FEAR OF MAKING A MISTAKE AT WORK
When Perfectionism, Anxiety and Previous Criticism Make Every Decision Feel Risky
There is a difference between wanting to do your job well and feeling frightened of getting anything wrong.
Mistake anxiety can turn everyday work into a constant cycle of checking, second-guessing, reassurance seeking and replaying decisions long after the working day has ended.
This Workplace Wellbeing resource looks underneath perfectionism rather than simply telling people to “stop overthinking.”
The three-page downloadable guide explores how previous criticism, school experiences, difficult managers, workplace culture, anxiety, ADHD, autism, rejection sensitivity and unclear expectations can make ordinary decisions feel unusually risky.
It also considers procrastination as a possible response to fear, the hidden workload created by repeated checking, and why reassurance can gradually become something a person feels unable to work without.
Importantly, this is not only an individual coping guide. It asks workplaces to consider whether blame, public criticism, inconsistent instructions or unclear expectations are helping to create the very anxiety they are then asking employees to manage.
The resource includes practical ways to think about “good enough,” distinguish different levels of risk, give clearer feedback and build confidence without pretending mistakes never matter.
Healthy workplaces can maintain high standards without making people frightened of being human.
Space to Breathe Therapy
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