Perfectionism

Perfectionism is the pursuit of excellence,  striving to be the best sometimes at the detriment of the your health and wellbeing, psychologically it can stem from a type of OCD and/or negative internal narrative. 

Often people on the hypermobile spectrum  will have a perfectionist trait, believing they are never good enough. Not coming first, not being the best, can lead to an internal monologue of self sabotage and self doubt, reinforced every time you come to a challenge that you fall short at. Even when you succeed you dwell on the aspects that you go  wrong rather than revel in the success of your venture, creating a negative feedback loop of never being good enough.

The sense that you are never enough can run deep in many hypermobile warriors, unconcious of the detrimental and repetitive nature of their thoughts they believe that is just the way they are and will be. 

From experience I can tell you that this never ending spiral can be broken and you can introduce positive self talk that inspires you to be the master of your thoughts, guiding them to relish the journey not the destination. 

So why are hypermobile people prone to Perfectionism...? 

A combination of psychological, neurological, and social factors influence why you become a perfectionist. Hypermobility, often characterised by overly flexible joints, is sometimes linked to connective tissue disorders like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. This physical condition can lead to chronic pain, frequent injuries, and an increased awareness of one's body, contributing to anxiety and stress.

Neurologically, hypermobility is associated with heightened autonomic nervous system reactivity. This heightened reactivity can cause increased sensitivity to stress and a greater tendency towards anxiety-related traits, such as perfectionism. The continuous need to manage physical symptoms and prevent injuries may translate into a psychological drive for control and precision in other areas of life.

Socially, hypermobile individuals, especially children, might receive constant feedback about their physical abilities, either positive or negative. Positive reinforcement for flexibility can create pressure to meet high standards, while negative experiences, such as pain or injury, can drive a desire to overcompensate by excelling in other areas. This can cultivate perfectionistic tendencies as a coping mechanism to gain approval and manage anxiety.

Moreover, perfectionism in hypermobile individuals can be a strategy to counteract the unpredictability and perceived vulnerability of their physical condition. By striving for perfection, you might feel a greater sense of control over your environment and reduce feelings of inadequacy or fear of failure.

In summary, the heightened physical awareness, autonomic nervous system reactivity, and social feedback mechanisms experienced by hypermobile individuals contribute to a predisposition towards perfectionism. This condition serves as both a coping mechanism for managing their unique physical challenges and a way to seek control and approval in other areas of life.

So how can you combat your perfectionism?

You are already more body aware than most people, but often not aware of how much your mind controls your body. You become a bit of a point and shoot human, by that I mean you decide to do something and then doggedly point your body at the challenge and shoot regardless of pain, dysfunction or anxiety or other consequence. Your moto is often No pain no gain, you become master of your body and in the process ignore the multiple stress messages your mind is sending you, but let's face if you didn't have that attitude you  might not do anything.  The problem with this is that you do not engage your mind in your activities, your mind is designed to protect you and with your point and shoot attitude it can't. Your mind is telling you something and you are ignoring it, which leads increased level of over protective reactions (pain)  in your body and you become  rife with an internal dialogue of criticism and  self deprecation, pushing you further towards an ,I'm not good enough, sense of yourself = perfectionism.  

Understand your mind so you can control the narrative.

Mindfulness is the practice of acknowledging your thoughts and if they are negative having the mindfulness to replace them with something more positive, that will increase your energetic value. Having a mindfulness practice where you learn to replace negative for positive starts to change your I'm not enough narrative to I'm bloody marvellous