How Perfectionism Stems from ADHD Symptoms

When “Good Enough” Feels Like a High-Stakes Battle

Let’s explore perfectionism and why some advice like “stop being a perfectionist” doesn’t always fit, especially in structured workplaces. In competitive environments, “good enough” can feel elusive for people with ADHD symptoms or traits (naturally occurring human behaviour), not because of laziness or pride, but because perfectionism often serves as a protective strategy.

Understanding ADHD-Related Perfectionism

One client reflected:

“I used to think perfectionism was vanity until I saw how often it hid fear.”

For some, this can look like rereading emails multiple times, or staying up late fine-tuning slides for meetings. Their goal isn’t vanity, it’s managing risk and avoiding mistakes. In workplaces with high standards and variable supports, the effort needed to reach “good enough” can feel disproportionate. What may appear as overworking is often a response to systems that reward precise performance without offering buffers for different cognitive styles.

ADHD brains often experience mistakes as heightened signals: imperfection can feel like evidence of inadequacy. This isn’t inherently a flaw; it reflects a mismatch between cognitive style and environmental expectations.

Why This Happens (relates to ADHD symptoms)

Perfectionism can emerge from navigating inconsistent performance, which is a natural outcome when ADHD traits interact with systems not designed for parallel processing, multi-attentiveness, or variable energy patterns. Sometimes individuals deliver brilliant work; other times, details slip or deadlines are missed. This variability can trigger hypervigilance, leading to cycles of extra effort to maintain reliability.

These patterns are not a personal failing; they’re adaptive strategies in response to environmental demands. Burnout and stress often follow when the workplace structure doesn’t support these differences.

Reframing the Challenge

Modern work culture often frames success as an individual responsibility and failure as a moral shortcoming. For neurodivergent individuals, this framing can intensify pressure, because strategies like “try harder” or “organise better” are applied without structural support. Those with access to resources: time, guidance, or systemic flexibility, may manage more easily; others may experience exhaustion or exit roles that were never designed to accommodate them.

A Different Perspective

If this resonates, the key insight is that the intensity or cognitive style isn’t the problem. The challenge arises when structures don’t align with neurodivergent ways of thinking and focusing. By creating approaches that match individual strengths and rhythms, it’s possible to reduce stress, maintain productivity, and preserve well-being without forcing “good enough” into a high-stakes struggle.

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References

Fleming, P. (2019). The Death of Homo Economicus: Work, Debt and the Myth of Endless Accumulation. Pluto Press.

Sarkis, E. (2014). Addressing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in the workplace. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 8(5), 314–319. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827614530730