Overcoming Perfectionism

How to break the vicious circle of 'never good enough' Perfectionism can be healthy but when it becomes unhealthy and turns into 'clinical perfectionism' (sometimes referred to as 'dysfunctional perfectionism') is can cause serious problems. It is associated with different mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders and chronic fatigue syndrome. Those suffering from clinical perfectionism tend to judge themselves predominantly in terms of the pursuit and attainment of personally demanding standards and often feel unable to be flexible and change their goals, despite the significant negative impact that the pursuit of perfectionism may have on their quality of life. Includes: - Description of Clinical Perfectionism - Clinical Perfectionism and depression, anxiety, eating disorders, chronic fatigue - Identifying the problem and monitoring - Overcoming perfectionism - step-by-step self-help course based on CBT principles - Avoiding relapse - Case studies - Other treatments - an overview

Letting Go of Perfect: Overcoming Perfectionism in Kids pinpoints a crippling state of mentality among many kids today--the need to be absolutely perfect--and gives parents and teachers the guidance and support they need to help children break free of the anxieties and behaviors related to perfectionism.

If you feel an intense pressure to be perfect, this evidence-based workbook offers real strategies based in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to help you develop a more balanced and healthy perspective. Do you hold yourself—and perhaps others—to extremely high standards? Do you procrastinate certain tasks because you’re afraid you won’t carry them out perfectly? If you’ve answered “yes” to one or both of these questions, chances are you’re a perfectionist. And while there’s nothing wrong with hard work and high standards, perfectionism can also take over your life if you let it. So, how can you find balance? With this workbook, you’ll identify the causes of your perfectionism and the ways it is negatively impacting your life. Rather than measuring your self-worth by productivity and accomplishments, you’ll learn to exercise self-compassion, and extend that compassion to others. You’ll also learn ways to prioritize the things that really matter to you, without focusing on attaining fixed goals. Life isn’t perfect, and neither are we. If you’re ready to break free from out-of-control perfectionism and start living a richer, fuller life, this workbook will help you get started.

Presents a description of the main features of perfectionism, along with advice on how to overcome its limitations and consequences and achieve greater intimacy and self-acceptance.

A revolutionary approach to overcoming perfectionism! A recent, randomized study—published by Mindfulness Journal—shows that Present Perfect is effective as a standalone intervention. The study found that those who had read the book experienced a statistically significant reduction of self-criticalness, a result that was still maintained at a six weeks follow-up (Wimberley, Mintz, & Suh, Mindfulness, Nov. 2015). While there's no doubt that setting high standards for yourself is a good thing, you've probably already noticed that perfectionism can come at a high price. And when you take steps to try to change, it's easy to be too hard on yourself and fall into the same traps that keep you feeling stressed and disappointed. This book presents a revolutionary approach to overcoming perfectionism—a way to transform your need for precision into self-acceptance, compassion, and love for each perfectly imperfect passing moment in our lives. In Present Perfect, you'll use the Buddhist psychology of mindfulness to learn to accept the present moment in all of its ordinary perfection. This book is filled with over 150 exercises and meditations that you can practice to become more flexible toward yourself and others without losing your love of a job well done. With this compassionate approach, you'll soon be able not only to accept life as it is, but also become more accepting and forgiving of yourself and others.

DO YOU WANT YOUR LIFE TO BE PERFECT? We're all laboring under our own and society's expectations to be perfect in every way-to look younger, to make more money, to be happy all the time. But according to Tal Ben-Shahar, the New York Times bestselling author of Happier, the pursuit of perfect may actually be the number-one internal obstacle to finding happiness. OR DO YOU WANT TO BE HAPPY? Applying cutting-edge research in the field of positive psychology-the scientific principles taught in his wildly popular course at Harvard University-Ben-Shahar takes us off the impossible pursuit of perfection and directs us to the way to happiness, richness, and true fulfillment. He shows us the freedom derived from not trying to do it all right all the time and the real lessons that failure and painful emotions can teach us. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE PERFECT TO BE PERFECTLY HAPPY! In The Pursuit of Perfect, Tal Ben-Shahar offers an optimal way of thinking about failure and success--and the very way we live. He provides exercises for self reflection, meditations, and “Time-Ins” to help you rediscover what you really want out of life. Praise for Tal Ben-Shahar's Happier: “This fine book shimmers with a rare brand of good sense that is embedded in scientific knowledge about how to increase happiness. It is easy to see how this is the backbone of the most popular course at Harvard today.” -Martin E. P. Seligman, author of Authentic Happiness

Find your perfect balance! Perfectionism is an admirable quality, right? After all, what's wrong with working hard to reach lofty goals? But sometimes perfectionism can go too far--well beyond pulling extra hours at work to beat a deadline or cleaning the house until it shines. Toxic perfectionism can result in obsessive behavior, damaged self-esteem, depression, and even physical ailments. In The Everything Guide to Coping with Perfectionism, you'll find tips and techniques to help you recognize symptoms of toxic perfectionism and learn how to introduce flexibility and balance into your life. This easy-to-use guide includes information on: The surprising link between perfectionism and procrastination Eating disorders and the role perfectionism plays in their development The relationship between obsessive behavior and anxiety How toxic perfectionism manifests in children In addition, you'll learn that you don't necessarily need to "fix" perfectionism--you can mold perfectionist behavior into healthy habits and harness your high ambitions to create achievable and positive goals.

Perfectionists and people-pleasers put in enormous amounts of time and energy trying to be the best, the brightest, and the nicest. They twist themselves in knots trying to be what they think they should be in order to get approval or avoid rejection from others. But at what cost? In Shattering the Porcelain, Dr. Carly LeBaron explores what perfectionism and people-pleasing are, how they negatively impact your life, and how to break free from those perfectly pleasing patterns to embrace who you truly are. In this book you'll learn: -How perfectionism and people-pleasing negatively impact your mental, emotional, and relational health. -Where your perfectionism and people pleasing originated and how to use that knowledge to guide your journey to becoming the real you. -The type of perfectionist and/or people-pleaser you are and how that influences your life experiences. -Practical tips, tricks, and techniques to use in changing the way you think, how you feel, and what you do that keeps you stuck. -How to shatter your perfectionism and people-pleasing and start embracing authenticity.