It’s an old cliché, the kind of thing we’re now actively warned against saying in job interviews. When an interviewer asks what our worst trait is, we’re no longer supposed to say “I’m a perfectionist”; we’re supposed to be aware that it now sounds cheesy, overused and a little dishonest. But for many women, it’s probably the truth.

The pressure to be perfect is on the rise around the world, and some research has shown that women are especially prone to perfectionism. Having high standards for oneself is, generally speaking, a good thing: it’s what drives us to excel in our careers and refuse to accept bad relationships. But feeling as though we have to do everything flawlessly, all the time, in every realm of our lives – from work to romance to family to friends to fitness to fashion – can also leave us feeling burnt out, anxious and depressed.

In a new interview, Zendaya speaks eloquently about the trap of perfectionism.

“The one thing I struggle with is I sometimes get so afraid to make a mistake,” the Spider-Man star tells US Marie Claire. “Like, I want to be perfect, I want to make all the right decisions, and when I don’t, it stresses me out.”

Zendaya just made an important point about the problem with perfectionism