Hyperexigencies and their consequences on daily life

The tendency to try to carry too many responsibilities can be very harmful psychologically.

The poor management of the responsibilities and goals we set for ourselves on a daily basis is, for many people, a source of constant discomfort.

However, sometimes people fall into the trap of not only trying to keep up with an unsustainable work pace, but also of considering that the fact of always being on edge and on edge is part of normality, of what we have to go through.

In this article we will talk precisely about that, the hyperexigences, and the way in which these have psychological repercussions in our daily life..

What are hyperexigencies?

The hyperexigencias are a pattern of behavior through which we get used to demanding from ourselves a pace of work and performance that we can hardly reach, or not reach at all.or we can hardly reach, or even not reach at all.

For this reason, hyper-demands can give way to life habits that are harmful both physically and mentally.

Possible causes

These are the main causes from which hyper-demanding of oneself can arise.

1. Perfectionism

Many times, the excess of exigency with oneself is not so much in the quantity of work to be done as in the quality of the results to be obtained.. In these cases, the main driver of this behavior pattern is linked to an inadequately managed perfectionism, counterproductive for the person.

On the other hand, perfectionism can be of two types, and both cases can produce problems if they become the center of the life of the person who develops them.

1.1. Perfectionistic strivings

Perfectionistic strivings are present in those individuals who try to approach an ideal through their work, regardless of what others are doing. For example, an artist trying to surpass himself and create the most important work of his career is likely to be driven by this type of perfectionism.

1.2. Perfectionist Concerns

Perfectionist concerns are present in those who try to do something in the best possible way to meet the expectations of others, i.e., because of external pressures. An example of this would be a skater who concentrates on not being disqualified from a championship so as not to disappoint her family.

2. Work pressures

We must not forget that in countries like Spain, the labor market is very competitive and the threat of becoming unemployed and taking a long time to find another job is very real. This means that many people do not find a fulfilling job role, as they have to sacrifice a lot and work hard in order not to lose added value. Some people even work more than they should without being asked to do so, simply for fear of losing their source of income..

3. Family burdens

On the other hand, there are many people who can't cope with household chores and raising children, yet refuse to ask for help.

This is a type of hyper-demandingness that is more common in womenThis is a type of hyper-demandingness more frequent in women, due to the fact that historically the female role has been linked to the care of the home, which leads some of them to feel shame and guilt at the idea of not giving their best and sacrificing themselves for others.

Its impact on quality of life

These are the different ways in which hyper demands affect people's well-being.

Lack of sleep

Lack of sleep is one of the phenomena in which hyperexigency is most noticeable.. People who try to pull forward with many responsibilities tend to either believe that sleep is a waste of time, or not being able to fall asleep at the right time, or sleep deeply.

2. Stress and anxiety

On the other hand, the hyperexigence goes hand in hand with a high activation of the nervous system, ie, always being alert. This causes anxious alterations and stress crises to be relatively frequent.

3. Increased risk of falling into addictions

People who face a heavy workload on a daily basis are more likely to develop addictions. are more likely to develop addictions. This is a measure of coping with the discomfort that brings them some relief in the short term, but obviously harms them greatly in the medium and long term. However, in the face of anxiety and stress, the long-term vision loses prominence.

4. Rumination

Rumination is the tendency to think about things, especially those thoughts related to the tasks to be performed and the goals to be achieved, since they generate anguish and stress. generate anguish and stress, so that they attract to themselves the attentional focus..

Are you looking for professional support in the face of hyper-demand?

If you think you tend to overload yourself too much with responsibilities and overly ambitious goals, and you think you need professional support, I suggest you contact me. I am a psychologist specializing in the cognitive-behavioral model of intervention and I have many years of experience helping individuals and companies. Para ver más información sobre mí, así como mis datos de contacto, accede a esta página.

Referencias bibliográficas:

• Flett, G. L.; Hewitt, P.L. (2002). Perfectionism. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
• Gäde, J.C.; Schermelleh-Engel, K. & Klein, A.G. (2017). Disentangling the Common Variance of Perfectionistic Strivings and Perfectionistic Concerns: A Bifactor Model of Perfectionism. Front Psychol., 8: 160.
• Lizmore, M.R. Dunn, J.G.H.; Dunn, J.C. (2017). Perfectionistic strivings, perfectionistic concerns, and reactions to poor personal performances among intercollegiate athletes. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 33: PP. 75 - 84.