Why Doing Enough Is Enough + Why Perfectionism Predicts Burnout, Depression, & Anxiety, Not Performance [285]

Do you feel like you have to prove your worth through the shear amount of work you do or prove your value by making sure you're seen as busy, always hustling, and super productive? Do you feel burned out, overwhelmed with work, or simply feeling that you're just doing too much? If so, this is the "doing enough" episode, and we hope you come away acknowledging that you're wired to do enough (often more than enough) and that the pressure to do more is something we layer on top of that natural wiring, and it is likely more harmful than good. We'll dig into perfectionism and how it can push us into doing too much and its association with anxiety and depression. We'll also explore more of the burnout research and how perfectionism and the myth of productivity are related to burnout. Importantly, we'll talk about some practical strategies to help you identify what might be driving you to do too much and how you can soften your expectations. Additionally, feeling burned out and overwhelmed with work can have less to do with the amount of work you're doing and more to do with the lack of support from your employer and other key factors related to burnout. This is that canary in the coal mine phenomenon. If you can relate to that, we also have some strategies to consider.     About: The Joy Lab Podcast is an Ambie-nominated podcast that blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, anxiety, and depression. It's hosted by integrative psychiatrist Dr. Henry Emmons and holistic mental health researcher Dr. Aimee Prasek. The podcast is best paired with the Joy Lab App.   Bonus: spread some joy and keep this podcast ad-free by donating (Joy Lab is powered by the nonprofit Pathways North and your donations are tax-deductible)   Full transcript here   Sources and Notes for Our Element of Enoughness: Related Joy Lab Episodes: Ep. 223: Breaking Free From Pathological Productivity  Ep. 206: Time Poverty & Busyness: Too Busy to Be Well  Ep. 201: Balance Perfectionism & Do-Too-Muchism Bellam, S., Curran, T., Hill, A. P., & Stoeber, J. (2025). Perfectionism and work performance: A meta-analysis. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12570 Carver, C. S., Lawrence, J. W., & Scheier, M. F. (1999). Self-discrepancies and affect: Incorporating the role of feared selves. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167299025007002  Crocker, J., & Park, L. E. (2004). The costly pursuit of self-esteem. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.131.3.392  Crocker, J., & Park, L. E. (2004). Reaping the benefits of pursuing self-esteem without the costs? Reply to Schmuck and Sheldon (2004), Sheldon et al. (2004), Pyszczynski et al. (2004), and Kernis (2004). https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.130.3.430 Crocker, J., Karpinski, A., Quinn, D. M., & Chase, S. K. (2003). When grades determine self-worth: Consequences of contingent self-worth for male and female engineering and psychology majors. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.3.507 C