and work (and its associated stressors, including colleagues) hasn’t even begun.
Makes poor food choices during the day because she thinks she ‘deserves it’ due to the bad day she’s having, and may even choose to have a glass or two of alcohol at night to help her unwind from the stressful day that she has had.
When Paige gets enough sleep she:
Wakes up feeling rested and in a neutral or even positive mood.
Is able to concentrate on what she is doing when getting ready for work.
Is less reactive in peak hour traffic because she isn’t already feeling stressed from her morning
Is more balanced in her mood by the time she enters the office, is more likely to have positive interactions with colleagues, and feels better able to handle stressful events that day.
Is more likely to stick to a healthy diet and make good food choices because her day hasn’t been overly stressful.
So you can see that our sleep really has the potential to set us up for a good day where we can remain relatively calm, or set us up for a bad day when we are more reactive.
HOW THE MIND AFFECTS SLEEP
So yes, sleep can definitely affect our mind, but how does our mind, in turn, affect our sleep in turn?
The choices you make in relation to sleep
The mind is a powerful thing when it comes to sleep. It determines when you set your bedtime (“Just one more episode of Game of Thrones and then I’ll go to bed!” vs. “I know that I need 9 hours of sleep to function properly so that means I’ll go to bed at 10pm”). The mind also affects your choice of behaviours that either promote sleep or hinder sleep (“I really need this 3pm coffee…I may pay for it tonight, but right now I just need to get through the next three hours at work.”).
The thoughts you have when attempting to sleep
Sometimes the mind can start to work overtime when you’re about to hit your bed. This can include worrying about your To Do list for the next day, or worrying about a loved one, or even about the things that have happened to you during the day.
There is another special category of thoughts that we don’t often think about – we call them our Sleep Cognitions – it’s just a fancy description for thoughts we have about how much sleep we need, our beliefs about the negative consequences if we don’t get the sleep we need, our beliefs about how we’ll feel or how productive we will be if we don’t get enough sleep.
As you can see, these unhelpful sleep cognitions have the potential to put us in a stressed state – which is quite the opposite to what we need (to feel relaxed) in order to fall asleep.
HOW TO SLEEP BETTER – 6 SIMPLE TIPS
So how can we look after our health and prioritise sleep? The first step is to make sensible choices with our time. See sleep as a necessity, not a luxury. Set a regular bed time and stick to it. On average, most adults will need between 7 and 9 hours a night to function at their best, so factor this in to your regular schedule.
Once you’ve done that, follow these simple tips below, to ensure that you’re setting yourself up for a refreshing night of sleep:
1. Allow enough time before hand to wind down before trying to sleep.
2. Put away illuminated screens such as phones and alarm clocks.
3. Ensure the bedroom is dark, quiet and cool.
4. Sleep on a supportive mattress and pillow.
5. Exercise during the day, but not just before sleep.
6. Avoid stimulants such as caffeine, cigarettes and spicy food late in the day.
If you’re after more sleep (or more of the science behind why sleep is important), be sure to grab our tip sheet below. You’ll also gain access to our Resource Library full of tip sheets on Wellbeing, Mental Health, and Performance.
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REFERENCES
[1]Ayas N, White D, Manson J, Stampfer MJ, Speizer FE, Malhotra A et al. (2003). A prospective study of sleep duration and coronary heart disease in women. Archives of Internal Medicine, 163, 205–9.
[2] Yaggi HK, Araujo AB, McKinlay JB. (2006). Sleep duration as a risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care, 29, 657–61.
[3] Kripke D, Garfinkel L, Wingard D, Klauber MR, Marler MR. (2002). Mortality associated with sleep duration and insomnia. Archives of General Psychiatry, 59, 131–6.
[4] Patel, S.R., & Hu, F.B. (2008). Short sleep duration and weight gain: A systematic review. Obesity, 16, 643-653.
[5] Belenky G, Wesensten N, Thorne D, Thomas ML, Sing HC, Redmond DP et al. (2003). Patterns of performance degradation and restoration during sleep restriction and subsequent recovery: a sleep dose-response study. Journal of Sleep Research, 12: 1–12.
[6] Williamson, A. M, Fayer, A. (2000). Moderate sleep deprivation produces impairments in cognitive and motor performance equivalent to legally prescribed levels of alcohol intoxication. Occupational Environmental Medicine, 57, 649 – 655.
A FIFO lifestyle presents unique challenges to your sleep, relationships, and mental health. We cover these challenges and suggest tips to help you cope.