Perfectionism is an Energy Block

A common misconception is that anxiety and perfectionism are purely mental battles. However, anxiety doesn’t just live in the mind. It takes up physical residence in the body.

Consider these physical sensations:

The frozen hesitation before hitting “send” is energy stuck in the hands.
The tight chest and constricted throat when sharing an idea is trapped expression.
The heavy dread of “not good enough” is an anchored weight in the gut.

When someone rewrites an email ten times, talks themselves out of sharing a brilliant idea, or feels paralyzed by the gap between “perfect” and “done,” it is not a personal failing. It is a signal of stuck energy waiting to move. The solution is not more thinking, but learning to speak the body’s language.

Is Perfectionism an Anxiety Disorder?

While perfectionism itself is not a formal diagnosis in the DSM-5, it is widely recognized as a core feature of several anxiety disorders. Clinically, it is often a central symptom of Social Anxiety Disorder (fear of negative evaluation) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (chronic worry). At its root, perfectionism is not about high standards. It is the nervous system screaming an ancient alarm: “Mistakes = danger. Visibility = risk.”

The body is trying to protect itself from a predator. But the ‘tiger’ it’s avoiding is often just old, stuck energy in the body waiting to be released.

The #1 Worst Habit for Anxiety? Overthinking.

Rumination and an endless loop of analysis is the single most damaging habit for anxiety. The mind argues that more thinking will lead to a perfect, safe outcome. In reality, this overthinking is what traps the anxiety in the body, creating the physical sensations of stuck energy. Breaking this cycle is possible. But not with the mind, but rather through the body.

The 3-Step Somatic Reset to Move the Energy

This framework bypasses the mental loop and provides the nervous system with new evidence of safety.

1. Pause the Mental Loop and Locate the Sensation

When hesitation strikes, the instruction is to drop out of the mind and into the body.

Notice: Identify where the tension manifests physically. Is it clenched hands? A tight throat? A knot in the stomach?
Reframe: Acknowledge the sensation by stating, “We’re safe. All is well. I’m here.” This begins to disentangle the physical signal from the mental catastrophe story.

2. Breathe Into the Resistance

The breath is the most direct tool to move stagnant energy and calm the nervous system.

Place a hand gently on the tense area.
Breathe deeply: Inhale for a count of 4, directing the breath into the constricted space. Exhale slowly for a count of 6, releasing the tension.
Repeat until a subtle physical shift is felt such as a softening, release, or sense of warmth. This indicates the energy is moving.

3. Take the 2% Braver Action

With the energy flowing, the final step is to take a small, imperfect action that provides the nervous system with new data.

Send the “good enough” email. (This proves to the hands that action is safe.)
Share the unpolished idea. (This allows the throat to express itself without penalty.)
Take one small step forward. (This shows the gut that progress, not perfection, is the goal.)

This “imperfect action” is how the system is rewired. It demonstrates concretely that visibility and progress are not threats.

Why This Somatic Approach Works

The body keeps a physical score of mental patterns:

Frozen hands correlate to withheld actions.
A tight throat aligns with silenced truths.
A heavy gut mirrors ignored intuition.

By moving energy through the body via breath and following it with a brave action, a system-wide update is sent: “Done is safer than perfect. The body knows how to move forward.”

The Takeaway

For those asking, “How to stop perfectionism anxiety?” the answer lies not in winning a mental argument, but in completing the body’s stress cycle. The mind is a brilliant debater of possibility, but the body is the vehicle for achieving it.

To break the cycle: