Template to figure out whether perfectionism is adding to or causing your depression or not

Perfectionism and depression are tightly related, and it can be hard to see if perfectionistic thinking is fueling your mood or if it’s just a side effect of feeling depressed.

Luckily, a structured self-check routine can help clarify that.

Self-check routine: Is perfectionism driving your depression?

1. Step 1: Daily awareness journal

• • At the end of each day, write down:

• • • One situation that triggered stress or a worse attitude.

• • • Your thoughts during that situation.

• • • Ask: Were my expectations unrealistically high? Was I harsh on myself?

• • Example prompts:

• • • Did I call myself a failure for a small mistake?

• • • Did I feel pressure to perform flawlessly, even in low-stakes tasks?

2. Step 2: Spot the perfectionism traps
   
   

Rate yourself (0 = not at all, 5 = very often) for the week:

• • I avoid starting tasks because I fear not doing them perfectly.

• • I spend excessive time checking/revising minor details.

• • I measure my self-worth mainly by achievements.

• • I feel crushed by criticism or small mistakes.

• • I procrastinate because the standard I set feels overwhelming.

→ Scores above 15 suggest perfectionism is very present.

3. Step 3: Mood correlation

• • Record your mood levels (0–10) daily alongside your perfectionism ratings.

• • Look for patterns after a week:

• • • Do days with more perfectionistic thinking line up with worse mood?

• • • Do you feel more hopeless or self-critical after perfectionism “episodes”?

4. Step 4: Challenge the thought
   
   

For each perfectionistic thought, ask:

• • Is this standard realistic or necessary?

• • Would I expect this from someone I care about?

• • What’s the “good enough” version here?

This helps to see if perfectionism is rigidly shaping your mood.

5. Step 5: Run an experiment

• • Pick one small area to test:

• • • Example: Instead of spending 3 hours perfecting an email, allow yourself 20 minutes.

• • Notice: Does my mood get worse, stay the same, or improve when I loosen standards?

• • If your mood lightens or you feel less drained → strong sign that perfectionism is feeding depression.

6. Step 6: Weekly reflection
   
   

Questions for the end of the week:

• • Which perfectionistic habits showed up most?

• • Did they precede low mood or follow it?

• • Did challenging them change how I felt?

• • Is my depression worse on weeks when I chase “flawless” standards?

Why this works

Research shows that maladaptive perfectionism (unrealistic standards + harsh self-criticism) is linked to a higher risk of depression, while adaptive perfectionism (healthy striving, realistic goals) is not as harmful.

You can figure out whether your perfectionism is maintaining or causing your depressive symptoms by tracking patterns.

This routine doesn’t replace therapy, but it’s a practical self-assessment tool.

It may help to bring your notes to a therapist to work on perfectionism directly (like with CBT techniques) if you notice a strong connection.

Worksheet: Is perfectionism fueling my depression?

Use this self-check routine to explore whether perfectionism may be driving your depression.

I would suggest printing it out or keeping a digital copy to fill in daily/weekly.

1. Daily awareness journal

Each evening, jot down:

• • Situation that triggered stress or low mood: ___________________________

• • My thoughts in that moment: ________________________________________

• • Did I expect myself to be flawless?

• • • ☐ Yes.

• • • ☐ No.

2. Perfectionism traps checklist
   
   

Rate how often these apply to you this week (0 = never, 5 = very often):

• • • ☐ I avoid tasks because I fear not doing them perfectly. [/5]

• • • ☐ I spend too much time checking/revising small details. [/5]

• • • ☐ I measure my worth mainly by achievements. [/5]

• • • ☐ I feel crushed by criticism or mistakes. [/5]

• • • ☐ I procrastinate because the standard I set feels overwhelming. [___/5]

Weekly score: ____ / 25

→ 15 or higher may suggest perfectionism is strongly present.

3. Mood tracking

Rate your mood daily (0 = worst, 10 = best).

Day	Mood (0–10)	Did perfectionism show up today? (Yes/no + example)
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun

Reflection: Do low-mood days line up with high-perfectionism days?

4. Thought challenge
   
   

When perfectionistic thoughts show up, ask yourself:

• • Is this standard realistic?

• • Would I expect this from a friend?

• • What’s “good enough” here?

Write down one example:

5. Small experiment

Pick one area this week when you’ll lower the bar slightly.

• • My experiment: ____________________________________

• • What happened to my mood after trying it? ___________

6. Weekly reflection
   
   

At the end of the week, ask yourself:

• • Which perfectionistic habits came up the most? __________________________

• • Did they show up before the low mood or after it? ________________________

• • Did challenging them help? ___________________________________________

• • Is my depression worse on weeks when I chase “flawless” standards? ______

Conclusion

Perfectionism on its own isn’t always harmful since setting high standards can sometimes motivate growth and achievement.

But it substantially increases the risk of depression when perfectionism becomes rigid, self-critical, and tied to one’s sense of worth.

Research illustrates that maladaptive perfectionism, characterized by fear of mistakes, harsh self-judgment, and constant comparison, creates ongoing stress and feelings of inadequacy that can trigger or worsen depressive symptoms.

In contrast, healthier forms of striving for excellence don’t carry the same emotional cost.

Ultimately, it’s not perfectionism itself, but how it’s experienced and managed that determines whether it contributes to depression or not.

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