Nobody’s Perfect: 5 Signs You’re Being Too Hard on Yourself at Work

Do you find yourself creating negative thought loops in your mind when you are at work? Do you feel like your work stresses bleed into your personal time? If so, you’ve come to the right place. Below is a list of five signs that you are being too hard on yourself at work. 

1. You find yourself second-guessing all of your decisions
2. You say ‘I can’t do this’ or ‘I’ll never be able to understand this’
3. Your manager tells you that you are being too hard on yourself
4. You have trouble creating boundaries between work and your personal life
5. Your self-confidence lowers (both in and out of work)

It can take a while to change your self-perception at work from negative to positive. Start by identifying the negative thoughts you have about yourself related to work. Is there a common theme? Once you start to notice a theme or specific thoughts that come up, try to identify triggers. Are you doing a specific type of work when you feel this way? Are there certain circumstances in the workplace that feel uncomfortable? By understanding your triggers, you are collecting evidence about your thought process. Once you understand the origins of your thoughts and their triggers, you can change them! 

Remind yourself that just because you don’t understand something now doesn’t mean you will never understand it. You can learn about the task or ask co-workers how they do it. Try not to speak in absolutes; using the words ‘never’ or ‘always’ limits your capabilities and potential. Lastly, think about the life you have outside of work. Your performance at work doesn’t have to be an indicator of your performance in life. 

Practice these tools. Give yourself time to grow. If you do so, you will likely find that your performance and experience at work will improve.

Photo credit: Pexels

Written by Jessy Pucker, LMSW