Combating Anxiety from Perfectionism with Relaxation & Spontaneity

One personality characteristic that people who experience anxiety often demonstrate is being a perfectionist. Being a perfectionist makes it difficult to stop and kick back and relax sometimes. Perfectionists often want everything planned ahead of time and control over everything. A perfectionist’s day is usually planned in advance and if they cannot fit everything in that they had plan they experience anxiety. The one thing that perfectionists commonly forget to schedule or make time for is to relax. Relaxation is a key component to having a balanced mental health. Being more spontaneous and going with the flow is a great lesson that perfectionists need to learn. Below is an activity to help try out spontaneity that I have taught to my clients in counseling.

Materials you will need:

1 dice

Steps to relaxation: Rolling the dice

Step One: List 6 activities that might give you that make you feel calm and relaxed when you engage in them. Pick activities that are reasonable for you to do when it comes to how long it takes to complete them and how much they cost to do. Examples of activities are: going to lunch with a good friend, going to the movies, getting your nails done, taking a bubble bath, going to the beach, reading a book, playing golf, etc.

1. ______________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________________
6. ______________________________________________________________________

Step Two: Select a day over the next week to try out one of the activities. Give yourself plenty of time to complete the activity in a relaxed way without rushing. I plan to relax on: _______________(day) at: __________(time).

Step Three: Now roll the dice. You will get a number between 1 and 6.

What number did you roll? _______

What activity did you write next to that number in your list? _______________________

Step Four: On your relaxation day the final step is to actually complete the activity listed in Step three.

Make sure you stick with the plan. Do not make excuses to get out of doing the activity and hold yourself accountable!!

Step Five: After you complete your activity ask yourself the following questions. How did it go with this task? What challenges did you have doing it? What positives did you notice during this task? How could you include more relaxation and activities that are not focused on achievement in your daily schedule?

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ABOUT ESSENCE OF HEALING COUNSELING:

Roberta Alves is a therapist and counselor at the Essence of Healing Counseling with an office located in downtown Ft. Lauderdale. She is a Certified Anxiety Specialist and uses a scientific and evidence based type of therapy called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Research has shown that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is proven to be extremely effective in treating anxiety. Roberta is truly passionate about the work she does and loves serving her clients in Ft. Lauderdale and the surrounding South Florida areas. If you want to learn the proven techniques to overcome your anxiety, schedule an appointment today.