Finieas, Welcome to t he "borderline society". Here in the west and indeed most of the world feels your exact sentiment to some extent. There are a few paths that lead to your situation. Overly critical parents is one sure way. However, parents that weren't there either due to "working so hard to care for the family" or via emotional absence such as drug or alcohol addiction can also lead to expecting more from yourself. It usually starts as a desire to get your primary cargivers attention. Doing more trying to be exceptional. Then after so many years of such a mentality during your formative years, you begin to feel the constant drive as a "comfortable place". Soon, long after you loose the desire to gain their attention and appreciation, you still feel the need to do what you "normally do". Not driving yourself feels like you are "Away from home." Sometimes that can feel like a vacation, other times you just want to be in a comfortable place. So, you work. Sometimes on 3 or 4 different projects at once. This avoids finishing one and having nothing to do.

Stopping requires acknowledging that not over achieving is going to feel uncomfortable at first. The next step is soul searching for who it is you are trying to prove your worthiness to.