The Anxious Perfectionist
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Skills to Deal with Anxiety, Stress, and Worry Driven by Perfectionism
Published on 28. April 2022
Book
Paperback/Softback
152 pages
978-1-68403-845-9 (ISBN)
Description
Is your perfectionism causing you anxiety, stress, and worry?If you identify as a perfectionist, you may not see your perfectionism as a problem. But striving for unrealistic standards, basing your self-worth on meeting those standards, and engaging in persistent self-criticism will ultimately lead to anxiety, stress, worry, burnout, and unhappiness. So, how can you distinguish between "helpful" and "hurtful" perfectionism and stop holding yourself and others to unrealistically high standards?Written by two clinical psychologists, Perfectly Anxious shines a much-needed light on the hidden costs of "being the best," and offers essential skills based in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to help you cope with the anxiety that is driven by your perfectionism. You'll learn how your "need to be perfect" can actually hinder your productivity, and keep you from reaching your goals. You'll also learn skills to help you gain distance from negative self-talk and criticism, let go of unhelpful and self-limiting labels such as "success" or "failure," and give yourself and others permission to make mistakes while still honoring your high aspirations.If you're struggling with feelings of anxiety and stress, and suspect your perfectionism may be to blame, this guide will show you how to stop getting in the way of your own success, and live a life guided by your deepest values.
Reviews / Votes
"This eminently readable and relatable book illuminates the path to freedom for those on a quixotic quest for perfectionism. The authors guide the reader in understanding how perfectionism fails as a formula for living one's life, and endorse action consistent with values rather than feelings. So, if you or a loved one have perfectionism, or you provide care for those who do, this is without question a 'must-have' for your library."-Nancy Keuthen, PhD, associate professor at Harvard Medical School; and chief psychologist at the Center for OCD and Related Disorders at Massachusetts General Hospital * Nancy Keuthen, PhD, associate professor at Harvard Medical School; and chief psychologist at the Center for OCD and Related Disorders at Massachusetts General Hospital * "While perfectionism may promise you achievement and satisfaction, it instead leaves you strung out, unfulfilled, and never feeling 'good enough.' Built on a bedrock of what their research has shown to work, Clarissa Ong and Mike Twohig have written a warm, engaging, and practical guide to unwinding the binds of perfectionism. Follow in their footsteps to experience the freedom of living your life more flexibly and with greater compassion for imperfection."-Jennifer Kemp, MPsych, clinical psychologist, and author of The ACT Workbook for Perfectionism * Jennifer Kemp, MPsych, clinical psychologist, and author of The ACT Workbook for Perfectionism * "If you want to be more fully the person you actually want to be, not just the person your perfectionism says you should be, then this book will help. Using research-based strategies, it will help you become clearer on what you want your life to be about, overcome procrastination and rumination, and be kinder to yourself while also staying engaged and effective in life and relationships."-Jason Luoma, PhD, CEO at Portland Psychotherapy, shame and compassion researcher, and coauthor of Learning ACT and Values in Therapy * Jason Luoma, PhD, CEO at Portland Psychotherapy, shame and compassion researcher, and coauthor of Learning ACT and Values in Therapy *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oakland, CA
United States
Product notice
Paperback (UK-trade)
Dimensions
Height: 227 mm
Width: 148 mm
Thickness: 10 mm
Weight
224 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-68403-845-9 (9781684038459)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Clarissa W. Ong | Michael P. Twohig
Anxious Perfectionist
How to Manage Perfectionism-Driven Anxiety Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
E-Book
03/2022
New Harbinger Publications
€18.49
Available for download
Clarissa W. Ong | Michael P. Twohig
Anxious Perfectionist
How to Manage Perfectionism-Driven Anxiety Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
E-Book
03/2022
New Harbinger Publications
€18.49
Available for download
Persons
Michael P. Twohig, PhD, is professor at Utah State University, former president of the Association of Contextual Behavioral Science, and peer-reviewed ACT trainer. He has published over one hundred peer-reviewed papers on the application of ACT to obsessive-compulsive and related disorders.Foreword writer Randy O. Frost, PhD, teaches abnormal psychology at Smith College in Northampton, MA. He is coauthor of Buried in Treasures.