Are you a perfectionist?

Are you a perfectionist?

Update: 2025-11-05
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Welcome to Complex, the psychology podcast that will help you live more positively, calmly and - hopefully - with more balance.
Kimberley Wilson, chartered psychologist, is on a mission to sift through all the information and misinformation that’s out there around our mental health to help you understand what your mind is doing and create more self-awareness.

She invites expert guests – trained psychologists, psychiatrists and psychotherapists – to join her and together they share insight and valuable tips.

In this episode, Kimberley delves into perfectionism with health psychologist Dr Sula Windgassen.
Is perfectionism useful? Does it help you achieve more? Live a happier life? Sula and Kimberley explore what perfectionism does, what it does to us, and what we can do to manage it.

Please get in touch if there’s anything you would like Kimberley to explore. The email address is complex@bbc.co.uk. We might use what you tell us in the show, but we will make sure we do so anonymously. If you don’t want your email to be included in the podcast, then please remember to let us know.
Kimberley is not able to answer emails personally. So if you are concerned you have a medical or mental health issue, then please contact your GP or seek expert help. Please also take a look on the BBC Actionline page: https://www.bbc.co.uk/actionline/ where you can find details of organisations offering information and support for common issues.

The Complex team:
Host: Kimberley Wilson
Guest: Dr Sula Windgassen
Producer: Kirsten Lass
Assistant Producer: Katie Chandler Clarke
Science Editor: Rami Tzabar
Tech Producer: Reuben Huxtable
Sound Designer: Ruth Rainey
Digital Lead: Richard Berry
Presenter image: Darren Skene
And for BBC Sounds:
Commissioning Producer: Izzy Lee-Poulton
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
Complex is a Loftus Media production for BBC Sounds.

Comments (1)

Melanie Jackson

Wow Kimberley your story of coming home with 98% and being asked where the extra 2% was, gave me goosebumps - it's EXACTLY what happened to me when I ran home to tell my Dad I got 98% on my maths test. "Why didn't you get 100%?" he said. I struggled throughout my career & higher education studies with perfectionism. I missed deadlines trying to get something just right (or procrastinated for weeks!). I now aim to think "it's good enough!" to stop trying to be perfect. (PS I've edited this 5X!)

Nov 16th
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Are you a perfectionist?

Are you a perfectionist?

BBC Sounds