Cognitive restructuring
'Cognition' is a word used to denote a thought or belief, and 'restructuring' involves challenging a cognition by looking at the evidence for or against it. The basic idea behind cognitive restructuring is that thoughts themselves are not facts; you need to consider whether the thoughts you are having are true and to consider whether there are any other ways to thinking about a particular situation. At first this can be a real challenge: we often believe what we think and don't question our own thoughts. However, often our thinking is biased, and with perfectionism it can be biased towards thinking too negatively and harshly about yourself.
Today's session
These sessions will each focus on a different aspect of perfectionism and help you answer questions such as...
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What are the pros and cons of being a perfectionist?
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What is the difference between having high standards and being a perfectionist?
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How is perfectionism stopping me from reaching my goals?
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This first session will explore the question "Should I change my perfectionism?"
This content has been adapted from the book Overcoming Perfectionism by Roz Shafran, Sarah Egan, and Tracey Wade. Special thanks to the authors for allowing the reproduction of their content for this online program.