The first steps
People with perfectionism are caught in a vicious cycle where the way they think, feel and behave keeps the perfectionism going.
As we can see from the diagram, the way we think, feel or behave can trap us in the vicious cycle of perfectionism, making it difficult to break. However, this also means that changing any one of these thoughts, feelings or behaviours will tackle perfectionism and its negative effects such as depression, anxiety and eating difficulties.
The first step to overcoming your perfectionism is to draw your own model of perfectionism! This diagram does not have to be perfect, but just give you a rough idea of the main features of your perfectionism and how they fit together. As you go through the next 6 sessions, your model will change and different features can be added, taken away or re-written. While it can seem very difficult and scary to draw this diagram, the fact that all these parts are connected means that if you make a change in one area, you’ll be changing in the other areas as well.