Gentle body-mind explorations to soften perfectionism and get on your own side
On the surface, perfectionism can look like trying hard and having high standards. But underneath it can lurk:
- Harsh self-criticism
- Fear of failure, being seen and being imperfect
- Doubt and indecision
- Anxiety
- Overthinking and analysis paralysis
I have been familiar with all these!
While others are doing, learning and improving, perfectionist habits keep you stuck at the starting line. Time passes. Meanwhile you’re still facing a blank sheet, an empty appointment book or thinking you have to do another course before you can finally take a step.
The alternative to perfectionism is not achieving less or doing mediocre work. Quite the opposite.
Perfectionist habits are a defensive shield. They stop you from acting, learning and growing. You wouldn’t expect to get the best from a colleague by continually criticising and blocking them. The same goes for how you treat yourself.The opposite of perfectionism is “healthy striving”. It’s supporting yourself to do your best, learn and improve. It’s nurturing your inner impulse and letting that be your engine.
Perfectionist habits often run deep. They probably won you praise or success as a child or young adult. Occasionally one insight might unravel them. But more often change takes time.
It’s like learning to relax a chronically tight muscle. You don’t just do it once. And you don’t just watch a video about it. You actually do it. Not once but repeatedly. And as you keep coming back to it, it gets better and easier and other things start to change too.
That’s what these healthy striving club sessions are. Like a yoga class to gently soften perfectionist habits that might be holding you back.
There’ll be
- A chance to share your specific current examples
- Gentle movement and meditation to connect to what wants to grow from underneath perfectionist habits
- Distinctions, perspectives and discussion to help you untangle knotted thinking
- Laughter and simple fun activities to reconnect with a more playful, openhearted way of being
- Time to get clear about what you want to do next
- Time to ask questions about whatever you’d like help with
The sessions aren’t information overload. Perfectionism tends to keep us in our heads way too much already. Each class will be practising building a more supportive relationship with yourself around whatever practical challenge is alive for you right now. And through that, to build a more supportive relationship with yourself more generally too.
The structured part of the class will be 60-90 minutes depending on how many people show up. I’ll also be available for up to 30 minutes after that for anything you’d like to ask about.
Pay the right price for you. Most classes are £10+ these days so that’s probably the right price for most people. But please also choose £5 or £15 if that’s a fairer fit for your circumstances.
Want to request a different time slot? Email me. If enough people ask for a time, I’ll see what I can do.
