Amitabh Bachchan admits to losing sleep over recent work; expert on perfectionism

4 min readNew DelhiJun 23, 2026 10:00 PM IST

Many people assume that self-doubt, performance anxiety, and work-related stress lessen with age, experience, or professional success. But, individuals who are deeply invested in their work may continue to question their performance, revisit completed tasks, and strive for improvement regardless of how accomplished they are. In a recent blog post, veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan offered a candid glimpse into this experience.

Reflecting on a recent work assignment, he revealed that after completing a portion of it, he felt dissatisfied with the result and sought an opportunity to redo it. Writing in Hindi, he shared, “Just a few moments from work. After completing it, I felt it could have been done better. I received permission, so I did it again. Now I don’t know whether it turned out better or not. Only those who watch it will be able to tell. I have not been able to sleep because of these thoughts, and before I knew it, it was morning. Congratulations and love to the EF.” His comments highlight a familiar struggle for many professionals: the tendency to replay work in their minds long after the task is finished and wonder whether they could have done better.

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.

His remarks touch on broader issues that affect people across professions: perfectionism, work-related rumination, difficulty switching off after work, and the relationship between high personal standards and mental well-being.

Self-doubt despite success

Gurleen Baruah, Organisational Psychologist at That Culture Thing, tells indianexpress.com, “This is actually very common, especially among high-functioning individuals. Two concepts often discussed here are the Dunning–Kruger effect and Impostor syndrome. The more people truly know about their field, the more aware they become of what they still do not know, and that can bring humility as well as self-doubt.”

In many ways, she says that healthy self-doubt is better than overconfidence. However, it becomes psychologically harmful when self-reflection turns into constant self-criticism, anxiety, or paralysis, where a person is never able to acknowledge their strengths or feels that nothing they do is ever good enough.

Work-related rumination and sleep disruption

“Yes, this is commonly seen,” notes Baruah, adding that people replay conversations, presentations, or decisions, wondering, “I could have said that better” or “I should have done this differently.” This kind of rumination is often driven by anxiety, perfectionism, or impostor feelings.

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She states that over time, it can become a cycle of self-criticism rather than learning. One way to break it is to go inward instead of repeatedly replaying the event. Ask yourself, “What story am I telling myself about this situation?” Sitting with the discomfort, recognising recurring patterns, and responding with curiosity instead of judgment can gradually reduce rumination and make it easier to let go.

Maintaining high standards without burnout

A few things can help. First, cultivate a growth mindset instead of a fixed mindset. Shift from “I am not good at this” to “I am still learning this.” Focus on improving yourself, not proving yourself. Learn to notice and challenge your inner critic instead of believing everything it says.

“When self-doubt shows up, remind yourself of your past efforts and achievements rather than dismissing them. It also helps to identify common thinking traps, such as personalising every setback or believing one mistake defines everything. Finally, focus on consistent progress over perfection. Small improvements, repeated over time, are far more sustainable than chasing flawless outcomes,” concludes Baruah.

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.